Gromer Jeffers Jr. reports in today's paper that the Dallas County GOP is giving up recruiting more blacks. The party's African-American Leadership Council is going out of business, according to its leader, Calvin Stephens. Yes, Barack Obama's presidential campaign had a lot to do with the GOP's recruitment difficulties, but there's a lot more to it than that.
The GOP stands for a lot of things that folks in southern Dallas can -- and should -- embrace. I've got no quibble, for example, with people taking a strong stand for personal responsibility. Not everything that's wrong in the lives of blacks or anyone else in poorer areas of the city is the result of rich whites beating them down. Sometimes, people have to own up to their own mistakes. Lots of black preachers are adamantly opposed to abortion. They strongly believe in entrepreneurship and pulling oneself up by the bootstraps. William Dwight McKissic, a black Republican, defends many of these values even though he also defends efforts by Obama to speak directly to American kids in hopes of inspiring them to stay in school and make good grades.
But this is where the GOP repeatedly falls down. It seems like the minute anyone speaks positively about Obama or gives credit to Democrats for doing anything right, a hailstorm of derision and mean-spirited venom rains down upon that person -- as McKissic found when he was attacked by conservative columnist Mark Davis in this newspaper. We have a number of conservative "trolls" on this blog, like Rick Atkinson, who seem to have no other mission in life than to blindly criticize using the most confrontational language possible.
And that's the daily Davis modus operandi. He spouted off against McKissic, wrongly assuming he was just another liberal black Democrat, without bothering to check McKissic's background. And when Davis's errors were pointed out to him, did he apologize in the same public forum he used to attack McKissic? No way.
If the GOP wonders where it's gone wrong, it's not in the values of the party. It's in the delivery of the message. Not everything has to be expressed with shrill meanness, nor do you have to defend your own meanness by pointing out all the stupid, nasty things that Democrats have done. That's not a defense, it's red herring. More HERE
Source: correntewire.com
The stats only tell part of the story. Even with Taser telling police to avoid shooting at chest I'm glad to note that there will be a annual December 4th blogging event called, “Stop Taser Torture, blogging for Justice.”
The goal is to unite the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day – Taser Torture in America, Canada and throughout the world.
Amnesty International says that between 2001 and August 2008, 334 Americans died after Taser shocks. The stun gun was deemed to have caused or contributed to at least 50 of those deaths, Amnesty says, citing medical examiners and coroners. Most suspects were unarmed, and many were subjected to repeated or prolonged shocks, according to Amnesty. The human rights group has called for governments to limit the use of stun guns or suspend their use. In November 2007, the UN Committee Against Torture released a statement saying “use of Taser X26 weapons, provoking extreme pain, constituted a form of torture, and… in certain cases, it could also cause death.”
Join in on December 4th. “Stop Taser Torture, blogging for Justice.” as we raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.
Contact us at: StopTaserTorture@gmail.com to register your blog.
Visit: Stop Taser Torture
Hampton University senior Nikole Churchill was crowned Miss Hampton University on Friday. She was the first non-black to win the title. (Joi Louviere, October 9, 2009)
H/T to the Grio, The crowning of Nikole Churchill as the first non-black Miss Hampton University has caused a ruckus at the historically-black college and throughout the African-American community. Hampton alumni, bloggers, and callers into black radio talk shows are upset that Churchill, 22, was selected to fill a representative role for a traditionally black institution.
As a student at Hampton, Churchill was certainly eligible to compete and ultimately win the award. Any objections to her crowning that are based on her skin color are nothing less than hypocritical.
Churchill, who is from Hawaii, was selected to be Miss Hampton University from among 10 contestants. In addition to receiving a $1,500 scholarship, she will serve as the school's homecoming queen and will compete in the 2010 Miss Virginia pageant. More HERE
AAPP: Who cares if the young lady where the lady is from. I say congratulations to her. Hey black women at Hampton University - Step up your game!
Low black-voter turnout threatens Dems in Va., N.J. races
According to The Washington Times, Voter doldrums - especially among blacks far less energized than they were for Barack Obama's historic presidential bid last year - pose problems for Democrats struggling in the governors' races in Virginia and New Jersey.
Pollsters and election analysts expect a steep drop-off of black voters - who historically back Democrats - in the nation's two gubernatorial contests and in congressional races Nov. 3, and they predict it is likely to cast a shadow in 2010 over at least 10 House Democrats with large black constituencies.
