Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
TIGERS DEN & THE WAR WITHIN
Quisa Williams, known as "Q", was murdered Sunday morning, April 27th, 2009 at the Tiger's Den lounge here in Savannah, GA., where he was manager.
By Nadra Enzi
Quisa Williams, known as "Q", was murdered Sunday morning, April 27th, 2009 at the Tiger's Den lounge here in Savannah, GA., where he was manager.
I knew Q. My associates and I provided security there last year.
People ask me sometimes why I do this "Capt. Black anti-crime stuff." It's because of inner city victims like Q whose only crime was he dared make a living where most folks wouldn't.
Peace keeping is what the inner city desperately needs. We're awash in angry personalities who confuse force with strength and leave ballooning body counts as their only result.
This is why we as citizens and African-Americans must make ending violent urban crime the internal civil rights movement of the 21st Century for our own good and the national interest.
This young man was only 25 years old, the same age as many who are wounded or die overseas in the service of this country. He's one of a number of persons I know who have met such a fate.
His death serves graphic notice that there is a war within these borders whose intensity often dominates local headlines and regularly made national news in the days before September 11th changed our focus on threats to the Republic.
Looking continents away for enemies exclusively denies us vital focus upon thugs and worse who are born here in many cases and possess little more regard for their fellow citizens than what we ascribe to Al Queda and its ilk.
Prevention proponents will say lack of role models and money creates these tragedies while we who favor punative measures respond no one has the sanction to use a tough childhood as license for murder.
It doesn't matter which side is right when faced by the enormity of the wrong done daily in America's inner cities.
When I say I wage a "legal, yet creatively executed war against street crime " it's said as somoene who realizes street crime is the central challenge to safety for Black people- not White racists with whom they have little direct contact.
My foes often bear my color but are light years removed from me and my peers in terms of consciousness, let alone civic conduct.
When I indelicately state the next war in the Black community will be between " Black folks and negroes ( used instead of the other N-Word ) " it is a stark admission that the focus on others must cease in the face of an inner peril destroying all we're worked to establish and safeguard from external enemies.
Back to our young murder victim, a man's man if ever there were one. He was the type of individual who would slap a lion without second thought about the grisly consequences.
Q was a courageous man who I don't doubt for a second may have tried to fight the gunmen unarmed. Some may question the wisdom of such actions in hindsight but men like Q are the reason more timid souls can walk around freely.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
I hope the suspect and his partners will just turn themselves in.
In exchange for a few dollars they've killed a father and created a widow and orphans- stop while you're ahead.
Goodbye,Q, may ALLAH be pleased with you.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes firsthand resolution of crime in progress and self-development, alongside his STREET TEAM OF AMERICA Concerned Citizens Group.
NADRACAPTBLACK@YMAIL.COM- is also his Pay Pal address.
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/NADRASW1
By Nadra Enzi
Quisa Williams, known as "Q", was murdered Sunday morning, April 27th, 2009 at the Tiger's Den lounge here in Savannah, GA., where he was manager.
I knew Q. My associates and I provided security there last year.
People ask me sometimes why I do this "Capt. Black anti-crime stuff." It's because of inner city victims like Q whose only crime was he dared make a living where most folks wouldn't.
Peace keeping is what the inner city desperately needs. We're awash in angry personalities who confuse force with strength and leave ballooning body counts as their only result.
This is why we as citizens and African-Americans must make ending violent urban crime the internal civil rights movement of the 21st Century for our own good and the national interest.
This young man was only 25 years old, the same age as many who are wounded or die overseas in the service of this country. He's one of a number of persons I know who have met such a fate.
His death serves graphic notice that there is a war within these borders whose intensity often dominates local headlines and regularly made national news in the days before September 11th changed our focus on threats to the Republic.
Looking continents away for enemies exclusively denies us vital focus upon thugs and worse who are born here in many cases and possess little more regard for their fellow citizens than what we ascribe to Al Queda and its ilk.
Prevention proponents will say lack of role models and money creates these tragedies while we who favor punative measures respond no one has the sanction to use a tough childhood as license for murder.
It doesn't matter which side is right when faced by the enormity of the wrong done daily in America's inner cities.
When I say I wage a "legal, yet creatively executed war against street crime " it's said as somoene who realizes street crime is the central challenge to safety for Black people- not White racists with whom they have little direct contact.
My foes often bear my color but are light years removed from me and my peers in terms of consciousness, let alone civic conduct.
When I indelicately state the next war in the Black community will be between " Black folks and negroes ( used instead of the other N-Word ) " it is a stark admission that the focus on others must cease in the face of an inner peril destroying all we're worked to establish and safeguard from external enemies.
Back to our young murder victim, a man's man if ever there were one. He was the type of individual who would slap a lion without second thought about the grisly consequences.
Q was a courageous man who I don't doubt for a second may have tried to fight the gunmen unarmed. Some may question the wisdom of such actions in hindsight but men like Q are the reason more timid souls can walk around freely.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
I hope the suspect and his partners will just turn themselves in.
In exchange for a few dollars they've killed a father and created a widow and orphans- stop while you're ahead.
Goodbye,Q, may ALLAH be pleased with you.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes firsthand resolution of crime in progress and self-development, alongside his STREET TEAM OF AMERICA Concerned Citizens Group.
NADRACAPTBLACK@YMAIL.COM- is also his Pay Pal address.
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/NADRASW1
Is Hip-Hop Owned by the Democrat Party?
By Brandon BriceHipHopRepublican.com in recent years has revolutionized the way that young
audiences nationwide are looking at the GOP. The blogsite has introduced a new manifesto to Republican politics in urban America, but has faced controversy because of the name“hiphoprepublican.com”.
One Sunday morning as I reached for my I-POD player, I noticed two songs titled “ I Put On” and “My President is Black” by southern rap artist Young Jeezy. In the song’s lyrics Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama is uttered in the background, but I don’t hear any reference to John McCain. Interestingly the Hip Hop culture has assisted the Democratic Party on multiple elections, campaigns, etc. However, the interesting observation is that now it’s beginning to be an issue when the GOP decides to reach out to this same influential base.
Are we starting to realize the power of hip hop as it relates to coalitions building and outreach? Absolutely.
All of us Bill Clinton lovers remembered in the early 90’s the two largest outreach strategies that helped Clinton become our 42nd President, gaining national recognition on the Arsenio Hall Show playing the Saxophone to a jazz melody and being endorsed nationwide by the late 2Pac Shakur in urban communities nationwide. In previous years rap icon P-Diddy, or Puff Daddy gained national recognition for the “Vote or Die” campaign via television shows, t-shirts, memorabilia, etc.
Unfortunately the question for Mr. Combs, a successful business guru, should’ve been vote or die for whom? The bi-partisan nature of these campaigns and outreach methods are incredibly skewed to the left, with an emphasis on supporting only Democratic candidates. Perhaps this phenomenon is solely because Democratic candidates in the past have showed up in urban communities for church events, endorsements and cookouts.
R.N.C. Chairman Michael Steele received an endorsement last year from Def Jam founder Russell Simmons, who apparently understands the importance of a two party system which gives African Americans options. In November of 2008, Presidential Candidate Sen. John McCain received an endorsement from Latino hip hop star Daddy Yankee which appealed to many young Spanish audiences who at first were not in favor of supporting a candidate in his mid 70’s. The left has finally realized that the Republican Party’s new approach and tactics towards urban America, via the tea parties, modeling a strategy to promote urban conservatism and young minority activist speaking against big government has stirred up this new outreach towards the hip hop culture. The Republican Party has finally discovered that the power of the future lies in the youth and who controls it.
- Brandon Brice is a graduate of Howard University and is a former fellow of the New Jersey Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. As a long time member of Republicans for Black Empowerment, Brandon is an active contributor to HipHopRepublicans.com. Brandon Brice has worked as a policy intern for the former House Speaker Honorable J. Dennis Hastert and has served as a fellow at the United Nations. He has been featured on C-SPAN’s Road to the White House; BET’s What’s At Stake and Hot97 with Lisa Evers. Brandon is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, and attends the Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church in Harlem.
