3 Search Results for "jab"

• Inauguration 2009

  • From: snoopi64
  • Description:

    2009 Inauguration guest list
    
    Guests began arriving early. There are no place cards and no name
    tags. Everyone knows everyone else here. Now, there's a grand foursome
    Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz sharing laughs with Martin and Coretta
    Scott King. Looks like Hosea Williams refused the limo again, keeping
    it real. And my goodness; is that Rosa Parks out there on the dance
    floor  with A. Phillip Randolph? Seated at a nearby table, Frederick
    Douglass has a captive audience in W.E.B. DuBois and Fannie Lou Hamer,
    and Medgar Evers has just joined them.
    
    Marian Anderson was asked to sing tonight, but she only agreed to do
    it if accompanied by Marvin Gaye, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix.
    Look, there's Harriet Tubman. No one knows how she arrived, but there
    she is. And my guess is that, when the time comes, no one will see her
    leave.
    
    There's Jackie Robinson swiftly making his way through the hall as
    the crowd parts like the Red Sea to the unmistakable sound of
    applause. "Run, Jackie, run!" Along the way he is embraced by Jesse
    Owens.
     
    Three beautiful young women arrive with their escorts - Schwerner,
    Goodman and Chaney. Ms. Viola Liuzzo flew in from Michigan,
    exclaiming, "I could not miss this." Richard Pryor promised to be on
    his best behavior. "But I can't make any guarantees for Redd Foxx and
    Moms Mabley," he chuckled. Joe Louis just faked a quick jab to the
    chin of Jack Johnson, who smiled broadly while slipping it. We saw
    Billy Eckstine and Nat King Cole greet Luther Van Dross. James Brown
    and Josh Gibson stopped at Walter Payton's table to say hello.
     
    I spotted Congressman Adam Clayton Powell of Harlem having a lively
    political discussion with Eldridge Cleaver. Pearl Harbor WWII hero
    Dorey Miller shared a few thoughts with Crispus Attucks, a hero of the
    Revolutionary War. And there is Madam C.J. Walker talking with Marcus
    Garvey about exporting goods to Africa.
     
    General Benjamin O. Davis flew into Washington safely with an escort
    from the 99th Fighter Squadron - better known as The Tuskegee Airmen.
    At the table on the left are three formidable women - Shirley Chisholm,
    Sojourner Truth, and Barbara Jordan - gathered for a little  girl-talk...
    about world politics.
     
    As usual, all the science nerds seem to have gathered off in a
    corner, talking shop.  There's Granville T. Woods and Lewis Latimer
    needling each other about whose inventions are better. Someone
    jokingly asked Benjamin Banneker if he had needed directions to
    Washington. And George Washington Carver was overheard asking, "What,
    no peanuts?"
     
    Dueling bands? Anytime Duke Ellington and Count Basie get together,
    you know the place will be jumping. Tonight is special, of course, so
    we have Miles, Dizzy, and Satchmo sitting in on trumpet, with
    Coltrane, Cannonball, and Bird on sax.
     
    Everyone's attention is directed to the dance floor where Bill
    "Bojangles" Robinson is tap dancing. Right beside him is Sammy
    Davis Jr., doing his Bojangles routine. And behind his back, Gregory
    Hines is imitating them both. Applause and laughter abound!
     
    The Hollywood contingent has just arrived from the Coast. Led by
    filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, Paul Robeson, Canada Lee, and Hattie
    McDaniel, they find their way to their tables. Dorothy Dandridge,
    looking exquisite in gold lamé, is seen signaling to her husband,
    Harold Nicholas, who is standing on the floor with brother Fayard
    watching Gregory Hines dance. "Hold me back," quips Harold, "before
    I show that youngster how it's done." Much laughter!
    
    Then a sudden hush comes over the room.  The guests of honor have
    arrived. The President and Mrs. Obama looked out across the enormous
    ballroom at all the historic faces. Very many smiles, precious few
    dry eyes. Someone shouted out, "You did it! You did it!"
    
    And President Obama replied, "No sir, you did it; you all - each and
    one of you - did it.  Your guidance and encouragement; your hard
    work and perseverance..."
     
    Obama paused, perhaps holding back a tear.
    
    "I look at your faces - your beautiful faces - and I am reminded that
    The White House was built by faces that looked just like yours.
     
    On October 3, 1792, the cornerstone of the White House was laid, and
    the foundations and main residence of The White House were built
    mostly by both enslaved and free African Americans and paid
    Europeans.  In fact, most of the other construction work was performed
    by immigrants, many of whom had not yet become citizens. Much of the
    brick and plaster work was performed by Irish and Italian immigrants.
    The sandstone walls were built by Scottish immigrants.
     
    So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that The White House is,
    ultimately, The People's House, with each President serving as its
    steward. Since 1792 The People have trimmed its hedges, mowed its
    lawn, stood guard at the gate, cooked meals in the kitchen, and
    scrubbed its toilet bowls. But 216 years later, The People are taking
    it back!
     
