Gator the Poetman

He walks the steps, he talks a poem with
youthful ease and vitality that sits on the edge
of a sword like the poet of many words

Gil Scott Hero who told the world

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"

Gator the Poetman
squeezes concrete poems up from his toes
to his heart to his mouth
defining himself
noveling his cryptic life
as he spin, spin, spin on
a one wheel bike
held up by the earth he inherited

From sea to shining sea
Oh say can you see me now?

he said I can't jump off the wheel
I was born to take this ride
I was born to write like a relevant poet

Chris "Gator" Ockletree

using urgency as the ink in my pen

somebody said he couldn't untwist  
his legs and mind
long enough to walk the

Straight and Narrow
road of prosperity and productiveness

somebody said he could do no good
not this bushy-headed
afro-wearing doomed kid

a mixed up African American
boy who slipped out of his
mother's wayward womb
with defensive words on his lips
he cried in verse not baby tears

no rehearsal was necessary

his mama knew he came into
a promised land that she didn't
know how to take advantage of

American the beautiful
Oh say can you see
Me?

the poet's promised land was
a personalized pen name
and listed number
hand delivered seconds
after he saw life's light

Oh beautiful
the spacious sky is cloudy
the novice poet is
name branded forever

Oh beautiful

America didn't celebrate his
birth or encourage the future of his words
proned and propped  to sting their flesh
like busy ants in a promised land

Oh say can you see that society
made no bets that he
would find his way out of
nine months of wondering in
a fogged forest
barren of trees
and sprouting limbs

the poet-in-residence took control
untwisting his legs
walking the straight and narrow
untwisted his mind to think long and wide
denying destiny its victory over him

society didn't bet  his only weapon
would be the written word
granting him freedom
to walk in high steps
tagged by rebel rousing poems
that defy single minded definitions

copyrighted by dorothy charles banks

To my one and only love

to my one and only love

The day I met and fell 

madly in love with you 

was a lucky day for me

you resurrected 
my spirit
you renewed my
faith in me

it was the day 
my eyes captured

the beauty around me
the beauty lying
dormant inside me

through your guidance

I learned patience

and understanding

I learned to express
and show 
sincere compassion

for someone 
other 

than myself

you told me to let go of 

my hard eyes 
so soft tears could flow
soft tears made
the prettiest roses
you said

your love and 
understanding taught 
me to appreciate 

being alive every day
 every hour

every minute
every second
you said eternity would
be ours forever

most of all

you taught me 

how to laugh again
removing my
trade make frown
utilized for my 
own protection

for all these wonderful 

things you’ve given me freely
and from your heart

I just want to say: 

Thank You.

copyrighted by dorothy charles banks 

Wife shot to death in mall by estranged husband

 Wife shot to death in mall by estranged husband

By Dorothy Charles Banks

Staff Reporter
November 16,  2006

ANYWHERE, USA---On November 17, 2006, about 2:30 p.m., John “Deeks” Johannon, 27, the estranged husband of Janie Victoria Johannon, 25, shot and killed his wife in the parking lot of a popular Upsville shopping mall as several witnesses watched in horror. They were sacred to approach the angry man.

      

It was a typical summer afternoon according to Justina Newer, a sales associate. “It’s such a pretty day. I’ve never witnessed a crime before. Today is my 23rd birthday. I’m having a birthday party tonight. Now I don’t know if I’ll enjoy myself. I’ll never get over this,” she said. “The gunshots are still ringing in my ears. I’m trembling all over,” Newer told news reporters on the scene.

     

Newer, on the verge of tears, was visibly shaken by what she had witnessed. She said she thought nothing of it when she saw the man walking toward the woman, who was getting out of her car. “He was talking to her. I assumed they knew each. He was smiling.  She wasn’t,” Newer said, putting a trembling hand over her mouth.

      

With only four parked cars between them, Newer said she heard the man and woman suddenly exchanging words in what sounded like a “ very heated argument. He sounded angry. So did she.”

      

Newer said she sat in her car, not wanting to attract the couple’s attention. She didn’t turn on the car’s ignition as she called the mall security on her cell phone. She was talking with security when she heard the man threaten: “I warned you I’d kill you!”

     

Newer said she told security to call the police, because she just heard the man threaten to kill  the woman. After hanging up, Newer said she heard two gunshots, and she heard the woman scream. 

Newer said she was frozen in the driver’s seat. She wanted to drive off, but her hands were shaking too badly to put the key in the ignition. Newer said she thought Johannon was going to kill himself after shooting the woman.

    

“He stuck the gun into his mouth. He glanced in my direction and looked away. He didn’t pull the trigger,” Newer said.

    

“He must’ve changed his mind. He was looking down at the woman. I don’t know if she was dead or alive.  I think he was crying. His shoulders were shaking. His head was moving from side to side, as if  trying to shake out of his head what he had done. I was scared he was going to shot me,” Newer said. “I was the closest witness. I think I’m watching too many movies,” she laughed nervously.

      

Unknown to Newer, another witness, Sarah Shackley, had seen the shooting. "I didn’t get out of my car. I called for police. The man was standing over her.”

     

Two more witnesses also saw the shooting from a glass enclosed entrance/exit door in the mall. They verified that Johannon shot the woman, then put the gun into his mouth, but didn’t pull the trigger.

      

When mall security and police arrived a herd of shoppers rushed outside. A couple of the shoppers were first cousins to Janie Victoria Johannon. She was on her way to meet them. They were at the food court when they saw people running, and talking excitedly about a shooting in the parking lot. They got outside too late to save their cousin. Victoria Johannon was three months pregnant with the couple’s first child.