Grade The President's First 100 Days on CNN
Fellow Hip-Hop Republicans we hope all is well. This week CNN is letting our readers grade President Barack Obama on his performance! This would be a great opportunity for our readers to make their voices heard!
Didn't, like the bailout that Obama rushed through congress...then speak up.
CNN is launching The CNN National Report Card: First 100 Days on Wednesday, April 29 (8pm ET).
About: This show is for viewers to rate President Barack Obama on his first 100 days. Led by anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, John King and Soledad O’Brien, the show will gauge the public’s opinion on how President Obama and other elected officials have handled their first 100 days in office, as well as how the country is progressing on significant issues.
Tune into The CNN National Report Card: First 100 Days on Wednesday, April 29th (8pm ET) on CNN.
Let your voice be heard.
Didn't, like the bailout that Obama rushed through congress...then speak up.
CNN is launching The CNN National Report Card: First 100 Days on Wednesday, April 29 (8pm ET).
About: This show is for viewers to rate President Barack Obama on his first 100 days. Led by anchors Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, John King and Soledad O’Brien, the show will gauge the public’s opinion on how President Obama and other elected officials have handled their first 100 days in office, as well as how the country is progressing on significant issues.
Tune into The CNN National Report Card: First 100 Days on Wednesday, April 29th (8pm ET) on CNN.
Let your voice be heard.
Oscar De Priest vs The Railroad Companies - Black Republican History
By ANDREW GLASS
On this day in 1941, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that under the 1887 Interstate Commerce Act, African-Americans were entitled to equal passenger accommodations on the nation’s railroads. Rep. Arthur Mitchell of Illinois (1883-1968), the first black member of Congress to be elected as a Democrat, co-argued his own suit before the high tribunal.
In 1937, while traveling from Chicago to Hot Springs, Ark., an Illinois Central conductor ordered Mitchell to vacate his first-class air-conditioned Pullman sleeper compartment shortly after the train left Memphis, Tenn., and to move to a second-class segregated car for the remainder of his trip, which continued on the Rock Island line.
Mitchell, a lawyer who had taken his seat in the House in 1935 after defeating Rep. Oscar De Priest, a black Republican, sued both railroads for racial discrimination. After the Interstate Commerce Commission and the U.S. District Court for Northern Illinois dismissed his suit, Mitchell appealed to the Supreme Court. He subsequently described his legal victory there as a “step in the destruction of Mr. Jim Crow himself.”
The decision to compel Mitchell to move, the high court found, “was manifestly a discrimination against him in the course of his interstate journey ... solely [because] he was a Negro.”
Mitchell was born in 1883 near Lafayette, Ala. He left home at 14 to attend Tuskegee Institute. He worked on a farm and as an assistant to Booker T. Washington while at the college. Mitchell also attended Columbia University before qualifying for the bar. He moved to Chicago and entered politics there as a Republican but later switched to the Democratic Party because he thought it better represented his views.
In 1942, Mitchell chose not to seek reelection and moved to Virginia, where he lived on a 12-acre farm until his death in 1968.
Source: Historian, Clerk of the U.S. House
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The Truths Behind the Tea Parties
The Republican Leadership Council has an interesting take on the Tea Parties. Last week our blog highlighted the pro Tea Parties positions within our party. This view is a bit different it seeks to offer positives and potential negatives.The tea bag protests that marked tax day on Wednesday represented an opportunity and a risk for the Republican Party. Opportunity because they offered a jolt of energy for a battered party after two dismal elections. Risk because they supplied at best only a partial answer to what ails the GOP. Fueling anger is not a strategy.
There was certainly a sense of deja vu to the demonstrations. Was it a faint echo of 1978 and the Proposition 13, anti-tax movement in California that helped bring Ronald Reagan to the presidency two years later? Was it the first sign of revival of the leave-us-alone, anti-government coalition that sprang up in the early 1990s and helped bring Republicans to power in the House and the Senate in 1994?
Those movements helped propel Republicans to new heights. Reagan cemented what turned out to be a long period of conservative ascendance in American politics, one whose roots were in Barry Goldwater's loss and Richard M. Nixon's victories but that did not begin to reach political maturity until the Gipper was elected.
The 1994 landslide took the party further, reshaping the Republican coalition and altering the balance of power. Though the South had been trending Republican in presidential elections, it took Newt Gingrich and his brash leadership to drive those voting habits down to House races. The 1994 election consolidated the South in GOP hands. Over time, the region became the party's geographical and ideological heart.
Once again, however, Republicans are in the wilderness. In the four years after George W. Bush won his second term as president, Republicans surrendered power in the House and the Senate and then gave up the White House. Their numbers have fallen not just in elected officials but among the rank and file; fewer people now identify themselves as members of the Grand Old Party.
The party is in decline, and the Southern-based conservatism that it projected has fallen into disfavor elsewhere. Beyond President Obama's electoral map, which turned red to blue in some surprising places, the Democrats' success in congressional and senatorial elections in 2006 and 2008 also speaks to the decline.
Four years ago, political analysts talked about Republican inroads in rural America and the exurban counties outside big cities in describing the party's strengths. Today, the Democrats' coalition looks to be the more robust.
Democratic success in the suburbs (and in some of those same exurbs), particularly outside the South, has for now trumped those earlier Republican advances. Add to that the reversal of Republican gains made among Hispanics early in Bush's presidency, and the portrait of GOP retrenchment becomes even more vivid.
The Republican Party's road back requires reassembling its conservative base, which was badly fractured during the final years of Bush's presidency. But real success will require a new effort to reach beyond that base to disaffected moderate Republicans and especially to independent voters who have moved decisively in the direction of Obama and the Democrats.
The tea party protests offer the GOP an appealing lifeline, an energized cadre of indeterminate size. They may be a one-time phenomenon or the start of something larger. The potency of the Republican prescription of tax cuts and small government has lessened with the failures of the Bush years and the scope of the economic crisis. Can it be restored? Much depends on the success or failure of Obama's economic policies.
Republican leaders are gambling that Obama is making sizable miscalculations on the public's appetite for bigger government and bigger deficits. For now the president and his policies remain popular, but it is early in the experiment. Obama must be mindful of overreaching, a problem that has affected winning parties in the past. Republican leaders have seized on the tea protests as a sign that he is doing just that.
Given the state of the GOP, any sign of life in the coalition is alluring. The question is what Republicans have learned from their recent failures. How much do they acknowledge the limits of an anti-government message? How much do they acknowledge that the country that elected Obama president and gave Democrats their majorities in Congress has changed culturally and demographically from the one that gave Republicans their victories a decade ago?
Gingrich got his party partway to power in 1994; Bush took it the rest of the way there in 2000. But as a presidential candidate, Bush had to distance himself from the Gingrich wing at times to make himself acceptable more broadly. That was an early sign of the limitations of the coalition that emerged in the 1990s.
In power under Bush, Republicans struggled to adapt their anti-government, culturally conservative philosophy to the practical demands of governing and to a changing country. The party split internally over spending and immigration, and lost the confidence of independents and moderates over Iraq and cultural issues.
Steve Schmidt, who was a top adviser to John McCain in the presidential campaign, said Friday that the party must rethink its opposition to same-sex marriage to appeal to voters, especially outside the South. His decision to speak out reflects a concern among moderates that the party has become too culturally conservative to win national elections.
For now, standing back and saying no to Obama may be enough. But opposition to the president's policies represents an incomplete message for a party seeking to regain power. Republicans still must confront larger questions of how they can appeal nationally and how they will govern if given the opportunity again.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
“Hip- Hop Republicanism”: A Manifesto
“Hip- Hop Republicanism” is a growing urban movement of progressive urban conservatives. Hip-Hop Republicanism is a grassroots movement born out of a frustration with blind party loyalty and 40-plus years of mismanaged urban polices. It is a movement that seeks to educate and empower people not hinder them. It is a movement that seeks to empower the individual positively while seeking to effect change in urban communities. Republicans are not anti-government, but believe in efficient and if possible limited government . As such, we Hip-Hop Republicans believe that government's social contract and our moral compass require helping those in need. Nevertheless, we also believe that if a non-governmental entity can provide a more efficient service it should be allowed too. As urban Republicans, we believe that any entitlement program should include metrics of proven success and should have as its ultimate aim the empowerment of the individual not the government. This means that any temporary guarantee of assistance must be accompanied by requisite training.
