Adulation for Obama In Europe... Now What?

NATO Allies have refused to send combat troops to Afghanistan, yet President Barack Obama hailed "strong and unanimous support" from NATO allies on Saturday for his stepped-up anti-terror strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan and welcomed their "down payment" promises of 5,000 fresh forces. The allies rebuffed U.S. appeals for more combat forces to join the war, but the backing Obama did gain at a European summit allowed him to claim an early victory on the world's foreign policy stage.

AAPP: Right! The fact of the matter is it was all adulation, but little help, for Barack Obama who got little of nothing from NATO. The fact of the matter is, as the Huffington Post noted, Obama waved off questions on whether the size and makeup of the commitments were disappointing in light of an anti-terrorism struggle he himself portrayed as daunting. This as Anti-NATO demonstrators set fire to hotel in Strasbourg and clashes mared the Nato allies' summit.

"Popular president, making great speeches, rebuilding relationships but not getting anything in return - for now. "

AAPP

The Huffington Post reports since becoming president, Obama has begun switching America's anti-terror emphasis to fighting al-Qaida in the Afghanistan-Pakistan area. More HERE

But who cares about all that war and how Anti-NATO protesters burn buildings in a French city. Let's talk about the fashions of first lady Michelle Obama.

List of 20 US Mass Killings 1966-2009

Check out the list of the worst U.S. mass shootings in recent years:

Source: Fox News

A gunman walked into an immigration services center in downtown Binghamton, N.Y. on Friday, killing an unknown number of people, wounding at least six, and taking as many as 41 hostage. Here is a glance at some of the worst U.S. mass shootings in recent years:

— March 29, 2009: Robert Stewart, 45, shot and killed eight people at Pinelake Health and Rehab in Carthage, N.C. before a police officer shot him and ended the rampage.

— March 29, 2009: Devan Kalathat, 42, shot and killed his two children and three other relatives, then killed himself in an upscale neighborhood of Santa Clara, Calif. Kalathat's wife was critically injured.

— March 10, 2009: Michael McLendon, 28, killed 10 people — including his mother, four other relatives, and the wife and child of a local sheriff's deputy — across two rural Alabama counties. He then killed himself.

— Feb. 14, 2008: Former student Steven Kazmierczak, 27, opened fire in a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, fatally shooting five students and wounding 18 others before committing suicide.

— Dec. 5, 2007: Robert A. Hawkins, 19, opened fire with a rifle at a Von Maur store in an Omaha, Neb., mall, killing eight people before taking his own life. Five more people were wounded, two critically.

— April 16, 2007: Seung-Hui Cho, 23, fatally shot 32 people in a dorm and a classroom at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, then killed himself in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

— Oct. 2, 2006: Charles Carl Roberts IV, 32, shot to death five girls at West Nickel Mines Amish School in Pennsylvania, then killed himself.

— March 21, 2005: Student Jeffrey Weise, 16, killed nine people, including his grandfather and his grandfather's companion at home. Also included were five fellow students, a teacher and a security guard at Red Lake High School in Red Lake, Minn. He then killed himself. Seven students were wounded.

— March 12, 2005: Terry Ratzmann, 44, gunned down members of his congregation as they worshipped at the Brookfield Sheraton in Brookfield, Wisconsin, slaying seven and wounding four before killing himself.

— March 5, 2001: Charles "Andy" Williams, 15, killed two fellow students and wounded 13 others at Santana High School in Santee, Calif.

— Nov. 2, 1999: Copier repairman Byran Uyesugi, 40, fatally shoots seven people at Xerox Corp. in Honolulu. He is convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

— July 29, 1999: Former day trader Mark Barton, 44, killed nine people in shootings at two Atlanta brokerage offices, then killed himself.

— April 20, 1999: Students Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, opened fire at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 26 others before killing themselves in the school's library.

— May 21, 1998: Two teenagers were killed and more than 20 people hurt when Kip Kinkel, 17, opened fire at a high school in Springfield, Ore., after killing his parents.

— March 24, 1998: Andrew Golden, 11, and Mitchell Johnson, 13, killed four girls and a teacher at a Jonesboro, Ark., middle school. Ten others were wounded in the shooting.

— Oct. 16, 1991: A deadly shooting rampage took place in Killeen, Texas, as George Hennard opened fire at a Luby's Cafeteria, killing 23 people before taking his own life. 20 others were wounded in the attack.

— June 18, 1990: James Edward Pough shoots people at random in a General Motors Acceptance Corp. office in Jacksonville, Fla., killing 10 and wounding four, before killing himself.

— July 12, 1976: Edward Charles Allaway, a custodian in the library of California State University, Fullerton, fatally shot seven fellow employees and wounded two others.

— Aug. 20, 1986: Pat Sherrill, 44, a postal worker who was about to be fired, shoots 14 people at a post office in Edmond, Okla. He then kills himself.

— July 18, 1984: James Oliver Huberty, an out-of-work security guard, kills 21 people in a McDonald's restaurant in San Ysidro, Calif. A police sharpshooter kills Huberty.

