Open Letter to NBC's TODAY Show regarding comparions of the California Wildfires to Hurricane Katrina

The following letter was written in response to news reports on NBC’s TODAY Show on 10/24/07; ones that continue to make numerous comparisons of the California wildfire devastation to that of Hurricane Katrina; two events that are virtually polar opposites save from the country in which they occurred.

One was wrought by water; the other by fire. One effected the poor; the other, the rich. One effected a primarily black population; the other, a primarily white population. One received absolutely no assistance from the government for over 5 days, and the other received an immediate response and assistance.

Unfortunately, the blatantly preferential treatment in the response to the wildfire victims is being justified as a “lesson learned” from the lack of response to the Katrina victims; unconvincingly avoiding the painfully obvious fact that America views its minority and poor population as third class citizens at best.

Tungz




Dear Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira,

As many struggle to find reliable media outlets that hold to the integrity of fair, unbiased, and accurate journalism, it saddens me - although unsurprisingly - to realize that NBC's TODAY Show is no different than any other major news source; succumbing to the abyssal pull of ignorance, biasness and misinformation.

In regards to the wildfires that are ravaging the lands of southern California, there is little question as to the devastation and impact that it will have on the lives of its residents. This is undeniable. It is never good to lose anything that one has worked so hard and diligently to obtain.

However, to have the audacity and gumption to compare it to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, particularly as it relates to its impact and the urgency of a presidential response and intervention, is an indication of your unwillingness or inability to understand and/or sympathize with those who don't fall in your tax bracket or zip code......or maybe it was just convenient for you to forget.

Likely, you were using the Hurricane Katrina devastation to add poignancy to the impending and persisting wildfires in southern California. Unfortunately, you more or less succeeded in diminishing the impact of one to embellish the other, insensitively using the loss of life to underscore the loss of property; denying the reality of intentional Federal abandonment, and shrugging it off as a hopeful lesson learned and not to be repeated.......especially in this case.

Allow me to provide a small juxtaposition to emphasize my point.

Firstly (and obviously), the demographic makeup of these scenarios are at opposite ends; technically and socially speaking. You have poor, predominantly black residents at one end of the spectrum. And you have rich, predominantly white residents at the other.

Let's see how fast the Federal government responds to them! I bet that it will be much less than 5 days after the last flame has fizzled out. It will likely be just as fast as it was for them to write off the Katrina debacle as just a mistake that had nothing to do with class or race.

I'm still waiting for the media to refer to those displaced by the wildfires as "refugees". However, something tells me that they don't fit the profile....but, I digress.

Secondly, at this juncture, the residents in southern California have only lost material things (i.e. homes, property, etc); burdened by the need to have to rebuild or start over; as if the ability to do so is not a luxury in and of itself.

The residents in New Orleans not only lost their material things, but they lost their lives and loved ones; with the hopes of "rebuilding" NOT being an option; meekly relying on the frail hopes of "starting over".

Assuming that you place more value on your spouses, children, and family than you do your multi-million dollar homes, I would think that to not know the whereabouts of one or all of your love ones - whether they are dead, trapped in an attic, or have been shipped to another state - would prove insultingly incomparable to the loss of a house or late model Mercedes.

So how is it remotely possible to compare the California wildfires to Katrina?

Thirdly, the Newsweek article on your website, Avoiding Another Katrina, highlights Gov. Schwarzenegger's pleasure at the prompt arrival and assistance of the National Guard who arrived with "buses and ambulances".

Let us not forgot that although the National Guard did arrive promptly to the heart of the devastation in New Orleans, it wasn't "buses and ambulances" that they brought with them; they brought "guns". They weren't there to help the citizens, they were there to protect the businesses - the money - which is why Malibu is likely to see faster assistance and response than the 9th Ward could have ever hoped for.

You may recall that the buses didn't come until 5 days later; after the residents were huddled into an air-conditionless coliseum in temperatures that exceeded 97-degrees, without food, water, medical assistance, or any signs of hope; leaving the corpses of their family members on sidewalks and city streets.