In his, article “The Blueprint for Urban Conservatism?” Brandon Brice, a Harlem resident and self-described “Hip- Hop Republican,” noted that the economic power of Hip Hop culture has created more African-American entrepreneurs than any other industry in America, which gives partial credence to our adoption of the name. The mission of the Urban Republican movement is to highlight and provide solutions for real issues; health care affordability, fiscal responsibility, solutions to better inner city schools and job creation. Let us think about the trends of economic activity in urban America.
In 2007, Def Jam Chairman Russell Simmons created a credit based debt card for urban families to input funds on a card, without creating debt or overdraft fees, as a means to educate on financial literacy. In 2007, Atlanta rapper T.I. started T.I construction as a means to help recently released ex-convicts find employment. Def Jam South Rapper David Banner teaches low-income residents in the south about the importance of saving and investing. Jay-Z, when he is not on tour, gives more to Make A Wish, Brooklyn Public Schools and the Marcy projects than any other rap celebrity in the New York City area. As aforementioned the hip-hop movement is a potent and persistent socio-economic force, and although their are grievances to be aired with some of its' symbolism we must recognize the positive impact made and leverage that to correct the injustices allowed by Wall Street and Washington policymakers.
In reality, urban conservatism speaks to all of the persistent issue’s in urban communities, by offering advanced literature and school voucher programs in neighborhood schools to counter educational inequities. The Urban Republican movement seeks to influence ex-gang members to put down the guns and pick up a book, or a pen to learn how to legally integrate into society. This movement takes experts out of the hospitals to speak on pro-active health in local community centers. The movement utilizes media contacts, not for personal gain, but to address the crisis of housing affordability, or the need for tax reform so that taxpayers are not baring the burden via tax dollars. The movement recognizes that America is changing and the need for the Republican Party to adapt and offer new solutions. What makes this concept of Urban Republicanism unique is that it pushes minorities to become self sufficient and responsible. The blue print for urban Republicanism is for the party to take on new problems in the 21st Century. The movement recognizes that Republicans can no longer run on set guidelines to win elections, but must solely run on the issues.
An example of a vibrant urban Republican agenda can be found on the website of The DC Republican Committee (DCRC) which created a document entitled "A Republican Urban Agenda". Many urban Republicans and Hip-Hop Republicans can support this document. We believe that this document can be a start in implementing an effective strategy that Republicans can use nationwide. If the Republican Party is going to take its fight to urban American, it must be prepared and it must be in sync with the people it seeks to empower.
New Website Launch Update
The other week we at HHR got a nasty little email asking that we just disappear or better yet just die. Well in the words of one famous American we " Hip-Hop Republicans Don't Die We Multiply". Hey folks all jokes aside we just wanted to give our readers a heads up regarding the details of the new website. But before we do this we want to thank everyone who took the time to donate to the site; we appreciate all that you have done. And if you still would like to make a small donation, we would greatly appreciate it.
However what’s more important is our loyal readership of thousands of visitors each week. Ideally, we want the site to be up and running by Thursday of next week but if this is not the case, it should be up the following week. However, we will let you know when the site is up and running. Below are some of the highlights and features of the new sit and what to look forward to.
Thank You
Richard Ivory- Publisher
Andrew Simmons – Host of HHR Radio
Tiffany Shorter – Editor
Cleo Brown – Co- Editor
Seeking: Interviewers - Contributors - Bloggers
We are seeking individuals who would like to interview Hip-Hop artist and Political figures within the Republican & Libertarian Party. We are also seeking bloggers who want to have there post added to our site. By having your postings added to HHR your blog & posts will be read by a wider audience.
If you want to be a contributor please emails us at hiphoprepublicans@gmail.com, most of our writers are Republican but we welcome all submissions.
New Site Features: The new site will be adapted to feature new menus, content and layouts. The site will also take on a more professional look and feel. Below are some of the features of the new site.
1)New Online Radio Show – Andrew Simmons a young black conservative from Canada and a recent a graduate of the University of Calgary, Alta where he was the President of the University’s Campus Conservative Club will be our sites new radio host. Andrew is a gifted speaker and is both a freelance writer and political commentator on both Canadian and American politics. The online radio show will feature artist and political figures and policy experts.
2)Urban Professionals – HHR will be conducting interviews online and on our new radio show with urban professionals on a variety of topics from low-income housing to reentry programs. We hope to reach out to groups like the Urban Institute, The Manhattan Institute and many other policy think tanks to get
3)Music Interviews - HHR will be working with one of Hip-Hops biggest online promoters -"ICED Media" and other promoters to conduct interviews with both popular and up an coming Hip- Hop artist.
4) Grass Roots - We will be conducting interviews with Republican & Libertarian groups that are trying to make a change for the better in urban America.
5) Urban Candidate Spotlight – The site will focus on Republican or Libertarian candidates who have a heart for urban issues.
6) Urban Small Business Spotlight - This feature will focus on urban business in the five boroughs of NYC. We will interview businesses and see what there concerns are and how and why they started a business.
7) Movie Reviews – Every month we will provide a movie review on the latest Box Office movies.
8) Angela’s Corner - Weekly & Monthly commentary on pop culture from NYC Socialite and Fox News contributor Angela Severiano
9) Ask Dr Davermann – If you have a question about Politics, Current Events, or Life Stuff, Dr. Davermann has the answer. This fun series will be run by James Davermann" a Financial Analyst whose describes himself as a Libertarian Republican. James is a graduate of Hofstra University where he studied Political Science and Economics. He is from Brooklyn and has been a Republican since he was eighteen years old. He is a U.S. Army Veteran who has proudly worn the uniform for our nation.
If you have any questions please email us at hiphoprepublicans@gmail.com
However what’s more important is our loyal readership of thousands of visitors each week. Ideally, we want the site to be up and running by Thursday of next week but if this is not the case, it should be up the following week. However, we will let you know when the site is up and running. Below are some of the highlights and features of the new sit and what to look forward to.
Thank You
Richard Ivory- Publisher
Andrew Simmons – Host of HHR Radio
Tiffany Shorter – Editor
Cleo Brown – Co- Editor
Seeking: Interviewers - Contributors - Bloggers
We are seeking individuals who would like to interview Hip-Hop artist and Political figures within the Republican & Libertarian Party. We are also seeking bloggers who want to have there post added to our site. By having your postings added to HHR your blog & posts will be read by a wider audience.
If you want to be a contributor please emails us at hiphoprepublicans@gmail.com, most of our writers are Republican but we welcome all submissions.
New Site Features: The new site will be adapted to feature new menus, content and layouts. The site will also take on a more professional look and feel. Below are some of the features of the new site.
1)New Online Radio Show – Andrew Simmons a young black conservative from Canada and a recent a graduate of the University of Calgary, Alta where he was the President of the University’s Campus Conservative Club will be our sites new radio host. Andrew is a gifted speaker and is both a freelance writer and political commentator on both Canadian and American politics. The online radio show will feature artist and political figures and policy experts.
2)Urban Professionals – HHR will be conducting interviews online and on our new radio show with urban professionals on a variety of topics from low-income housing to reentry programs. We hope to reach out to groups like the Urban Institute, The Manhattan Institute and many other policy think tanks to get
3)Music Interviews - HHR will be working with one of Hip-Hops biggest online promoters -"ICED Media" and other promoters to conduct interviews with both popular and up an coming Hip- Hop artist.
4) Grass Roots - We will be conducting interviews with Republican & Libertarian groups that are trying to make a change for the better in urban America.