      

Cindy Dorrsey, a cousin, said Johannon became extremely angry when Victoria left him a month ago. Dorrsey said they don’t know why he turned violent. The couple had been married two years.

     

“We thought they were happy but we weren’t sure. Once in a while we saw red flags, but Janie wouldn’t talk to us about it. Last month she  admitted that she was scared of Deeks. She put on a brave face to make him think she wasn’t. He changed like night and day after they were married. He was  forever accusing her of  cheating on him, especially with his male friends. He had no proof, but he still didn’t trust her. He didn’t trust anyone,” Dorrsey said.

    

“Everything he accused her of was in his mind,” said Katy Rules, another cousin. “Deeks had begun drinking a lot. I knew it was a matter of time before he carried out his threat to kill Janie.

    

“Nobody in the family believed he’d do it. Leaving him didn’t save her and the baby.  He took two lives for no reason,” said Rules, crying. “He not only killed Janie and their baby, he killed a part of us, too.”

     

 “Janie was a good girl. Deeks was jealous. None of us saw the violence in him before they got married. He was always loving in public. We couldn’t see behind closed doors. They met at a church picnic,” Dorrsey said through sobs. We didn’t see how mean he truly is. He fooled us.”

     

 John “Deeks” Johannon was arrested without incident at the mall, and taken to county jail. As he was handcuffed and put into the police car,  Johannon told the arresting officers the shooting was an accident.

    

“I intended to kill myself in front of her,” he said. “I didn’t intend to hurt my wife.”

    

Cunt!

Cunt!

free cunt.cunt for sale.

clean cunt.

diseased cunt.

distressed cunt.
used cunt. misused cunt.
happy  go-lucky cunt.

tight cunt. loose cunt.
dark skinned cunt.
light skinned cunt.
snapping turtle cunt. lazy cunt.
i got a headache cunt.
is that all you got cunt.
local cunt. international cunt.

in between sized cunt.

teen cunt. old age cunt. middle age cunt.

cunt in bloom.

male cunt. female cunt.

cunt if you want it.

cunt it you don't want it.
hairy cunt.
bald cunt.
pregnant cunt.
schizophrenic cunt.
professional cunt. unskilled cunt.
human cunt. animal cunt.

a cunt scented man
who dreamed
he was a cunt

asked me:

"what you think the

world is coming to?".

without hesitation
i told him:

"a big fat cunt!".

copyrighted by dorothy charles banks 

'Say it ain't so, Miss Scarlet! We fixing to be gone with the wind if that Mr. Perry run for president!'

Texas Gov. Rick Perry

“Say it ain’t so, Miss Scarlet! We fixin' to be gone with the wind again!”

“Don’t worry you little head, Prissy. It will never happen.”

“Okay, Miss Scarlet. I don’t know nothin' 'bout no politics! Another thing, Miss Scarlet, if I can ask you. How is Mr. Governor Perry gone pull Washington out the United States?  Miss Scarlet?"

"I declare, Prissy you come up with the silliest things. Don't worry.  The man is all smooth hair and no brain. He's the Prissy of politics. That's no reflection on you, Prissy."

"If you say so, Miss Scarlet. But I think you sayin' I'm stupid."

"Now, Prissy you know I wouldn't say that to your face."

"If you say so, Miss Scarlet. I still . . . " 

"Prissy. . . " 

"Yes ma'am, Miss Scarlet.  I can't help it. That don't sound right to me."

"I believe they call it stonewalling, Prissy. Politicians do it all the time."

"Yes, ma'am, Miss Scarlet. But your pappy said Mr. Governor Perry is windy as a sack full of farts."

"Prissy I declare.  Shoo on out of here and make me want a mint julep! I told you to stop listening to my poor ol' pappy. He'll say whatever crosses his mind."

"Oh. Lordy! Lordy Miss Scarlet! I tells you! That ain't right! We gone be gone with the wind!"

"Hush, Prissy! Calm yourself. Go help Natty birth that child she ready to have. I heard it's her time."

"Oh, no, Miss Scarlet! I can't help with birthin' no babies! I ain't no doctor, Miss Scarlet. Babies scare me! I'm fixin' to make you a mint julep like you tells me!'
 
"Prissy, what am I going to do with you? "

"I don't k rightly know, Miss Scarlet. You'll think of somethin', I reckon!"

"I declare you're giving me a headache." 

"Miss Scarlet you think Mr. Gov. Perry will get to be president . . . seeing he got a strong hate for all the folk in Washington?"

"Prissy, I'm going to tell you what my precious pappy would say: ' The governor's is so full of shit his eyes turned brown'. My poor ol' pappy did have a way with words."
 
"Oh, Miss Scarlet! Listen at how you talkin' . . . just like your pappy!"

"Hush your mouth, Prissy. Go on and help Natty . . ."

"But Miss Scarlet . . ."

"I know. You can't help with birthing babies.  Go help anyhow."

"If she keep her legs closed for a while .  .  .

"Prissy!"

"Yes ma'am. Fix your mint julep and birth a baby."

'Temporary leader' and the great Alaskan brain takes a vacation in Palinville, USA

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin has a fleet of complaints on her mind. She has to get them off her mind before the Rapture. The Alaskan Christian was holding court on Fox, getting interviewed by Judge Jeanine Perino. The subject was President Obama, a form of religion for Palin. 

