A difference in African and African-American attitudes on racism in America: Could African-Americans Learn From Africans?

[TheBlackList]

In the wake of Obama’s presidential victory, African-Americans had finally had their ‘excuse crutch’ kicked right under them.

The U.S. had long been dubbed - The Land of Opportunity. Generations have flooded to the U.S. from all corners of the planet; some seeking refuge, while others simply seeking a better education, a better opportunity and a better tomorrow.

One uniform belief that is shared by ALL is that the U.S. is the one place on earth where, dreams come true and all things are possible, if one perseveres and never quits. Yet African-Americans are the (only) group of people that play a pivotal role in filling up, all-statistics-gloomy-and-disheartening.

The question, ‘who is to blame for African-American’s failings?’ has been open for debate for the longest, and frankly for no apparent reason, when, specially all the evidences pointed back squarely at African-American themselves.

Obama’s presidential victory is a momentous and watershed moment, and particularly for this reason - it has helped shut the coffin cover down on the “racism” argument. It is also a vindication of the timeless creed, that - no matter who you are or where you come from, you can achieve anything, no matter how hard life might sometimes tests you.

Africans Hardly Blame, While African-Americans Enjoy Blaming. I am black, of African descent, and I have lived in the U.S. for almost a decade now. I am what you may choose to call an immigrant. And under the “white man’s” microscope, I and my African-American brothers and sisters are one and the same – BLACKS.

When I speak of race relations (racism) in America, I mainly speak from my experience as a black man in America, and everything else second, (Like pride in oneself, resilience, lack of inferiority complex.)

Am I a witness of racism in America? Absolutely. Do I believe whites have an advantage over blacks? Umm . . . Ye - - -S.

But nothing to cry and moan about. Probably very minimal advantage and one, in my African eyes, I have a hard time to identify. And definitely not something that a black man couldn’t overcome with a bit of hard work and vigilance.

What African-Americans have is a crippling disease called - Laziness. It is precisely a dangerous disease because it is the hardest to notice and one that hardly displays its symptoms in black-and-white. However, this laziness in the black community is one that has sipped through over time, and it was almost non-existent in the generations before.

African-Americans are the descendants of slaves who were subjected to hard and back-breaking labor, and this laziness that is prevalent among today’s generations of African-Americans is one that defies scientific theories, in my view.

More African-Americans had finished high school and attended college in the 70’s than they do today. In fact, the rate of an African-American in the 70’s graduating high school and college was the same as that of an Anglo-American. African Americans Need Only Look At Africans. Perhaps no evidence debunks the “racism” argument more than black Africans who come to the U.S. to lead a triumphant and prosperous life.

For that matter, one could point out the success rate of ALL types of immigrants. But for argument sakes alone, I choose to compare Apples-to-Apples (Blacks to Blacks, in this case) And for those who are reluctant to let go off the racism argument, I have one more news for you: On the list of obstacles an African-American faces in today’s America, racism was recently listed 18th. 18th! Making racism a non-issue by default.

So Why Do Africans Succeed Where African-Americans Fail? Hard work, education, accountability and responsibility.

It doesn’t get any more uncomplicated than that, though some intelligentsia in the African-American community would like to complicate things. These so-called intelligentsia in the black community are what I call those with, a-hang-over-from-the-civil-rights-era. They are still living in the 60’s and 70’s. They are still stuck in solving the puzzle that has been long solved.

In fact, Africans are faced with more challenges than any African-American ever could.

Most Africans are not born with a silver spoon in their mouth; they are usually faced with all sorts of problems when they first arrive in America (Challenges like learning a new system, a language barrier that takes years to break, in addition to all the other problems and obstacles African-Americans claim to face due to their pigmentation). So tell me, who has it hard? The African or the African-American?

The inescapable fact remains, that there is no substitute to hard work and resilience, and the sooner the African-American intelligentsia of the civil rights era fess up, the better for African-Americans.

Am I indifferent to the problems of racism in America? Puuuh-lizz! Only a mad man would think that. The day has come where racism can no longer be considered the alpha-and-omega of problems that black people face. That’s the point that I am trying to make.

As a human being first, and a black man in America second, I have never been able to push on an open door. All the doors that I had thus far walked through had to be unlocked by me. And I don’t know of a white man that had to stay in bed and have his bills taken care of at the end of the month.

In fact, I have never met an uber rich white man in a decade of my staying in America. And I ask myself is this really true that white people have an advantage? Could it be exaggerated? Because all my white neighbors are forced to get up every morning and sit behind their desk somewhere or earn a living somehow. I never see them going to a secret meeting where they are handed a manual that tells them the secret to successful life in America.

It is the “System.” African-Americans are constantly talking about the “system.” I am not going to go there, because it would waste my time. But let me say this quickly, this “system” that seems to be a part of a constant discussion in the black community is simply another, what else, excuse. Enough said about “systems”.

Entitlement Programs Suck, Plain Suck! I hate programs like the “Affirmative Action” with a passion. I frown upon it, and I detest it. Did I say I hate it? Programs like the Affirmative Action are simply, - Entitlement Programs.

No type of entitlement program, in the history of the world, has ever worked. Entitlement programs do nothing, whatsoever, to address the heart of the problem. Thus serving as anything, but adding salt to an injury.

For a society who has produced the like of W.E. DuBois, Frederick Douglas and many others like them, how should African-Americans ever say yes to programs like the Affirmative Action Program.

The fact of the matter is, Affirmative action would never solve the poverty and crime that is prevalent in the black community. What the latest “lazy” generation of African-Americans require is not an entitlement program, but rather a face-lift in attitude, thinking and approach. Attributes and traits that are pivotal for anyone to succeed are sorely missing in the black youth today.

