PATRIOTless Act

“Those who desire to give up Freedom in order to gain Security, will not have, nor do they deserve, either one”- Thomas Jefferson

These were the words spoken by one of America’s most revered forefathers and Presidents, Thomas Jefferson. Apparently, and unfortunately, these words have but little meaning to George W. Bush; a president who chooses to denigrate civil liberties and freedoms under the guise of “security” in a vainglorious subterfuge that has been misleadingly coined “The U.S.A. P.A.T.R.I.O.T Act”. Even worse are those individuals who support it; choosing to relinquish their personal freedoms in exchange for security. The glare of “fear” blinds them to the fact that this is no different than requesting to be cast in prison to insure ones freedom.

Of course comparing the actions of George W. Bush to the philosophy of Thomas Jefferson is hardly a fair contrast seeing that in the realm of intellectualism and integrity Bush ranks as a placebo at best. Not to deliver a ranting banter to the Republican Party – or a rallying cry in support for the Democratic Party – because coincidentally, they’re both merely two sides of the same coin. However, no matter what side of the coin you claim, an honest inquest will conclude that George Bush is not the sharpest crayon in the box.

Even Bush’s predecessor and fellow Republican - Ronald Reagan - conveyed his stance on “freedom for security” when he stated:

“Up to the maximum of individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism; and regardless of their humanitarian purpose, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have, whether they know it or not, chosen this downward path.”

This statement concisely summarizes the thrust behind the current degenerative state of the U.S. economy; a populace that has been spoon-fed lies and cradled in ignorance who unknowingly cries for it’s own demise when asking to be saved by the very parent who created its’ conditions. It is in these scenarios when the child needs to “grow up” and learn to think and fend for itself; taking accountability for its environment by taking responsibility for its own actions and repercussions.

However, considering the current situation in which Americans have been made aware that their “caregivers” have been spying on them without official authority – awakening them to the fallacies purported by their own government – President Bush has come to a crossroads in which a move in either direction will inevitably result in the suffering of the American people; only differing by severity. The last thing that government wants is for its people to start thinking for themselves; becoming “aware” or “awakened” to the truth behind their actions. Therefore, “fear” will again be their (the governments) weapon of choice; one that has proven repeatedly to be an effective remedy for “slaves who desire to seek freedom”.

The “fear” accumulated as a result of the 9/11 attacks spearheaded the creation of the PATRIOT Act, which has become the “silent whip” that the Bush administration wields to subjugate the people. Per the current revelations regarding “eavesdropping’, this Act has come under extreme scrutiny, resulting in the Senate granting a 6-month extension for the expiring provisions that the House desired to make permanent; a move that has disappointed the Bush administration, citing that the PATRIOT Act is a “vital tool for America in the war on terror”.

Therefore, the chances of another terrorist attack occurring on U.S. soil has heightened. Not because the provisions have not been made permanent, but because the Bush administration needs this level of “fear” to justify these provisions becoming permanent, in addition to making other provisions more stringent. Yes, the government can and has done this to its own people! If the hurricane Katrina catastrophe wasn’t enough to awaken you to the ills of government, you have an even ruder awakening waiting in the balances.

Government orchestrated terrorist attacks proved effective – although unofficial and dismissed as conspiracy theory - in the London bombings earlier this year which quelled the effort to investigate the Downing Street Memos; a document that outlined the true intent behind the supposed “War on Terror”. (click here to view the Downing Street Memos: http://www.28daysmovement.com/know-downing.htm )

Chances are that the attack will occur within 6-months in a major metropolitan area (or areas) in which the “reported facts” will be arranged to indicate that the hardening of the PATRIOT Act would have prevented such an attack. The people will be inebriated on “fear and uncertainty”, and the Republicans will place blame on the Democrats because of the filibusters which delayed the permanence of the Act. Likely, the President will exercise executive order to declare a state of National Emergency which will allow for the suspension of the Constitution; resulting in a state of Martial Law.

Because of such possibilities and/or likelihoods, it is incumbent upon the individual to educate herself/himself on things that are happening in the world, take responsibility in his/her actions, and fight the injustices when and where they occur. To quote Albert Einstein:

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”

You are the power!