— May 4, 1970: Four Kent State University students were killed by Ohio National Guard troops during a campus protest of the invasion of Cambodia. Nine people were wounded.

— Aug. 1, 1966: Charles Whitman opened fire from the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin, killing 16 people and wounding 31. More HERE

Mass Killings and black folks

Saturday, April 4th 2009



More killings, American style - Yesterday a gunman killed 13 and held 40 hostage in upstate New York town. As the blog Mayhem.net notes, "Most mass murderers are male, white, conservative and come from relatively stable, lower-middle-class backgrounds."

Well, here is the new mayhem:

This time Three Pittsburgh police officers are killed by what the NY Daily news calls, a gun-loving maniac. Yes, another Gunman Kills Police Officers this time in Pittsburgh, PA. CNN reports officers were responding to a domestic call in Stanton Heights area. Reports are the gunman wore bulletproof vest as 5 Pittsburgh police officers were Shot & 3 were killed.




AAPP: It seems that everyone and their mama is refusing to take a look and ask the obvious - Is the economy a factor in recent shootings? Also, Why do so many mass killings occur in April? It appears that April has historically been a whole month of assassination, mass murder and mayhem."



Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. were both killed in April. The Oklahoma City bombing, the end of the Waco Siege and the shootings at Columbine High School and Virginia Tech also took place in April.

Speaking of Martin Luther King, It appears that these killings and other killings are taking a big toll on black communities. You see, the Mass Murder of black folks by lynching is nothing new to us.

The 1946 Lynching of 2 black couples at Moore's Ford bridge in northeast Georgia will be the topic of a panel discussion featuring the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the head of the Atlanta office of the FBI. Gregory Jones of the FBI and GBI Director Vernon Keenan will join the panel after the screening at 2 p..m. Saturday of "Murder in Black and White" at the Monroe Community Center. The 45-minute documentary details the murder July 25, 1946, in what is considered to have been the last mass lynching in American history. More HERE

AP

Police escort a female relative of one of the policemen shot in Pittsburgh early Saturday morning, April 4. Richard Poplawski opened fire on officers during a domestic disturbance call Saturday morning, killing three of them, a police official said.

Heller/AP

The NY Daily News reports a gunman shot three police officers in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Sat. Apr. 4, 2009. He was reportedly upset over fears President Obama will curtail gun rights.

A gun-loving lunatic who was afraid President Obama would ban firearms killed three Pittsburgh cops Saturday in a blizzard of bullets, police and witnesses said.

"I am going to die today," the killer, who was not identified, told a friend just before the incident.

The gunman was arrested after a standoff that lasted several hours, officials said.

At least five officers were wounded. It was not immediately clear if that number included the three officers who died. Their names were not released.

Edward Perkovic, 22, the suspect's best friend, said the shooter called him at work as the carnage unfolded.

"Eddie, I am going to die today.... Tell your family I love them and I love you," the killer said, according to Perkovic.

"I heard gunshots and he hung up," Perkovic added. "He sounded like he was in pain, like he got shot."

Perkovic said the gunman feared "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't like our rights being infringed upon."

Another friend, Joe DiMarco, said the suspect was upset about getting laid off from his job at a glass factory earlier this year.

Another longtime friend, Aaron Vire, 23, said his friend had an AK-47 rifle and several powerful handguns, including a .357 Magnum. He also said the gunman once had an Internet talk show.

Tom Moffitt, 51, a city firefighter who rushed to the scene from his home two blocks away said he heard "hundreds, just hundreds of shots. And not just once - several times."

Neighbor Rob Gift, 45, who heard bursts of gunfire as he was letting his dog out, was stunned by the violence.

"It's just a very quiet neighborhood," said Gift, who said many police officers, firefighters and other city workers live in the tidy neighborhood filled with single-family homes.

The shootings happened just two weeks after four cops killed in Oakland, Calif., March 21., the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001.

Check out the list of the worst U.S. mass shootings since the recession began:

Source: Fox News

A gunman walked into an immigration services center in downtown Binghamton, N.Y. on Friday, killing an unknown number of people, wounding at least six, and taking as many as 41 hostage. Here is a glance at some of the worst U.S. mass shootings in recent years:

— March 29, 2009: Robert Stewart, 45, shot and killed eight people at Pinelake Health and Rehab in Carthage, N.C. before a police officer shot him and ended the rampage.

— March 29, 2009: Devan Kalathat, 42, shot and killed his two children and three other relatives, then killed himself in an upscale neighborhood of Santa Clara, Calif. Kalathat's wife was critically injured.

— March 10, 2009: Michael McLendon, 28, killed 10 people — including his mother, four other relatives, and the wife and child of a local sheriff's deputy — across two rural Alabama counties. He then killed himself.

— Feb. 14, 2008: Former student Steven Kazmierczak, 27, opened fire in a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, fatally shooting five students and wounding 18 others before committing suicide.

— Dec. 5, 2007: Robert A. Hawkins, 19, opened fire with a rifle at a Von Maur store in an Omaha, Neb., mall, killing eight people before taking his own life. Five more people were wounded, two critically.