Belief-in-oneself, sense of pride, and lack of inferiority complex are all important if one is to succeed and overcome obstacles.

What I am thankful for the most about Obama’s historical victory is that he had played a critical role in restoring and instilling the confidence back in the black youth.When those attributes are backed by a solid educations and hard work, the sky is truly the limit.

In short, where African-Americans see “racism,” Africans are thinking “let’s prove them wrong.” That simple difference in attitude could mean the difference between - succeeding and becoming a couch-potato.

By Fay Venegas
African Executive
http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=3942&magazine=209


Thanks to AfroSpear
http://afrospear.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/bits-and-bytes-3/


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[Dave Myers]

.... yet another African emigre , coming to America with a full head of steam , and after ten years of your experience , and with a straight face, no less , can make the claim that the preponderance of the indigenous African American population , are not further ahead / have not achieved / have perhaps not even 'sniffed' , "The American Dream", because ... "They are LAZY" ... FOR CRY'IN OUT LOUD ... "Mrs. African Exekitiv" ... and "whose" history books have YOU been reading??

[Liz]

Permalink Reply by Dave Myers 2 hours ago
.... yet another African emigre , coming to America with a full head of steam , and after ten years of your experience , and with a straight face, no less , can make the claim that the preponderance of the indigenous African American population , are not further ahead / have not achieved / have perhaps not even 'sniffed' , "The American Dream", because ... "They are LAZY" ... FOR CRY'IN OUT LOUD ... "Mrs. African Exekitiv

Thank you Dave, I thought I was the only one with these feelings. How dare this writer come here and live here only ten years and KNOW. She hasn't been here long enough to walk a day in my shoes. But wait a minute. Who is she calling lazy?

Now that I've gotten that out of my system I will laugh now.

[Abdurrahman T. L. Nelson]

I was born at the intersection of tow dirt roads on a plantation in Arkansas. I grew up in a samll town in Arkansas. I picked cotton and chopped cotton in Arkansas and Missouri. Yet, I have a university education.

I see PHD's and MD's and Lawyers in these forums who cannot even read, much less read African history. These are from middle class families. Went to school on scholarships, most likely. If they cannot read, not even African history, they are L-A-Z-Y. Period.

[Iskandar Langalibalele]

Very interesting, that this perspective should come from someone who depicts Africa wrapped (strangled?) in the flag of a foreign power. Curiously, so-called African Americans are never compared to, say, black South Africans, who share a similar experience, or West Indians. Always the black petty bourgeoisie from Africa who come here on student visas provided by USAID and other groups.

Tanzanians, Angolans, Mozambicans, South Africans and Zimbabweans have a decidedly working class perspective. This differs from Kenyans, some Ugandans, Malawians, Zambians who often go to work alienated and aloof from black Americans. Nigerians and many West Africans seem to integrate into America's black community much more smoothly than Kenyans and the others. I have never seen any Kenyans, Zambians or Malawians participate in any grass roots organizations in America. I kno a number of Kenyans and can say that. I have tried to recruit people from all over the Motherland to revolutionary political work and the ones I stated as aloof are actually allergic to us niggers over here. I have heard them refer to us in the most chauvinistic terms, that we are not part of the Diaspora, which in their minds includes only those African emigres to Europe and other white countries. I kno this for a fact.

My best friend and tightest comrade in the whole wide world is an anti-imperialist from Azania who collaborated with me to write, "Two Organizers on the Uncompromising Class Struggle." I have organized a brother who earned two grad degrees at the University of Leipzig, and whose clan was in the upper echelons of the govt in Guinea-Conakry. I organized with a post grad contact here to study administration in preparation to run Tanzania's education sector. He and I used to interrogate and intimidate the Malawian students on the comprador role of the Banda govt during the SADF depredations, thru Renamo, in Mozambique. During the same period, Namibian comrades from SWAPO participated in our work on campus. We hosted events with veteran Angolan fighters, Pan Africanists from Senegal and Gambia, and others.

South Africans, Zimbabweans, Ghanaians, Nigerians, Angolans, Mozambicans and Senegambians have all cemented strong ties with their sisters and brothers here. Most of us who repatriate go to those countries. In the Caribbean, many prefer Sheshemane, Ethiopia. The links between black Americans and the Caribbean, tho not as ideal as we might like, are tight. We share many of the same struggles, except that we lack freedom here in the United States. We lack freedom because we lack land and we live in a colonial environment. Now what can anybody teach us except how to fight. Like the author of the above article, too many of us already kno how to lick boots.

[Samuel Burnham]

As a Practical Pan-African Nationalists, I believe in promoting positive relationships (i.e. friendships, economic partnerships, marriages, etc) between Continental Africans and Afro-Diasporians (i.e. descendants of enslaved Africans, to include so-called "African-Americans"). Thus I will be bold...yet...respectful in my response to Fay Venegas's article. I will point out where 's correct, and where he's wrong.

Generally speaking, Mr. Venegas is ONLY correct on TWO acccounts: so-called Black "intellegencia" being stuck in the 60's and 70's (but not all of them) and the fact that "African-Americans" give too much power to racism, failing to realize that racist are not all powerful. However, he is wrong on numerous accounts. Fey Venegas does NOT seem to know the difference between individual success and collective ethnic success. He difinately does not realize that Obama became president not because of individual sucess, but because of multi-cultural effort success, whith a majority population that is NOT Black/African-American! He provides no proof that the "all" the reasons for failures of African-Americans is their fault, and he does not seem to know the difference between mis-directed energy and laziness.

