Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Ebonics Be Back In Bidness


Is it just me or does anyone else feel as though we are moon walking as a race. Just as I think we are making progress and moving ahead, wham here comes some idiotic thinking that just causes me to scratch my head.

I just read the latest Worldnet Daily article on Ebonics http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45334 in which a Southern California school district wants to approve the dialect as curriculum in their schools. The pilot program introduced by the San Bernardino Board of Education is known as the Students Accumulating New Knowledge Optimizing Future Accomplishment Initiative, and has already been implemented in 2 schools in the district. The length of the name alone should tell us something.

Cal State SB sociology professor Mary Texeira says that, "Ebonics is a different language, it's not slang as many believe. For many of these students Ebonics is their language and it should not be considered a foreign language. These students should be taught like other students who speak a foreign language." I guess Ms. Texeira must have gotten her information from the Oakland, CA school board who in 1996 recognized Ebonics as a separate language. But what is it Mary, a foreign language or not? Did she read or hear what she just said? In the same breath she says "it should not be considerd a foreign language" and "should be taught like other students who speak a foreign language."

Texeira believes that the program will be beneficial to students. Benficial how Mary? Name me one American or foreign corporation that discusses business in Ebonics. Name me one tech manual that is written in Ebonics. Where is the benefit?

I wonder if Ms. Texeira would also want to introduce Cajun into the Louisianna curriculum. Or Pigeon into the Hawaiian curriculum? This is just plain silliness masquerading as intelligence.

The only sensical thing Ms. Texeira says is that "these students should be taught like other students who speak a foreign language." That is if you mean kids who speak only in Ebonics should be taught common and proper English.

I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma and we have a growing Russian population. The Russian kids go to our schools, learn English and get jobs speaking English, not Russian. They can speak Russian at home, if their families wish. The same has been true of Vietnamese, and other Asian children for over a generation and they have excelled, not in their native tongues, but in English. Contrast this with ethnic groups, who are encouraged to hold onto to their native tongue. T hose who do, do not succeed while those who are pushed to learn English do succeed.

This is the height of liberal racism, to suggest that ghetto English is a foreign language and that we should not expect those kids to learn common English. Try telling that to any Caucasian, East Indian, Asian or even African parents living in the U.S. and they will laugh at you. That shows just how silly this notion is.

Need I say more?

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Can We Get Some Journalists Here?


Have you, like me, been watching the daily white House press briefings this week wondering if I am watching grown reporters or a kindergarten class? Watching ABC's Terry Moran, NBC's David Gregory, CBS's John Roberts and others is like watching a group of kindergartners throw tantrums just before nap time.


First of all, this entire group is either ignorant of facts, or purposely ignoring facts. Either way the questions they are asking completely miss and ignore facts. Secondly, they act like they do not hear what is being said. I see the picture of the girl on Mad TV with her fingers in her ears going "la, la, la,la,la,la,la," while someone is trying to tell her something. In other words, they are saying, "we refuse to hear a word you are saying we just want our way."

I think that one way or another, good news is on the way. The American public sees this display of childish behavior, and is repulsed. Before long the various journalistic associations will have to offer a public apology to Jayson Blair. The journalistic practices of many of those who continue to be called reporters today is far below the standard set by even Blair.

As ratings for network television and readership of the mainstream print news continues to dwindle, while a counter revolution of new journalistic sources rises, these people will find themselves along side Dan Rather and Bill Maher, scratching their heads and wondering what happened. News happened people, and you missed it.

Bring us some grown ups, bring us some journalists.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Lil' Kim Learns What The Meaning Of Is Is

In one of the stranger rulings this year, female rapper Lil' Kim was sentenced today to
1 year in prison for perjury.
The Grammy Award winning rapper received a prison sentence of 1 year plus a
$50,000 fine for "lying to a grand jury" to protect friends.

Although this is news, the real story and what makes this ruling so strange is that it has more to do with the state of our political and judicial system than with Kim.

In April of 1999 Judge Susan Webber Wright found that President Bill Clinton was guilty of perjury, among other things, for giving false testimony regarding the allegations of Paula Jones. Wright wrote:

``Notwithstanding these orders, the record demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that the president responded to plaintiff's questions by giving false, misleading and evasive answers that were designed to obstruct the judicial process.''

``... it simply is not acceptable to employ deceptions and falsehoods in an attempt to obstruct the judicial process, understandable as his aggravation with the plaintiff's lawsuit may have been. ..."
Jones v. Clinton, 36 F.Supp.2d. 1118 (E.D.Ark. 12 April 1999)

Despite clear evidence that Mr. Clinton had perjured himself, the entire Democratic Party and much of America came to his defense making an excuse for his lie(s) under oath. The phrase "that depends on what the meaning of is is," is still firmly etched into our minds.

Fast forward 6 years and we now see Lil' Kim without the protection of the Left Wing media prosecuted, convicted and sentenced for a "crime" that is the same as that comitted by the former President.

