What was known to me as the world’s most elusive game of “Hide and Seek” has now come to an end. On Sunday May 1st, President Barack Obama declared “Osama Bin Laden a murderer of thousands is dead” as people here and abroad began to celebrate the death of the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks with many cheering and singing “God Bless America.”
Bin Laden was killed along with two of his sons and others during a US –led operation in his compound located in Pakistan. Following his death, Osama Bin Laden was buried at sea.
With headlines across the globe declaring a victory I am left to wonder what really is the actually victory in the death of Osama Bin Laden?
We all know the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001 - with many Americans still feeling the unceasing pain of loss ten years later. I like many others will never forget that dark period of American history as well as the other terrorist attacks led by Bin Laden. Yes, I along with the rest of the country want those who were responsible for the innocent deaths of 9/11 and the other terrorist attacks brought to justice. These are real feelings that Americans share and can’t be overlooked or ignored.
I do believe in Justice. However, I do not believe that the death of Osama Bin Laden is justice – nor will it lead the world closer to it. The end of hate and silence of fear brings justice not the death of a man or as Dr. King said “a lasting peace.”
With the death of Bin Laden we can expect to see the American cable news and others put a perverse spin on justice and how a country has falsely achieved it.
Justice prevails when the end of gross discrimination and prejudices purported against our Muslim brothers and sisters are no more. We can expect a new rise of “islamaphobia” because of new national security threats fearing followers of the deceased Bin Laden will strike in retaliation against the murder of their leader. Which begs me to question the authenticity of this justice that is achieved and is followed with a new threat or level of fear? The expected heighten security measures will profile innocent members of our community and moves them further into a place of fear and unfortunately - shame. Where is the justice in that?
However, what is also disturbing is the quick pronouncement by some of Mr. Obama’s 2012 re-election. If we believe that death of Bin Laden is "sure victory" for Mr. Obama then I am concerned about the health and spirit of our democracy. It is unfortunate that Republicans and Democrats can agree on this death but can’t agree when it comes to the lives of the “least of these” suffering here in America. Bin Laden’s death has not secured one job, has not stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, hasn’t rebuilt the poverty stricken south, or has stopped a massive budget cut be it federal or state. What Bin Laden’s death has done is exposed an open wound – one that shows we have a lesson to learn in justice and values.
It is imperative that we think critically with the information that is being presented to us through all forms and even more cautious with those things concerning justice. If we allow the American media and others to prostitute the concept of justice what will become of the justice we seek here in America for our own brothers and sisters?
I am reminded of the prophetic words spoken by Kahlil Gibran, “Where is the justice of political power if it executes the murderer and jails the plunderer, and then itself marches upon neighboring lands, killing thousands and pillaging the very hills?”
Now that as the Noble Peace Prize winner - Mr. Obama has declared “Justice is done” shall we bring an end to those three wars we are engaged in?
Monday, May 2, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Misplaced Priorities in the Age of Carnival Barkers
Yes, it is true President Barack Obama was born here in the United States of America. Shall I repeat for those who didn’t hear it for the first, second, or fifty-leventh time?
This morning President Barack Obama confirmed and presented evidence to solve one of the greatest mysteries in American history second to that of the location Jimmy Hoffa’s body. During today’s press conference Mr. Obama released his “long form birth certificate” with hopes to put at the ease the long debated conversation on the geographic location of the president’s birth.
Never in the course of American civilization has there been such controversy or as my grandmother likes to say “a hissy fit” over the location of birth of any American president. Recently a poll released by the Pew Center showed only 25% of American people actually believed that he was born in another country. Interestingly enough 45% of Republicans believed he was born in another country and 45% of Tea Partiers believe the same exact thing. Coincidence? I think not.
Can irony be found in the fact that the very self-proclaimed patriots that we’ve come to know as the “Tea Party” of this country honestly believed that the American system is flawed and has evidently failed them by electing a president who was not born here and most assuredly is a Muslim?!
And yet coming of the heels of a potential government shutdown and in between another expected battle of the vote to raise the debt ceiling for the country, American cable news seems to think we are more interested in hearing what a majority of us know to be true or could care less about.
The misplaced priorities of government and the American cable news has diverted the attention of the American people to things of no real importance to the current deteriorating condition of minorities and low-income families. Yes, the racial undertones of the “birther movement” demanding the “papers” of the first African-American President (in the truest sense of the term) are quite disturbing and unacceptable.