Where Fay Venegas is correct:

many leaders of the African-American "intellegencia" are indeed stuck in the 60s and 70s. Though the author, who's been in the U.S. less than 10 years, did not acurately explain why. Much of this so-called "intellgencia" have not properly looked at the "Practical Nationalism" that most other non-Black groups in this country practice (putting their needs ahead of America's wants). Instead, the above group focuses on forcing oursleves upon the social, political, cultual and economic institutions of other non-Black people, many believing that Black folk are incapable of doing anything on our own. This is in spite of the fact that other groups, even those with less percentage of economics and population that we "African-Americans", continue to do what we claim can only be done with a White face present! One must keep in mind the psychological effects of being bombarded by the "Whiter is better" concept, passed down by the media and those of us mis-educated by a SLAVE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Fey Venegas also is correct that we give racism too much credit for holding us back. However, Fey does not know that the mental enslavement of chattel slavery is often passed down for years after the physical effect is gone. As human beings, we are all vulnerable to mental conditioning, no matter how much of a rugged individualist we think we are! Consider 400 years of mental slave conditioning, having most of our major Black leaders killed in front of us, and our youth only considered "succesful" if they are a rugged indivudalist, athelete, entertainer, or a self-hater of his/her own people...and you would have no problem understanding why Black folk may miss opporutnies to raise themselves up, Mr. Venegas! However, as a Practical Nationalist, it's my job to know this, learn better, and do better. So I agree that we MUST do better.

However, this sums up what Fey Vengas is correct on, which is why he really needs to know the nature of a problem before assumming things.

The Obama Drama:

Let's face some facts that some of us are in denial of. Black folk who talk about African-Americans getting a fair proportion the of socio-economic ownership of this country that was built upon the blood of our ancestors will NEVER get elected in a country this anti-Black/African unless Blacks are mumerically the majority! Obama was smart enough to only talk about race when sorely pressed to do so! Thus, Whites generally have no evidence to accuse him of being "stuck in the 60's, being a "reverse racists", etc. Yes, Obama is smart, a law school graduate, etc, but no one man has EVER been "good enough" to be president of the United States. ALL of then new the right people who positioned them toward this end. Becoming president is therefore based more on if the right people like you than some super-human self-made man myth. Any Black person (and White person) of the "intellegencia" born and raised in America...instead of being here less than 10 years ago...would know this.

Next, like it or not, politically moderate, and politically liberal Whites in this race-obsessed country feel much more comfortable electing a Black man who has WHITE family members, than someone percieved by them as being "too Black", "stuck in the civil rights erra", etc. There are many reasons to why, including the fact that many Whites in the country fear that the evil their ancestors did (and some evil racists are still doing) concerning race, will be revisited upon them. Also, the fact that Blacks with White family members, best friends, etc. are less likely to facilitate this revisting! Based upon how moderate and conservative the majority of the U.S. White population is, they could have proved that racism is " a non-issue by default"...if they elected Alan Keys! My opinion for one of these reasons they did not...besides the fact that Alan keys was stupid enough to publicly condone racial profiling on national tv...is that both is parents are identifiably Black. However, conservative Whites, "Regan Democrats", and even racist democrats publicly state the same views as Alan Keys. Yet they didn't have enough respect for him during the times he ran for president to even give him double-digit voting percentages in the republican primaries. I have no love for Alan Keys, as he's proven to work against the needs of African-Americans. However, he's no less smart and no less "articulate" than Barak Obama. Plus, what are Black "conservatives" trying to "conserve"...the status quo? But I digress. While immigrants and "conservative" whites would laugh at the statement I made above...many of us Black folk born and raised in the U.S...instead of living here for under 10 years...agree with the above statement.

America as the Merit-ocracy (as in achiving stuff by hard-work alone, self-made man, etc): The myth exposed:

Generally speaking, Black folk have only had full citenzenship writes in the country for 40 years...less than half a century. Hundreds of years prior to that "White affirmative Action" existed. As a matter of fact, even the hated Irish and Scottish were allowed to move to "the land of opportunity" call us Black folk "nigger", and participate in all the evils of slavery along with their Anglo-English contempories. Those who read the government isued paperwork on affirmative action would know that it is not an "entitlement program". It was a fair consideration ensuring qualified Black folk were given a fair chance at jobs, contracts, college admistion, etc. Like every man-made law however, it was not perfect. Plus grudgeful Whites never had any intention of properly enforcing affirmative action. Therefore, it was so corrupted that White women were the largest benficiaries. When we look at the colonial laws of the 16 and 1700s till the GI Bill (and ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM FOR MILITARY VETERANS) we will see that in most cases, even today...non-Blacks are ENTITLED to preferencial treatment.

The many White bosses I had growing up, serving in the navy, and other proffesions revealed to me (some without shame) the "it's who you know" rules of corporate America. If people were properly rewarded for their hard work, their wouldn't be so many disgruntled, unsuccesful people of all skin tones in America who paid their dues and were pushed to the side.

Next, some people older that I was may remember the federal grants that many Vietnamese Boat people got to come to the U.S. keep in mind that many of these grants allowed these guys to buy good "middle class" homes! How many Black folk that you know...immigrant or otherwise...got them enough free money to buy a house!

Next, some of us remember that the U.S. admits to making a new life for German scientist of Natzi Germany. These same racist bastards recieved the equivalent of 40 acres and mule we did not get, Mr. Venegas! Not only did they pump more racist ideas about eugenetics into our society, bankrolled the foundation for the human genome project, and other atrocities...they got all this from American taxpayers of all races...and at the expense of our parents and grandparent still living under American Apartheid at the time. The 2-3 century head start in this "land of opportunity" was an opportuntity denied to African-Americans.