Yet, you insist that these 2 events - the California wildfires and Hurricane Katrina - are comparable. That is disgustingly disrespectful and shamefully shortsighted to say the least!

Whatever your reasons for doing so, I'm sure that the word "ratings" falls snuggly into the context. It is just pitiful to witness the misdirection, sanitization, and misinformation that your organization is willing to propagate under the guise of fairness and compassion for the sake of numbers.

Lucky for us (the viewer) however, there are other networks and media outlets to choose from; some of which still feel that "integrity and truth" has a place in journalism, and doesn't attempt to insult our intelligence by reporting otherwise.

I'm sure that's it great to revel in the light of being a major station with a primetime slot, but how long will that last once people stop listening and supporting your sponsors???

I sincerely thank you for your time.

Warm Regards,


Tungz

28 Days Movement

Already Con-Vick-ted


My thoughts? I'm indifferent. I don't think that "any" form of life is worthy of the torture that is outlined in the indictment (i.e. drowning, electrocution, hanging, shot in the head). Therefore, if he did have a part in this activity, then he needs to pay the price for his contribution.

No one – including our government – should be allowed to excercie this reckless disregard for life. -IMHO

Additionally, the excuses that people are making for Michael Vick have become tiring; citing his upbringing, lack of guidance, and/or circle of friends as being responsible for his downfall. At the end of the day, Vick is still a grown man, and is solely responsible for his own decisions and actions, and thus, responsible for its consequences.

Unless he lacks the mental capacity to understand his actions and consequences, he needs to be judged as equally, justly and fairly as someone who does.

However, understanding that everything is worthy of Life, society has made it indirectly and unapologetically obvious how they rank and value the life of minorities. Quite honestly, if Vick's victims were Black, Hispanic, or Iraqi men, most of these "non-minority people" and organizations would not say a word, much less stage protest requesting his immediate discharge from the NFL and stiff punishments and penalities. Even his endorsements would remain intact if the companies didn’t anticipate the media attention having an impact on their bottom line.

As an excerpt from the Hindu ideology called the Kali Yuga states, “The cow is held in reverence only because of the milk it supplies.” Meaning, some people/things are only valued by what one can get out of them. Pay attention minorities and atheletes!!!!

Knowing this, it becomes necessary to sympathize with Michael Vick; not for the celebrity athlete he is and what he has done, but rather, for the conditions that allow him to be such an easy, acceptable target that is only magnified by his celebrity. These are the same conditions that find minorities receiving harsher punishment and criticisms for crimes identical to those of their non-minority counterparts.

Because of this, the courts of “majority opinion” have become more binding than the courts of law; positioning the clause of "innocent until proven guilty" as an insincere goal more so than a sincere rule.

We only need to look as far as Jena, Louisiana for a current example of this ignorance and disregard for equality. But know that it reaches much farther than commonly reported.

Sadly, the South’s history continues to be defined by such levels of ignorance and intolerance. Even more saddening is the irony of this area - the South - being know as The Bible Belt. Coincidence??? Some would say "no", but I digress.

It is arguable whether or not the conditions surrounding Michael Vick are largely a "wrong versus right" issue as opposed to a "black versus white" issue. However, conflicts and challenges of this sort frequently reveal the deep prejudices and intolerances that have existed throughout Western history, proving to be the very thread and fabric that are sewn together to form the American flag.

So is Vick a “victim”, a “violator”, or a little of both?

The lines of this juxtaposition have been so finely blurred that the answer depends on ones perspective sprinkled with formulated opinions and prejudices offered at the behest of a biased media.

But if we are honest with ourselves, the one thing that we do know is that the same question can be asked of our country.

What’s worse: A quarterback executing dogs, or an Administration executing people? This question would likely raise tensions and dins in heated debates with some retorting that these two scenarios are incomparable.

However, the silver lining that connects these two together is the fact that it requires a certain level of hatred and a disregard of Life to accomplish either. So who’s the pot and who’s the kettle?