— April 16, 2007: Seung-Hui Cho, 23, fatally shot 32 people in a dorm and a classroom at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, then killed himself in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

More on Mass Killings from black blogger, Field Negro: Apple Pies, Chevies, and Massacres.

J. "Spicy" Lynch She Warms My Heart ....

One of my favorite new internet friends and frequent participant on my Blog Talk Radio Show recently shared her writings with me. I want to share them with the world. If you get to know this powerful black woman and disabilities activist, you would know much better, how powerful these words are.

J. "Spicy" Lynch is a black woman with what some people call "disabilities", she considers her disabilities, "just mere challenges, and opportunities." - I do as well.

Spicy as she likes to be called, is frequent contributor to my Blog Talk Radio program. Unlike many people in the black community who hold on to feelings of insensitivity and prejudice towards people with challenges, my Blog Talk Radio program engages all people in political and social conversation. Today it is my honor to share her writing on this blog. You Go Spicy!




J. "Spicy" Lynch talks about

Heartfelt DREAMS

How many hearts have felt and held their dream that they could say was it was
TANGIBLE.

The feeling of wholeness to complete this outcome that has NOT come to pass yet.
Many hearts have felt their dreams.
As they wish it could jump out their chest.
speaking that focal outlook for this

DREAM

It became more than my castle in Spain,
Or the one in the Sky.
That has put me on a trail of crumbs as I picked them up;
But I also set my own trail as I passed down my words of encouragement.
The words that I spoke I find to be truth passed down from my Father,
and the many generations before.
How it was said by a spirit that I was conquering a hard task.
It was the challenge that I encompassed.
Thrill of more to be believable.

Pass me my SHEPARDS HOOK as I go in for the long haul.
As you pass this ENTHRALLING EPIC must start,
And still continues … …
The continuing as I pass my torch to you who follow

The REVOLUTION that must continue to seek improvements
THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT BETTER MAN
THE REVOLUTION & “LUVOLUTION” WILL BE TELEVISED
SPOKEN FROM THE TRUEST OF POETS

“Sun of Man, Max Parthas, & Bomani”
Here I trail my beloved of Jehovah, Jesus, Kunta Kente`, Booker T. Washington’s; and the names go on.

Shirley Chisholm, A. Philip Randolph, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Scott, and I—chose to abruptly, and publicly, take shots at a man with an impeccable history of fighting on behalf of the less-fortunate and oppressed.

As I take it back to the many names that you might know:
Crispus Attucks. W.E.B. Dubois, Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, The Buffalo Soldiers. & The Tuskegee Air Men.

In my lifetime I have come across many captured spirits.
Buffalo soldier headline Rasta born into amerykaa.
Coming with voice conviction I hear My brother konscious vibrations as I hear that strong
Tshombe.

We began to float on wings of an eagle in speaking
Those pieces that simply uplift our ambiance
For a higher good..

As the many obstacles get in the way of my growth . . .
Flow from my embodiment to bring forth that change of me and my family . . .
I mostly thank -you for my TANTRA-ZAWADI in becoming me.
THIS IS WHY I AM ME.

THANK-YOU.

By:
J. Lynch

Barack Obama's Larry Summers - Speaking Fee Giant

AAPP says, so, you still love the Barack Obama administration? So you thought he was going to bring "change." Well let's take a look at the Obama and his top adviser Larry Summers who received hundreds Of thousands in speaking fees from TARP recipients

Source: Sam Stein at the Huffington Post

---

Barack Obama's chief economic adviser, Larry Summers, received hundreds of thousands of dollars in speaking fees last year from firms that have direct financial interests before the government or are intimately involved in the White House's bank relief programs.

The White House released late Friday the personal financial disclosure forms of many high-ranking administration officials. The document provided for Summers, who serves as one of the president's closest confidants, underscores just how close some of these officials are to the industry over which they now have oversight.

Among the firms that paid Summers large amounts in speaking fees include J.P. Morgan Chase. That bank offered the former Harvard president and Treasury Secretary $67,500 for a February 1, 2008 engagement. It has received $25 billion in government bailout funds.

Citigroup, which has received $50 billion in taxpayer help, paid Summers $45,00 for a speech in March 2008 and another $54,000 for a speech that May.

Goldman Sachs, which has received $10 million in bailout funds, paid Summers $135,000 for a speech on April 16, 2008 and another $67,500 for a speech on June 18, 2008.

Summers also received about $5.2 million over the past year in salary from the major hedge fund D.E. Shaw

The speech payments will undoubtedly raise questions as to the impartiality of the economic advice Summers is providing to the president. Already viewed as too favorably disposed to Wall Street, the lavish payments for speeches will provide fodder for those who think the administration has been forgiving in their approach to the banking industry.

In a prepared statement, spokesman Ben LaBolt said that, "From the first days of the administration, we have bolstered accountability over banks and reformed the TARP process so that taxpayers can see how their money is being spent, the influence of lobbyists is curbed, executive compensation is reined in, and firms are required to show how they will preserve or expand lending using government funds. Dr. Summers has been at the forefront of this administration's work to shore up our nation's financial system and to put in place a regulatory framework that will strengthen the financial system and its oversight - all in an effort to help the families across America who have paid a very steep price for risky decisions made by Wall Street executives."