Finally, concerning this myth of opportunity, America, like other G-8 nations, created "oportunity" by economic extortion...often with military enforcement, of colonized nations! If you paid attention to how sweat shop labor created cheap goods in this country to make mega corporations...and that most fo these mega corporations reside in Western nations like the U.S. you'd question EVERY idea you had about "the land of opportuntity". America's 200 year ill-treatment of Haiti is a perfect example. I alredy know this...as stated, I grew up here. Ten year of just looking at the end result instead of the root causes means that you, Mr. Venegas, do not know very much about U.S. based "opportunity".

Laziness or Misdirected Energy:

The "lazy" comment is used by White racists to explain every problem in the Black community. However, what Venegas and these racists fail to admit that mis-directed energy is usually the problem...and that people generally work as hard as they percieve it necessary to reach a goal. When Vicente Fox, Mexico's president, mad a similar comment about African-Americans, he failed to mention the fact that after working for free in America for over 200 years as enslaved people, 60 plus years as near slaves, none of us want to work illegally in sweat shops for near slave conditions and wages below the poverty mark! If that makes us lazy, then show many any person of ANY skin tone who isn't, Mr. Venegas!

I mentioned earlier that much of the intellegencia thinks a White face is needed for our progress (the opposite of a Practical Nationalist/Practical Pan-Africanist). Therefore, they put most of their energy in the "inclusion process" (trying to force non-Blacks to accept us into their institutions, and being fought against tooth and nail throought the whole process.) instead of reserving half of that work ethic for institution building, For example, when Black folk have to compete with all other peoples for jobs and opportunties owned and controlled buy non-Black people, we will always face resentment, backlash, and pushback from the ones who economically and politcally own these oportunties. The end result is that less of us can find jobs, get a "fair shake", get contracts for projects from White-owned government entities, etc. What does this mean...MIS-DIRECTED ENERGY! Not laziness. The African-American Intellegencia needs to focus on a holistic aproach to success. You can accuse the Black "intellegencia" in the U.S. of misdirecting their work ethic...but never insult us or them by claim laziness!

A final example of misdirected energy deals with the criminal element of our society (though Whites are not immune to commiting criminal acts). While being tutored in an engineering economics class one day, I was suprised to find out that my tutor was a former "hustler on the streets". After finding out he could apply his brain power and work ethic to legal pursuits and still be succesful, that's exactly what he did! He was not lazy, when he was doing those illegal things, his work ethics just not moral and misdirected.

We all know there are are crooks of all colors, including Black sell-outs, who benefit from racism and making the "White man" appear god-like in power. There are many more people...the Alan keys, Jessie Lee Peterson's, and the Armstrong Williams's of our race...who profit from racism by placing all the blame on African-Americans. Mr. Venegas, if you are sincere in your convictions, then you'd do well to go deeper than the surface, instead of appearing like the latter men mentioned above.

respectfully,

Samuel Burnham

[Abdurrahman T. L. Nelson]

Obama’s presidential victory is a momentous and watershed moment, and particularly for this reason - it has helped shut the coffin cover down on the “racism” argument.

“…and he does not seem to know the difference between mis-directed energy and laziness.”

Whew!. Misdirected energy? Sounds to me like somebody is too lazy to direct their energy properly. Laziness is laziness. No excuses and alibis. PLEASE!

Next, like it or not, politically moderate, and politically liberal Whites in this race-obsessed country feel much more comfortable electing a Black man who has WHITE family members, than someone percieved by them as being "too Black", "stuck in the civil rights erra", etc.

Indulge me a moment or two. But, let’s face facts. The average “white American” has multi-ethnic and cultural links of some sort. Most that I know personally are “German and Irish”, “Jewish and Catholic”, “Italian and Polish” so on and so forth. Plus, many military families or international aid workers such as Obama’s family, have Asian ties. It is only natural human interaction. All decent human beings are pretty such the same in this regards. So, let’s not knock Obama for having European genes in his blood. Virtually all of us do. More recently a significant percentage of us have Asian family ties. (Recent Asian ties, because historically, we have always intermarried with Asians.) In this sense Obama represent us. He has Asian ties. This is the wave of the future, I think.

If Africa is to develop we must do business in Asia. No need to consider Europe. Europe has been in Africa for a long time and will remain as long as they possibly can. But, Asia is leading the world in growth now. It is ridiculous to imagine that we cannot do business with the Chinese, the Indians, the Indonesians, the Japanese, the Muslims. That is well, well over half the population of the world. In this sense, Obama’s Asian links points towards better understanding and relationships with the people who must buy African produced foodstuffs. We do not live in a bowl. Prehistorically, Africa had very positive and constructive relations with Asia. And, we must have them again if we are to be free and developed again.

And, these relationships with others are not one way streets. Spain has many mostly African genes in her blood. Plus, the culture has a distinctive African flavor. The Italians are very close to Africa. Plus, there is Bosnia, Croatia and much of Europe that has historical links to African culture.

Africans, we must learn to think in ways that reflect modern reality and get away from the old plantation mentality.

"Also, the fact that Blacks with White family members, best friends, etc. are less likely to facilitate this revisting!"

This is absurd to the point of stupidity. Obama has done more in 100 days for Africa and Africans then so-called “black nationalists” have done in the past 40 years. Do we really believe that Obama is nearly as bad as Aunt Condoleezza? What did she do for us other than instigate war among Africans? How “pure” are her genes?

Okay. Obama may be less of a biological brother. But he is definitely more of an ideological brother to Pan-Africanists. “Black nationalist” do not count. They have made themselves irrelevant.

"Next, some people older that I was may remember the federal grants that many Vietnamese Boat people got to come to the U.S. keep in mind that many of these grants allowed these guys to buy good "middle class" homes! How many Black folk that you know...immigrant or otherwise...got them enough free money to buy a house!"