However, unless we – the American People - use this opportunity to engage in a serious and intentional dialogue about racism, the implications of a dangerous social construct and its connection to both state and federal policies than we will find ourselves; we will once again have to deal with another attempt to delegitimize our country’s first black president and continued devastation of those of us “with our backs against the wall.”
In a different world, on this morning we would have all been celebrating yesterday’s ruling by the US Appeals court declaration of our brother Mumia Abu Jamal’s death sentence unconstitutional or the announcement by US Department of Education that they will forgive the debt of Morris Brown College.
Well so much for the perfect world. The reality is while we are concentrating on irrelevant items while our basic right to vote is being compromised in over 2/3 of states across the country and state budget cuts are forcing young black mothers to be jailed for the basic freedom of a quality education.
I guess now that this will be the official end - for me at least - of the “birther movement” we have only how many more days and hours to be lulled to a political sleep by the cable news coverage of the Royal Wedding while the blood of our brother and sisters in Northern Africa run freely through the streets at the hand of oppressive regimes?
Thank you Mr. President, now that we have all seen your birth certificate can we finally address things of importance i.e. the stalemate of black youth unemployment, shrinking of the safety net…you know things that are of importance to us the other 75% American people.
As a dear friend of mine once said “the balloons have popped and the clowns have gone home” thank you birthers and Donald Trump but your elongated 15 seconds are over.
“We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers” – President Barack Obama
This morning President Barack Obama confirmed and presented evidence to solve one of the greatest mysteries in American history second to that of the location Jimmy Hoffa’s body. During today’s press conference Mr. Obama released his “long form birth certificate” with hopes to put at the ease the long debated conversation on the geographic location of the president’s birth.
Never in the course of American civilization has there been such controversy or as my grandmother likes to say “a hissy fit” over the location of birth of any American president. Recently a poll released by the Pew Center showed only 25% of American people actually believed that he was born in another country. Interestingly enough 45% of Republicans believed he was born in another country and 45% of Tea Partiers believe the same exact thing. Coincidence? I think not.
Can irony be found in the fact that the very self-proclaimed patriots that we’ve come to know as the “Tea Party” of this country honestly believed that the American system is flawed and has evidently failed them by electing a president who was not born here and most assuredly is a Muslim?!
And yet coming of the heels of a potential government shutdown and in between another expected battle of the vote to raise the debt ceiling for the country, American cable news seems to think we are more interested in hearing what a majority of us know to be true or could care less about.
The misplaced priorities of government and the American cable news has diverted the attention of the American people to things of no real importance to the current deteriorating condition of minorities and low-income families. Yes, the racial undertones of the “birther movement” demanding the “papers” of the first African-American President (in the truest sense of the term) are quite disturbing and unacceptable.
However, unless we – the American People - use this opportunity to engage in a serious and intentional dialogue about racism, the implications of a dangerous social construct and its connection to both state and federal policies than we will find ourselves; we will once again have to deal with another attempt to delegitimize our country’s first black president and continued devastation of those of us “with our backs against the wall.”
In a different world, on this morning we would have all been celebrating yesterday’s ruling by the US Appeals court declaration of our brother Mumia Abu Jamal’s death sentence unconstitutional or the announcement by US Department of Education that they will forgive the debt of Morris Brown College.
Well so much for the perfect world. The reality is while we are concentrating on irrelevant items while our basic right to vote is being compromised in over 2/3 of states across the country and state budget cuts are forcing young black mothers to be jailed for the basic freedom of a quality education.
I guess now that this will be the official end - for me at least - of the “birther movement” we have only how many more days and hours to be lulled to a political sleep by the cable news coverage of the Royal Wedding while the blood of our brother and sisters in Northern Africa run freely through the streets at the hand of oppressive regimes?
Thank you Mr. President, now that we have all seen your birth certificate can we finally address things of importance i.e. the stalemate of black youth unemployment, shrinking of the safety net…you know things that are of importance to us the other 75% American people.
As a dear friend of mine once said “the balloons have popped and the clowns have gone home” thank you birthers and Donald Trump but your elongated 15 seconds are over.
“We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers” – President Barack Obama
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