It is part of a broader trend of waning enthusiasm among Democratic voters as the country grapples with continued job losses, a mounting federal deficit and uncertainty about Mr. Obama's plan to restructure the health care system.
About 15 percent of New Jersey voters are black. Mr. Obama got about 12 percent to turnout in 2008 but polls predict black turnout as low as 8 percent for the upcoming election. The governor's race is so tight - neck-and-neck two weeks before Election Day - that a blip in black turnout could decide the contest between incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie. More HERE
AAPP: I agree with the pollsters and election analysts who predict that black voter turnout is likely to cast a shadow in 2010 over at least 10 House Democrats with large black constituencies. These democrats better learn how to speak to and address, or the Republicans will be right back in in 2010.
“It won’t be a huge change. It’s a difference of a few inches,” said Sgt. Tony Kessler, a training officer for the Clayton County Sheriff. “We still have the back and other parts of the body.”
Gwinnett Police spokesman Cpl. David Schiralli said the Taser manufacturer only “recommended aiming lower towards the abdominal region,” but said the 279 officers who have Tasers will be retrained.
Cobb County Police are already ahead of the game, spokesman Officer Joe Hernandez said. Cobb’s 100 Tasers are carried by only veteran patrol officers, the Tactical Team, Burglary Apprehension Team and robbery interdiction squad. More HERE
The advisory, issued in an Oct. 12 training bulletin, marks the first time that Taser has suggested any risk of ill effects on the heart from the use of its 50,000-volt stun guns. More HERE
Electronic Village reports, Taser International, the maker of taser guns is advising police officers to avoid shooting suspects in the chest with the 50,000-volt weapon, saying that it could pose an extremely low risk of an "adverse cardiac event."
The advisory, issued in an Oct. 12 training bulletin, marks the first time that Taser has suggested any risk of ill effects on the heart from the use of its 50,000-volt taser guns.
Electronic Village goes on to report that critics, including civil-rights lawyers and human-rights advocates, called the training bulletin an admission by Taser that its guns could cause cardiac arrest. For years, Taser officials have said in interviews, court cases and government hearings that the stun gun is incapable of inducing ventricular fibrillation, the chaotic heart rhythm characteristic of a heart attack. More HERE There have been more than 400 deaths in the U.S. and 26 in Canada since 2001, according to a study by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Tasers have contributed to more than 30 of those deaths, according to medical examiners.
Three of those occurred in the Gwinnett County jail after deputies used a Taser on combative inmates. Autopsies showed two of those deaths were the result of heart attacks, but did not cite what caused the cardiac arrest. The other death was ruled the result of “excited delirium” – a combination of cocaine, alcohol and physical exertion that excited his heart too much, according to the medical examiner.
A spokeswoman for the Gwinnett sheriff said Taser International's training bulletin has already been sent out to all of the deputies who carry Tasers. More HERE
"All future training will have it incorporated too," sheriff's spokeswoman Stacey Bourbonnais said Thursday.
AAPP: Well it looks like law suits, black and other bloggers have placed enough pressure on Taser International to send out this new advisory. See: Black Bloggers Call for 'Congressional Taser Torture Hearing, A Day of Blogging for Justice – Against Extra-Judicial, The SuperSpade A Day of Blogging for Justice, Blogging For Justice – Police Abuse (Tasers) A Slant Truth, African American Political Pundit Blog: Blacks, Tasers and Torture ..., A Day of Blogging for Justice – Blogging Against Extra-Judicial ... , A day of blogging for justice: Standing up against police pre ..., as so many more bloggers.
The new advisory is having major impact on law enforcement standard operating procedures. Let's see if it make any difference on the streets of Amderica, or will cops actually aim at the chest in the future, as a way of killing people?
As reported by the BBC Mr Thomas resigned as a judge in 2007 following allegations that he spanked inmates in his private office at the county courthouse with a paddle.
'Private meetings'
In April this year, he was indicted on more serious charges.
If he is convicted of the charges of kidnapping, he could face a sentence of life in prison.
Court records show that some of the inmates involved said they were checked out of jail for meetings with the defendant in either his car or in his office.
They claim they were abused during these meetings.
However, Mr Thomas's lawyer, Robert Clark, has said the alleged victims were trying to ruin his client's career.
In April, he described the situation as a "a high-tech lynching" and said it was politically motivated.
He said: "They don't like uppity black folks, and that's what they consider Herman."
Mr Thomas's license to practice has already been suspended.