I hate to seem insulting. But, what an idiotic thing to say. The Boat people came here as refugees. Does anyone know what a refugee is? I have no sympathy for what these people represent in terms of being flunkies for the US government. Many of them were laudery ladies who washed American soldiers clothing and cleaned their living quarters. So, when the USA was defeated (as it must always be defeated in unjust causes) these people became refugees.

Being a refugee means the person has no home to go to. They were called boat people because they had to leave Vietnam by means of boats, often small unseaworthy crafts. When they arrived here, it is not to be unexpected that the US government would provide some assistance.

There is still a myth that the government helps refugees a great deal. I doubt it. I have been told that many of the refugees come here on a government provided airfare that must be repaid to the government.

I think that all of the talk about boat people after all these years is symptomatic of a profound stinginess and lack of generosity and human kindness and consideration, a profoundly mean spirited. Aside from laziness, this is the next most significant factor in African slow progress in the USA. To advance and achieve, we need to have more a generous and kind attitude towards others. By so being, we become humane towards ourselves. To help a part of humanity is to help all of humanity.

[Samuel Burnham]

I will only reply once to this article for the benefit of other readers, especially seeing the article is 2 years old.

 

Mr. Nelson, you have created false accusation against me by implying certain ideas I NEVER stated.

 

1.ANYONE reading my post knows I did NOT critisise the President for having a "biracial heritage"....you implied that I did!  I merely stated that his "biracial" heritage" is a primary reason non-Black folks feel good comfortable enough to vote for him.

Side Note: This negates most of your argument about Black Natioanlists, since you wrongfully assumed that I compared the President to Black Nationalists. 

 

Also, if you disagree with Black folks putting their National Interest 1st in any "nation"they are found to live in, then you diagree with Black Nationalism.  That's alright with me.  Go be an assimilationist with the Arabbs, Chinese, Polish, Swedes, or whatever.  You proove by your statements that you want us...Black/African people under the socio-economic, poltical, and cultural domination of non-african/non-Black people if you disagree with Black Nationlism.

2. Let's face "the facts"--the average White American's mixed heritage is from another WHITE ethnic group, could care less about the smidget of non-White blood in their viens,  they view themselves as White, and do not view "people of color" and Black/African people as White and treat us accordingly since they came to this contiment,perod!  All the other stuff you said is to create argumetns for the sake of doing so, without any justification for it.

3. "What an Idiotic thing to say"--since I used to work for the government...and have relatives that worked deeper in it than myself, I know more than you that some imigrants, refugees or not, got FREE FINANICAL AID...including anti-Castro Cubans and anti-Castro Cuban racists who supported anti-Africanism in Cuba.  For the record, many were NOT refugees.  An whether or not you get caught up over the name "boat people"doesn't subract from the facts, regardless of how you feel about it. 

 

The "myth" portion is your belief...not based on fact!

 

The rest of your comments against me are based upon implying things I never said, and are equivalent to bearing false witness against me for most of them, and based upon your 'myth"opinions for others.

 

Just Like LIB Radio, you come to Black & African-centered web sites to argue and pick internet fights with Black folks, and obviously have more free time on your hands to do so.  But just like LIB Radio, you reveal your true colors and people are now on to you.

I will not respond to you again, as I don't have time to waste  with people who's main purpose is to pick arguments and disrespectfully do so with Black folk who are actually trying to SOLVE problems and discuss what strategies are need fro practial solutions! 

The Black List Moderator is the one who can decide what to do with your foolishness.  Just be glad I'm not him, because you'd be banned in a heart beat for your obvious purpose.  And that purpose is to sow the seeds of discord, not to respectfully disagree with anyone, nor find a solution to any problem effecting African/Black people.

 

Respect to those truly working for our (African/Black) self-sufficiency.

[Liz]

I just read the article written by someone who has been in this United States of America a good ten years and s/he KNOW what is wrong with the Black Americans?

"We have finally had our "excuse crutch" kicked from under us." "We are in this land of opportunity, we only have to walk to the open doors of opportunity...we are lazy... racism a non-issue by default."

What? Did anyone read this article before it was posted? It is insulting to ALL of us. But then, again, there is freedom of speech.

But I couldn't believe what I was reading. Then I scrolled down and read the two posts. The first one was direct and to the point. The next one was more detailed but the writer also expressed his feelings.

How dare the person, (male or female, I couldn't decide which) live in this country all of ten years and know how we feel.

I see many immigrants come to this country and have all kinds of goodies waiting for them. And we Black Americans are not allowed any of these goodies. There are schooling programs free of cost; housing programs where they just sign up not needing a social security card, a job or any income; there is welfare; free medical care; they can get credit cards; buy cars; and houses.

Why aren't any of these programs available to us when we are BORN in this country?

Yes, our young Black males are recruited into the armed services and sent across many seas to fight for our rights and freedom but when they return they don't have the privileges many of the foreign people receive.

I know a couple of veterans back from war with missing body parts or have mental problems. Why do our American veterans have to wait until the first of the month to have a check sent to them? They are on a fixed income and can not do anything more than that 700.00 check will allow.

Our fine soldiers were in tact when they left these shores but came back broken. They can't work, can't go to school, and don't have their own apartment (leave alone a house)...

But you have the writer of that article come and live in this country all of ten years and she have the good job (as my supervisor), s/he has the college degree, s/he has her own home, and all the dreams of many of us Blacks who have been in this country 50 and 60 years and she is going to call us lazy.
We are not lazy, we are held back, plain and simple.

No one was standing at the foot of the labor room bed ready to give out free passes to us as we were being born - they way they are standing at the gates at immigrations to tell the people where to go for these free passes.

Give me a break!

Ha ha, the joke's on me. That article was written by a non Black person who has good command of the English language. Anyone notice there was no accent in the writing? Yes you can write with an accent. You write the way you speak.






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.