Tungz

Wanted: REVOLUTION-REFORMATION


“The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; business without morality; science without humanity; and worship without sacrifice.” – Mahatama Ghandi


On July 17th, 2007, Bush enacted a bill that outlaws anti-war protests in the United States, effectively maiming the First Amendment (“freedom of speech”). http://www.28daysmovement.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2181&sid=0668ac057c8d01183e8194315204b31b#2181

It’s hard to believe that any American – regardless of political affiliation – would not be appalled by this move; lacking the foresight to realize the negative and residual impact that this has on the civil liberties of all U.S. citizens, even the less than 25% who continue to support President Bush.

Either they are unaware of the brevity of this regressive line of action, or the bombardment of propagandistic fear-mongering has proven effective.

Not only has this regime subverted the rights and freedoms of its citizens, but has also morally ostracized the U.S. from practically every other nation, all while allowing treasonous crimes of fellow cabinet members (i.e. Gonzalez and Libby) to go unchecked; relegating “the law” and the Constitution to a changeable, minor obstacle.

Although it is a start, impeachment is insufficient; for it only seeks to remove the “figure” and not the “philosophy”.

Considering that Cheney is the brains behind the tyranny of this administration (along with other cabinet members who hold seemingly uninfluential positions), he is the logical first choice for impeachment (or at least should be). However, this is highly unlikely considering that the impeachment process requires the formal charges for impeachment to be examined by a prosecutor designated by a House judiciary committee, and the U.S. Attorney General (Alberto Gonzalez); the latter being a beneficiary of Bush cronyism.

This is the very reason why Gonzalez has been allowed to retain his position in the wake of the illegal attorney firings. He is a keystone in Bush’s base; one who having been spared by President Bush, will demonstrate his loyalty by sabotaging or diverting any attempt to impeach the “Bosses” (Bush and/or Cheney).

As a result, a much needed impeachment is highly unlikely.

Even if an impeachment were to occur, the U.S. government is far beyond the level of salvage or repair by means of implementing a new leader or leaders - regardless of how well-meaning and sincere the incumbent’s efforts may be - largely because the very foundation of which it sits is tainted and compromised.

The concept of “checks and balances” has attenuated and is now virtually nonexistent; repeatedly proven by an incompetent, compromised Congress, and an impotent Judicial Branch, both of which have fallen short of effectiveness at limiting an Executive Branch, which, as it relates to this particular administration, is led by arguably the worst thing that has ever happened to mankind short of a natural cataclysm.

Through a policy of corruption, the U.S. government has decayed to its core; and to attempt to maintain a place of safety and security on such an assemblage is just as wise as building a tree house in a dry-rotted tree. The owners of the tree (the people) should not allow it to be left standing lest it falls and causes greater damage in its descent.

It is imperative that the tree be removed and replaced with a new tree in which its owners value the trees roots just as much as its fruits, taking steps to monitor the growth of the tree closely, removing any branches that grow out of control.

In today’s government, corruption/conspiracies are not anomalies, but rather, normalities ; regular modus operandi’s that are vainly viewed as unethical only when its use becomes known to the outside world.

Therefore, what is desperately needed, more now than ever, is a “Reformation”; a total restructuring of government that is built on the virtues of integrity, honesty, compassion, and equality; qualities that have been severely lacking from the entire political structure, which are in fact, currently regarded as “weaknesses”.

Every moment we are awakened to the fact that what we believe to be a Democracy is in actuality an Aristocracy.

We, the people, have become more impressed by perceptions than performance; rendering us haphazardly led by the image of solidarity and success in the absence of substance.

This veil of confusion created by the “so-called” world leaders is very much an intentional effort; a process used to intimidate and frustrate the populace into submission in which many willfully relinquish their common sense for comfort, sanity for security, and freedom for fascism. So much so that some of us just drop our hands in piteous surrender, relying on hopes and dreams that an organization that has profited off of our ignorance will soon regain its conscience and show mercy.