Below is a list of the notable speeches given by Summers last year, the amount he was paid, and the date of the address. Further down is a PDF of Summers' Personal Financial Disclosure form, released on late Friday afternoon. Tell us what you see.

Skagen Funds, $60,300, (1/9/2008)

Skagen Funds, $60,300, (1/10/2008)

Skagen Funds, $59,400, (1/11/2008)

JP Morgan, $67,500, (2/1/2008)

Itinera Institute, $62,876 (1/8/2008)

Citigroup, $45,000 (3/3/2008)

Goldman Sachs Co., $135,000, (4/16/2008)

Associon de Bancos de Mexico, $90,000, (4/3/2008)

Lehman Brothers, $67,500, (4/17/2008)

State Street Corporation, $45,000, (4/18/2008)

Siguler Guff & Company, $67,500, (5/7/2008)

Hudson Institute, $10,000, (05/28/2008)

Citigroup, $54,000, (5/30/2008)

Investec Bank, $157,500, (6/13/2008)

Goldman Sachs, $67,500, (6/18/2008)

Lehman Brothers, $67,500, (7/30/2008)

Tata Consultance Services, $67,500, (9/21/2008)

State Street Corporation, $112,500, (10/2/2008)

McKinsey and Company, $135,000, (10/19/2008)

Charles River Ventures LLC, $67,500, (11/112008)

Pricewaterhouse Coopers, $67,500 (9/9/2008)

American Chamber of Commerce In Argentina, $135,000 (10/7/2008)

American Express, $67,500 (5/7/2008)

Bloggers Roundtable - Starts Off Strong

I joined Shawn Williams, Publisher of Dallas South Blog at his Blog Talk Radio program.

Shawn Williams
Host of The Shawn Williams Show

Shawn and Kristin launched a new weekly segment titled Bloggers RoundUp. I had the opportunity to be his one of his first guest, along with one of the best Journalist and bloggers on the internet, Carmen D. who is also the publisher of the the blog, All About Race. We all had a great time. I would urge all afrospear/afrosphere bloggers, and the general public to check out the Shawn Williams Show on Blog Talk Radio. Great program, great format and 2 great host!

Michelle Obama Hugs Queen Liz, So...what's the big deal?

Don't folks know that black folks are touching and hugging people? Why are people so hung up about Michelle Obama Touching the Queen ? This whole thing should not spark a media frenzy, it's no big deal.

G20, World Angry with the United States

The world is watching, Barack Obama, and it looks like it's 'Celebrity' No More for President Barack Obama. Well, at least in Europe. Black folks on the other hand are still happy with a black face in the White House. Rather than taking a look at what he is or is not doing for black America. Candidly, we should be asking of the trillions of tax payers dollars being spent, what are HBCU's getting, how many community health centers are being built in our community, how many community schools are being build, and how many low-income housing units are being built. Ok, I digress....Back to a world angry with the United States:



President Obama arrived in London to take part in the G-20 summit, the largest gathering of world leaders coping with an economic crisis since the Great Depression. Foreign leaders like Germany and other European countries are leading the pushback against the Obama administration's economic policies. Many foreign countries blame unscrupulous American capitalism for having sparked the recession in the first place. Russian and Chinese leaders have proposed a new international currency to replace the once-almighty U.S. dollar as the world standard. Speaking at St. Paul's Cathedral, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said bankers have ignored basic morals that parents teach children. More HERE

It seems that the world is pissed off with george W. Bush, and the republicans, and are channeling their collective anger at President Barack Obama.



After the dust clears it will be interesting to see if our policies change here in America.

Embattled Dallas Police Officer Robert Powell resigned from the force

It seems that every one including Mayor Tom Leppert of Dallas, Texas is happy and pleased at news today that embattled Dallas Police Officer Robert Powell resigned from the force.

As reported by the Dallas Morning News, asked to elaborate during a break at today's Dallas City Council meeting, Leppert says he believes Powell's resignation is "a good solution" following an incident last week that sparked international outrage for what Dallas City Council member Angela Hunt has already called "cruel" and "irrational."

Powell's conduct "does not reflect on the city of Dallas. It does not reflect on the police department," Leppert said. "It didn't show the judgment that our police department should have."

Last week, Powell detained National Football League player Ryan Moats and his family as they attempted to enter a Plano hospital to be by the bedside of Moats' dying mother-in-law.

The woman died while Powell questioned Moats for about 15 minutes in the hospital parking lot after he rolled through a red light while driving to the hospital.

Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle immediately questioned Powell's actions and placed the officer on administrative leave.

AAPP: You remember my post about the heartless bullying of black men by police, again ... caught on tape. This time it's Police delaying an NFL player from seeing his dying mother-In-Law. The NY Times says it best when they said, a Dallas police officer makes death even worse. The Dallas News is also on point when they write, Editorial: Dallas cop doesn't deserve his badge.