[MOSHESHE]

I remember talking to an Afrikan born in Ghana in 1995 before the Million Man March in Mississippi. I swear his words was almost identical to this writer. I returned to amerikkka in 2000 and meet an Afrikan born in Nigeria who almost verbatim said these words using Bill Clinton as the "ender of racism" instead of the Obama's Drama in the state of Tennessee.

So to all sincere brothas and sistahs of the struggle to remove the effects of the last 500 or so years of our relationship with the non-hue man from Arabia and Europe, the race is to those who endure and not the swift. So this ten year experienced writer is not worthy of our energy.

Samuel has given us much words to this foolishness and traitor acts. We can only study these words to be evaluate and overstand the acts of Tsvingari of Zimbabwe and others of his cloth who would go to non-Afrikans to deal with our Afrikan problems.

I am just thankful the writer left Afrika. Because the redemption of the motherland will required the exodus of people who think like this guy both physically and mentally. I will continue my work in Afrika to remove the mental diseases caused by the white supremacy/racism system acquired by Afrikans from Europeans' colonializm and enslavement of our ancestors.

The writer is forgiven for short-sigthness and childish research. But we must learn effective ways to deal with this acute mental disorder found in our colonized brothas and sistahs.

Afrika is for Afrikans to Develop!!!!!

[Abdurrahman T. L. Nelson]

"I see many immigrants come to this country and have all kinds of goodies waiting for them. And we Black Americans are not allowed any of these goodies. There are schooling programs free of cost; housing programs where they just sign up not needing a social security card, a job or any income; there is welfare; free medical care; they can get credit cards; buy cars; and houses."

Why aren't any of these programs available to us when we are BORN in this country?"

Well, maybe because you are NOT a homeless, poor, penniless refugee. You were born here. But, that does not qualify you to just have everything handed to you on a silver platter. Now, in the case of a refugee, the refugee has nothing, NOTHING. No home. No food to eat. No clothing to wears. No family. No friends. It would be only a matter of common decency and charity to show them some hospitpaility which we seldom do.

I just read that Somali refugees are more likely to be poor in this country than any other refugees. Even so, we see them driving taxis, opening storefronts, staying off the streets prostituting, etc. Plus, I seriously doubt that that they are handed "credit cards". If a refugee messes up his credit, he will loose his "credit card" just like you or me or anybody else. Get real! It is ridiculous to think that a refugee can just come into this country and have a $10,000 line of credit handed to him. He must qualify just like everybody else. And, if does get a credit card and spend it all on dope and liquor and haridos and nail jobs and not be able to repay it...You know the drill. I simply do not believe that anyone is so out of touch as to imagine anything different. Show us one situation, where you "have seen these refugees handed credit cards" I will believe it when I see it.

My neighbors who are Ethiopian Muslims, possibly Somalis, just opened a resturant. It has taken them almost a year because they did not have the money to renovate the place right away. They worked a little at a time cleaning it up, painting the walls, installing equipment, etc. I have never seen even one customer enter the place. Where is their "crediT card"? They do not even have money to print menus. These are dirt poor people work like crazy trying to start something decent and worthwhile. Why hasn't a "black American" done anything similar? The l-word?

[Min. W.D. Patterson]

Peggy:

My opt is for the Obama Administration to focus all efforts toward fixing whats wrong with our own country (based on research done by both myself and a multitude of other scientist black and white alike). Our effort, the one that is responsible for building and continuing to build the very foundations of this nation does not need to be diluted with foreign affairs that precede our own history and take away from this much warranted effort.

I feel Obama needs to be remembered in history not only for becoming the first black president but also for establishing a counterpart to the Dept of Defense fittingly named "The Department of PEACE." The afore mentioned was an idea of U.S. Senator Dennis Kucinich's when he made his bid for the highest office in the land.

My prayers go out to anyone including former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney that was injured or harmed in any way (physically or psychologically) in this incident, past acts of aggression, as well as, any unwarranted future acts of war against anyone anywhere. My understanding of PEACE and what it entails is not up for argument nor negotiations.

Min W D Patterson


Wardell D. Patterson, [UW SR. CLASS 2001 GIFT COUNCIL]
"As a young man, my fondest dream was to become a geographer..."
-Albert Einstein
---
Need advice? Call me now!

www.keen.com/outreachmin/


UNIVERSITY of WASHINGTON, SEATTLE, PhD Candidate
"A Social Scientist of Human Geography Documenting The Black-Cultured Life In The
Black-American Urban Communities of The USA while utilizing the latest
in scientific methods and technology"


--- On Wed, 12/31/08, Peggy Wolf wrote:

From: Peggy Wolf
Subject: Fwd: PRESS RELEASE: CYNTHIA MCKINNEY ABOARD MERCY BOAT ATTACKED BY ISRAELI NAVY
To: "Min. W.D. Patterson"
Cc: "UPC PR Committee" , "UPC WIC"
Date: Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 12:13 PM


Peace, Min. Patterson,

By now you have probably heard about the incident in the press release below. This is the best link I've found to watch video of both Cynthia and the CNN reporter who were on board: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgddT_i9260

You have shared with us often that you have a personal connection to Barack Obama. I ask you to please read the letter Cynthia McKinney just emailed, which I will paste below, and tell us if you plan to contact Obama to do as Cynthia requests. If you do not think that is the thing to do here, I would like to understand your reasoning. If you can leverage this matter with Obama, that would be great.

Peace, Peggy

From Cynthia McKinney:

December 30, 2008: Oh What a Day!

I'm so glad that my father told me to buy a special notebook and to write everything down because that's exactly what I did.

When we left from Cyprus, one reporter asked me "are you afraid?" And I had to respond that Malcolm X wasn't afraid; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn't afraid. But little did I know that just a few hours later, I would be recollecting my life and mentally preparing myself for death.

