“We don’t use the tools and technology that we have today, to effect change the way we can, and to do it in short order.” - Ermina Hill
This Hallmark Father's Day card for single mothers has been around at least since 2011.
I don’t know if you are aware of the tremendous controversy surrounding the Father’s Day card sold through the Mahogany line of cards by Hallmark. Well, there was coverage by Roland Martin, the Huffington Post, Dr. Boyce Watkins and others. I confess that I read the headlines…agreed with spotlighting the dysfunction the card promoted but didn’t follow in detail.
Well, little did I know, my sorority sister and friend, Ermina Hill, out of the Atlanta area, took her dissatisfaction beyond just venting on social media and organized a protest. If more people took this kind of action, just think of how great our communities would be.
Please take the time to watch this interview and realize the power we have as individuals to mobilize others and effect needed change. Also note that Roland Martin's coverage of this issue goes back to June 2011 so the success of Ermina's leadership in this protest is all the more laudable.
Congratulations to Ermina Hill and everyone who participated in the action against Hallmark. Thank you to Dr. Watkins for the interview and the shout out to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Thank you to Hallmark for finally pulling that Father's Day card for single mothers from the Mahogany line.
Now, if we could get television networks to pull those ratchet reality shows...
It's way too early since the death of former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, for folks to twist his legacy for their political gain. However, just hours after Mandela's death, former Senator from Pennsylvania and former presidential candidate Rick Santorumt did just that. Santorum actually compared he GOP fight against the Affordable Care Act to the horrendous sacrifices of Nelson Mandela and the horrendous environment that was apartheid. Sad, just sad but what should one expect since ACA was previously equated to Hurricane Katrina?
If Santorum chooses to run for president again, this interview will be used against him without a doubt. On the flip side, there is an element of voters that will be convinced to vote for him because of his commentary. Fortunately, there are far too many more reasonable Americans to allow him to prevail.
82 year-old Emma Anderson was dragged from a Metrorail train by a security guard in Miami, FL on February 20, 2013.
I live in Miami, Florida. I love living in Miami most of the time. Today is not one of those times though. After hearing the story of 82 year-old Emma Anderson being dragged off a Metrorail train at the Brickell station some seven miles away from her home on February 20, 2013.
Mrs. Anderson was asked to stop singing by one of the security guards representing 50 State Security, a subcontractor hired by Miami-Dade County. When Mrs. Anderson didn’t stop, the security guard forcibly removed her from the train. In the process, Mrs. Anderson’s hip and shoulder were injured.
Since this is 2013, you know some folks on the train captured the incident on their cell phones. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez quickly apologized for the incident. Hearing about it is bad enough, seeing it and hearing the comments from witnesses makes it all the more disgusting.
Some folks have focused on the religious aspect of this incident because Mrs. Anderson was singing gospel songs. Other folks have tried to make it a racial issue as Mrs. Anderson is black and the guard appears to be white Hispanic.
It’s reasonable to believe that Mrs. Anderson wasn’t asked to stop singing because she chose to sing a religious song. She was asked to stop singing because she was singing too loud and drumming on her thigh. While that is in violation of a noise rule, an elderly woman should not have been treated in such an inhumane manner.
This is the response from Miami-Dade Transit spokesperson Karla Damian:
Miami-Dade Transit has a responsibility to all its passengers to provide a safe and comfortable travel experience. The elderly passenger, Ms. Anderson, who was escorted from a Metrorail train, was initially asked by a security guard to refrain from singing loudly and playing an instrument while on the train.
She refused to comply. County rules associated with transit use prohibit anyone from singing, dancing or playing a musical instrument unless a commercial permit is issued by MDT. Further, Ms. Anderson’s singing was causing a disturbance to other passengers and impeding important train announcements from being heard.
We regret that Ms. Anderson had to eventually be escorted out, but regardless of age, all passengers need to abide by the rules associated with using transit.
Really, Ms. Damian? This is the best response you guys could come up with? Wow. I shudder to think how any prudent individual could describe the guard's actions as "escorting" Mrs. Anderson.
As far as the racial aspect goes, one cannot read the thoughts of the security guard who assaulted Mrs. Anderson but there have been other documented incidents involving 50 State Security. Check out this video on The Huffington Post. Miami photographer and blogger Carlos Miller was physically restrained then handcuffed by 50 State guards at a Metrorail station. He is white.
How long are the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners going to allow this abuse to continue? I live in Miami, Florida. I love living in Miami most of the time. Today is not one of those times though.
Joe Rickey Hundley of Hayden, Idaho is accused of saying "Shut that nigger baby up!" as 19 month-old Jonah Bennett cried aboard a Delta flight to Atlanta. Hundley slapped the boy across the face.
Aerosapce executive Joe Rickey Hundley, 60, was accused of slapping a crying 19 month-old boy and referring to the child as a 'nigger' aboard a Delta flight headed to Atlanta from Minneapolis on February 8, 2013. Hundley admits to requesting the baby be quieted down not slapping the child and using the racial slur. Jessica Bennett, the baby's mother, said he uttered the racial slur twice. The toddler is the adopted child of Bennett and her husband who are both white.
Since the incident, Hundley was suspended and later terminated from his position as president of AGC Aerospace and Defense. The company offered an apology without actually mentioning Hundley's name.
Without rehashing every detail reported regarding the incident, it's important to note that Hundley was described as being intoxicated. Bennett said he "reeked of alcohol" and consumed more on the flight. It was also reported that Hundley complained the child was too big to ride in the mother's lap. Bennett said she stood during the flight. The incident occurred as she took her seat to prepare for the plane's descent.