5) Urban Candidate Spotlight – The site will focus on Republican or Libertarian candidates who have a heart for urban issues.
6) Urban Small Business Spotlight - This feature will focus on urban business in the five boroughs of NYC. We will interview businesses and see what there concerns are and how and why they started a business.
7) Movie Reviews – Every month we will provide a movie review on the latest Box Office movies.
8) Angela’s Corner - Weekly & Monthly commentary on pop culture from NYC Socialite and Fox News contributor Angela Severiano
9) Ask Dr Davermann – If you have a question about Politics, Current Events, or Life Stuff, Dr. Davermann has the answer. This fun series will be run by James Davermann" a Financial Analyst whose describes himself as a Libertarian Republican. James is a graduate of Hofstra University where he studied Political Science and Economics. He is from Brooklyn and has been a Republican since he was eighteen years old. He is a U.S. Army Veteran who has proudly worn the uniform for our nation.
If you have any questions please email us at hiphoprepublicans@gmail.com
Friday, April 24, 2009
Tavis Smiley's new website: STAND (coming April 25th)
“It’s not just about Barack Obama. It’s about us getting forward to improve the lives of people in Los Angeles all the way to people in New York and every place in between the United States. [STAND]is a great film. If you forget why we have to keep going forward, watch STAND. You will see it loud and clear.”
~ Lenny McAllister
It was the summer of 2008 in Memphis, birthplace of Blues. America was commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., against the backdrop of then Senator Barack Obama emerging as the first African American to become the Democratic presidential nominee. As America approached the historic presidential election, the national dialogue and debate intensified about race relations, politics and the legacy of the civil rights movement.
Broadcaster Tavis Smiley dissects this national discourse with ten Black male friends over several days during a special road trip through Memphis and Nashville. While visiting places like the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King died, and Stax records, credited with laying the roots of southern soul, Smiley and friends explore the diversity and complexity of the Black male experience in America past, present and future. STAND reveals the journey of a unique group of scholars, musicians, comedians and social critics as they gather for a rare reflection of brotherhood while confronting their own roles and responsibilities as pioneers of social progress.
CAST: Tavis Smiley, Dick Gregory, Michael Eric Dyson, Cornel West, Cliff West, Eddie Glaude, BeBe Winans, Wren T. Brown, Daron Boyce, Robert Smith and Raymond Ross. Special appearances by Sam Moore, Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
Runtime: 90 minutes
“STAND is an exquisitely fine picture. There is so much heart and so much passion that’s conveyed and one of the things is that it’s a movie to look at and a movie to also discuss.”
Director/Executive Producer: Tavis Smiley
Producer: Sasheen Artis
Supervising Producer:Adriane Hopper
Editor: Stacy Goldate
http://www.standthemovie.com/ (New Website Coming April 25th)
Tale of Two Queens - The Gay Case against Perez Hilton
By Dennis Sanders
I've never been a big fan of the gossip columnist Perez Hilton. I don't why, but he just doesn't fascinate me. Hilton has made news recently by saying some not so nice comments about Miss California, Carrie Prejean when she answered a question about gay marriage from Hilton at the Miss USA contest. Her answer wasn't what Hilton wanted to hear. He slammed her on his blog by calling her a "bitch", apologized and then took back the apology and called her an even worse name that I am not going to say here.
Prejean is against gay marriage. I don't agree with her views. I happen to think that she is wrong on the issue. I am gay and for gay marriage. That said, I think Hilton came out look like an idiot. The problem here is that he asked a question. Maybe it's me, but when you ask a question, you need to expect that there is a 50% chance that you will not be happy with the answer. That's the risk of asking questions: sometimes you hear something you would not rather hear. Prejean responded truthfully; Hilton may not like, I may not like it, but she did what Hilton wanted; to answer a question. This wasn't a situation where Prejean was at some rally spewing hate, she did not put forth anything to provoke Hilton to ask the question. In the end, it was Hilton's call and he now he is whining because she gave the wrong answer.Some people are looking at Hilton as if he is a hero and Prejean as if she showed up to the pagaent in a Klu Klux Klan outfit. But he's not a hero.
In a way he is giving aid and comfort to the anti gay side, because now Prejean will be seen a brave and devout woman standing her ground against the mean-spirited gays. I would hope that in this fight for equality, we don't become as spiteful as those on the other side. We need to be able to show some respect for people at times, even when they disagree with us. There is a time for anger, but a smart person knows when anger is called for and when it is better to keep things in check. In the future, Hilton should keep his antics on the gossip columns.
Dennis Sanders is a pastor living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has worked on centrist Republican issues for years, including stints as President of the Minnesota chapter of Log Cabin Republicans (a gay/lesbian advocacy group) and Republicans for Environmental Protection. Dennis blogs at NeoMugwump and happily lives with his partner Daniel and serves two cats, Morris and Felix.
The Greenest Republicans?
By Dennis SandersOn this earth day, it's important to remember that care for the Environment has to be a bipartisan effort. Sadly, the GOP has not always lived up to it's environmental heritage, but there are those who still do. Republicans for Environmental Protection has released it's scorecard of Congress touting "Green Republicans" while slamming the "Brown Republicans."
Here is their press release: http://www.rep.org/opinions/press_releases/release09-4-13.html
Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP) today released its fourth annual Congressional Scorecard rating the environmental performance of Republicans in Congress.
Senator Susan Collins (ME) and Congressman Mark Kirk (IL) shared top honors as the “Greenest Republican in Congress.” Each had perfect voting records and received additional credits for environmental leadership.
As a result of the formula that REP uses to calculate scores, which is based on the number of votes scored, Collins’ score of 107* was slightly higher than the 105 that Kirk received.
One other member of the House had a perfect score of 100: Frank LoBiondo (NJ). Former Senator Gordon Smith (OR) scored a perfect 100 in the upper house.
“REP is proud and gratified at the strong environmental leadership that our top-scoring lawmakers have demonstrated. Their hard work has been indispensable for moving conservation and environmental legislation, which history has shown cannot succeed without strong bipartisan support,” REP President Rob Sisson said.
“We are especially proud of Senator Collins’ exemplary record. This is the second year in a row that we have honored her as the ‘Greenest Republican in Congress.’ She has been an outspoken champion of taking on climate change, expanding use of cleaner energy technologies, and of practicing good stewardship over our natural resources,” REP Government Affairs Director David Jenkins said.
“Mark Kirk was the first congressional candidate endorsed by REP. We are proud of the strong conservation record that he has compiled. He has met all our expectations and then some,” Sisson said.
“He has been a steadfast champion of protecting the Great Lakes, and as a resident of Michigan, I can tell you that means a great deal to me personally. He has worked hard to clean up air pollution, expand use of cleaner energy resources, and protect our country’s parks and wilderness lands,” Sisson added.
The overall environmental performance of Republicans in Congress improved from 2007 to 2008. The average score of Senate Republicans rose significantly from 27 percent in 2007 to 54 percent in 2008. The House Republican average increased slightly, from 21 percent in 2007 to 25 percent last year.
“The rising scores among our Republican senators and congressmen is an encouraging trend, and we hope to see continuing improvement this year and in the years ahead,” Jenkins said.
“At a time when the Republican Party is at a crossroads following two consecutive election defeats, our GOP environmental champions point the way towards a new, more constructive direction – the rediscovery of the Republican Party’s great conservation tradition,” Jenkins added.
“As we saw a few weeks ago when Congress passed a strong conservation bill with sweeping bipartisan majorities, including the support of Congressman Kirk and Senator Collins, Republicans accomplish great things for our country when they rediscover that conservation tradition,” Jenkins said.
Still, far too many Republicans had low scores. The lowest scoring members in the House were Congressmen Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon, both from Utah, who scored minus 5. In the Senate, the low achievers were Jim DeMint (SC), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY), and David Vitter (LA), along with former Senator Chuck Hagel (NE), all of whom scored 29.