Don’t count on it!

The web of deceit and confusion has significantly impacted our rationale to such a degree that many actually believe that:

- That the eradication of “terror” can be led by a tyrant who uses terror
- That immigrants who accept jobs that many of us would consider menial are a greater threat to the economy than a government that offshores jobs that we consider valuable
- That America itself isn’t a conglomeration of immigrants and borrowed and stolen traditions
- That the removal of your personal rights and freedoms is for your own protection
- That we can war our way to peace

And probably the greatest misconception of all is that we – the people – are powerless in changing the landscape and actions of our government.


Do you wish to live in fear? Do you wish to live in sorrow? Do you wish to live in tension? By no means. No one who is in a state of fear or sorrow or tension is free. But whoever is delivered from sorrows or fears or anxieties, he is at the same time delivered from servitude. – Epictetus


What to do!!!


Voting could be effective if it were done with purpose and conviction by holding the government and its officials accountable for all of its missteps and mishaps. It seems that the American people have forgotten that the government works for them - that it is their employee - and when employees don't perform their job as expected or desired, then they are fired; meaning, their money is cut off.

Governments are no exception to the rule.

The American people need to cut off the money. Taxes are one way that these moves are financed; supposedly giving citizens a say in how and were their money is spent. Become more informed on where your money is going.

But more importantly, the other way that these moves are financed is through big business!!!

The federal government is merely a conglomeration of big businesses - business owners and shareholders - with each member of government having a vested interested in their company’s success. Just look at Bush’s Corporate Cabinet alone (circa 2001) to get an idea http://multinationalmonitor.org/mm2001/01may/may01bushcc.html .

The people that pass these laws – such as the Executive Order passed by Bush on July 17, 2007 - would not do so if it proved detrimental to their bottom line. Therefore, to see who benefits from such actions, one should simply observe the incumbents affiliations, and “follow the money!”

In doing so, one should adopt the same philosophies that the government uses in appropriating “terrorists”….considering that the difference is relative.

1. Identify them (i.e. the companies/terrorists).
2. Identify the companies or personages that they have “ties” with.
3. Make their complicity and affiliations (“ties”) known by way of protests, internet, media, discussions, letters, etc. (note: the reason why the protests have been outlawed is because they have been effective. Otherwise, why bother?)
4. Cut off their funding (i.e. boycotts).
5. Expect resistance. Power is never willfully relinquished.
6. Be vigilant and expect success.

If these companies do not demonstrate a verifiable interest and effort in assuring the freedom and liberties of its customers/clients/citizens, then the people should stop supporting them; direct your monies to someone or something that will. Don’t pay them to mistreat you!

In regards to our voting, at present, we vote without understanding and follow-through; endowing our votes with the potency of mere "suggestions"; idle threats at best. As the character, “V”, in the movie V for Vendetta stated: "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

However, you don't fear anything that poses no threat. Therefore, government currently doesn't fear its people; and won’t, until the people realize their collective power and value.

A "thinking people” is the biggest threat to a tyrannical government; because a free mind will not accept limiting circumstances. Under such circumstances, rebellion is imperative and imminent. Therefore, the government would much rather keep its people entertained than enlightened; “dumbed-down” if you will.

"...A little rebellion now and then is a good thing...It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government." - Thomas Jefferson

If we would still our minds momentarily, shaking off our inebriation on fear and chaos, and replace our passive compliance with critical, positive thinking, we would then realize the common denominator in all of our troubles; political as well as personal.

The same force that is limiting those abroad is limiting those in the U.S.

From the poverty and genocide in Africa, to the mass destruction in the Middle East, to the sanctions in South Korea, to the abandonment of the Hurricane Katrina victims, to the removal of rights and liberties in America - all of which are designed to appear as isolated incidences – all stem from the same source in an effort to achieve a greater agenda; all of which have been accomplished through the tool of the body politic.