The Dallas Morning News provided an unedited Dallas police dashboard camera video shows traffic stop of NFL player Ryan Moats. The Dallas Morning News provides the nearly 17-minute video shows the entire incident involving Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats and Dallas police officer Robert Powell. Moats was rushing his wife and two of her family members to a hospital, where his mother-in-law lay dying. She died while Moats and his wife's grandfather waited outside the hospital for the officer to issue a ticket. Edited

Moats and his family had gotten a call saying his mother-in-law was dying.
Video from a dashboard camera inside the officer's vehicle, obtained by Dallas-Fort Worth station WFAA-TV, revealed an intense exchange in which the officer threatened to jail Moats.
He ordered Moats' wife, Tamishia Moats, to get back in the SUV, but she ignored him and rushed inside the hospital to see her mother, Jonetta Collinsworth, 45, and was by her side when she died a short time later. She had breast cancer.

"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at 27-year-old Tamishia Moats, as she exited the car. "Let me see your hands!"

"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"

Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light and that his mother-in-law was dying, right then.

Moats couldn't find his insurance paperwork, and was desperate to leave.
"Listen, if I can't verify you have insurance...," Officer Powell said. "My mother-in-law is dying," Moats interrupted.

As they argued, the officer got irritated. "Shut your mouth," the officer said. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."
By the time the 26-year-old NFL player received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, 25, at least 13 minutes had passed.

When he and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead, The Dallas Morning News reported in today's editions.
The Moatses, who are black, said they can't help but think that race might have played a part in how Powell, who is white, treated them.

"I think he should lose his job," said Ryan Moats, a Dallas native.

Powell was placed on disptach duty pending an investigation. The ticket issued to Moats was dismissed, Lt. Andy Harvey told WFAA-TV.

"There were some things that were said that were disturbing, to say the least," he told the Dallas Morning News.

Powell told police officials he believed he was doing his job, said Dallas Police Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson.

AAPP: I'm glad this guy resigned. Is this the end? I'm not sure. Maybe there needs to be some re-training of all officers, regarding the role of the officer, to "protect and most importantly, to serve."

Cross posted at African American Political Pundit.com

Old white guys get off - young black guys go to prison

File this under: old white guys get off - young black guys go to prison.

As reported by The NY Times, The Justice Department moved on Wednesday morning to drop all charges against former Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, who narrowly lost his seat last year shortly after being convicted on seven felony counts of ethics violations. In a stunning development, Justice Department lawyers told a federal court that they had discovered a new instance of prosecutorial misconduct in the case and asked that the convictions be voided. Attorney General Eric F. Holder Jr. said that in the interests of justice there would be no new trial in the case.

Mr. Stevens, who is 85, had been the longest serving Republican in the history of the Senate. He had been charged with lying on Senate disclosure forms by concealing an estimated $250,000 worth of goods and services he received, mostly to renovate a chalet he owned in Alaska. Prosecutors said he received the bulk of the goods and services from Bill Allen, a longtime friend who had made a fortune by providing services to Alaska’s booming oil industry. More HERE

AAPP: As reported by Yahoo News, It's great to see that Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., wants a "top-to-bottom review" by Congress of the nation's criminal-justice system with an eye toward reducing the growing prison population.

With the support of the White House and some Senate Republicans, Webb is proposing a blue-ribbon commission spend 1½ years looking at law-and-order issues.

Webb's office says the panel should take a sweeping look at the way the nation controls crime, metes out punishment and returns felons to society.

A background document says of the commission: "Its task will be to propose concrete, wide-ranging reforms to responsibly reduce the overall incarceration rate; improve federal and local responses to international and domestic gang violence; restructure our approach to drug policy; improve the treatment of mental illness; improve prison administration, and establish a system for reintegrating ex-offenders."

Webb has been speaking out on the prison issue for over a year, warning of the economic and social consequences of housing a growing population of criminals.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, holding nearly 2.4 million people behind bars. An additional 5 million are on probation or parole.

According to Webb's office, President Barack Obama supports the investigation; so, too, does Sen. Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican, former Judiciary Committee chairman and ex-federal prosecutor, who is facing a tough re-election campaign. More HERE

UPDATE: Black Man Tased and Beaten in Peoria, IL.

Tasing of a Black Man Tased and Beaten in Peoria, IL.
Cross posted on The Post-Racial Blog

---

Indicted Tuesday were, from left, Peoria police Officers Gerald W.Suelter, 39, Andrew R. Smith, 29, and Jeremy Layman, 31. The charges stem from a chase last May of Bryce R. Scott, 34, who claims he was beaten after he stopped his car and put his hands outside his window near the intersection of Abington Street and Perry Avenue.

As reported by PJ Star, Another Peoria police officer has been charged with official misconduct in connection with the pursuit and arrest of a Peoria man last May who was kicked, stomped and Tased after he apparently surrendered.

A Peoria County grand jury on Tuesday returned a five-count indictment against Jeremy J. Layman, 31, of Hanna City. The officer faces four counts of obstructing justice and one count of official misconduct. Layman posted 10 percent of a $15,000 bond Tuesday to remain out of custody.

Two others, Andrew R. Smith, 29, and Gerald W. Suelter, 39, were also indicted Tuesday for their alleged role in the May 3 incident.