When we left Cyprus, the Mediterranean was beautiful. I remember the time when it might have been beautiful to look at, but it was also filthy. The Europeans have taken great strides to clean it up and yesterday, it was beautiful. And the way the sunlight hit the sea, I remember thinking to myself that's why they call it azure. It was the most beautiful blue.

But sometimes it was rough, and we got behind on our schedule. We stayed on course, however, despite the roughness of the water and due to our exquisite captain.

There were no other ships or boats around us and night descended upon us all rather quickly. It was the darkest black and suddenly, out of nowhere, came searchlights disturbing our peace. The searchlights stayed with us for about half an hour or so. We knew they were Israeli ships. Who else would they be?

They were fast, and they would come close and then drop back. And then, they'd come close again. And then, all of a sudden there was complete blackness once again and all seemed right. The cat and mouse game went on for at least one half hour. What were they doing? And why?

Calm again. Black sky, black sea. Peace. And then, at that very moment, when all seemed right, out of nowhere we were rammed and rammed again and rammed again the last one throwing me off the couch, sending all our food up in the air; and all the plastic bags and tubs--evidence of sea sicknesses among the crew and passengers--flew all over the cabin and all over us. We'd been rammed by the Israelis. How did we know? Because they called us on the phone afterwards to tell us that we were engaging in subversive, terroristic activity. And if that if we didn't turn around right then and return to Larnaca, Cyprus, we would be fired upon. We quickly grabbed our lifevests and put them on. Then the captain announced that the boat was taking on water. We might have to evacuate. One of my mates told me to prepare to die. And I reflected that I have lived a good and full life. I have tasted freedom and know what it is. I was right with myself and my decision to join the Free Gaza movement.

I remembered my father's parting words, "You all will be sitting ducks." Just like the U.S.S. Liberty. We were engaged in peaceful activity, a harmless pleasure boat, carrying a load of hospital supplies for the people of Gaza, who, too are sitting ducks, currently being bombarded in aerial assault by the Israeli military.

It's been a long day for us. The captain was outstanding. Throughout it all, he remained stoic and calm, effective in every way. I didn't know how to put my life jacket on. One of the passengers kindly assisted me. Another of the passengers pointed out that the Israeli motors for those huge, fast boats was U.S. made--a gift to them from the U.S. And now they were using those motors to damage a pleasure boat outfitted with three tons of hospital supplies, one pediatrician, and two surgeons.

I have called for President-elect Obama to say something. The Palestinian people in the Gaza strip are seeing the worst violence in 60 years, it is being reported. To date, President-elect Obama has remained silent. The Israelis are using weapons supplied to them by the U.S. government. Strict enforcement of U.S. law would require the cessation of all weapons transfers to Israel. Adherence to international law would require the same. As we are about to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, let us remember that he said:

1. The United States is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world, and
2. Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter.

I implore the President-elect to not send Congress a budget that contains more weapons for Israel. We have so much more to offer. And I implore the Congress to vote "no" on any budget and appropriation bills that provide more weapons transfers, period.

Israel is able to carry out these intense military maneuvers because taxpayers in the U.S. give their hard-earned money to our Representatives in Congress and our Congress chooses to spend that money in this way. Let's stop it and stop it now. There's been too much blood shed. And while we still walk among the living, let us not remain silent about the things that matter.

We really can promote peace and have it if we demand it of our leaders.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Peggy Wolf
Date: Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 6:52 PM
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: CYNTHIA MCKINNEY ABOARD MERCY BOAT ATTACKED BY ISRAELI NAVY
To:



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, December 30, 2008

CYNTHIA MCKINNEY ABOARD MERCY BOAT ATTACKED BY ISRAELI NAVY

Israeli gunboats ram three times an unarmed pleasure boat carrying Cynthia McKinney, doctors, reporters and three tons of desperately needed medical supplies headed for Gaza. All aboard arrive safely in Lebanon.

For more information, please contact:


(Gaza) Ewa Jasiewicz, [phone] / [e-mail]
(Cyprus) Lubna Masarwa [phone] / [e-mail]
(Lebanon) Caoimhe Butterley [phone] / [e-mail]
http://www.FreeGaza.org

Interview requests for Cynthia McKinney:


Rosa Clemente [e-mail]



Lebanon -- Today the Free Gaza ship "Dignity" carefully made its way to safe harbor in Tyre, Lebanon's southern-most port city, after receiving serious structural damage when Israeli warships rammed its bow and the port side. Waiting to greet the passengers and crew were thousands of Lebanese who came out to show their solidarity with this attempt to deliver volunteer doctors and desperately needed medical supplies to war-ravaged Gaza. The Lebanese government has pledged to provide a forensic analysis of what happened in the dark morning, when Israel rammed the civilian ship in international waters, and put the people on board in danger of losing their lives.

The Dignity, on a mission of mercy to besieged Gaza, was attacked by the Israeli Navy at approximately 6am (UST) in international waters, roughly 90 miles off the coast of Gaza. Several Israeli warships surrounded the small, human rights boat, firing live ammunition around it, then intentionally ramming it three times. According to ship's captain Denis Healy, the Israeli attack came, ""without any warning, or any provocation."

Caoimhe Butterly, an organizer with the Free Gaza Movement, stated that, "The gunboats gave us no warning. They came up out of the darkness firing flares and flashing huge flood lights into our faces. We were so shocked that at first we didn't react. We knew we were well within international waters and supposedly safe from attack. They rammed us three times, hitting the side of the boat hard. We began taking on water and, for a few minutes, we all feared for our lives. After they rammed us, they started screaming at us as we were frantically getting the life boats ready and putting on our life jackets. They kept yelling that if we didn't turn back they would shoot us."