When the race for leadership is determined by who can raise the most money as opposed to who can raise the most “minds”, this indicates a clear defunct in the priorities of a society.

Therefore, the relief, peace, and progression that we all seek will NOT come from someone who works and thinks from within the limitations of the current political-religious structure, but rather, from someone who stands and sees beyond and outside of it in a spirit of idealism, armored in integrity, and baring a staff of reason with a banner of unity that conveys the message that the progression of the human race starts with personal responsibility and accountability.

You have to be what you desire. If you want change, then you must be change.

Don’t be fooled into believing that the run for the Whitehouse is a battle between the Democrats and the Republicans! They are merely 2 sides of the same coin used to create the illusion of political progression, in which the coin is controlled by big businesses and a cabal of financial despots who manipulate conditions for their own best interest. Politicians are merely glorified hitmen, fallguys, and puppets.

Real power is unseen!

More important than the need for “new leaders” is the need for “new thinkers”. Therefore, at the current political momentum, a revolution to a reformation is necessary and imperative.

Tungz

America: Land of the Thieves…Home of the Slave

Written By: Tungz


We the People have failed to impeach a president who has more than proven to be a poison to the world populace while pretending to be a panacea, despite the fact that he is merely a puppet; strings plucked and pulled like Geppetto’s Pinocchio, telling enough lies to produce a proboscis that penetrates for petroleum.

America has become a penal farm of passive patriots; prisoners of a pipedream of progress perpetuated at the hands of political pundits who have provided a purgatory for peace absent of purification. Ruled by Satan, perched in whitehouses and pentagons, forked-tongue pleas reveal prejudices, preferences, and persecutions in the form of policies and procedures.

Pain has become a process, and panic a pastime.

But propaganda is powerful; particularly when people can’t see past their plasmas, i-pods, phones, and flat panels, finding piety in vain prayers that aren’t propelled by purpose, all of which are just part of the programming.

Religion has become more of a pact than a practice; a ploy where preachers profit off of prophets by preaching phobias to peasants whose perceptions are limited to their passions; whose passions are limited to their pockets, whose pockets are pinned by that 10% pay that those preachers profuse is your only passage to perfection.

But maybe one should pose the paradigm of the impossibility of Perfection creating anything less than perfect, unless it is imperfect Itself. So who created you…..and who are you praying too???

If perfection is a perception, then how one perceives himself/herself determines the level of power in their possession. In other words, Perfection lies in your reflection….and THAT is free. Embracing it is FREEDOM! So what do you see???

Through ignorance, our pompous personalities have revealed our dependent position – mere babies – little piglets that suckle from the teats of a bigger pig, pacified by fear and fed in manured pastures while wrapped in red, white, and blue pampers.

Calling “home” a land that has practically pillaged everything in its path it has become plain that the ultimate plan is to secure our imprisonment; uplifting the profane while piercing the hearts of the pure.

In its passing, the American legacy will be penned in blood on papyrus and parchment in a simple, pitiful prose that professes: America: Land of the Thieves….Home of the Slave

Peaces!

Sick of Imus and the Media

After days of intentional refrain, it is with great reluctance that I toss my hat into the fray of “Don Imus” ad nauseam, but the ignorance and narrow mindedness of the media has gone beyond the brink of intolerability.

First let’s be clear: This whole Don Imus fiasco isn’t nearly as much about the word “ho” as it is about indecency and irresponsibility. Imus could have selected from a plethora of brazen epithets (i.e. bitches, wenches, broads, etc.), and we would still find ourselves in this awkward moment of clarity in which we now stand; particularly when involving the festering sore of racism and misogyny that still pusses in the anatomy of America.

But, for whatever reason, Imus chose the word “ho”, and as a result, the media and Imus supporters have taken it as an opportunity to attack Hip Hop and the Black community, totally ignoring the fact that such appellations exist in other communities as well as forms of music that span the entire globe and Pop culture (i.e. Rock).

Their short-sightedness prevents them from seeing that they are attacking the symptom as opposed to the source.