“Our scorecard is an essential tool for tracking our party’s environmental performance and a measure of REP’s progress toward its mission of restoring natural resource conservation and sound environmental protection as fundamental elements of the Republican Party's vision for America,” REP Policy Director Jim DiPeso said.
To download the scorecard, go here. http://www.rep.org/2008_scorecard.pdf
Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP) today released its fourth annual Congressional Scorecard rating the environmental performance of Republicans in Congress.
Senator Susan Collins (ME) and Congressman Mark Kirk (IL) shared top honors as the “Greenest Republican in Congress.” Each had perfect voting records and received additional credits for environmental leadership.
As a result of the formula that REP uses to calculate scores, which is based on the number of votes scored, Collins’ score of 107* was slightly higher than the 105 that Kirk received.
One other member of the House had a perfect score of 100: Frank LoBiondo (NJ). Former Senator Gordon Smith (OR) scored a perfect 100 in the upper house.
“REP is proud and gratified at the strong environmental leadership that our top-scoring lawmakers have demonstrated. Their hard work has been indispensable for moving conservation and environmental legislation, which history has shown cannot succeed without strong bipartisan support,” REP President Rob Sisson said.
“We are especially proud of Senator Collins’ exemplary record. This is the second year in a row that we have honored her as the ‘Greenest Republican in Congress.’ She has been an outspoken champion of taking on climate change, expanding use of cleaner energy technologies, and of practicing good stewardship over our natural resources,” REP Government Affairs Director David Jenkins said.
“Mark Kirk was the first congressional candidate endorsed by REP. We are proud of the strong conservation record that he has compiled. He has met all our expectations and then some,” Sisson said.
“He has been a steadfast champion of protecting the Great Lakes, and as a resident of Michigan, I can tell you that means a great deal to me personally. He has worked hard to clean up air pollution, expand use of cleaner energy resources, and protect our country’s parks and wilderness lands,” Sisson added.
The overall environmental performance of Republicans in Congress improved from 2007 to 2008. The average score of Senate Republicans rose significantly from 27 percent in 2007 to 54 percent in 2008. The House Republican average increased slightly, from 21 percent in 2007 to 25 percent last year.
“The rising scores among our Republican senators and congressmen is an encouraging trend, and we hope to see continuing improvement this year and in the years ahead,” Jenkins said.
“At a time when the Republican Party is at a crossroads following two consecutive election defeats, our GOP environmental champions point the way towards a new, more constructive direction – the rediscovery of the Republican Party’s great conservation tradition,” Jenkins added.
“As we saw a few weeks ago when Congress passed a strong conservation bill with sweeping bipartisan majorities, including the support of Congressman Kirk and Senator Collins, Republicans accomplish great things for our country when they rediscover that conservation tradition,” Jenkins said.
Still, far too many Republicans had low scores. The lowest scoring members in the House were Congressmen Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon, both from Utah, who scored minus 5. In the Senate, the low achievers were Jim DeMint (SC), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY), and David Vitter (LA), along with former Senator Chuck Hagel (NE), all of whom scored 29.
“Our scorecard is an essential tool for tracking our party’s environmental performance and a measure of REP’s progress toward its mission of restoring natural resource conservation and sound environmental protection as fundamental elements of the Republican Party's vision for America,” REP Policy Director Jim DiPeso said.
To download the scorecard, go here. http://www.rep.org/2008_scorecard.pdf
HHR Note: Article was written on earth day and not today!
Obama and Taxes, Money
Esteban G. Camacho is a new contribtor to Hip Hop Republican.com he was born in 1989 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. There he lived in a lower class family with his single mother for 11 years before moving to the contiguous states. Esteban became involved with politics when he reached his senior year of high school.
When he got to college, he immediately pursued further education in the fields of government and economics. A staunch conservative and an advocate of the free market economies of the world, Esteban spends his time researching political backgrounds, economic titles such as Wealth of Nations, and strengthening his conservative base.
Esteban believes in personal responsibility, individual liberty, equal opportunity, and in the American dream. Among his favorite quotes is: "What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" Esteban resides in Las Cruces, New Mexico and is currently pursuing a degree in Political Science.
Check out his videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/ConservativeE
Listen Live - Money, Power, Respect
Nadra Enzi A.K.A. Capt. Black a contributor to HHR will be joining HHR's Star to explain his "Be a Hero-Not a Hostage" campaign and have a little chat about Power and Respect. Then, I will dove into whether Money and Power can actually earn you respect? On the other hand, does Mass Ignorance connect the three?Tune in and enjoy the show. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/whwdradio
Host: Star is 27-year-old real champion for change. She loves Hip Hop and thinks it is one of many vehicles to get us to change; she is a blogger over at http://www.whydidyousaythatgirl.com/.
Guest: Nadra Enzi is a civil order activist and urban security consultant. www.myspace.com/nadrasw1
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Coast to Coast RNC Coalitions
A video of Michael Steele's recent coast to coast stop in NYC.Michael Steele is covering the nation in visting party leaders and meeting with the grassroots. HHR had about ten members from our blog at the NYC event held at the Womens Republican Club
Lenny McAllister at North Carolina Tea Party
Hip-Hop Republican community activist Lenny McAllister speaking at a recent North Carolina Tea Party
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wWfO5ns-80&feature=related
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wWfO5ns-80&feature=related
Brandon Brice Launches New Site
Brandon Brice, one of Hip-Hop Republicanism's biggest advocates has launched his new website today. Please take the time to go over to his new site and take part in what Brandon is doing in Harlem. If there is, one Hip Hop Republican to watch out for it is Brandon Brice. Brandon Brice is a Harlem, New York resident. This Howard University graduate was the former Chairman of the College Republicans at Howard. Mr. Brice also is a former Rutgers University Eagleton Institute of Politics Fellow and surrogate for the Republican National Committee. Brandon is a long time active blogger and spokesperson for HipHopRepublican.com.
Brandon has worked as a Policy Assistant/Intern for the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert during his Congressional tenure as United States Speaker of the House. Mr. Brice served as a fellow with the Disarmament Affairs Unit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, and has worked on policy issues with the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. Mr. Brice has been featured on C-Span's Road to the White House 2004, Bet’s What's At Stake", “The Truth”, with BET Commentator Jeff Johnson discussing political and economic related issues in the Black America and on Hot 97 with Lisa Evers speaking on the 2008 Presidential election.
Brandon has given lectures in a panel discussion at Baruch College, and has taught Economics as a graduate teaching assistant at Rutgers University. In his professional life, Brandon has served as an Economic Associate with the National Urban League's Economic Opportunity Institute, engaging in promoting "social entrepreneurship" in urban communities.
Brandon has experience in economic development and corporate philanthropy during his tenure at the Center for Non-Profit and Philanthropic Leadership of New Jersey. Brandon Brice is a proud member of the prestigious Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., an active member of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge of New York, and a member of the Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem serving as an usher for the senior men’s ministry.
Brandon Brice has coordinated multiple political programs in the Harlem community for the 2008 Presidential Election titled, “A Voteless People is a Hopeless People”, in an effort to educate the community on the importance of voting and being informed on the issues.
If you would like to have Brandon Brice speak at your event please book via the address below.
Email: info@brandonbrice.com
http://www.brandonbrice.com/default.aspx
Durban Diary, day two: The outrage continues
Hatip Israpundit Blog On Tuesday, the UN’s racist anti-racism conference “Durban II” rammed through a final declaration three days before its scheduled conclusion. On Monday Iranian President Ahamadinejad had opened the substantive program by denying the Holocaust and spewing antisemitism.
A day later UN members rewarded Iran by electing it one of three Vice-Chairs of the committee which adopted the final declaration.
The committee meeting was chaired by Libya and lasted fifteen minutes. No discussion of the merits of the Durban II declaration was tolerated.The document reaffirms the 2001 Durban Declaration which alleges Palestinians are victims of Israeli racism and mentions only Israel among all 192 UN member states. It also multiplies the anti-Israel provisions, using the usual UN code, by adding yet another rant about racist foreign occupation.