Both men face charges of official misconduct, aggravated battery, battery and mob action. They had already been charged by way of a complaint in mid-March and their bonds were set at $10,000.

Smith and Suelter will next appear in court on April 16 for their arraignment. A court date for Layman has not been set. All three face up to five years in prison on each of the official misconduct charges.

The charges stem from an early morning chase of Bryce R. Scott, 34, who claims he was beaten after he stopped his car and put his hands outside his window near the intersection of Abington Street and Perry Avenue.

Scott, who is facing federal and state drug dealing charges, claims he was pepper sprayed, stomped, kicked, tased and punched after he complied with officers’ requests.

A dashboard camera in a squad car recorded what happened next. After Scott stopped his car, he is surrounded by several officers, who shout for him to comply, which he apparently does. Within seconds, Scott is taken to the ground and is out of the camera’s view.

A prosecutors said at a earlier bond hearing for Suelter and Smith that Suelter repeatedly Tased Scott while Smith allegedly stomped and kicked Scott “at least 20 times, at one point repositioning himself for leverage.”

Layman is accused of stopping the squad car camera from recording. The official misconduct charge for him states “he knowingly concealed, altered or disguised physical evidence concerning the stop and apprehension of Bryce Scott.”

When asked if more officers could face charges, State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons said “a review of police officer conduct continues.” More HERE

Writing the Next Chapter on Race

AAPP says: Check out this recent post By Judith Browne-Dianis, Co-Director Advancement Project on Writing the Next Chapter on Race. It's a Great Post!
H/T Joseph Huff-Hannon for the link.


Source: Race Wire

For several months, the media has been pushing the fairy tale that the United States moved beyond racism with the election of President Obama. As untrue as that is, there are people who started acting on their post-racial fantasies years ago, eight years in fact, as the Bush Administration used that excuse to essentially stop enforcing the civil rights laws we already have. President Obama and his administration have the opportunity to take dramatic steps towards dismantling institutional racism and inequality by simply enforcing the laws that are already on the books. Rather than blindness or silence, taking this action requires us to live in reality so that we can change that reality.

On November 5th, 2008, we woke up in a nation where people of color are nearly twice as likely as Whites to live near toxic waste dumps. We woke up in a nation where healthcare inequities mean that a Black child is more than twice as likely as a White child to die before age one. We woke up in a nation where Black and Latino students are more than 20 percent less likely to graduate from school than their White classmates and more than twice as likely to be arrested when they are at school. All of these disparities exist with government support or permission. More Here

Cross posted on The Post Racial Blog

"Bloggers Roundup" established by Shawn Williams

It's been a few weeks since NPR’s News and Notes, and it's segment called Bloggers Roundtable with Farai Chideya went off the air. We all miss the News and Notes family.

Well there is good news folks, brother Shawn Williams, publisher of The Dallas South Blog, and producer of The Shawn P. Williams Show, and his co-host Kristin, are planning a new bloggers talk show on blogtalkradio called, "Bloggers RoundUp."

Starting this week on The Shawn P. Williams Show, Kristin and Shawn will host their first Bloggers Roundup on Thursday April 2nd.

Carmen D. from the blog All About Race and this African American Political Pundit will be the first guest of the program. Shawn has contacted a representative at NPR and Farai to let them know he plans to “take care” of the concept until they bring it back. More HERE

Spread the word check out The Shawn P. Williams Show,Thursday April 2nd at 10:00 PM E.S.T.

Jack Johnson, Black Men and "The Scott Sisters"

Check this out, as reported by Gromer Jeffers, Jr., at the Dallas Morning News there is a movement to get Jack Johnson, the first African-American to become world heavyweight boxing champion name cleared. You see Jack Johnson overcame racism and poverty to slug his way to the top. As reported by Gromer jeffers, Jr., efforts to clear his name of a bogus conviction for transporting a white woman across state lines for immoral purposes, however, have not been as successful.

Today is the 131st anniversary of Johnson's birth in Galveston, and it comes as renewed efforts are under way in Congress to get a presidential pardon for the boxer who died 62 years ago.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., plan to introduce resolutions before Congress on Wednesday calling on President Barack Obama to pardon Johnson.

A pardon, supporters say, would right a wrong from America's racist past. But for many others, particularly in Galveston, vindication for Johnson means much more.

They hope to reintroduce the man nicknamed the Galveston Giant to a hometown that shunned him in his finest hour and never regarded the boxer as its favorite son. More HERE

AAPP: Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. should also introduce legislation to support criminal justice reform that address issues of reentry, sentencing, racial disparity and crime prevention. For black males in their twenties, 1 in every 8 is in prison. Let's see Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., The Congressional Black Caucus, The United States Congress and the President deal with many of these modern day bogus convictions as well.

Lets see them address the question of two black women who should also be receiving a review by State and federal officials: The Scott Sisters - Jamie and Gladys Scott.

Black Men Not Graduating At HBCU's

As reported on BET News.com and USA Today, The nation’s historically Black institutions, often lauded for the job they do in graduating African-American students, are doing a worse job conferring degrees than their traditionally White counterparts, according to a new survey by The Associated Press.