Consequently, many Imus dissenters feel that his far-reaching media platform makes the difference between his level of impact, and the impact that Hip Hop, comedians, and movies have on the populace. While it is debatable regarding who reaches and impresses more people, this still remains to be a less substantial piece of the puzzle.

One must consider the importance of "context", which alone is the determining factor on how a word or phrase is interpreted and understood.

Simply put, “what” you say is just as important as “how” you say it. When it comes to the arts (i.e. music, acting, comedy, etc.) greater exception is given because it is assumed to be done in the creative context, oftentimes being abstract, allegorical, or poetical in nature.

Music – and the arts in general – often venture off into the lands of imagination and fantasy where what’s said is intended to be interpreted in direct contrast to how it’s meant. That’s what art is; therefore, the lines are less stringent, and should remain so. Art can not exist in censorship. Creativity can not exist without art. And nothing can exist without creativity.

In journalism, particularly media outlets that often cater to political pundits, community leaders and the like, the context and content is assumed to be factual, or at least, of popular opinion. Therefore, the need to be attentive and considerate of how something is communicated is greater.

However, this does not alleviate ANYONE – whether a journalist, Hip Hop artist, politician, or what have you - of personal responsibility and accountability, wrought with the foresight of understanding how the things you say or do can impact others.

In all fairness and honesty, many of the things that are said by music artists of all genres - particularly in Hip Hop - are just as irresponsible and impactful as Imus’ comment. But the thoughts that encourage these words run much deeper than the color of one's skin. We must look within!

This social ignominy is neither a color problem nor a culture problem, but rather, a consciousness problem. If Man would make the effort to raise his thinking, the need for censorship would be null, seeing that the indecency of his tongue will be quelled by the quality of his thoughts, resulting in a self-regulation motivated by mutual respect and integrity. However, this can not be achieved until we first start taking personal responsibility for our own actions.

Free speech struggles in its liberation from the pull of enslaved thinking.


Tungz

“He who reforms himself has done more towards reforming the public than a crowd of noisy, impotent patriots.” - Lavater

In the midst of the Don Imus' tourette-like outburst that has tic-ed off a sizeable portion of the African American community(pardon the pun), I offer this excerpt from my upcoming book, The Awakening of the Meek, in which this section, in my opinion, underscores the mindset that allows such ignornace to exist. - Tungz

"Relevance of Irrelevancy"

--Excerpt from "The Awakening of The Meek" - By Tungz--

“....destroyed your and my past. Destroyed our knowledge of our culture. And by having destroyed it, now we don’t know we have any achievements…any accomplishments. And as long as you can be convinced you never did anything, you can never do anything.” – Detroit Red

From movies about cowboys and Indians, to Tarzan, to war-related movies - including the 9/11 films, Flight 93 and World Trade Center - to even the Christian religion, the Caucasian man has always cast himself as the hero and savior of a world that would otherwise crumble in the hands of its darker, purportedly less civilized inhabitants.

The intent – although sometimes unconscious - is to stigmatize “the brown” in a negative light; incapable of contributing anything morally or intellectually substantial as it relates to the progression or well-being of mankind. In fact, in the latter film, World Trade Center, a supposed “true story”, two of the real-life heroes, both African American men, Jason Thomas and Bruce Reynolds, came forth to reveal the omission of their likenesses from the film, which were conveniently replaced by Caucasian actors.

Likewise, in the movie entitled A Mighty Heart, which chronicles the life of the Caucasian Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan (Daniel Pearl) in 2002, instead of casting a brown-skinned, curly-haired, woman of mixed ethnicity (Afro-Cuban and Dutch) to portray his heroic widow, Mariane Pearl, the producer instead chose to cast Angelina Jolie, a Caucasian woman. Arguably, there are a number of actresses who would have been more characteristically befitting for the role (i.e. Thandi Newton, Troy Beyer, Rae Dawn Chong, Jennifer Beals, Halle Berry, etc.). However, none were selected; or allegedly, even considered.