Tungz

Hip-Hop: From Losing its’ Soul to Losing its’ Mind


“I'm convinced now that more than truth is at stake
Where people create language that pretends to communicate
Euphamisms are misundertood as mistakes
but its a by-product of the ghetto music we make
From an extroverted point of view I think it’s too late
Hip Hop has never been the same since '88
Since it became a lucrative profession it’s been a misconception
that movement in any direction is progression.” – Canibus (Poet Laureate II)

Ponderings of the dismal and decaying state of Hip-Hop have almost become as commonplace as the ignorance that justifies it. However, no comment or rap quotable has ever so accurately articulated this condition as the aforementioned verse by the brutally underrated emcee by the name of Canibus. In fact, his infamy can be largely attributed to that fact that the Hip-Hop industry has come to favor “ignorance” over “intellect” and “sales” over “skills”.

Consider the mid 80’s, when Hip-Hop was at its’ creative apex, dismissed by the masses as a passing trend, yet untainted by the cloning and corruption of corporate “Commercialism”. You had groups/artists like LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Dougie Fresh, Slick Rick, MC Lyte, Afrikka Bambataa, Fat Boys, BDP, Eric B and Rakim, Salt-n-Pepa, Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, Audio Two, and UTFO (to name a very few). All of which were original in their own rite, bearing no resemblance to one another aside from the fact that they collectively represented the versatility and ingenuity of Hip-Hop.

At this juncture, “skills and originality” were mandatory, effectively positioning each of these artists to deliver songs that could be classified as nothing other than “classic”. You don’t believe me? I challenge you to go back through those names and find one that didn’t drop at least one classic hit. **waiting....waiting....still waiting...** Yeah, that’s what I thought!

Now, 20 years later, a time where Hip-Hop has developed into the top selling musical genre in the world, “talent and originality” have become reluctant afterthoughts, sadly succumbing to the commercial strength of “image and marketability”. You now have acts (emphasis on the word “acts”) like Yin Yang Twins, Mike Jones, 50-Cents, Fabolous, Lloyd Banks, Slim Thug, Masta P, Chingy, and virtually any rapper that has “Li’l” in front of their name (with the exception of maybe 1 or 2) who practically are identical as it relates to image, and even more so in their lackluster imitations of talent that struggles to reach the level of novice.

And once you think that it couldn’t get any worse - defending the absence of lyrical talent by focusing on the presence of hot beats – a group called D4L comes with a song called “Laffy Taffy” that offers the simplest of tracks, surpassed only by the profusely inane dribble that has been flatteringly referred to as “lyrics”.

So what happened??? Where did things go wrong??? The answer is “Commercialization”; the proverbial double-edged sword that now has its’ blade plunged deep into the heart and mind of Hip-Hop. Commercialization was good – on one hand – in that it allowed for Hip-Hop to get exposure to the masses, effectively acquiring a larger fan base - which generates revenue – in turn, allowing artist to successfully live off of their hobby. However, the down-side is that commercialization required for the integrity of the art to be compromised; retrofitted and formatted to accommodate the lagging intellect of the average listener.

Rappers like Jay-Z – one of the few artists who manage to stay true to the art form while simultaneously satisfying the mainstream audience – went from dropping jewels of wisdom (i.e. “Reasonable Doubt”) to dropping rhymes about...uh....well....JEWELS!!!! In fact, on a track called “Moment of Clarity”, Jay-Z spews:

“I dumb down for my audience, and double my dollars
They criticize me for it, yet they all yell “Holla”
If skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be
Lyrically.....Talib Kweili
Truthfully, I wanna rhyme like Common Sense (But I did 5 Mil)
I ain’t been rhymin’ like Common since
When your sense got that much in common, and you been hustlin’ since
your inception, f**k perception, go with what makes sense”

And there it is; an assertion from one of Hip-Hop’s finest, pin-pointing the Industry’s thirst for “cents/sales” over “sense/skills”, while simultaneously acknowledging his own “selling out” in order to “out sell” his contemporaries. Even more interesting is that he tells his audience that he had to get “dumb” in order for them to feel him; in which in all sadness, they’re probably to dumb to realize that they just got dissed.

Emcees like Common, Talib Kweili, Mos Def and the like, often fall through the cracks of commercial success because their lyrics are too innovative and intellectual; requiring some thought on the part of the listener, which loses the focus of fans whose attention spans can only translate “bitches”, “Ho’s”, “niggas”, “bling-bling”, and “24’s”.