Cynthia McKinney, former U.S. congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate, was traveling to Gaza aboard the Dignity in order to assess the impact of Israel's military onslaught against the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. According to McKinney, "Israeli patrol boats...tracked us for about 30 minutes...and then all of a sudden they rammed us approximately three times, twice in the front and once in the side...the Israelis indicated that [they felt] we were involved in terrorist activities."

The Dignity departed from Larnaca Port in Cyprus at 7pm (UST) on Monday 29 December with a cargo of over 3 tons of desperately needed medical supplies donated to Gaza by the people of Cyprus. Three surgeons were also aboard, traveling to Gaza to volunteer in overwhelmed hospitals and clinics. The ship was searched by Cypriot Port authorities prior to departure, and its passenger list was made public.

Israel's deplorable attack on the unarmed Dignity is a violation of both international maritime law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states that "the high seas should be reserved for peaceful purposes."

Delivering doctors and urgently needed medical supplies to civilians is a just such a "peaceful purpose." Deliberately ramming a mercy ship and endangering its passengers is an act of terrorism.

Members of the public are encouraged to call the Israeli Government and demand that it immediately STOP attacking the civilian population of Gaza and STOP using violence to prevent human rights and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

Mark Regev in the Prime Minister's office at:
[phone] or [phone]
[e-mail]

Shlomo Dror in the Ministry of Defence at:
[phone] or [phone]
[e-mail]

Major Liebovitz from the Israeli Navy at:
+ 972 5 781 86248




Background on the Free Gaza Movement:

The Free Gaza Movement, a human rights group, sent two boats to Gaza in August 2008. These were the first international boats to land in the port in 41 years. Since August, four more voyages were successful, taking Parliamentarians, human rights workers, and other dignitaries to witness the effects of Israel's draconian policies on the civilians of Gaza.
http://www.FreeGaza.org




The 15 Passengers aboard the "Dignity", representing 11 countries:


(UK) Denis Healey, Captain
Captain of the Dignity, Denis has been involved with boats for 45 years, beginning with small fishing boats in Portsmouth. He learned to sail while at school and has been part of the sea ever since. He's a certified yachtmaster and has also worked on heavy marine equipment from yachts to large dredgers. This is his fourth trip to Gaza.

(Greece) Nikolas Bolos, First Mate
Nikolas is a chemical engineer and human rights activist. He has served as a crewmember on several Free Gaza voyages, including the first one in August.

(Jordan) Othman Abu Falah
Othman is a senior producer with Al-Jazeera Television. He will remain in Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught.

(Australia) Renee Bowyer
Renee is a schoolteacher and human rights activist. She will remain in Gaza to do human rights monitoring and reporting.

(Ireland) Caoimhe Butterly
Caoimhe is a reknowned human rights activist and Gaza Coordinator for the Free Gaza Movement. She will be remaining in Gaza to do human rights monitoring, assist with relief efforts, and work on project development with Free Gaza.

(Cyprus) Ekaterini Christodulou
Ekaterini is a well-known and respected freelance journalist in Cyprus. She is traveling to Gaza to report on the conflict.

(Sudan) Sami El-Haj
Sami is a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, and head of the human rights section at Al-Jazeera Television. He will remain in Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught.

(UK) Dr. David Halpin
Dr. Halpin is an experienced orthopaedic surgeon, medical professor, and ship's captain. He has organized humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza on several occasions with the Dove and Dolphin. He is traveling to Gaza to volunteer in hospitals and clinics.

(Germany) Dr. Mohamed Issa
Dr. Issa is a pediatric surgeon from Germany. He is traveling to Gaza to volunteer in hospitals and clinics.

(UK/Tunisia) Fathi Jaouadi
Fathi is a television producer and human rights activist. He will remain in Gaza to do human rights monitoring and reporting.

(USA) Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia is a former U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia, and the 2008 Green Party presidential candidate. She is traveling to Gaza to assess the ongoing conflict.

(Cyprus) Martha Paisi
Martha is a senior research fellow and experienced human rights activist. She is traveling to Gaza to do human rights work and to assist with humanitarian relief efforts.

(UK) Karl Penhaul
Karl Penhaul is a video correspondent for CNN, based out of Bogotá, Colombia. Appointed to this position in February 2004, he covers breaking news around the world utilizing CNN's new laptop-based 'Digital Newsgathering' system. He is traveling to Gaza to report on the ongoing conflict.

(Iraq) Thaer Shaker
Thaer is a cameraman with Al-Jazeera television. He will remain in Gaza to report on the ongoing military onslaught.

(Cyprus) Dr. Elena Theoharous, MP
Dr. Theoharous is a surgeon and a Member of the Cypriot Parliament. She is traveling to Gaza to assess the ongoing conflict, assist with humanitarian relief efforts, and volunteer in hospitals.



~ END ~



Peggy Wolf
206.859.0206




--
Peggy Wolf
206.859.0206

[Iskandar Langalibalele]

This discussion is the wrong place to post Hon Sis Cynthia's Gaza Mercy Mission. You can explore this link for that or open another discussion but this is a crass way of placing information and detracts from our immediate struggle here.

On the point of the US flag strangulating Africa, that is what currently seems to be taking place with AFRICOM (currently SETAF, for "Southern European Task Force, US Army, Africa") and perhaps the author is suggesting we need more Imperialism in the US's black colony, aka the Ghetto. I don't think so. Perhaps the author doesn't kno anything about the Congo or the killings of political forces in Kenya, or muti charm makers victimizing albinoes, or the Niger Delta Crisis or maybe those are the examples she thinks we ought to be emulating.

Overall, I just find the premise infantile, shallow and thoroly unenlightening and somebody should take Ofay Whatsernames wordprocessor away.