That would seem like enough of a thought to keep us busy for today, but there is more. The maximum allowed sentence for this "crime" is 20 years in prison, but the prosecution only asked for 3 years. In the end, however, Kim received only a one year sentence. The reason for the light sentence is one for the books. U.S. District Judge Gerard Lynch said he had considered the public perception of sending "a young black entertainer to prison far longer than Martha Stewart." Did you get that? The judge is afraid that people would think something was wrong if we gave a black rapper a much harsher sentence that we gave the rich white lady. So I guess if it were Dido she would be serving 3 years now. Or if it was Lashonda Smith from the Bronx, maybe 10 years. Are they putting law degrees in Cracker Jack boxes now? What kind of legal reasoning is that? To borrow from the late Johnny Cochran, "if you do the crime you must do the time" or "if the glove don't fit you must aquit." You are either guilty or not.

Instead the legal system is beginning to show its serious slide into mediocrity. Situation ethics and moral relativism guides judicial decisions today. There is no real law to be a standard any longer. It appears to be merely what this judge feels is appropriate according to who is in front of them today.

In the end here is the message sent by this verdict today. Perjury is a serious crime and deserves serious jail time, but because we did not punish a rich white lady, and a former President as severely as maybe we should have, we will not punish you as much as we feel you should be.

Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Can We Please Let The Man Do His Job

The Moment of truth has finally come. The moment conservatives have waited for since the election of 2000. President Bush will finally get to make his first Supreme Court nomination. With this in mind I can understand the excitement and accompanying anxiety that conservatives might feel about the impending nomination. But I have a message for my conservative brothers and sisters: Please let the man do his job.

The simple question to be asked here is, do we really trust President George W. Bush? We have had 5 years now to see President Bush at work. As far as I can tell he has, until now, always been a man of his word. He means what he says and he says what he means. Why should he change now? Did he not say that he would appoint people to the courts who are strict constitutionalists? Did he not say that he is opposed to abortion and same sex marriages? He is not his father, and he is not Ronald Reagan (who gave us Sandra Day Oconner- he is George W. Bush. If we are not willing to trust him with this decision, or any other decision, we should start scraping all of those "W" stickers off of our cars.

To hear some conservatives, you would think Bill Clinton is about to appoint the next judge to the SCOTUS.

They are all up in arms over the possibility of Alberto Gonzalez, a long time friend of the President, being appointed. The reports are that Gonzalez, "may not be conservative enough" on the issues of abortion and affirmative action. First of all Gonzalez himself said, in January, that he will not seek the appointment. Different from VP Dick Chenney, who never said he would not seek or accept the VP position. Secondly, with the long list of good candidates, why would the President need to make this appointment of his "good friend." Mr. Gonzalez is very valuable to the President right where he is.

But even if President Bush were to appoint Mr. Gonzalez, I ask; where is the real harm? At his worst, we can bet he will be more conservative than Sandra Day O'connor was. Futherhmore, as conservatives, we must come to a point where we can see the benefit of incrementalism. This has been the best weapon of the Left. You push hard, take what you get then push some more. Over and over. Otherwise you have to ask for revolution.

Jesus told His disciples to be wise as serpants, yet harmless as doves. I am afraid that too many of us as harmless as serpants and as wise as doves. In plain English we stupidly choose fights we do not need to and end up causing harm in the process. This should not be one of those times.

Let's back up, evaluate and give our input. Then let's let Prssident Bush do his job with our full support. Until he proves unworthy, we owe him that much.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

Why A Clinton/Obama Ticket Cannot Win In 2008

The other day I received an email blast from Wayne Perryman. Wayne asked the question of whether a Hillary Clinton/Barak Obama ticket could win the presidency in 2008. Wayne's answer was no, and he gave some good reasons.

Below I want to give you 5 more reasons, and as they say a picture is worth a thousand words.


These official Mexican stamps were released last week to a huge outcry from civil rights activists and any one with any sense. The White House objecttion to the release of the stamps was swift and strong saying: “racial stereotypes are offensive no matter what their origin and have no place in today’s world."

But Mexican president Vincente Fox who has not yet completely gotten his other foot out of his mouth after a remark in May that, "Mexican immigrants take jobs in the U.S. that not even blacks want," proceeded to insert his other foot by stating that the character is not offensive, but is a beloved comic book character." Beloved by whom Mr. Fox?

The spokesman for the Mexican postal authority echoed President Foxes opinion that the stamps are not offensive, adding that "he is a beloved traditional character." I am willing to bet Memin Pinguin (the character depicted in the cartoon and stamps) is not a super hero. Not unless you consider "Speedy Gonzalez" a super hero, as this is who the spokesman for the postal authorities likened the charater to.

What these recent remarks and the release of the stamps reveal is that there is an unspoken divide between Hispanics and those of African descendent. Although there is public show of mutual respect among the communities, and a common antagonism toward the dominant European American culure, there is no real love between these 2 communities. This is shown here in the official attitudes of the Mexican government, but is well known to those living in most large metropolitan areas. In Los Angeles, just this past school year, there were a number of fights and near riots between black & Hispanic students. It was so bad that the newly elected mayor has had to get involved.

I am willing to predict that having Obama on a 2008 Presidential ticket for the Democrats would bring no less that 25 percentage points to the GOP and probably more. That is on top of the 35% they already gave the GOP in 2004.

I guess Jesse Jackson will need to set up a second residence in Mexico with all of the work to be done there. If he does look for it to be in Cacun