Not surprisingly, such a manifesto encouraged the racists and antisemites which had pressed for its adoption. Speaking on Tuesday the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Faysal Mekdad, alleged “the right of return” of Jews to Israel – Jewish self-determination – was “a form of racial discrimination”. He also objected to the “Judaization of Israel” and to the “ethnic cleansing…of 1948.”
To continue reading the article please visit http://www.israpundit.com/2008/?p=12711.
Pat Toomey: A Democrat's Best Friend
By Dennis Sanders
Pat Toomey, the former head of Club for Growth is running against Arlen Specter in the 2010 Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary. A lot of conservative purists are probably saying "good riddance" to the moderate Specter who voted for the Obama Stimulus package and is a social moderate. Toomey has made career out of going after "RINOs" or "Republicans in Name Only." But as David Jenkins shows, while he might have purged the party of moderates, he isn't good at getting his purist candidates to get to Washington and stay there:
.And if you think Toomey isn't that great of political gamesman, the following is truly a craptastic piece of art:
Toomey's "magic touch" has only been magic in sending more Democrats to Congress. There's a few lesson in this: the first being that those who make an enemy of the good over the perfect ends up losing.
Dennis Sanders - A pastor living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has worked on centrist Republican issues for years, including stints as President of the Minnesota chapter of Log Cabin Republicans (a gay/lesbian advocacy group) and Republicans for Environmental Protection. Dennis blogs at NeoMugwump and happily lives with his partner Daniel and serves two cats, Morris and Felix
Pat Toomey, the former head of Club for Growth is running against Arlen Specter in the 2010 Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary. A lot of conservative purists are probably saying "good riddance" to the moderate Specter who voted for the Obama Stimulus package and is a social moderate. Toomey has made career out of going after "RINOs" or "Republicans in Name Only." But as David Jenkins shows, while he might have purged the party of moderates, he isn't good at getting his purist candidates to get to Washington and stay there:
In 2006, the Club strongly backed Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey’s primary run for the Rhode Island Senate seat held by then-Senator Lincoln Chafee. The bloody primary battle depleted Chafee’s campaign coffers and increased his negatives, enabling Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse to eke out a victory.Regardless of how much conservatives were annoyed by the moderate to liberal Chafee, the reality is that a less moderate Republican would have virtually no chance to capture that seat. A recent survey by Gallup found Rhode Island to be the most pro-Democrat state in the nation, with Democrat and Democrat-leaning voters holding a 37 percent advantage.
Also in 2006, the Club helped Tim Walberg defeat incumbent Joe Schwarz in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, and backed the intemperate Bill Sali in a crowded GOP primary field vying for Idaho’s 1st District seat. Both managed to win the general election that year, but were swept out of office in 2008.Schwarz was a far better fit for the evenly balanced Michigan 7th than Walberg. In 2004, Schwarz beat Democrat Sharon Renier by 22 percent (58% to 36%), while Walberg in 2006 edged her out by only 4 percent. In 2008, Walberg lost the seat to Democrat Mark Schauer by 2 percentage points
.And if you think Toomey isn't that great of political gamesman, the following is truly a craptastic piece of art:
It takes a truly magical reverse Midas touch to identify and elect a Republican who cannot hold onto Idaho’s 1st District seat that, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) score of R+18, is one of the most heavily Republican districts in the nation to now be represented by a Democrat.
Toomey's "magic touch" has only been magic in sending more Democrats to Congress. There's a few lesson in this: the first being that those who make an enemy of the good over the perfect ends up losing.
Dennis Sanders - A pastor living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has worked on centrist Republican issues for years, including stints as President of the Minnesota chapter of Log Cabin Republicans (a gay/lesbian advocacy group) and Republicans for Environmental Protection. Dennis blogs at NeoMugwump and happily lives with his partner Daniel and serves two cats, Morris and Felix
Obama’s Foreign Affairs
Republicans need to layout a clear vision for their world view and then debate it in the marketplace of ideas. But, the continued use of extraneous verbiage, superfluous hyperbole, and just down right silliness, is no foreign policy. By Raynard Jackson
President Obama’s recent foreign trips have generated quite a bit of reaction within our country. Having studied foreign affairs in graduate school and having done work in other countries, I have a somewhat different take than most Republicans, especially the conservative ones.
First, I am extremely concerned by the rhetoric coming from a lot of the usual pundits and talk show hosts. It seems as though Republicans can’t accept the fact that we lost the election! It’s over! Obama won! McCain was a horrible candidate! It’s almost as though blowhards like Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, or Rich Lowery want Obama and the U.S. to fail.
We can disagree on policy, but that is not what has been happening. Obama’s criticism from Republicans have bordered on the ridiculous. “He’s the one, he’s the messiah, or he is president of the world.” These comments are well beneath the intelligence of anyone with the least bit of smarts.
Obama has been in office just over 3months and Republicans have constantly chided him on a range of issues without giving the customary honeymoon period. The state of our foreign policy is and was in such shambles when he took over, that I am in total agreement with his “charm” offensive. Anyone who has worked in foreign policy will tell you that most of foreign policy is driven by personality more than substance. Substance is important, but the personality interaction determines the framework by which the substantive policy issues will be discussed.
The Bush administration’s foreign policy was heavy handed and very unilateral (“you’re either for us or against us”). In my private conversations with world leaders, this was clearly indicated.
Obama’s election created a real possibility of partnership with our allies and re-engagement with our enemies. Serious foreign policy professionals will always chose constructive engagement versus isolationism every time.
What does it say about our previous foreign policy that Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) tried to make nice with Obama at the recent gathering in Trinidad or that Raoul Castro made the extraordinary statement that “everything was open for discussion?” Fifty years of isolationism didn’t produce this. It was the willingness to open a line of communication to an enemy that brought this about.
Republicans claim to be the party of human rights and color-blindness, but yet they won’t speak out on the racist policy that allows Cubans (mostly white Cubans) to stay in the country base on the idiotic “wet foot, dry foot policy .” Simply put, the policy states that if a Cuban gets one foot on U.S. soil, then they are granted the chance to remain in the country and later would qualify for expedited legal permanent resident status and U.S. citizenship. Contrast that with people from Haiti who are summarily returned immediately to their country with no hope of getting an opportunity for citizenship.
What does it say about our global image that world leaders all clamor to be seen next to our president. We should all be proud of that image.
Now, the question is can President Obama translate this personal charm into substantive policy. Obama needs to give a major foreign policy address to clearly layout his vision for U.S. engagement---his guiding principles. How does Africa fit into our nation’s plans? What are the changes he wants to pursue with our European allies? Why should American care about North Korea or Iran?
Republicans need to layout a clear vision for their world view and then debate it in the marketplace of ideas. But, the continued use of extraneous verbiage, superfluous hyperbole, and just down right silliness, is no foreign policy. How can Republican principles create a safer world, more international cooperation, and the alleviation of all the pathologies that are affecting developing countries?
This type of dialogue is what Republicans should focus on. A clear articulation of their vision for America’s foreign policy will force the Obama administration to speak more clearly to the American people, thereby revealing their weakness in foreign policy. But, this continued childish banter should become a foreign affair.