Ignorance is profitable. The dumber the fans, the more corporations make. The owners of these major record labels and media outlets aren’t even fans of Hip-Hop music themselves. However, they are acutely aware of the potential in its’ popularity, resulting in them “directing” the Hip-Hop trends towards a consciousness of “materialism”, “pretentiousness”, and “objectivity” - all delivered in a package of voyeuristic machismo – but passed off as the “new style” or “the next big thing”; which explains why these corporations target the impressionable, unquestioning youths. It’s easier to shape clay than it is to chisel stone.

Case in point: BET recently refused to air Little Brother’s video entitled “Lovin’ It”, citing that it’s “too intelligent for the BET audience.” In December of 2004, BET also rebuffed De La Soul’s “Shopping Bags” video claiming that it wasn’t “relevant to the BET audience.” Since BET came under the ownership of Viacom, it appears that the acronym went from Black Entertainment Television, to Black’s Embarrassing Themselves; or more accurately, Buffoonery Every Time.

Nevertheless, in all honesty, complete blame cannot be placed on the shoulders of corporations alone. A pimp can’t pimp unless the whore chooses to be a whore. And the whore can’t be a whore unless there are “Joe’s” willing to pay for her services. Ideally, the “Pimps” are the corporations; the “Whores” are the artists; and the “Joe’s” are the fans. Therefore, there is a level of responsibility and awareness to be played on the parts of all.

The arts - music in particular - have always reflected the collective consciousness of society at large; from Picasso’s “Guernica” to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”, to Sage Francis’ “Makeshift Patriot”. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that illustrations of destruction, death, and greed have become the subject of many expressions.

However, as it currently stands, Hip-Hop long lost its’ Soul when it sold out to mainstream, and has since lost its’ Mind by representing concepts and a consciousness that can be called nothing other than “self-destructive”. All that remains of Hip-Hop is the Body; which threatens to be dismembered and destroyed under the weight of ignorance and regressive thought.

It will be convenient for those who support these degenerative aspects of Hip-Hop to dismiss this writing as “Player Hating”, “Hating”, or “Hateration”, however, it is quite the contrary. This is Love; love for a beautiful art form that has infinite constructive possibilities; a reminiscent plea to get back to the creativity acquired at the hands of intelligence and talent that was motivated by the love of the music itself and not for the love of money. Hip-Hop you're the love of my life!!!!

Tungz

NBA Dress Code: "No Gangstas"


David Stern, the NBA Commissioner, is making moves to supposedly “clean up” the NBA’s image by restricting styles and trends that can be construed as being “gangsta” (i.e. wave caps, jerseys, dangling necklaces, etc.). This look is the latest panache that has been embraced largely by the Hip-Hop community. But is Mr. Stern really trying to insure that the NBA’s image remains unsullied, or is this merely an attack on a sub-culture that happens to express itself – at this time - through a style called “gangsta”?

If Mr. Stern were really concerned about dissolving the gangster image, he would need to look past the Reeboks, Nikes, and Adidas, and look towards the Boss’, Armani’s, and Gucci’s; because last I recalled, gangsters wore suits; some of which have become the role models for the so-called “gangstas” (i.e. Scarface, Gotti, etc.). Now who’s a bigger threat, G-Unit or Enron Execs??? One may steal your wallet, but the other will steal your 401K! Now THAT’S gangsta!!! And what’s worse; Dead Prez talking about Bush, or a deadly president name Bush? And Halle Berry in BAP’s is not nearly as threatening as Haliburton in Iraq!!!! I think that you get the picture.

While the likelihood of an NBA dress code seems imminent, a question that ironically looms in the distance is, “What difference will it – or does it - make?” Your average 76ers fan isn’t a fan because of Allen Iverson’s impeccable ability to coordinate his high-tops with his doo-rags. Nor are Lebron James fans astounded by his fashion suave faire. And even if they were, fashion trends change almost as often as the gas prices. What Mr. Stern is recommending as the “accepted styles of dress” could quite easily become the “new gangsta” flair; trading fitted caps for fedoras, throwbacks for ascots, shell-toes for wing-tips, and handcuffs for cuff links. At the end of the day, it’s not the suit that makes the man, but rather, the man that makes the suit.