Black colleges and universities, most of which were founded shortly after slavery to provide newly emancipated Negroes a leg up in a rapidly advancing society, have long graduated a disproportionate number of Black students. Black-college officials, alumni and students have pointed to the campus’ nurturing environment and emphasis on graduation and job preparation as the reason historically Black colleges and universities have tended to have a much higher success rate.

But the AP survey has shattered the image of the high-yielding Black institution.

The news agency’s analysis of the 83 federally designated four-year HBCUs shows that just 37 percent of Black students earn a degree within six years – roughly 4 percent lower than national college graduation rates. Perhaps the biggest reason for such dismal Black-college graduation statistics, reports AP, is the performance of Black male students, just 29 percent of whom complete their bachelor’s within the six-year period. While a few Black institutions – such as Howard University, and at Spelman and Morehouse colleges – graduate more African-American students than traditionally White campuses, many others are among the worst-performing colleges in America, according to the analysis.

“At 38 HBCUs, fewer than one in four men who started in 2001 had completed a bachelor's degree by 2007, the data show. At Texas Southern, Voorhees, Edward Waters and Miles College, the figure was under 10 percent,” AP reports. More HERE

AAPP says: The bottom line is, black men are struggling to succeed at historically black colleges. It's interesting that the Obama "Stimulus Plan" had no real plan to stimulate HBCU's.

I guess the latest recession casualty will be Historically Black Colleges.

Another Tax Cheat In The Obama Cabinet?

As reported by The Washington Post, Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius recently corrected three years of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes after finding "unintentional errors" _ the latest tax troubles for an Obama administration nominee. The Kansas governor explained the changes to senators in a letter dated Tuesday that the administration released. She said they involved charitable contributions, the sale of a home and business expenses.

Sebelius said she filed the amended returns as soon as the errors were discovered by an accountant she hired to scrub her taxes in preparation for her confirmation hearings. She and her husband, Gary, a federal magistrate judge in Kansas, paid a total of $7,040 in back taxes and $878 in interest to amend returns from 2005-2007.

There was no comment from the White House. More HERE

AAPP: There was no comment from the White House? Let's see, as reported by Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report, in her letter to Baucus and Grassley, Sebelius wrote that the accountant discovered these errors:

_Charitable contributions over $250 are supposed to include an acknowledgment letter from the charity in order for a deduction to be taken. Out of 49 charitable contributions made, three letters couldn't be found.

_Sebelius and her husband took deductions for mortgage interest that they weren't entitled to. The couple sold their home in 2006 for less than what they owed on the mortgage. They continued to make payments on the mortgage, including interest. But since they no longer owned the home they weren't entitled to take deductions for the interest. The same thing happened with a home improvement loan. Sebelius said they "mistakenly believed" the payments were still deductible.

_Insufficient documentation was found for some business expense deductions.

Sounds like this couple was trying to "get over" to me.

Ryan Moats, Apologies, Black Folks, and Praying For Forgiveness

DALLAS (AP) - An NFL player said Monday he accepts the apology offered by a Dallas police officer who stopped him with a drawn gun in a hospital parking lot while his mother-in-law was dying inside.

Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that he hopes Officer Robert Powell was sincere in his apology.

Powell stopped Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center in suburban Plano on March 18 after the vehicle rolled through a red light. Moats' wife, Tamishia, and other relatives were also in the car.

The officer pulled out his gun and threatened Moats with jail as the player pleaded to be allowed to go inside the hospital. Moats' mother-in-law died before he got there while Powell wrote Moats a ticket and lectured him.

Powell, who has been placed on paid leave pending an investigation, issued a statement Friday through his attorneys.

"I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department, and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions on March 18, 2009. After stopping Mr. Moats' vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions," Powell's statement said.

Tamishia Moats said she'd like to hear the apology personally, but that she, too, would definitely accept it.

AAPP: Not me, after you pulled a gun on me and my wife, and you send some apology through your attorney, oh hell no... Why do black folks in the south forgive so quickly?

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. - Acts 17:30

This Dallas cop has not repented for his sins against the moats through an attorney. One must pray for forgiveness. It's not clear he has.

But that is just my opinion. Do you have one?

Obama says: Buy This New Car --- Without a job

Well, it looks like the new Obama administration is in the car business. According to published reports, President Barack Obama says the federal government is preparing to offer several incentives to get Americans to buy more U.S. made cars.

I don't think the Obama administration gets it. Yes, the Auto Problems are dragging wall street down, but the fact of the matter is milions of people don't have jobs. I Don't get it. How are people going to buy cars, without jobs? We are already struggling with the American Dream. Isn't this exactly what got us into the housing crisis? Americans buying what we can't afford?

The fact is, despite an abundance of rich incentive deals, March vehicle sales for the industry are expected to be lower than March 2007 and even lower than February when automakers report results Tuesday, Edmunds.com has forecast.

March new-vehicle sales, including fleet sales, are expected to total 1.33 million, a 13.2 percent decrease from March 2007 and a 13.9 percent increase from February 2008, according to Edmunds’ forecast on sales figures not adjusted for the difference in selling days.