    "Today, Michelle and I usher in a new era. But while we and our
    family look toward the future with so much hope, we know that we must
    also acknowledge fully this milestone in our journey. We want to thank
    each and every one of you for all you have done to make this day
    possible. I stand here before you, humbled and in awe of your
    accomplishments and sacrifice, and I will dedicate my Presidency, in
    your honor, to the principles of peace, liberty and freedom. If it
    ever appears that I'm forgetting that, I know I can count on you
    to remind me."
    
    ROSA SAT SO MARTIN COULD WALK
    MARTIN WALKED SO OBAMA COULD RUN
    OBAMA WON AND OUR CHILDREN WILL FLY!
    
    Unknown

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 159

• TheFlyJock's Blog: Do Your Tha

  • From: TheFlyJock
  • Description:

    On the historic Tuesday night that Barack Obama became the first African-American nominee for president of the United States, Michelle Obama gave her man, Barack, some dap. It was cute. But of course the media has turned it into a big deal. They’ve shown it over and over in slow motion and from different angles. It has become one of the week’s most popular videos on cable. They’ve given it their own name -- fist bump, fist pound, Obama dap -- and it’s been described as everything from black love to something as ridiculous as a terrorist fist jab (from a Fox reporter, of course).
    
    So, if this one little gesture between Barack and Michelle has caused this much of a stir, can you imagine what their life will be like in the coming months and maybe years? Will this make them rethink and pre-think their every move? I hope not. I hope they keep it real all the way to the White House. In fact, I hope they do something to really get people talking the night he defeats John McCain. It doesn’t have to be much, apparently. Here are some suggestions: Five on the black-hand side, bring it low — you too slow, an NBA chest pound, an end-zone dance or they could really mess everybody up and do the Flip Wilson handshake from back in the 70s.
    
    The beauty of having the first African-American presidential nominee and president is that he’s bringing something different to the table. Last time around, when it was becoming apparent that Democrat John Kerry wasn’t going to get the job done, more people came to realize that America was looking for something different. The same old middle aged, middle-of-the-road white man wasn’t happening. Perhaps it was time for a non-white man or woman to come forward. That happened. Now that it has, we should embrace all that it means — or should mean.

    Barack is a black man with a black family, living the black experience. And don’t tell me how he is bi-racial and was raised by white people in Hawaii. I know all that. I also know that there are things he has gone through when he was a student, on his early jobs, in corporate America and on the campaign trail that only a black man who has been through it can understand. He won’t always be able to come right out and say everything that’s on his mind, but we know that he knows that we know what’s really happening.
    The decisions he makes, the policies he puts in place will be based on who he is and what he’s been through, and that’s a good thing for all of America. So, when he becomes president, he can only be the best he can be if he’s his real, true self. He’s got to continue to stand tall, and do him.

    I think the dap Michelle gave him was saying that more than anything else. He’s where he is for a reason. Do your thang, Obama.

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 5783

• Political Musings: Observation

  • From: E_Joyce
  • Description:

    This blog may be a tad long, but is worth the read because the second part explains all the confusion and media noise about the Michigan and Florida Democratic delegates AND a solution to the problem. The timeline took more than a minute to research, but now I understand what happened to get us to here in the process.