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-based political consulting/government affairs firm. You can listen to his radio show every Saturday evening from 7-9:00 p.m. Go to www.ustalknetwork.com to register and then click on host, and then click on his photo to join his group.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Are Cubans Ready for Democratic Reform? - Maurico Claver-Carone
- Mauricio J. Claver-Carone is a Florida-born lawyer who grew up in Madrid. He is one of eight executive committee members of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Political Action Committee, and the Executive Director
Quote Of The Day
HT- Booker Rising
"Candidate Obama attacked the shameful policy of the Bush administration to hold prisoners at Guatanamo in Cuba with no charges, no lawyers, no due process, no habe[a]s corpus. President Obama's first act on his first day in office was to close down Guatanamo. Now, though, the Obama administration is planning to hold prisoners in the even more remote Bagram air base in Afghanistan under the same shameful 'black hole' rules. I strongly supported President Obama and still do. Nearly everything that the new administration has done have been a step forward for the nation, and a relief to me personally. Because I support Obama, I think it is my duty to criticize wrong things that my guy does. The no-rules prison at Bagram is very wrong." — William Weston, sociology professor and moderate Democrat
"Candidate Obama attacked the shameful policy of the Bush administration to hold prisoners at Guatanamo in Cuba with no charges, no lawyers, no due process, no habe[a]s corpus. President Obama's first act on his first day in office was to close down Guatanamo. Now, though, the Obama administration is planning to hold prisoners in the even more remote Bagram air base in Afghanistan under the same shameful 'black hole' rules. I strongly supported President Obama and still do. Nearly everything that the new administration has done have been a step forward for the nation, and a relief to me personally. Because I support Obama, I think it is my duty to criticize wrong things that my guy does. The no-rules prison at Bagram is very wrong." — William Weston, sociology professor and moderate Democrat
Hip-Hop Republican on Grit-TV
HHR political commentator Brandon Brice speaking on Grit-TV about recent Tea Parties. One note should be made and that is not all HHR contributors and writers are supporters of the Tea Parties, but many are. HHR seeks to make sure every voice is heard. The video above is of Brandon Brice speaking about a recent Tea Party he spoke at and explains his participation on Grit-TV. In a few weeks we will give an alternative view to the Tea Parties.
Newt Gingrich speaks to an estimated crowd of 12,500 or more at the New York City Tax Day Tea Party.
The Wimp Lobby
By Nadra Enzi
The Wimp Lobby can claim to its eternal infamy such feats as: making it illegal in some states to drive without a seat beat or operate a motorcycle helmet less; Treating suicide as a crime against society instead of a final personal choice; punishing people for choosing to use certain banned substances for recreational instead of organized crime; dialing 911 for everything as if you're helpless to provide basic response to non-lethal situations; and on a related global note, having merchant ships sail unarmed into the mouths of modern day pirates; the list of ( artificial ) limitations grows daily.
The Wimp Lobby is ruled by fear and feels only by limiting personal choices involving risk or worse, behavior that harms no one else but still is not approved of by Wimps.
Wimps seek total security at the cost of freedom; dignity or opportunity. Losing these three principles already prove the price of admission to a wimp-crafted reality is entirely too steep for liberty lovers.
Wimps aren't bad people in most cases, just folks who didn't outgrow victimization at the hands of youthful bullies or haven't escaped the confines of personal comfort zones to challenge stale boundaries within their lives.
Wimps think a few college degrees and study groups are all that's needed to make a better society and can't seem to recognize the role force has in being a tool for social improvement. Self-defense is what intelligent, ethical people have to employ when moral suasion and diplomacy have failed to defuse a situation.
One can either run or one can stand up to the challenger at hand and opt to physically discipline him if needed. A world of unarmed ships and unarmed citizens menaced by armed assailants makes little sense to me.
Weapons are only as good or bad as the will of their possessors. Wimps in the anti-gun camp would disarm virtually every legitimate gun owner without impacting ownership among criminals.
Wimps in school systems nationwide stripped children of their God-given right to defend themselves by punishing both attacker and victim under zero tolerance policies. Wimps in office are willing to look the other way when some police officers abuse a suspect because they are too scared to get on the streets themselves to provide public safety.
No, I haven't been eating too much red meat ( haven't had any in over 20 years ). it's just that emasculation and disarmament seem incredibly punitive steps in a world with so many bad actors. Persons of good conscience must realize that government can't protect you from Life itself and that you are always your first line of defense against the unexpected.
While the term " Wimp" is undeniably old school and politically incorrect, it nonetheless identifies a tendency loose in academia and public policy that casts individual courage onto the scrapheap of history as if there is no longer any need for it. With what appears to me to be a dramatic increase in angry personalities on the loose in society, it seems to me the responsible thing to do would be encouraging citizens to legally prepare and, per applicable law, defend themselves when confronted by said personalities.
Post September 11th, one would assume the public would know better but that's not the case. Many adults who really should know better feel their defense is someone else job and anyone who defends himself is wrong- not the aggressor who created the confrontation!
The 21st Century in which we live has as many elements of the Mad Max movie series as it does the benign future of Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. A high tech society refusing to defend itself against low tech, low lifes really can't call itself progressive.
Teddy Roosevelt was a progressive and his advice was to walk softly and carry a big stick. I hope the Wimp Lobby will heed his advice one day soon, but if they did I guess they wouldn't be Wimps anymore.
- NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK is a civil order activist and urban security consultant. www.myspace.com/nadrasw1 you can email him at NADRACAPTBLACK@YMAIL.COM
Environmentalists, Cars the Economy
Environmentalists in this country need to stop. Forcing businesses and the American people to do something is not the way to go. We must let the markets decide.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Support Manaen "Jack" Mundi -- SGA Junior Class President
Website: Manaen "Jack" Mundi Office: SGA Junior Class President
Location: Ruston, LA
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. So, together ......let us make our campus a citadel of excellence, diversity, and integrity by putting our hands together to help the Student Government Administration serve us better.
I am presently a COES Senator, active with the Black Student Union, NAACP, and College Republicans.
I have taken a variety of courses spanning through almost all departments on campus ranging from US Foreign Policy, Electromagnetism to Data Structures.
These exposure has made me meet people with different opinions, concerns and problem-solving skills. This asset has made me connect easily with Liberal Arts, Engineering, and Science majors.My diversity in organizational membership has also played a big role in addressing and connecting with very diversified audiences.
The SGA, being the representative of the student body is thus a forum where real changes could take place through pluralism of ideas, perspectives and backgrounds, and only a person (like myself) with a diversified portfolio can easily navigate the duties of an SGA Junior Class President Elections would be held on the 15th and 16th of April.
I am calling on all of you to come out and make the difference.
Support Manaen "Jack" Mundi -- SGA Junior Class President
Find Your Black Republican Friends on Facebook
Growing List of State Wide Black GOP Online Face Book Groups
Find Your Black Republican Friends
*Young Black GOP Sites*
Black Republican College Network
Historicaly Black GOP College Network
Republicans Of Morehouse College
Young Black Republican Forum
*Groups*
DC Black Republican Council
Black Conservative Forum
National Black Republicans Association
Black Republicans for Obama (BRO)
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*State Wide Online Groups*
Washington DC
New York
Chicago
California
Texas
Georgia
Maryland
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North Carolina
Florida
Louisiana
Pennsylvania
Michigan
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Other Groups - Online
Young Hispanic Republican Association
Black Moderate Republican
Black Republicans
Black Republican Women
African Americans Republicans
Republicans for Black Empowerment
Indian American & South Asian Republican Forum
Asian-Americans Republicans
Republican Jewish Coalition
Find Your Black Republican Friends
*Young Black GOP Sites*
Black Republican College Network
Historicaly Black GOP College Network
Republicans Of Morehouse College
Young Black Republican Forum
*Groups*
DC Black Republican Council
Black Conservative Forum
National Black Republicans Association
Black Republicans for Obama (BRO)
Black Republicans
*State Wide Online Groups*
Washington DC
New York
Chicago
California
Texas
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
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North Carolina
Florida
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Pennsylvania
Michigan
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Other Groups - Online
Young Hispanic Republican Association
Black Moderate Republican
Black Republicans
Black Republican Women
African Americans Republicans
Republicans for Black Empowerment
Indian American & South Asian Republican Forum
Asian-Americans Republicans
Republican Jewish Coalition
Joseph C. Phillips speaks to YAF
Free video streaming by Ustream
Joseph C. Phillips played Martin Kendall on the NBC sitcom, The Cosby Show from 1989 to 1991. Additionally, he portrayed Justus Ward on the ABC soap opera General Hospital from 1994 to 1998. Phillips is also a guest political commentator on "News and Notes with Ed Gordon" on most NPR radio stations. In 2006, Phillips published an autobiography, He Talk Like A White Boy, which had a foreword by Tavis Smiley.