While I champion the implementation of “some” standards as it relates to dress, none should be so stringent as to quell the personal expression of the individual; particularly if it doesn’t interfere with their ability to perform their skill/job well. Some companies enforce dress codes so strict that a “9 to 5” job feels like a “5 to 9” sentence; complete with pin-striped suits and number badges. Anything too strict forces rebellion; which is counter-productive. A policy too relaxed invites carelessness; which is also counter-productive. However, we are talking about a career that is based on a game in which, in some cases, over 50% of the player’s income is garnered through endorsements of athletic gear. You can’t get more casual than that aside from bath robes and flip-flops.

So why the need to change the look of the players – particularly if it’s not effecting their stats or the sport itself – unless one just happens to have a personal disliking towards the look they choose, which I think is the case with David Stern and his posse. Most major corporations that have plants and/or people that work in the field don’t force their employees to don suits and/or sports coats; particularly because it’s non-productive and pointless. But David Stern’s efforts seem purely cosmetic; lacking any real substantive motivations aside from making his fellow golfing buddies feel warm and fuzzy.

Tungz

Message from the Minister


A week after the culmination of the Millions More Movement, mixed reviews on the effectiveness and impact of the assembly continues to raise astute debate. Whereas some found the gathering to be insightful, enlightening, powerful, and historic, others left feeling that the meeting was incomplete; lacking a definitive plan of execution.

The following are a few highlights of the Million More Movement made by Minister Louis Farrakhan and other speakers.

Victims of Hurricane Katrina should ban together to bring a class-action suite against FEMA and Homeland Security

Black Americans need to MAKE government respond properly to their concerns. The government will not do what’s right unless we MAKE them

America has made it painfully clear how they really feel about Black people (i.e. aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, police beating of 64 yr. old New Orleans man)

American Indians, Hispanic Americans, and African Americans should come together to form their own political party and representation. Together, these cultures equal a population of 66 million people.

Farrakhan used the Hurricane Katrina incident as a metaphor; signifying that minorities need to come together in numbers – which will increase their strength and power – to create a devastating change on the landscape of government and it’s policies

The rich are supported by the poor. U.S. government has created slave labor in America and other countries (i.e. Mexico, Middle East, Africa)

Minorities should consider creating: a Ministry of Health & Human Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Defense, and a Ministry of Art and Culture

Education in America has run its course. Time for Black children to start learning the Truth. They have learned enough of “his-story”.

We need to learn how to grow our own food (feed ourselves) so that we are no longer dependent upon government and food manufacturers

Pharmaceutical companies and Food companies have the same owners.

We need to “restore, repair, and rebuild” ourselves. Stop waiting on – and depending on – the government to do it.

Everyone needs to do “something”. Don’t wait on someone to give you permission to be free.



“We cannot and should not slacken in our efforts to make the nations of the world, and especially their governments, aware of the unspeakable disaster they are certain to provoke unless they change their attitude toward each other and toward the task of shaping the future.” -- Albert Einstein


Tungz

Misconception of the March of Millions


On the day of the Millions More Movement, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March, nay-sayers, disparagers, and cynics have chimed in once again to discredit the effectiveness and mission of an attempt that is founded upon good will. Major media outlets have even chosen not to acknowledge - or to downplay in their acknowledgement - the event in the arguable hopes of quelling its outcome.

Interestingly enough, it appears that the most vocal of the detractors are those who never attended the Million Man March - in person or in spirit - nor its subsequent marches. Most common of the comments is that the meeting served no purpose; lacking a cohesive agenda/plan for the African American community to follow, while others contend that Minister Louis Farrakhan exploited the event for self-gratification and to promote and progress the Muslim faith.

This brings an interesting statement to mind made by the eloquent Mahatma Gandhi which states: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." In "political warfare", the first step is always to discredit your opponent; or at a minimum, to skew and distort their comments and what they stand for. It's arguable whether or not this has been successful in curbing the Minister's attempts - although the misconceptions are quite evident - however, judging by the efforts at large committed at the hands of the government and media, it's safe to assume that the Movement is clearly in the "fight" stage; only to conclude in a "win".

The main misconception is of what the initial effort - the Million Man March - stood for. Before any grouping of people can go forth in any movement or cause, the participants must first be motivated as "individuals". You can't have an army without first having a soldier. Thus, the Million Man March was a move to arm, prepare, and motivate the soldier - as an individual - to do what is necessary to be effective in an army. The weapons are "character", "consciousness", "information" and "faith" in a war of "Injustice" promulgated in the guise of Democracy. Therefore, to justly gauge the effectiveness of this event would require one to query how the event "personally" inspired and/or motivated each individual; realizing that not everyone is a soldier in this fight; particularly, if the fight is not in the soldier.