    Jonathon Rieder,author, The Word of the Lord is Upon Me , a book about Martin Luther King, was Tavis' guest tonight on a pre-recorded show. Tavis miley brought up what I would suppose is his primary issue with Senator Obama: to him, Senator Obama is "not Black enough." Within a question posed to Rieder was a poorly disguised jab at Senator Obama, because he, unlike Martin Luther King, does not call African Americans "my people." Rieder pointed out to Tavis that both Obama and King were/are approaching race in this country from two very different points of view, but that they were both on the same page, having the same ideologies. But from my perspective this response did not sit well with Tavis, and Rieder was efficient in moving the conversation back to his book. I am still trying to understand why there is this mentality that people must somehow meet this undefined standard of being "black enough?" Would it not make more sense for us all to consider the concept of simply being human enough? Look, Senator Obama has overcome some major obstacles in his bid to become President of this country..none having to do with the actual issues affecting all of us. Ask yourself, what would Martin Luther King do? Would he be supportive of the greater common goal or continue to pick away at someone because of some intangible standard set by a person or persons who keep moving the bar according to their own personal agenda? Holding a grudge, because someone did not come to your party is not the direction one should go in and frankly it's childisn and petty. The Bible says that the greatest leader is one who knows how to serve the most, and I would add, who doesn't care who gets the credit. Tavis has in many ways, become a leader within the African American community. I would expect that after a diligent review of Senator Obama's position on the critical issues facing this country, unless he can clearly identify tangible reasons to not support Senator Obama as diligently as he has supported Senator Clinton, who by the way has taken a dangerously desperate path by equating the issues surrounding the seating of Florida and Michigan delegates ( a DNC problem, not an Obama problem, which the DNC needs to take care of immediately..but more on that in a moment) with what is happening in Zimbabwe. Not only do I find this comparison a gross overstatement and equally offensive, I find it incredibly sad. After all Senator Clinton has done for women by staying in the game and not giving up, as a leader, she too has to figure out a way to win by losing out on the opportunity to be President this time. She cannot allow desperate wailings, when she knew what the rules of the game were when she decided to play, to become the legacy she leaves behind in this historic political experience. I do hope she will gather herself and look for the opportunity she can live with and negotiate to get it. No I don't think she is the right choice for vice president, as too much acrimonious water had gone under the bridge. I am interested in knowing more about Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and what potential she has to bring to the vice presidency.
    But before we can start talking about a vice president, the whole delegate issue needs a speedy and proactive resolution. According to the DNC website , 2025 delegate votes are required for a given presidential candidate towin their candidacy. This number does not include delegates from Florida and Michigan, the delegations of which were reduced by 100% by action of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, pursuant to the Party’s Delegate Selection Rules, because the State Parties in these states submitted plans for holding binding events prior to the earliest date allowed (February 5th, with the exception of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina ) by the Rules.
    What happened to get Florida, Michigan, the DNC, Senators Clinton and Obama to this point of contention?
    Check out the Timeline:
    August 19, 2006 Delegate Selection Rules adopted by the DNC,
    December 2, 2006 Regulations for the Convention adopted by the Rules and Bylaws Committee
    Prior to August 25, 2007 Florida's Republican governor and Republican controlled legislature enact a state law moving the primaries to January 29th. The Florida DNC chose to comply.
    August 25, 2007 DNC gives Florida thirty days to submit a new plan for a Primary or Caucus or lose all of its delegates to the nominating convention, as a direct result of the adoption of a resolution from committee person Ralph Dawson from NY to strip FL of all of its delegates and Presidential candidates that campaign in a state in violation would lose any delegates they win in that state. But committee co-chairman Jim Roosevelt said after the vote that in this case, there would be “no sanction on the campaigns since there would be no delegates at stake. In adopting the harsh penalties, the rules committee appeared to be sending a message to other state parties and legislatures such as Michigan, that any moves ahead of the Feb. 5 window would be met with stiff penalties and little to no leniency.
    November 19, 2007 Michigan Appeals Primary Date Decision To State Supreme Court. The state's attorney general asked the state supreme court to let the state, for heaven's sake, keep its Jan. 15 primary law. A lower-court judge invalidated the primary because the state parties wouldn't have share information about who voted and in what primary. Republican legislators seem more willing than Democratic legislators to try their hand at a new law. Why? Democrats, in particular, worry that the elections will be used to collect signatures for recall petitions in light of the state's historic tax hike. If, say, 2 million Michiganders show up on Jan. 15, it'll be much easier to collect recall signatures by district. Once the petititon is initiated, the collectors need 10,000 signatures per district and have 90 days to complete the task. So this was all about local state politics versus the Presidential primary.
    December 1, 2007 Democratic leaders voted to strip Michigan of all its delegates to the national convention next year as punishment for scheduling an early presidential primary in violation of party rules. Candidates signed a pledge stating that they would not campaign or spend money in Florida or Michigan because the DNC rules were broken. Four candidates removed their names from Michigan and Florida ballots a fifth did not do so by the deadline. Michigan Democrats moved their state's primary date to January in an effort to increase the state's influence in the nominee selection process, arguing Iowa and New Hampshire unfairly dominate the process. Obama's campaign chose not to place his name on the Michigan ballot so as not to violate national Democratic Party rules.
    Democrats in Michigan were told that they could not write in votes for candidates whose names were not on the ballot, but they could vote uncommitted if they were voting for Senator Obama or other candidates. Radio and other media was paid for by Michigan Congressman and Councilwoman Conyers, in an attempt to get people to vote regardless, even if they voted uncommitted. If at least 15 percent of the people vote "uncommitted," the state Democratic Party must send that percentage of delegates to the national convention uncommitted. Forty percent of the votes received were uncommitted.
    My conclusion: In spite of allegations to the contrary, Senator Obama had nothing to do with the exclusion of Florida and Michigan delegates. This insidious mess was created by the DNC, although the Republicans of Florida, and both the Democrats and Republicans in office or on committee in MIchigan got their hands dirty in creating this problem for the true victims: the actual voters. It would appear to me that the DNC need only create a new plan for the future that would hold the state primaries by quadrant regions , and each schedule each quadrant by lottery. In other words, pick number 1 - 4 out of a bag. How hard could that be? And then no one state would matter over another. Equal opportunity with no more of this nonsense. That said, I would encourage the DNC -- because this is, after all, their responsibility to resolve, no matter who is to blame, -- to seat fifty percent of the "committed delegates" from both Michigan and Florida and split those delegates between Senators Obama and Clinton AND then seat all of the "uncommitted delegates" from both Michigan and Florida (if there were any uncommitted in Florida) and let them decide who to cast their votes for. And add those delegate numbers to the delegate vote requirement. No one will see this as being fair, but everyone will grudgingly agree that this is right.
  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 587