Rehashing Obama's words and what he said about Israel, Palin said, “We the people need to rise up and say we’ll take a stand for Israel. We’ll be on their side even if our . . . I’m going to call him our 'temporary leader', because my goal is to make sure that President Obama isn’t reelected in 2012.”

If this is her goal, does that mean she is only going to run for president to knock Obama off his presidential pedestal? She did say if no one was interested in running for president in 2012, she would gladly consider it. 

Question: How quickly will she get bored and quit the presidency if she pulled off a victory?

Oops! Palin spoke too fast. Several Republicans have decided they want the job. But they are having a hard time staying put.  They are falling off the stage.  Palin, thinking she has staying power, is presupposing that voters are so unhappy with President Obama they will automatically vote for her. Maybe Governor Slick Rick Perry of Texas will be her running mate. They adore each other. Palin's ego will never allow her to be the second man on base again.
 
Palin's naive assumptions are likened to getting pregnant before getting marriage; or eating supper first and then saying  grace after the meal. Intellectually, she’s got a long way to go and a very short time to get there.
 
She demonstrated long ago that you cannot make a silk purse out of pig skin. Intellect and sophistication are not evident in Palin's resume.  She does not realize that the presidency has always been a temporary job. That’s why incumbents vie for a second term. It's a contest. After four or eight years in office it’s early retirement. There are no dictatorships in the U.S.

Palin is also revealing herself to be a thin skinned mudslinger, with a national stage on which she can hurl rants and raves. The down home country girl showboating does not work for me. She has, on occasion, referred to herself as a “redneck woman.” The question is, is she smarter than a redneck? The redneck woman tag is fine, but I expect her to have a larger vocabulary and a grasp of world issues. She cannot Twitter and Facebook world leaders. 

As I see it far too many Americans have been "intellectually downsized", rendering them incapable of understanding complex  problems and situations, let alone a complex statement with more than two "high flying words."

I’ve heard some people say President Obama uses too "many big words."  He is an educated man who earned his right to talk like an educated adult. I have no problem understanding him. I do not expect to  hear him talking sling, rap, or media driven sound bites.

A couple of weeks ago Chris Matthews of  Hardball on MSNBC  said, "We don't like to pick a president who is smarter than we are." His two guests looked at him, somewhat startled. They smiled but did not respond. I've heard other pundits complain that President Obama sounds too much  like a professor when addressing Americans. They ridicule his correct pronunciation of foreign presidents and countries. He does not sound "American" is the implication.

These same critics hang onto every word Plain writes on Facebook and Twitter. They reiterate her dear diary rants no matter how incoherent they are. They put Palin on the same plane as President Obama; however, press coverage of her is more positive compared to coverage of the President. Pundits say Palin talks in a way that enables people to relate to her. She is not an "elitist" professor. Her language is common. 

Personally, I'll take the elitist professor seven days out of seven. I do not want to hear elementary language coming from a U.S. president.  I do not like reality shows and  ringmasters pretending to be high level politicians.

'Old fat economists don't sexually assault hotel maids' says Ben Stein

Ben Stein

Dominque Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was charged last week with the alleged sexual assault of an unnamed 32-year-old African immigrant. He was staying at a luxury $3,000 a night hotel. The maid alleged that she was assaulted twice by Strauss-Kahn, one time in which she was forced to perform oral sex. She broke free, reporting what happened to hotel management. The alleged sexual act occurred Saturday, May 14. Strauss-Kahn was apprehended at New York’s JFK Airport around 1 p.m. He was not attempting to escape.

Ben Stein, a conservative columnist for The American Spectator, with a voice that will send a sleeping person into a deep coma, is not happy with the victim. In an article titled “Presumed Innocent, Anyone?” he outlined eight positive  points favoring Strauss-Kahn, a man he does not know.

Dominque Strauss-Khan

In point # 6 he writes: “People accuse other people of crimes all of the time. What do we know about the complainant besides that she is a hotel maid? I love and admire hotel maids. They have incredibly hard jobs and they do them uncomplainingly. I am sure she is a fine woman. 

"On the other hand, I have had hotel maids that were complete lunatics, stealing airline tickets from me, stealing money from me, throwing away important papers, stealing medications from me. How do we know that this woman's word was good enough to put Mr. Strauss-Kahn straight into a horrific jail? Putting a man in Riker's is serious business. Maybe more than a few minutes of investigation is merited before it's done.”

Stein said he has never heard of an economist getting charged with a sexual assault. Basically, he is implying this couldn’t have happened because Strauss-Kahn is “a short fat old man.” Stein's words, not mine. To add insult to injury, Stein questions the victim's truthfulness, wondering if her word was “good enough” to send a "decent man" to a terrible place like Rikers. Strauss-Kahn, a married man with a daughter, has a reputation for womanizing. Stein overlooked this important detail.

Having watched this old guy on TV, listening to his points of view on a variety of subjects, Stein's column hit the top of my head like a flying brick. Asking if the victim's word is good enough to land a worldly mover and shaker in jail is pretty assumptive of Stein. Having to earn a living as a maid, the woman must have been a Democrat! Republican women are too intelligent to work in such lowly jobs. It's interesting to read about the experiences Strauss-Khan has had in hotels.

For a couple of summers I worked as a maid. I was propositioned by every kind of White  male in the book. Some of them answered the door fully clothed; some were butt-naked and ready for a good time. I was one of "the lunatic maids" Stein wrote about in his article. I did not steal, or tolerate the advances of these hot-to-trot White hotel guests. If I had to get physical I was ready to go there. Getting terminated was the last thing on my mind.