Of course, it will be convenient for supporters to site this observation as being petty, nit-picky and frivolous; likely, shifting the focus from the objective blemish to the subjective and moralistic strengths, retorting that the casting of Angelina Jolie was based primarily - or exclusively - on her acting abilities, and the fact that she is a big name in Hollywood.

However, if this is truly the reason, then it can’t be ignored, and in fact begs to question, as to why no big name Caucasian actors were cast to play the villains; the vile Middle Eastern terrorist who arranged and carried out Daniel Pearl’s execution, instead of using real Middle Easterners? Surely Brad Pitt, Tom Cruz, or Keifer Sutherland could have handled these roles with ease and intense believability.

In all likelihood, if this question was offered to the producer, his reasoning will include his desire to keep the movie as realistic and to-the-letter as possible; which all-in-all, would only serve to contradict the move for casting Angelina Jolie in the first place.

The reason for such a paradigm is simple: “Brown” heroes are prohibited unless they are only saving, representing, or liberating “brown” people. Otherwise, a “brown” hero liberating a white victim is viewed as blasphemous and belittling; a subliminal self-admittance of white inferiority and incompetence.

Consequently, brown people killing white people is viewed as terroristic, immoral, and irreverent; while white people killing brown people (i.e. cowboys and Indians, Christopher Columbus, War on Iraq, etc.) is viewed as heroic, valiant, pioneering, and patriotic.

This image, ideology, and illusion that the “good guys wear/are white”, is in all accounts, an intentional attempt to subliminally, and subtly, imbed the perception of incompetence, ineptitude, and limitation into the sub-conscience of “the Brown” as a means of weakening the will, and effectively achieving subjugation, which is then compounded by the concealment of historical, cultural, and personal significance and/or achievement, only to be replaced with those of “inadequacy”, “inferiority” and “imperfection”.

In other words, the objective is to destroy you from the inside out by altering that in which you identify. And in this current consciousness, mankind identifies with that which he/she sees; namely, the perception of himself/herself, as well as those things we believe to be reflections or definitions of who we are (i.e. material things, status, affiliations, jobs, culture, religion, etc.). As a result, these things become the very elements by which we’re managed and controlled (discussed more in the following section entitled, “Control through Culture”).

Open Letter to BET

Since its inception, BET has prided itself on being the voice and representation of Black people in America; filling the chasms of deniability and invalidation oft created and left by the predominate networks who couldn’t – or wouldn’t – see the value or significance of Black livelihood.

In a time where “blackness” was medially defined through the eyes of white bigotry and subjugation – which unabashedly continues today - BET, then, served as the contrasting counterbalance that provided the positive perspective categorically omitted elsewhere, practically proving itself to be the safe-haven and preserver of “black identity and unity”.

BET had become a place where Black people could learn about themselves holistically – their historical contributions and unlimited future potentialities – without fear of judgment, condemnation, or characterization, in a world where such has become the status quo.

But something went terribly wrong. Falling in the hands of those who obviously don’t have the unifying, progressive best interest of the Black community at hand or at heart, BET has slowly become the very thing it was created to offset: a stereotypical reinforcement that places the Black community’s lowest rungs as its highest achievements. With the sell of BET to Viacom, “selling out” become more of a literalism than a euphemism. In effect, BET lost its “Soul” [no pun intended….but I like it].

Therefore, on this day of February, 21st, on the latter end of Black History Month, I find it rather disturbing that various BHM infomercials and appreciations are obvious contrasts to the stations regular parochial programming; rendering “Black history” an obligatory interruption on a station where it should be an adamant and valuable mainstay throughout the year.

One would think that the programming for Black History Month on BET would run seamlessly and transparently as a part of its regular programming, putting equal importance on history and the future as it does the present. But then I am reminded that BET is an acronym for Black Entertainment Television (my emphasis), and not Black Enlightenment Television or Black Education Television; in which the latter two would only be the concern of an organization who actually cared about the community it is supposed to represent. An assessment of BET’s regular programming alone is a clear indication that this is obviously not the case.

