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March 29, 2006

Playing the race card

It has been said that the key to international peace is to look at the world, and everybody in it, through a child's eyes. It seems to me that this would be the best solution to a peaceful coexistence of people around the world, around the nation and around the office. I find it to be unfortunate whenever anyone uses the race card; I find it especially unfortunate when someone uses the race card to dilute one's wrong doings; I find it most unfortunate when a person of influence and respect uses the race card to distract people from their own wrong doing. Unfortunately just hours ago, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a person an entire district and nation looks to for guidance and leadership has played the race card in a most irresponsible manner.

Racism exists; there is no question in my mind that this statement is true. However, I believe people of all color, creed and background sometimes use it as a means to distract others from a totally unracist action.
According to an NBC affiliate's story in Atlanta, U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), punched a security officer in the chest with her cellphone in her hand. Her reason for the alleged assault, in the words of a statement released on her behalf -

"I was rushing to my meeting when a white police officer yelled to me. He approached me, bodyblocked me, physically touching me. I used my arm to get him off of me. I told him not to touch me several times. He asked for my ID and I showed it to him. He then let me go and I proceeded to my meeting and I assume that the Police Officer resumed his duties. I have counseled with the Sergeant-at-Arms and Acting Assistant Chief Thompson several times before and counseled with them again on today's incident. I offered also to counsel with the offending police officer."

Why did the Congresswoman need to bring up the security guard's race? Why did she have to do it so high up in her statement? She tries to immediately distract the public, the very same public who elected her because they thought they could trust her, by pulling out the race card.
Representative McKinney is black, I bring this up only because she brings up the security guard was white. Why did she bring up the security guard's race? Although she did not admit to punching the guard, the article states that witnesses saw her punching him:

Witnesses say McKinney pulled her arm away, and with her cell phone in hand, punched the officer in the chest.

It seems to me that the U.S. representative is trying to use the race of the white guard to excuse her actions. The race of the other individual is completely irrelevant...and yet she brings it up again and again.
For example, according to the NBC's affiliate's story:

The statement's writer says that she has been harassed by white police officers she says do not recognize her due to her recently changed hairstyle.
"Do I have to contact the police every time I change my hairstyle? How do we account for the fact that when I wore my braids every day for 11 years, I still faced this problem, primarily from certain white police officers," the statement says.

Congresswoman McKinney ought to be ashamed of herself for seeing our society as black and white as opposed to as a collection of human beings all working together to form a better place.
The people of her district ought to use their power of not reelecting a person who focuses too much on the color of someone's skin and not enough on finding solutions to her district's and nation's problems.

Posted by Jamie on 8:57 PM | Comments (1)

March 27, 2006

When blog spam strikes

Because of excessive blog spam - I did not know it existed either but I assure you it does - I am closing the comments section on most parts of this blog that are more than a week or so old. Comments that have already been posted - and is not spam (sorry spamming dudes,) - will remain, but no more comments will be accepted via the site.
With that said, you are still encouraged to post comments, even on old entries, however, now instead of entering your thoughts on the bottom of the entry, you will have to e-mail them to me at JDeLoma@gmail.com and I will put them up immediately - assuming you are not my spamming friend, of course. To make matters easier for both of us, please include what entry you are commenting on and your name so I know where to put it and to whom to give credit for the comment.
I apologize for having to do this but I have been receiving dozens of new spam comments weekly and it is getting to be too much.

Posted by Jamie on 7:42 AM

March 25, 2006

A horrible role model

I came upon a very disturbing news story recently:

While introducing the vice president, U.S. Rep. Rick Keller said Cheney had responded to Keller's recent votes against the administration on three issues by telling him: "Don't be too hasty. Let's go hunting. We'll talk about it."

Cheney himself said that when he returned to the White House from the hunting trip, Bush told him, "Dick, I'm 38 percent in the polls and you shot the only trial lawyer who supports me."