A maid has to be aware of who is in the room with her at all times. This woman might have dropped her guard, feeling comfortable with Strauss-Khan in the room, being it was a high end hotel. Not all males renting hotel rooms are sex crazed occupants. In hotels and motels the doors must be open when a maid is cleaning. That's a rule of thumb. Maids are not allowed to clean with the door closed. Housekeeping wants to know where the maid is at all times just in case she has t be contacted from the office.

As the story stands, no one but the maid and the accused know what happened in that luxury hotel suite. It's a matter of he say, she say. No one should be filling in the blanks with their own facts like Stein and the media. Under house arrest, Strauss-Khan is out of jail on a one million dollar bond. The court ordered that he pay for his own security. This was required by the court as a precaution against him trying to leave the U. S.

Ben Stein is a grumpy old man who feels that people earning a living other than on Wall Street do not deserve their day in court. How dare this African woman accuse a man of European descent and wealth! Who do she think she is, accusing him of rape? Strauss-Khan is an important man of the world. This African immigrant is merely a hotel maid that nobody knows or cares about.

 Ben Stein. Ben Stein. Do another commercial and get over yourself.

The media, pundits never take Black presidential candidates seriously

  Frederick Douglass

Many firsts for African  Americans

Despite Democrat Barack Obama nailing the 2008 presidential election, he was not the first African American to run for the office. I heard numerous times that Abraham Lincoln was a Black man. It was rumored there were plans to exhume his body to conduct a DNA test. 

What if tests were conducted, and it was discovered that Lincoln is actually Black? Would the results get published by the America media? Probably not. All that hero worship would have been erased from history books, and from the mouths of politicians who love to cite him. Nevertheless, the thought is fun to entertain.  Imagine that! Ol' Honest Abe got away with "passing" for White!

Imagination is a terrible thing to waste. But I digress.

In 1872 Victoria Woodhull and members of the newly formed Equal Rights Party picked Frederick Douglass--orator, statesman and social reformer--to be her vice president. Woodhull was nominated by the Equal Rights Party. Douglass did not know that he had been designated; therefore, he did not accept the nomination. 

White people, who did not cotton well to race mixing on any level, were upset at the prospect of this White woman and Black man working together. Oddly, Woodhull's name was not printed on the ballot. Douglass went on to serve as a presidential elector in the United States Electoral College for the city of New York.

June 19, 1888 Frederick Douglass delivered a speech at the National Republican Convention in Chicago. He reminded Republicans and delegates that they should fight for the rights of Black Civil War veterans, who were being denied the right to vote in southern states.

Amid his speech Douglass said, “When your army was melting away before the fire and pestilence of rebellion, when your star-spangled banner trailed in the dust heavy with blood, you called the Negro. And he came 200,000 strong! Let us remember that these brave Black men are now stripped of their right to vote. Do not leave them to wade through blood to the ballot box. Make their pathway to the ballot box as smooth and safe as that of any class of citizens.” (The Frederick Douglass Foundation of New York)

Shirley Chisholm makes a run for the presidency

Abraham Lincoln aside, and the prospect of Democrat Shirley Chisholm running for president was a first for African American

1972 Pres. Candidate Shirley Chisholm

women.  The year was 1972. Jesse Jackson ran in 1984 and 1988; Republican Alan Keyes ran for president several times: 1992, 19996, 2000 and 2008. He ran for the Senate against Barack Obama in Chicago. Carol Mosley Braun and Al Sharpton were also presidential candidates in 2004.

Chisholm campaigned in 12 states, winning Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. She lost the nomination to George McGovern at the Democratic Convention held in Miami Beach, Florida. McGovern's opponent, Hubert H. Humprey, turned over his African American delegates to Chisholm, giving her a total of 152 delegates.

Chisholm was a former educator. She was the first Black woman to run for Congress, winning office in 1969, representing New York's 12th Congressional District. She served seven terms. Chisholm once said, "Of my two handicaps, being female puts more obstacles in my path than being Black".

Getting into the presidential race, her campaign slogan was "Bring U.S. Together. Vote Chisholm 1972. Unbought. Unbossed."

She had thought about running in 1971 but stepped away from the idea for a year. In 1972 Chisholm announced her decision at a Baptist church that she frequented in the district she represented. She told who attended: "I am not the candidate of Black America, although I am Black and proud of that. I am not the candidate of the women's movement of the country. I am the candidate of the people and my presence before you symbolizes a new era in American political history". Chislom did not have the funds to sustain a long campaign. She was the first woman to participate in a presidential debate.

Tea Party uses candidate Herman Cain skin color 

to prove they are not racist

One of the Tea Party favorite candidates for the presidency is a Republican businessman Republican named Herman Cain. The Tea Party is predominately comprised of White males and females. Minorities are hard to spot at their conferences, town hall meetings and protests. As a Black man, who owns a Domino Pizza franchise, Cain have made statements that lingered on the edge of racism and self-hate. He sometimes demonstrated that he is a first-class panderer. He played his role like a professional minstrel man.

The Tea Party utilized Cain's skin color to verify that they are not racist. He was lulled into believing that he was their morning star. He believed they would help him get the nomination over his White opponents. 