Hundley was later charged with simple assault on a minor. If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail. Hundley's attorney, Marcia Schein, said her client will plead not guilty. Really? I'm sure you're equally as a curious as I as to why Joe Rickey Hundley wasn't charged with a hate crime in addition to simple assault? I'm not an attorney or law enforcement but surely Joe Rickey should also be charged with child abuse and a litany of other charges that this "alleged" crime warrants.
Here's something else to think on. While mainstream media makes a big deal out of Joe Rickey being fired. Don't get excited. Considering his age, Hundley could have been allowed to retire and been given a nice severance package. As expected, AGC declined to release details of personnel issues.
While the Bennett family has been traumatized by this incident and prayerfully little Jonah will not suffer from this psychologically in the future, surely Joe Rickey Hundley has family and/or friends who are horrified and/or embarrassed by this incident also. It's one thing to be racist towards an adult, but to be racist and verbally and physically assault a 19 month-old child? Come on, Joe Rickey, really?
It has been quite some time since I’ve watched a video of the Thousand-hand Guan Yin. It is a beautiful almost mesmerizing dance. I surfed across the dance on the internet about seven or eight years ago and watched it several times before researching its background.
Initially, the video appears to be generated through computer graphics. When one realizes the dance is performed by a troupe, their precision and execution is all the more amazing. What is even more amazing is that it is performed by the China’s Disabled Peoples Arts Troupe --- all of the dancers are deaf.
Guan Yin is the bodhisattva of compassion, revered by Buddhists as the Goddess of Mercy. Her name is short for Guan Shi Yin. Guan means to observe, watch, or monitor; Shi means the world; Yin means sounds, specifically sounds of those who suffer. Thus, Guan Yin is a compassionate being who watches for, and responds to, the people in the world who cry out for help.
Bodhi means wisdom or enlightenment; sattva means being or essence. Put the two together and you get bodhisattva, a being who is enlightened and ready to transcend the cycles of birth and death, but chooses to return to the material world in order to help other people reach the same level of enlightenment. This is the ultimate demonstration of pure compassion.
The thousand hands of this bodhisattva represent Guan Yin's many abilities to render assistance. There are a thousand eyes on these hands which give Guan Yin great powers to observe the world. Guan Yin also has many faces so she can become who people need her to be, not necessarily herself, because her help is given in a way that is literally selfless.
I confess that I cried during this portion of the President's State of the Union address last night. It's baffling that some politicians chose to remain seated as a sign of non-support.
Ok, all my friends know I am totally geeked when it comes to Apple products. I was a Crackberry addict for many years and a shift due to the convenience of accessing my work emails on the iPhone and I've not looked back at BlackBerry phones. Sorry, RIM.
I learned quickly not to get too attached or go ga-ga over my Apple devices. As soon as I purchased one, a newer version would be released shortly thereafter. Thus far I've resisted the urge to purchase each iteration of the iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc. It's difficult not to but I have. I really want the iPhone 5 but the difference in the screen size and better screen resolution are not enough to make me upgrade my iPhone 4S. I've updated the operating system software and I hope that holds me until May or June when the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 is rumored to be released.
Then I saw this really cool iPhone 5 commercial starring the Williams sisters - Venus and Serena. I continue to remind myself that May and June are just arround the corner and I can wait for the new iPhone. I did the same thing until I saw that Samuel L. Jackson iPhone 4S/Siri ad. Lord, give me strength.
President Obama is really a class act. He has been faced with incredible challenges as the leader of the United States. It was necessary for the President to carefully consider his actions and reactions during his first term in office. To some extent that holds true now but since the President is in his last term, I think he needs to go 'Chris Christie' on some folks when putting them in check.
Case in point, Jake Tapper of ABC News (he has since moved to CNN). In referring to gun control during a recent press conference, Tapper had the audacity to ask President Obama 'where've you been?' Don't get me wrong, the President checked Tapper and he was still very respectful in his retort. As a matter of fact he was more respectful of Tapper than Tapper was of him.
I'd like to have seen President Obama respond something like this, "Dude, where have I been? The real question is why did you ask such a lame-brained question? You know what's transpired in this nation and globally, or at least you should --- you're the media. The next time you have the opportunity to ask a question at a press conference, don't waste my time, nor that of the other folks present. Most important, show some respect, I am your President whether you like it our not."
Now, I know President Obama would not say that, at least not publicly, he's too cool. He's also as shrewd as he is cool so he's really not someone to be messed with. It is the responsibility of Tapper and other correspondents to ask tough questions when necessary but professionals are not expected to be disrespectful when doing so.
A couple of days after the press conference, it was announced that Jake Tapper is moving to CNN and he'll have his own show. It's also my understanding that the deal was cut before Jeff Zucker took over the reins at CNN.
While President Obama is admired by many, he is also the most disrespected President of the United States by his own countrymen. Many people complained to ABC News about Tapper. More of that needs to be done in the future when our President is disrespected.
This video is a reminder of the flip-flopping and outright lies of presidential candidate Mitt Romney. His campaign has been divisive, chauvinistic and un-American. He has proven that with a straight face, he will say and do anything to win.
Check out this video mash-up of the two faces of Mitt Romney.
I heard about the Samuel L. Jackson video in support of President Obama's re-election but I had not seen the full video until today when I surfed over to Wayne Hicks' blog, The Electronic Village.
This video is hilarious and on point. I will send it to a few friends and some folks I don't know that well. Now, anyone who knows of Samuel L. Jackson, knows there will likely be some profanity involved in his work. In this video there is an attempt to censor the profanity but it is obvious what is being said.
Folks shouldn't have to be cajoled, entertained, fed or cussed at to vote but if that's what's effective, so be it. Wake up, get up and vote or shut up!