AAPP: Get this, the BBC reports "The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a civil rights organization, has said that Mr Thomas is being prosecuted because of his race. I guess the NAACP did not talk with the other judge he threatened.
Ok, today is Blog Action Day - 2009. I love that fact that nearly 5,000 blogs have already signed up for Blog Action Day 2009. I promised to do a blog about the whole issue of climate change and black folks. I started researching the fact that in the United States, there are serious climate issues that need to be addressed, and these problems disproportionately affect African-Americans and lower-income communities.
Get this, from poor air quality to illegal waste dumping, black communities around the country have suffered the most from environmental pollution. There is more, last year the Commission to Engage African-Americans on Climate Change (CEAC) put out a background paper, Global Warming and African Americans. As the blog Grio.com/ noted, the report contains statistics that should alarm all Americans.
There is more, according to the survey, "temperature increases are expected to be more extreme in urban areas, where blacks are more than twice as likely to live than whites." Furthermore, because black urban dwellers are less likely to have air conditioning in their homes, the heat-related mortality rate could go up in American inner cities. In addition, African-Americans currently spend an estimated 25 percent of their income on basic necessities like food, water and energy - much more than most Americans. More HERE
Bloggers from the African American Environmentalist Association along with the Congressional Black Caucus have detailed the unequal burden of climate change and the African American community.
According to Reuters, black Americans are more than twice as likely to live in cities. Black Americans are also more likely to suffer from the high costs of fuel making them "fuel poor" as the demand for energy in the economy increases. Combined with the urban heat island effectair pollution and smog, the result is communities of people gathering to join in the fight against global warming. - H/T Rachelle Oblack at About.com has been tracking the political issues, and notes:
and increased
The Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change (CEAC) has been created to bring light to the unique issues faced by African American communities caused by climate change issues. House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn released the following statement:
“America's energy policy can either be reactive and arcane, or it can be proactive and visionary. Everyday in Congress we are fighting for policies that will end our dependence on foreign oil, enhance our national security, protect our environment, create new economies, and provide better options to those who suffer disproportionately from rising energy costs. The debate over climate change policy will impact all of these goals and it is critical that our community be an active part of this debate. I am honored to participate in the launch of the Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change and commend the leaders of the Commission for having the vision to bring this diverse group of experts together to broaden the reach of the African American community. I look forward to working with the Commission as Congress continues to tackle critical energy and climate change issues.”In prior surveys, climate change has never been mentioned as a top problem by any black respondents.
Good News, according to the website urban mecca a majority of African Americans want to minimize the impacts of climate change
October 2009A majority of African Americans believe climate change is a growing problem that both government and individuals should take action on now to mitigate the potential impacts, according to the results of a national poll conducted by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a research and policy institution in Washington, DC.
The survey of 750 African American adults found that more than half of respondents identified the issue as a “major problem,” with 58 percent giving that response when it was described as “global warming” and 52 percent reacting that way when the term “climate change” was used. Only about ten percent in each group said global warming or climate change is not a problem.
A large majority of respondents said that government and individuals can do things to reduce global warming. About a third believe federal and state government can do a lot to mitigate the problem, while some three-quarters believe government can at least do something. A majority of African Americans express support for the cap-and-trade legislation passed earlier this year by the U.S. House of Representatives, and a large majority said they would be even more supportive with strong provisions for green jobs and incentives to buy more energy efficient cars and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.The poll was the second that the Joint Center has conducted to determine African American views on climate change. The previous survey, released in July 2008, also found a majority of African Americans defining climate change as a problem that government must address.
A key finding in this year’s survey is that 26 percent of African Americans think they — and others like them — can do a lot to reduce global warming, and an additional 44 percent believe they can take at least some measures to combat the problem. The survey results indicate that a majority of them recycle and purchase energy saving appliances and light bulbs, while nearly half of them purchased products in the last year that were better for the environment even though the products were more costly than similar non-environmentally friendly items.
“While African Americans are underrepresented in the public debates on climate change and environmental issues generally, they are as aware of these issues as other groups in American society, and committed to action — both personal and governmental — to deal with the problems associated with climate change,” said Ralph B. Everett, President and CEO of the Joint Center. More HERE
Two Gwinnett County police sergeants have resigned and Cpl. Gary Miles has been arrested after Miles allegedly used a Taser on a Waffle House waiter as a joke. The sergeants reportedly saw the incident and did not report it. The department is investigating claims a fourth officer pointed a Taser...As reported
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