Cain's White supporters, on the other hands, despised President Barack Obama, an African America. First Lady Michelle Obama was equally hated by them. Tea Party members, when in front of the TV cameras, declared that Herman Cain is more like them than Obama! Cain is a dark skin man; too dark to pass for White. The real differences are that Cain is buffoonish. President Obama, on the other hand, is mature, cool, calm, collected and has a firm grasp on the world of politics, the Constitution and history.

Former candidates Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton

As with prior candidates of color the media and pundits were amused by their audacity to run for president of the United States. Black candidates were ridiculed and made fun of.  Anyone who watched the Democratic primaries, Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988) and Al Sharpton (2004), clearly saw that they won the debates.

White competitors felt free to rake each other over hot coals, throwing out corny jokes rather than talk seriously about issues of interest to voters.  Jackson and Sharpton had to be serious 99.9 percent of the time when they campaigned and took part in debates. 

Republican Allan Keys, an African American candidate from Chicago, ran for president several times:  1992, 1996, 2000 and 1988. In 2004 Carol Moseley Braun, D-Chicago, sought the Democratic nomination. She withdrew from the presidential race prior to the start of Iowa caucuses. She had the distinction of being the first Black woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 1999. She was a Congresswoman prior to getting elected to the Senate. 

Vilified by the media: Candidates Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton

Both Jackson and Sharpton were vilified and treated like wayward children by the media and pundits. They were labeled "race hustlers", "race pimps" and "race baiters", and deemed unfit to be president of the United States. Some of their critics even called them buffoons and clowns. None of these labels were plastered on the backs of White candidates.

1988 Jesse Jackson supporters at a rally

On April 6, 1988, The Nation wrote: "Jesse Jackson  is a serious candidate for the presidency. He was always serious; it was just the political scientists and the other politicians who belittled his campaign, trivialized his efforts. and disdained his prospects. 

"Despite the contempt and condescension of the media--or perhaps because of it--Jackson went to the most remote and isolated grass roots in the American social landscape to find the strength for a campaign that has already begun to transform politics.

"The enormous energy that his campaign releases has created a new populist moment, overtaking the languid hours and dull days of conventional politics and imagining possibilities for substantial change beyond the usual incremental transactions of the two-party system. 

"It offers hope against cynicism, power against prejudice and solidarity against division. It is the specific antithesis to Reaganism and reaction, which, with the shameful acquiescence of the Democratic center, have held America in their thrall for most of this decade and which must now be defeated. For that reason, The Nation is endorsing Jesse Jackson for the Democratic nomination for President."

April 16, 2004, CNN---"Controversial, conversational and confrontational, the Rev. Alfred

Charles Sharpton Jr. staged a colorful but ultimately unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign on a platform of racial equality, education and health care rights.

President candidate Rev. Al Sharpton

"The longtime activist ended his bid at the Democratic nomination on March 15, 2004, conceding defeat to Sen. John Kerry but pledging to continue campaigning for his 'urban agenda.'

"The outcome was predictable, according to analysts who said Sharpton would have difficulty overcoming his political inexperience and limited appeal before becoming a top White House contender. Sharpton's reputation would seem to work against any challenger for the presidency, said CNN political analyst William Schneider. 'He's seen as divisive, contentious, confrontational,' Schneider said, 'all the things the Democrats don't really need."'

Jesse Jackson was schedule to speak at the Democratic Convention. He has been accused of making an anti-Semitic statement while campaigning. Jackson addressed the incident in his speech. It was so soul stirring and emotional, there were few dry eyes in the convention center. Al Sharpton spoke at 2004 convention.

Barack Obama's chance of winning the presidency

When candidate Barack Obama sailed through the campaign storm unscathed, the media and crystal ball pundits were dumbfounded. Hillary Clinton had been automatically cast as the Democratic nominee by the media, womens' organizations, bloggers, politicians and pundits. 

Republican Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York, was the preordained Republican nominee. The final showdown was supposed to be between him and Hillary Clinton. Giuliani, nicknamed "America's Mayor" by the media after the September 11 tragedy, fizzled before the primaries began. He campaigned on his actions after the September 11, 2001, terrorists attack in New York, where the Twin Towers were stuck by planes highjacked by 18 Middle East terrorists. Democrat Joe Biden said during a debate that Giuliani's campaign consisted of "a noun, a verb and 9/11".

Realizing that Obama was actually an earnest candidate with a good chance of winning the presidency, the media shifted into high gear, driving up their single themed message created to marginalize this young and handsome Black candidate from Chicago. 

They relied on skewed polls, fact-challenged opinions and "news" stories to prove their assertions. They pushed unsubstantiated scandals and gossipy tales initiated by Sean Hannity on Fox TV. Barack Obama was even accused of being a homosexual. Hannity promoted on his Fox show that he had found a man who said he had an affair with Obama, and regularly partook in drugs. Critics talked about the way Obama talked. The way he walked (with swag). The way he spoke perfect English, no use of slang and broken English.

It was Hannity who started the ball rolling regarding a Sunday sermon delivered by Obama's minster Rev. Jeremiah Wright. An edited except from one sermon took a life of its own. Wright made the statement "God damns America", Hannity changed the meaning, suggesting that Rev. Wright said "goddman America"! The media and pundits followed Fox's lead. The lie was the perfect bumper sticker slogan for Obama haters. They did not take time to read a transcript of the sermon.

Hell broke loose, but Satan's fire could not burn down Barack Obama's campaign. Every sermon ever preached by Rev. Wright was suddenly scrutinized by the media and Hannity. They even went after Michelle Obama, reading her college thesis, talking to some of the White students that went to college with her. 

