A THOUGHT OR TWO

Needless to say, I love reading and writing. However, more than anything else, I just love life and seeing life transpires. But before I get to my thoughts, just a shout out to my homeboy, Eric Jerome Dickey. EJD has the books of the year: his two-part series, Sleeping With Strangers and Waking With Enemies was da bomb and the reads of the summer. The publishing industry is looking for another great African-American mystery writer, besides Walter Mosley, and as much as I want to be that author, EJD just might beat me to it . . . lol. To me, his best work in a while! Other writers not withstanding, of course.

Now my couple of thoughts — dogfighting and politics.

Presently, it’s fashionable to come down on Michael Vick, especially if you are an African-American. I can’t and won’t do it. I hope Vick redeems himself and gets his life back on track. I look at this whole thing and shake my head. Michael Vick has replaced O.J. Simpson and Barry Bonds as the most hated man in America. And for what? Dogfighting! What he did was despicable and I am not condoning his actions, but I’m still amazed at the simple fact he may actually get more time than real criminals who commit crimes against real people. I have listened to several interviews by members of PETA and everything they wanted Vick to say in his apology, he said. Interesting. But in 2007, don’t be misinformed, especially by the media. Dogfighting is not the new sport of Black males. Anti-dogfighting activists estimate 40,000 humans throughout the U.S. are participating in illegal dogfighting, which only 5% or less are minorities (includes Blacks and Hispanics). Though dogfighting has been around for the last four centuries or more, is it fair that a person of color is the one being used as the scapegoat?

Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as well as New Mexico’s Governor Bill Richardson are seeking the Democratic Presidential nomination. Interesting scenario: three minorities — an African-American, a female and a Hispanic. Is America ready for a minority or possibly, two minorities running the country? Ironically, I wonder if other minorities are ready to cast a vote for someone who looks like them.

Funny, a good number of females don’t think Hillary can represent them and some African-Americans do not think Obama is black enough. Sorry, Obama, can’t help you with that one, because I truly don’t know what that means myself . . . lol. But the question is, “Is America really ready for a change?” White males have always run America . . . are Americans ready to give someone besides a white male an opportunity to so-called lead the people.

My vote is not cheap, so if a candidate, regardless of party affiliation, wants to impress me and possibly other voters, then they would spend several days in Jena, Louisiana, not politicking, but actually finding out about the real story of the racial strife in the small rural Southern town. There are several stories floating around about the blacks teens jailed and whether their jailing and trials have anything to do with the school system and the hanging tree. Fact: three hangmen’s nooses dangling from a tree met African-American students who tried sitting on the white side of the schoolyard. The white school superintendent overruled the school’s principal recommendation to suspense the three white students who hung the nooses and this was followed by months of interracial violence. The town became more racially divided when the judge imposed significantly harsher charges on the black youths than white youths caught up in the violence. Tasking for the presidential nominees — do something presidential for the people you want to represent and find out the real issue in Jena.

Then, go to New Orleans and once again, find out the real story. The story we are not being told by the media. Find out why there are so many racial issues between the people who went through hell — first, Hurricane Katrina, then, the raping by the American government. Damn, did I say that . . . lol. See, told you I had a sense of humor J. Anyway, do something presidential besides playing politics . . . report to the people what’s the real story in New Orleans.

Like the title says, it’s only a thought or two. Agree to disagree, especially on the dogfighting issue. I hate to imagine my life or the lives of American GIs are less important than the life of a dog. Can anyone tell me the latest news from Iraq?

Keep smiling . . . it’s only life transpiring J!!!