As if it were not bad enough that the Vice President of the United States got away with shooting someone and covering it up, now he is using it to rally support from other Republicans.
Although I was one of Cheney's biggest critics when he did not come forward about the shooting, I think that may have been best now that I know he views shooting of innocent civilians as humorous and a rallying call to GOP extremists.
I don't know what Mr. Cheney learned in school but I learned that one ought to come forward and take responsibility when one does wrong and then ask for forgiveness. The Vice President, I suppose, mistook that lesson for covering up one's wrong-doings then blaming everyone around you for making mention of it and then using it to raise money and get cheap laughs. Dear God, I hope children do not ever look to this man as a role model.

Posted by Jamie on 5:55 PM

March 21, 2006

See 'V for Vendetta'

Never before have I viewed a movie that sent as many shivers down my spine as "V for Vendetta." After screening the awesome film, I was struck by how much the movie that takes place in future Britain parallels America today. In numerous ways, President Bush is running the United States of America today like the corrupt government is run in the movie.

"V for Vendetta" beautifully illustrates what happens when people fear their government. One of the recurring ideas of the film:

"People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people,"

may remind many of Thomas Jefferson's idea that:

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

In the theatrical trailer and throughout the movie, it is clear that the fictional regime uses fear extensively to hold onto power and rule without boundaries. It is even said at one part of the film:

"Fear became the ultimate tool of this government."

Looking at today's real American government under George W. Bush, an informed citizen may recognize the administration's extensive use of fear to carry out its policies and break countless laws and disregard the U.S. Constitution.
One need not watch Fox News Channel for more than a few minutes before feeling the need to duck and cover. It would seem that terrorists are actively working to bomb our malls, subways, sky scrapers, schools, places of recreation and interstate highway systems in the coming hours. Our President has used fear as an excuse to strip us of civil liberties and search our property without warrants. The President has exploited America's fear by detaining individuals without charges and tapping phone lines illegally in an arrogant and pompous manner.
The process of inducing fear in all of us reminds me of a particular quote in the movie:

"What we need right now is a clear message to the people of this country. This message must be read in every newspaper, seen on every television...I want *everyone* to *remember*, why they *need* us!"

It is asked in "V for Vendetta,"

"If our own government was responsible for the deaths of a hundred thousand people... would you really want to know?"

What we do know is that according to Iraq Body Count, between 33,710-37,832 Iraqi civilians have been reported killed by military intervention in Iraq - or approximately 1/3 of a 100,000 people. How many more thousands do we not know about? How many could have been executed on our own soil?
Obviously I am not encouraging any physical attacks on our country's infrastructure, any buildings or any government officials. What I am encouraging is for more citizens to become active in calling for, as President Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address, "government of the people, by the people, [and] for the people."
I encourage everyone to see "V for Vendetta" and see if I am totally off with this logic or if I am onto something.

Posted by Jamie on 12:06 AM

March 19, 2006

Remembering a legend

A news legend has left us. Bill Beutel, long-time ABC News anchor, has died. Please click here for the complete ABC News story.
Bill Beutel was one of my biggest influences growing up. I remember watching Mr. Beutel nightly on WABC-TV channel 7 with my family. He really helped me to understand and respect journalism for the awesome thing that it is. He will be missed.

"If I leave a legacy and I hope I do, it's my joy in this work. There's never been a day I didn't want to come to work. My legacy, I would hope, is that younger people would find the same kind of joy in this kind of work because it is difficult, it's competitive, it's frustrating. But what we do on the tube each day, if we are giving ourselves to it, we are doing something of great value to the country, to ourselves. We do something worthwhile and with God's luck, you can be happy doing it. I was," Beutel said.

Thank you, Mr. Beutel for giving me the opportunity to find the same kind of joy in journalism that you have exhibited for so many years; I may not have discovered the passion of journalism inside of me if it were not for you.
In the timeless words of the veteran newscaster, "Good luck and be well."

Posted by Jamie on 5:31 PM