As a result, BET has found itself in a position of redefinition, but not so much in a positive light, unless your “positivity” gauge is calibrated on the number of “eye and ears” that are reached as opposed to “hearts and minds”. But now, equally befitting, are the acronyms: Blacks Embarrassing Themselves, and Buffoonery Every Time, along with the infamous, Black Exploitation Television.

Therefore, in this month of Black History, we should use the last day of the month, February 28th, to recognize and commemorate November 3, 2000 as the death of BET; for this is when the soul left the body.

R.I.P BET.

Tungz

“No Way Forward”


If there ever was a statement that was most befitting for president Bush (consider the little “p” an intentional symbolic reference to his brain) and his “New Way Forward” policy, the following is it:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” – B. Franklin

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that a president that has more than proven to be the proverbial “drain” in a well-meaning “think tank”, would defiantly and tenaciously go against the wishes and recommendations of not only the bipartisan Iraqi Study Group and Congress, but the American people as well; who expressed their discontent with the president’s war strategy in the recent mid-term elections.

The State of the Union address on January 23rd , 2007, was worded in such a way as to serve the purpose that such addresses are designed: To gain support by spewing just enough rhetoric to keep the masses optimistically deluded. But its effectiveness remains to be determined; measurable by the level of continued complacency and incompetent disregard at the hands of organizations put in place to serve as checks and balances against such actions, in which the American people are equally as complicit. Because, if the old adage is true – “If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting." – then, the only thing that we have to look forward to getting, is closer to hell, lead by the Devil himself.

Bush’s initiative – coined “New Way Forward” – seeks to deploy 20,000 more troops to Iraq as a strategy for shifting the tide to one of “victory”; a word he uses copiously, despite the fact that it has been the most illusive thing since the war began. However, if you consider the number of American casualties since the beginning of the war on 3/19/03, which is listed as 22,951 (http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/), then Bush’s initiative does no more than puts us back where we were 4 years ago…..with an added deficit of 2,951 troops! It seems that “No Way Forward” would be a more appropriate title.

Is his strategy logical??? Of course it isn’t! But that is only because this war has absolutely NOTHING to do with what the American public has been led to believe. The war has gone from capturing Bin Laden, to eradicating “Terror”, to removing Weapons of Mass Destruction, to capturing Sadam Hussein, to liberating Iraqi’s, back to eradicating “Terror”, to making Iraqi’s run their own government…….in which the president expects you believe that 1 out of 6 isn’t bad at the cost of $360 billion dollars and climbing.

I’m sure that that last statement will be dismissed as fodder for conspiracy theorist by many, but who can deny the overwhelming number of conspiracies that this administration has been involved in, arrogantly dismissed as incompetence or coincidence???

After so many disappointments at the hands of this administration, maybe it’s time for the public to wake up and realize that there are no coincidences. Maybe it’s not a coincidence that “New Way Forward” sounds a lot like “New World Order”. Maybe it’s not a coincidence that the letters of the president’s name – George Walker Bush, Jr. – equates to the number “666”. Maybe it’s not a coincidence that Nostradamus’ quatrain (Century VI-70) chronicles the “New Way Forward” initiative (i.e. Plus Oultre).

The presidents plan to give more of the same is the reasoning of someone who is either grossly incompetent, grossly iniquitous, or both; all of which suggests that our fate is inevitable lest efforts are made to curtail his initiatives, and begin to repair the bad relationships – domestically and internationally - incurred through intolerable angst and jingoistic politics.

Whether you believe in the conspiracies or not, an intelligent, rational human being can not deny that something is amiss; that the senseless deaths, the elimination of freedoms for the sake of security, religious persecution, and the use of terror to combat terror, are in direct contrast to what most perceive to be the “Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.” But maybe Sinclair Lewis was trying to tell us something when he said, “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”

Don’t make a difference, BE a difference.


Tungz