The other misconception is a result of the division that is often inherent in religions. Some Black Muslims refuse to support Minister Farrakhan's efforts because they feel that he has strayed from the true teachings of Islam, while some Black Christians won't support him because he's a Muslim; feeling that his efforts are in direct contradiction to their Christian beliefs. The haze created as a result of their misunderstanding of these beliefs has obscured their view of the fundamental principle and commonality that exists regardless of their chosen form of worship: They're all Black people living in America; subject to the same atrocities set forth through racism and classism.

The Bush Administration's reaction (or lack thereof) to the Hurricane Katrina disaster was NOT determined by whose Muslim or Christian; no more that police brutality is; no more than racial profiling is; no more than injustice is; no more than AIDS is; no more than drugs are; and no more than Slavery and the Tuskegee Experiment were. The deciding factor is "who's Black" and "who's poor"; conditions that apply to both Muslims and Christians alike. Vain sighs of relief from affluent Blacks fall on deaf ears as their pretentious drunkenness is slapped sober with the realization that no matter how much money they may have.....they're still "Black".

Religious intolerances need to fall to the wayside if this movement is to reach it's fullest potential. This will allow the soldiers who have accepted the call to duty to fully function as an united army in the efforts set forth in the forthcoming Million More Movement. This isn't a battle of "Black vs White", but more so a battle of "Wrong vs Right; which spans the superficialities of "color" and "creed" only to reveal the quality of "character". It has been stated that ones "actions" are direct correlations to ones "beliefs". You don't measure one by what one says, but rather, by what one does. Therefore, one who does nothing, believes nothing.

What do you belief???

rEvolution,

Tungz

Boycott Bill Bigot (Bennett)

The blatant disregard and disdain for minorities as exhibited by the U.S. government - as it relates to their abandonment of the Hurricane Katrina victims and continued down-playing of Bill Bennett’s extrapolation to abort all African-American babies to reduce crime - have been defended by the perpetrators alleging that the public didn’t hear/see what they thought they heard/saw.

In regards to Bill Bennett, he retorts that his statement was “taken out of context”; that he didn’t say what he said; which is always a convenient and implausible pretext (i.e. Pat Robertson of the 700 Club). Whilst it is a “no-brainer” that abortion reduces crime – considering that abortion reduces “people” (as does “death” in general) and crimes are committed by “people” – the fact that Mr. Bennett singled out “African-American babies” is the point of contention. Even more disconcerting is the public’s numbness to it; being acutely aware that if the same statement were made by a minority about Caucasian babies, that accusations of “terrorism”, “racism”, and “genocide” would fling off of the lips of dissidents - with the full attention of government and media - resulting in a severe reprimand of the accused.

So why does this happen??? Why is racism so prevalent in the 21st century??? The answer to that question is also a “no-brainer”….Because we let it! There is an old adage that states, “You teach people how to treat you”, which alludes to the responsibility of the victim in conjunction with the victimizer. These atrocities exist because minorities have failed to “demand” the equality and respect afforded to them; as it is afforded to every human being. Notice that I didn’t say “ask”. To “ask” for any thing implies that it does not yet belong to you; and “Respect” and “Equality” are no such things. They belong to everyone.

It has been made perfectly clear: The only thing that the “White” care about the “Brown” is how much “Green” that they spend to keep them out of the “Red” and into the “Black” no matter how “Blue” it makes them. Therefore, the “Brown” should respond in kind by monitoring where they distribute their “Green”. Minorities need to be vigilant in NOT supporting (financially) individuals, businesses, and/or organizations that do not show them mutual respect, equal treatment, and dignity that they themselves expect. Nor should people support those who condone, support, or allow these actions without reprimand or recourse.

Therefore, minorities - as well as those who believe in equality - should boycott the organizations that support or profit from “Bill Bennett’s Morning In America” show. The following is a partial list of sponsors and/or advertisers on the Bill Bennett’s Morning In America show. More to come.

Aqua Guard
Andy Willoughly’s 3 Step Plan: Home Business Building System
GoToMeeting
Select Comfort (creator of the Sleep Number Bed)
HeightMax
Kevis
Lincoln/Mercury
Dividend America Mortgage
HomeMLS.com
Debit Relief of America
Grove City College
Reliable Heating and Air

Tungz