The media and Hannity were on a fevered hunt, searching for something scandalous prior to Obama running for president. The lies flowed like salmon swimming upstream. None of the lies and twisted words stuck. Unfortunately, candidate Obama broke ties with Rev. Wright, severing their 20-year association and friendship.

Herman Cain's dream was pulled to the curb by a sexual scandal

The same media animosity towards Cain eventually took hold of his campaign. The media uncovered a sexual scandal in his past. While he was president of the National Restaurant Association two White females said he sexually harassed them. They were paid undisclosed amounts of money that was included in their severance packages. One woman, married, came forward and told her story. Cain's campaign went downhill after that. Both women disappeared from sight.

David Weigel, writer with The Slate, wrote 12/2011: "Amazingly, in the first weeks of the scandal, conservatives largely stuck by Cain. As it released its newest poll showing Cain collapsing back to single digits, the Des Moines Register noted that Cain weathered the harassment scandals. What did him in was sloppiness in how he responded to those stories and how he bumbled other ones. 

"But none of that should have been surprising. When I first interviewed Cain in December 2010, I asked him for some details on how he'd wind down the war in Afghanistan. 'The first thing that I'd do [if elected]," he said, "is summon the experts to find out can we win.' The experts dodge became part of his answer to every serious foreign policy question. Why did it take until November to catch up with him? And what exactly was he adding to the race -- what was King thanking him for"?

The Week magazine wrote six reasons Cain was not electable, predicting his candidacy would fail. The reasons listed did not apply to the White candidates.

1. Presidential campaigns are no place for amateurs.
2. GOP wants a positive message.
3. GOP voters don't really want an outsider.
4. It's awfully tough to escape a juicy sexual scandal.
5. Candidates can succeed by keeping it simple.
6. Republicans should be wary of 'baggage'.

Herman Cain also raised the ire of Vanity Fair contributing editor James Wolcott, who wrote May 21 that, "Herman Cain sure has some steep gall copycatting Martin Luther King’s most famous rhetorical crescendo to trumpet his vain, grinny, substance-free candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. Cain, pounding his fist on the podium, is confident that he will be president in 2013".

It's more than hard to believe this writer is furious about Cain imitating Martin Luther King. I'm not buying the taint cheese Wolcott is selling. He is daring Cain to have to gall to run for president of the United States! Cain was not the only Republican candidate who has a "substance-free candidacy." Wolcott did not talk about any of them in his article. The Republican primary candidates are showing that all of them are substance-free.

Candidate Herman Cain

Historic election: A first for America

Wiley Online Library, in writing about African Americans and the presidency, states: “The historic election of Barack Obama as the first African American president of the United States brought issues of race to the center of the American political process. During the campaign, media reports were replete with discussions about the effects that hidden racial bias might have on the election.

"One of the most frequently mentioned concerns was the so-called Bradley effect, whereby 'White voters openly express support for a Black candidate but then fail to vote for the candidate in the privacy of the voting booth. 

"An AP–Yahoo News poll conducted shortly before the 2008 election raised concerns that racial bias might cost Obama the victory in a close contest, as negative stereotypes of Blacks as 'lazy' and 'violent' were endorsed by one-third of White Democrats. Although Obama won a decisive victory, the effects of underlying racial biases may have been mitigated by other pressing factors weighing on the minds of the voting public, especially the mounting economic crisis".

On Sunday’s Face the Nation, June 26, it might have been a deliberate oversight, or maybe host Bob Schieffer just forgot that Herman Cain is running for president. Discussing a presidential straw poll, Schieffer described Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney as front runners. He mentioned Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, who garnered seven percent of the vote and Tim Pawlenty, six percent. Photos of these five candidates were shown.  Herman Cain was not mentioned nor was a photo of him shown.

A poll was conducted June 19-22, contacted 400 “likely” Republican voters. Schieffer decided to eliminate Cain from the presidential race for reasons only he can explain. In my mind, he overlooked Cain because he does not take him seriously. Schieffer did not think candidate Barack Obama had a chance of winning the presidency, either. He admitted that he voted for John McCain, a frequent guest on his Sunday morning show.

The Des Moines Register, June 25, wrote: “The poll shows that Mr. Romney and Ms. Bachmann leads the crowded Republican field. Mr. Romney received 23 percent of support, while Ms. Bachmann received 22 percent . . .  Among the most surprising results was former Godfather’s CEO Herman Cain, who received 10 percent of support.” 

Translation: The newspaper expressed surprise that Herman Cain is on the same highway with the other candidates, all of whom are White males and one White female. The media are deciding who will be viable candidates, an idea it will pound into the heads of voters and potential voters. The subliminal message is to erase the Black guy from your mind.

'Don't come to me for help when a disaster strikes, you big dummy!'

Pres. Candidate Sen. Ron Paul

Quote of the decade

"It's a moral hazard to say that government is always going to take care of us when we do dumb things. I'm trying to get people to not do dumb things. Besides, its not authorized in the constitution."

Ron Paul, Libertarian, Texas

Presidential candidate for 2012

According to Paul, if you live in a state, city or town where Mother Nature can and will strike without warning in the form of devastating tornadoes, hurricanes and floods, you are a dummy! You do not deserve help from the government, or the generosity of private donors. You knew the dangers before they happened! Now deal with it, dummy!

If you live in a town or state where wild fires may wreak havoc, destroying your neighborhood and belongings, you should have known better than to move into a disaster-prone area in the first place! You should have looked for a town, city or state where there are no wildfires, floods, hurricanes or tornadoes.