The forecast is less dreary when adjusted for the difference in selling days. This March had 26 selling days, two fewer than last March 2007. When adjusted for this difference, sales decreased 6.5 percent from March 2007. The bottom line, "Consumers feel there is no compelling reason to buy a car right now," said Jesse Toprak, Edmunds’ executive director of Industry Analysis. Now enter Barack Obama, who seems to ingore the fact that attractive incentive deals were in abundance in March. As reported in Auto Oberver.com automakers have been offering increasingly aggressive incentives on vehicles in slow-selling categories such as minivans, full-size pickup trucks and SUVs. Those deals got even better. For example, Chrysler bumped up the incentives on the Dodge Ram to $5,500 in March.

Also in March, heftier incentives even spread to smaller, lower-priced cars like the Chevrolet Cobalt and Nissan Versa, noted Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds' manager of pricing and industry analysis. Small cars have been hot sellers in the past year, requiring few incentives.

A bunch of lease deals cropped up in March as well.Chrysler, for instance, offered a version of the PT Cruiser with a $99 per month lease payment, while more than 20 other models were offered with monthly payments of $199 or less, Caldwell noted.

"Even Bentley got into the act in March, offering finance deals for 4.99 percent over 60 months," said Caldwell.

AP reports, in a White House speech, Obama said the IRS will start notifying consumers who purchased cars after Feb. 16 that they can deduct the cost of any sales and excise taxes. The program would remain in effect till year's end.

Obama says he wants to work with Congress to use parts of the economic stimulus package to fund a program that would allow consumers to get a "generous credit" when they replace an older, less fuel-efficient car and buy a new, cleaner car.

The president says he wants to make the program retroactive starting Monday. It's meant to boost car sales in the U.S., which have seen their worst decline in 27 years.

Obama also said the government will guarantee warranties on any GM or Chrysler vehicles.

Big Six Outlook
Edmunds.com predicts:

Chrysler will sell 170,000 units in March 2008, down 17.7 percent compared with March 2007 but up 13.4 percent from February 2008. This would result in a new-car market share of 12.8 percent for Chrysler in March 2008, down from 13.5 percent in March 2007 and even at 12.8 percent in February 2008.

Ford will sell 217,000 units in March 2008, down 15.1 percent compared with March 2007 but up 13.5 percent from February 2008. This would result in a new-car market share of 16.3 percent of new-car sales in March 2008 for Ford, down from 16.7 percent in March 2007 and even at 16.3 percent in February 2008.

GM will sell 294,000 units in March 2008, down 15.1 percent compared with March 2007 but up 9.0 percent from February 2008. GM's market share is expected to be 22.1 percent of new-vehicle sales in March 2008, down from 22.6 percent in March 2007 and down from 23.1 percent in February 2008.

Honda will sell 134,000 units in March 2008, down 6.7 percent from March 2007 but up 16.0 percent from February 2008. Honda’s market share is expected to be 10.1 percent in March 2008, up from 9.4 percent in March 2007 and up slightly from 9.9 percent in February 2008.

Nissan will sell 102,000 units in March 2008, down 8.4 percent from March 2007 but up 18.1 percent from February 2008. Nissan's market share is expected to be 7.7 percent in March 2008, up from 7.2 percent in March 2007 and up slightly from 7.4 percent in February 2008.

Toyota will sell 211,000 units in March 2008, down 13.0 percent from March 2007 but up 15.9 percent from February 2008. Toyota's market share is expected to be 15.9 percent in March 2008, up from 15.8 percent in March 2007 and up slightly from 15.6 percent in February 2008.

Afghanistan or Bust, The Barack Obama War in Afghanistan.

AAPP says: Well here we go again, another war in Vietnam, this time in Afghanistan.

Sounding more and more like George W. Bush, than a new leader of change, President Obama on Friday announced his strategy to fight terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a plan that includes more troops, new legislation, improved troop training and added civilian expertise. Yes, more civilian expertise may be needed on the ground, but I thought we wanted to get out of there, instead of making this another Vietnam. Get this, President Barack Obama said the following:

"The United States of American did not choose to fight a war in Afghanistan. Nearly 3,000 of our people were killed on September 11, 2001," Obama said Friday.

"We have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan," he said. It appears the Taliban is not concerned.

Pakistani fire fighters extinguish a blaze at the NATO supply trucks' terminal on the outskirts of Peshawar. Seems like al Qaeda has the clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat America and NATO.

I guess David Rothkopf was right when he wrote in his Where Are The Leaders Column in The Washington Post, " Even watching Obama at times, it seems that we've elected -- despite their smarts and earnestness -- a government of stumbling technocrats whose solutions either fall short or go too far. It's enough to make you want to pull the covers back over your head." More HERE

voters back President Obama’s troop buildup in Afghanistan at this point.

Get readythe body bagsFrancis L. Toner was killed Friday by an Afghan insurgent dressed as a soldier at a base in northern Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Saturday. Toner, who was in Afghanistan for five months to train Afghan soldiers, was scheduled to come home Wednesday, his aunt Linda Moosekian said. a 26-year-old Navy lieutenant from Ventura County was shot to death in Afghanistan just days before he was to return home to see his wife and relatives. More HERE