Saturday, February 28, 2009
Acting White: Cops Gone Wild
Another police officer flushes his career in one long moment of violent stupidity. In this case, it was King County (Seattle) Deputy Paul Schene. It seems that a 15 year old girl kicked off her shoe toward the officer, as Schene was placing her in a holding cell for auto theft. Schene responded with a barrage of punches, a head slam to the wall, body slam to the floor, along with a few more punches to the victim's head, while she lay face down subdued by Schene and another officer. The whole thing was captured on video cameras in the hallway and the cell. No doubt Schene's defense will characterize the girl's shoe-flip as life threatening, but the video tells the story of a grown man/public servant beating the hell out an ill-mannered youth - nothing more. The girl will likely collect millions from the County, while the deputy collects a sh*t-canned life, via a felony conviction with well-deserved prison time. Gotta love those cameras.
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Acting White: Cops Gone Wild, Seattle, King County, Paul Schene, Brutality, Acting White
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Acting White: Jindal Flops
After his performance the other night, no one in their right-mind would ever think that LA Governor Bobby Jindal could get elected as dog-catcher of the United States, let alone as president. The Republican rebuttal he gave to Obama’s speech to Congress was dead-on-arrival, in just about every way. No heart, no soul, no logic. Zip do-da.Jindal is clearly a smart guy, but just as is the case with Obama, smartness only qualifies you to teach in the university, not to be president. Leadership requires that people want to follow you, not run to the kitchen for a re-fill while you drone on. Jindal clearly showed that he is missing that special something-something that erupts when the director yells ‘and we are live’, with America on the edge of their seats.
The only person that seemed to like Jindal was Rush Limbaugh, and everyone knows that what Rush likes mostly is himself, pharma and money, in whatever order he can obtain them. He clearly sees these items in support of Jindal, but will quickly switch his tune when he can save face in some twisted-logic kind of way.
I am still a supporter of the two-party system, but the Republicans are not holding up their end. Their only political hand is to be supportive of Obama and hope that the public loses confidence, before the patients (we the people) expire. Critical progress requires that Republicans be more competitive, and that’s just not going to happen – as they, be they elephants or donkeys, are cut from the same bolt of cloth. So in the end the GOP needs to shut-up and let Obama and the Dems make their run at turning around the Bush debacle, until and unless the situation and people demand another change.
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Acting White: Jindal Flops, Obama, Jindal, Rebuttal, Limbaugh, Acting White
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Acting White: NYPost Rupert Murdoch Chimes In
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Acting White: NYPost Chimp Cartoon, Obama, Murdoch, Stimulus, Racism, Acting White
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Acting White: USAG Holder Calls Americans Cowards On Race
It has always been my understanding that when you call someone a coward, you are picking a fight. After all, a coward is someone lacking spine or backbone to a non-redeemable level. Once I label someone as such, I never, ever, trust them to step up. The label signifies a permanent character flaw. So the question becomes just what Mr. Holder was thinking, in his new role as Obama’s top lawman, when he called Americans cowards?Who exactly was Holder calling a coward? His words, spoken in a speech for Black History Month, would seem to be aimed at whites. If so, how does this lowest of lowly labels spark a constructive engagement around issues of race, between the races? Answer, it does not. In fact it does just the opposite, pushing recipients further into their closets, where whispering is the only sound you hear.
Now if what Mr. Holder really meant to say is that Americans are fearful to discuss the subject of race across boundaries, he would be correct. In contrast, I submit that ignorance drives fear, rather than cowardice. But even more to the point, Mr. Holder confuses not being a hero with being a coward, and this logic is simply wrong.
There will always be courageous people who take difficult moral positions that include tremendous sacrifice for themselves and their loved ones, and for these heroic people we all should be grateful. There will also be those who pile upon their fears with selfishness and loathing, to the point of earning the label of coward, and they belong with the despised. However, there is the great middle of the people who, with good leadership and guidance, can be coaxed to do the right thing. These people are neither heroes nor cowards, but are the evolutionary status quo inching its way to progress – the yearning masses.