You ought to have insurance if you want to live recklessly and dangerously! Ron Paul says he has the insurance he needs. He is prepared for disasters. There is no way he is going to ask FEMA for help like his big government hating friend, Texas Gov. Rick Perry. You know who Perry is don't you? He's the "I'm thinking about running for president" guy who wants Texas to secede from the Union!

If Ron Paul is elected president, and your state, city or town has the misfortune of getting hit by a tremendous disaster, bought to you by Mother Nature, do not expect him or the government to pull you up by your bootstraps. 

Paul says that the government helping citizens in distress is not constitutional. The U.S. Constitution does not say the government is obligated to help you, your state, city or town. Paul said he will dismantle FEMA if elected president.  

Wait a doggone minute! Prostitution and marijuana are not constitutional either but Paul favors legalizing them! Paul's priorities are evidently self-indulgent perks that he dreams of legitimizing.

Some free advice from me: Have a box of bootstraps ready in case you are hit by a disaster. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters? You can't. They don't deal with disaster unrelated to ghosts!

Get ready for the return of Christ to the Twilight Zone in your neighborhood

Hurry! Hurry! You have only got six more days to get right with God! Make sure your personal business is in order. Close out all checking and saving accounts. Say goodbye to your friends and family.  Forget that divorce you planned to get. Amend all wrongs you have done to others. You do not want to meet Christ with a heavy, hateful heart. Behind on your bills? Forget about it.

Does this sound silly to you? It sounds silly to me, too. But I'll continue anyway.

On a late-night radio show Wednesday, a woman called in to say that she was getting ready for May 21. She was putting off surgery because she would not need it in heaven. The host of the show did not discourage her. His show primarily focuses is visiting aliens (outer space), conspiracy theories, flying saucers and self-healing. He does not believe that Osama bin Laden is really dead. He says the Navy SEALS killing bin Laden is a government trick.

His show is akin to the Twilight Zone. His listeners believe whatever he tells them, and it appears that he has a pretty large following of people who have had alien encounters. Some even say they have been abducted by aliens who kidnapped via spaceship, took them to their planets and experimented on them. 

I laughed at these ridiculous exchanges. But wait! What if?  Naw. Christ is not coming next Saturday! I'll believe it when I see Him. Still . . . maybe I should cook a big meal just in case he drops by my house. Maybe I can win favor through his stomach.

Trump and followers chose to 'go insane' because of Pres. Obama's birth certificate

President Barack Hussein Obama's birth certificate 

 

by Allen Boraas 

Alaska News 

May 13, 2012

During the first months of Barack Obama's presidency, a conspiracy by an amorphous group calling themselves birthers raged on the Internet and right-wing talk radio. The birthers claimed that President Obama really wasn't born in Hawaii but in Africa, making him ineligible to be president of the United States. The controversy went nowhere until Donald Trump recently reopened the issue, making it the curious cornerstone of his bizarre Republican presidential bid.

Like an Alaskan slapping an annoying mosquito, President Obama moved Trump's candidacy from "really?" to "ridiculous" by releasing the long form of his Hawaiian birth certificate. President Obama was born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961.

**********************************************************

When I attended Austin Community College one of my professors had the class listen to an audio tape titled "We Choose To Go Insane." We all looked at the professor, then at each other. We laughed out loud. Surely the professor standing in front of us, and the professor on the tape are joking! 

"Is he serious?" I asked, in disbelief. Our professor was not laughing. He was dead serious. I would never choose to go insane, I thought to myself. Years later I wrote a poem titled "And she chose to go insane". The poem is about a woman who is jilted by her lover, and rather face loosing him, she chose to go insane. Insanity, I concluded without consulting an expert, is related to an extended state of mental suspension.

We listened to the tape.  Our professor initiated a pro and con debate. We analyzed the professor's sanity, and his theory on insanity. The discussion extended to two class sessions. Conclusions and opinions were divided. I personally concluded that in some cases, insane as it sounds, we can choose to withdraw from ourselves; from our problems, from the world. Insanity can be a safe escape from reality. But I questioned if withdrawal was the same as choosing to go insane.

Birther and presidential candidate Donald Trump

Now you are probably thinking this is a stretch, but when I read the article's title "Trump, birthers wasted our time with frivolous Obama attack", the insanity tape immediately came to mind. Trump did not waste time on people who stepped away from his birthers theatrics; people who refused to go insane upon his request to follow a delusional myth.

"Almost as soon as Barack Obama emerged as a serious candidate for the presidency, rumors about whether or not he is really an American, and thus eligible for the presidency, began popping up online. In response, the Obama campaign posted the Certificate of Live Birth showing that Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961". (ABC News, 2009)

Trump was late to join the Birthers Club, but he 

took full credit for its initiation 

Trump jumped on the birthers bandwagon after the "scandal" was well underway. That did not stop him from taking full credit for the results, and the media let him. During an interview with NBC, Trump revealed that he dispatched a team of investigators to Hawaii to unearth "one of the greatest cons in the history of politics and beyond. I have people that have been studying it and they cannot believe what they're finding". The beginning of the insanity.

Trump parted with the fallacy that President Obama spent "over $2 million in legal fees" to conceal the fact that he was born in Kenya. Trump postured that the President's Kenyan grandmother "said he was born in Kenya and she was there and witnessed his birth." Trump offered no tangible proof of any of the accusations he has publicly stated as truth. 