In his short-sightedness, Eric Holder attacked people not behavior - a mistake - and he painted his pejorative with a very wide brush. His message was opposite of that which won the election. I can imagine Obama saying to his attorney general, quietly, that he best leave the words of inspiration to those better suited, while he sticks to upholding the rule of law.
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Acting White: USAG Holder Calls Americans Cowards On Race, Eric Holder, Obama, Attorney General, Racism, Acting White
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Acting White: NYPost Chimp Cartoon
While I consistently challenge people to show responsibility for their plight, regardless of the behavior of others, this does not mean that such behavior should go unrecognized. Whether the NYPost takes a hit over this ad and backs down will tell us a lot about where America really stands in its thinking – and this ultimately is a good thing. Truth is always better than fiction.The fact that the paper could choose to run such a cartoon with blatant racial and violent tones applied to the president establishes credence to this particular perspective of the country. The only question is how many people are laughing in agreement, versus shaking their heads in disgust. Understandably, the responses are tempered by the dire economic straits we find ourselves. But how much tempering should there be?
Relative to the former president (with any due respect) Obama is far from primate land, other than the racist association some might make of his African ancestry. Is the Post attempting to establish an acceptable benchmark for characterizing and challenging the White House? Are they attempting to see how ‘thick’ his skin is? In light of recent partisan splits, stirring blood in the water sooner rather than later will sell newspapers, perhaps? Who knows what they were thinking.
In any event, I expect the White House to remain cool. The next four years is a long race, and they’re just out of the gate. Obama will be called many names and characterized unflatteringly by people, like Limbaugh, who seek their own profit in the president’s and the country’s greater failure. There is nothing to do about these unpatriotic parasites, but to ignore them. Personally, I have been ignoring Murdoch and his rags for many years.
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Acting White: NYPost Chimp Cartoon, Obama, Murdock, Stimulus, Racism, Acting White
Monday, February 16, 2009
Acting White: President Obama Angers Black Press
President Obama accomplished many things at his first press conference last week, including rubbing some of his home-folks the wrong way. Of note, he invited representatives of both the black and Puerto Rican-press to sit up front and knock elbows with 50 year correspondent Helen Thomas, the Associated Press (AP), and Reuters. However, getting a prime seat and getting on the questions list are not the same.After being frozen out of the questions, Hazel Edney, a black reporter from the Black Press of America exclaimed, “we were window dressing”. Another anonymous black-press reporter said of Obama, “he ought to be ashamed.” Normally, minority press representative can be found in cheap seats, or standing in the entryway, so the angst is somewhat understandable, but not really.
Here we have a president wading into the alligator-infested waters of the country’s problems, and the last thing he needed was a ‘black’ question. What are you going to do about blacks with this, that, or the other problem? I understand the focus, but the probability of these types of questions assumes Obama’s perspective and solutions are white-only, and represent the old-school. He is everybody’s president and we should take his word until proven otherwise. As they feel each other out, it is up to the black-press to convince Obama that they are not out to embarrass him or grandstand at his expense.
The first thing they can do is drop the chips on their shoulders that cause them to feel slighted if they are not treated above non-black organizations. The comment by Ms. Edney ignores that there will be more briefings where, with her current admonishment of the president, she is now likely to be standing back in the entryway. No Obama press staffer wants to be the one who gave clearance to a person who embarrassed the boss.
Rather than seeing the seating as a positive gesture and encouragement to move beyond the confines of speaking only for the black community, these journalists returned to the status quo of taking shots at the president. What they ignore is that as long as his solutions encompass the widest swath of the citizenry, the public does not care about the nuance of his operation. The professional press, on the other hand, should care very much that he is juggling more inclusive access. The comments of the black-press are exactly the reason why caution is warranted. Their shirtsleeve-emotional responses show a lack of professionalism toward cultivating this important invite. In-your-face confrontation and insults are not the way to win a front-row seat or spot on the next question list. Time to turn over a new professional leaf.
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Acting White: President Obama Angers Black Press, Helen Thomas, Hazel Edney, Window Dressing, White House, Acting White