Trump said that the governor of Hawaii said, "I remember when he was born 50 years ago! I doubt it. I think this guy should be investigated. I doubt it. He remembers when Obama was born? Give me a break! He's just trying to do something for his party". (ABC Morning News)

The governor of Hawaii refused to go insane with Trump. And, no, Trump did not personally interview the governor.  

It's no surprise the diehard birthers are not willing to accept Barack Obama's birth certificate. Choosing insanity over logic, the birthers said the certificate is a forgery. Unbeknownst to these people, any document registered with a state registrar becomes an official document, and only copies can be obtained. A registered document cannot be loaned out or borrowed. Not even President Obama can request his original birth certificate with the promise to return it on a specific date. Today all state documents are on microfiche.

President Obama, continually quizzed and prodded by the media to show his birth certificate, finally consented, visibly frustrated by the silliness. No other President in America's history had or have been asked to show a birth certificate to prove that he is an American. Barack Obama is the first. Actually, a large population of White people cannot accept a Black man is president.  Not only have African Americans taken notice of the endless stupidity, but the world is watching and wondering what is going on in America.

White folks in the South tend to be the most truthful about their raw hate for Obama. One old Southerner at a Tea Party rally, dressed in coveralls, was asked by a newsman how he felt about Obama running for president. The man in his 50s, could not hide the bitterness in his voice or scorn on his face. He said, "Ain't no nigger got no business being president of the United States. That's a White man's job". 

The President said, regarding his birth certificate, "This kind of silliness  . . . I've been puzzled at the degree to which this story just kept on going. Normally I would not comment on something like this, but the country has some enormous challenges out there . . . "

 Conspiracy buffs and brain-dead followers chose to jump off the bridge with Donald Trump. They had a choice and they made it. Trump the Pied Piper did not force anyone to listen to his belittling rhetoric. His gullible disciples were already entrapped by their own myths and personal theories about President Barack Obama's place of birth. 

Truthers, birthers and Trump said Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama's opponent, was the first to declare that Obama is not an American; that he was born in Kenya. It was later learned that supporters of Clinton, in an effort to revive her failing campaign, spread the rumor via a chain email. 

Trump summons his ego and holds a press conference to gloat

After learning that President Obama released his long form birth certificate, Trump summoned his ego and hosted a press conference. "Today I am very proud of myself, because I've accomplished something that nobody else has been able to accomplish. I want to look at it, but I hope it's true, so that we can move on to much more important matters, so the press can stop asking me questions". 

This is full insanity on full display. Trump never mentioned Orly Taitz.

Orly Taitz, mother of the birthers movement, was so caught up in the movement she filed a half dozen lawsuits to prove Obama is not a U.S. citizen and has no right to be president. She said he had several Social Security numbers that he used in different states where he was employed. She even produced a fake birth certificate. All of the cases were thrown out of court. 

This is Taitz's proof that Obama was born in Kenya: From Snoopes.com --- “On 2 August 2009, realtor/dentist/lawyer Dr. Orly Taitz Esq. unveiled her latest piece of dubious evidence in her long-running quest to demonstrate that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States of America: A photograph of a document purporting to be a Certified Copy of Registration of Birth issued by the Republic of Kenya in February 1964 which recorded a "Barack Hussein II" as having been born to Barack Hussein Obama and Stanley Ann (Dunham) Obama in Mombasa, Kenya, in August 1961. The document was reportedly obtained by Dr. Taitz from 'an anonymous source' who didn't want his name disclosed because he was 'afraid for his life.' 

“Skeptics quickly identified a variety of reasons for questioning the legitimacy of the supposed Kenyan document, such as: The document is dated 17 February 1964 and a bears a legend identifying it as having been issued by the "Republic of Kenya," but Kenya (a former British colony) didn't officially adopt that name until 12 December 1964. In February 1964, it was known as the Dominion of Kenya.  The listed age of Barack Obama's father is incorrect. (Barack Obama Sr. was born in 1936 and therefore would have been 24 or 25 years old at the time of Barack Jr.'s birth, not 26 as shown on the document.)"

The atmosphere for choosing to go insane was created by Trump with the help of the media, pundits, critics and tea partiers.  The movement made it was easy for Donald Trump to slide in, and further enlarge the mass hysteria about an American born president. Trump, being the media whore that he is, was crowned a hero for "forcing" the President to produce his birth certificate. He said the President should have released it when Hillary Clinton asked for it.

While attempting to cast doubt on Barack Obama's place of birth, Trump is looking ahead to the 2012 mid-term election. He is toying with running for president, and he needs to knock President Obama out of the running to assure himself a victory. Trump revealed his intentions in an interview with the Daily Mail, March 2011.

"Mr. Trump added that he is willing to spend $600 million of his fortune to run for the U.S. president. But the billionaire said his name is so well known by the public that he will save millions on advertising if he decides to challenge Mr. Obama in the 2012 election". 

The media, pundits and birthers chose to go insane over a pseudo issue. Actually, and contrary to how proud Trump feels, President Obama's showing of his long form birth certificate sent Trump followers --but not all of them-- scurrying towards sanity. Thousands of them chose to hide behind insanity. The President switched the script on them.

Trump and Republican conspiracy greyhounds, all of whom assert that the President is a "secret Muslim", chose to go insane over a birth certificate that proved nothing, except Barack Hussien Obama, the son of a White mother and African father, was born August 4, 1961, in Hawaii, a state that is part of the United States. 

The professor was right.  People do choose to go insane. I wish I could remember his name. I'd like to hear the tape again.