Phillips is an ambassador for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. He has spoken extensively about the disease and its effect on the family.He is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Actors Equity Association, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and was National Co-Chair of the African American Steering committee for Bush/Cheney ’04, was named a member of the Republican National Committees African American Advisory Board.
The Top Three Democrat Myths of 2008
by Sanjay Bherwani
Liberal Democrats’ are notorious for accusing President Bush and the Republicans for the nation’s economic meltdown. In light of their attacks I have decided to provide some valuable facts regarding how and why we are in this crisis. I also challenge any Democrat to prove me wrong on either of the issues of which I will highlight. These issues will range from 9/11, to the Iraq war, and ,most importantly, to the economic meltdown.
Myth 1 : Bill Clinton vs Bush's Legacy
Despite the reciprocal courtesy from the Obama administration, George W. Bush "covered up" many of Bill Clinton's screw-ups; often times without a peek of a complaint. Bill Clinton's success with the economy was not his own doing. What many fail to note is that he greatly benefited from the rise of online entrepreneurs. This “DOT. COM” boom created millions of jobs over night. The tax revenues collected from these new ventures put large amounts of money into government coffers. In fact, the government's Treasury increased by 85%. Bill Clinton also had massive cuts in programs and in Defense Spending. His cuts in Defense Spending depleted our military and led to 9/11. In '96, the Government of Sudan gave to Bill Clinton Osama's exact location, and Clinton refused to use the information to capture or to kill Osama.The only thing Bush inherited from Clinton was a covered up mess.
Oh and BTW, Bush was not the second president to be IMPEACHED.... Clinton was. We will never, however, get to hear from the far left media, and until this day, never has any liberal media thanked our President Bush for keeping us safe in the last 7 years.
Myth 2 : 9/11 occurred under George Bush's watch, not Clinton.
While it is true that the actual attack occurred on 9/11, when Bush got into office, the actual plot took years to plan- not 8 months. Bill Clinton had almost a decade to capture or to kill Osama Bin Laden after his EXACT location was given to him. I find it ironic that the media keeps telling us not to blame Obama for what occurred at least a year ago. The media tells us he is not to be blamed for anything; "He needs to be given a chance to settle in", is what they say. When did they offer up such courtesy,however, to Bush. Why do we blame George Bush for an attack that occurred with in the first 8 months of his presidency? Bill Clinton left office with one of the lowest approval rating within the military. Bush left with one of the highest, and hence, we have been safe for the last 7 years. People forget that there were “eight terrorist attacks” during Clinton's watch. There was only “ONE” during President Bush’s.
The 9/11 commission reports note that the information that National Security Advisor Condi Rice received was to say, the least ,vague. One report said "attacks in the near future" but never said ...when, whom, how...... Clinton had the' when,whom and how' information from the Sudanese Government.
Upon that info...Bush:
Asked the FAA, INS, Customs, and Coast guard to increase security.
2. Issued at least five warnings to the US military.
3. Met regularly with the Counter Terrorism Security Group.
4. Issued many warnings to State Department, Federal, State, and Local authorities.
5. Ordered the FBI and CIA to increase Surveillance of known or suspected terrorists.
None of that would have been necessary, however, if Clinton had done his job.
Myth 3 : The Economic meltdown was caused by George Bush
I am sick and tried of hearing Barack Obama’s Administration say that they “inherited” this economic crisis because of eight years of Bush' polices. The accusation is dishonest and is a partisan political attack. Sadly, even some Republicans like to get on the bandwagon in attacking Bush for the crisis.
Obama and the Republicans who attack President Bush, nevertheless, are wrong. What caused the economic crisis was, primarily, the Nation's Housing Bubble that burst and which sparked the flames that caused our current economic situation. Some of the contributing factors to The Nation's Housing Crises were risky mortgages to low income Americans; and bad credit borrowers through the Community Reinvestment act (CRA) Which was intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate: including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Was this trend consistent with safe operations?
The question that arises in our minds is who passed the Community Reinvestment Act? The Community reinvestment act in 1977 compelled banks to make loans to low income earners and especially in "Communities of color" which might not ,otherwise,be made based on purely economic criteria.
Jimmy Carter and the Democrats passed CRA to give incentives to low income borrowers to get a home. Seemed to have work? Only a little until 1995 when the Clinton Administration implemented changes in CRA. Bill Clinton ordered new regulations for the CRA which would increase access to mortgage credit for inner city and distressed rural communities.
The new rules went into effect on January 31, 1995 and featured: Strictly numerical assessments to get a satisfactory CRA rating; Using federal home-loan data broken down by neighborhood, income group, and race; Encouraging community groups to complain when banks were not loaning enough to specified neighborhood, income groups, and race; and allowing community groups that marketed loans to target groups to collect a fee from the banks (as of the year 2000, $9.5 billion had been paid to such nonprofit groups).
( From wikipedia.com, Community Reinvestment Act, 1995 Clinton Administration Changes)
Due to these unnecessary changes made by Clinton in 1995, banks were forced to give over $1 trillion in new subprime loans to low income earners. If you want to blame someone, blame Clinton and your Democratic Congress in the late 1990's for forcing banks to give out risky loans to people who couldn't afford them because they believed everyone "had a right to own a house".
Bear Stearns was the first to make loans to low income earners when his offering was backed by affordable mortgages. Later Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac added fuel to the fire by purchasing over billions of dollars from "My Country Mortgage" loans, to accommodate low income earners (Who couldn't afford). This started our Subprime mortgages. Banks, consequently,had to issue these subprime loans or were forced to pay big penalties.
This pathetic blunder created the housing bubble, and economists on both sides agree that the loans given to people who couldn't afford them on sub prime mortgages is what made the banks go under, freeze credit, and created this chaos.
The policy encouraged by Democrats was simple: “No money? No problem!” If you want a house, we can offer you one with no money down. Got bad credit? No problem! We will approve you. Got a job? No problem! Income verification not needed. All you have to do is sign here, and you get a house.
These Banks and lenders guaranteed the most reckless of loans . Who,however, is responsible for such policies? Was it Bush? No! These laws were passed under President Clinton.
Unfortunately, the calamity of a previous administration, like 9/11, happened under George Bush's watch. Unlike Obama, Bush never accused the previous administration of any wrong doings. In 2003, George Bush tried to create a new agency within the Treasury Department for strict supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Democrats, nevertheless, stopped it stating, “Efforts to regulate the lenders tightly under those agencies might diminish their ability to finance loans for lower income families."
Sanjay Bherwani - a NYC resident and contributor to HHR he is a new citizen born f India and raised in Dubai. He is a graduate of Queens College in Manhattan where he had double majored in economics and International business with a minor in Political Science..
You can email Sanjay at his email address slick_sanj@yahoo.com.
NYC Tax Day Tea Party - Clips & Photos
Highlights from April 15 2009 rally @ City Hall with Hip-Hop music playing in the background. The guy speaking when the video starts is our very own HHR's Brandon Brice.
H/T from Parc Bench Blog
http://parcbench.com/article_details.php?RId=133&topic=front
H/T from Parc Bench Blog
http://parcbench.com/article_details.php?RId=133&topic=front
Stay away from Durban II - No Mention of Sudan
Durban II draft doesn't mention Sudan, and the final version will be no different. On December 9, Pillay reminded a reporter that the High Commissioner's office had "set up [a] commission of inquiry, but did not find a Sudanese genocidal policy, but rather 'genocidal intent' committed by a few individuals." That commission maintained that the past decade's atrocities in Darfur did not constitute an ethnic or racially driven conflict, even though it was perpetrated by Arab militias against African tribal victims. Hundreds of thousands raped and murdered, 2.5 million displaced. But no genocide.
Source: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1048064.html
Durban II Blog Updates
See blog for the latest updates on Durban II, including meeting summaries, texts, and media highlights. [click here]
On April 19, 2009, one day before the international community gathers in Geneva to address racism, intolerance and persecution in the High-Level Segment of the UN Durban Review Conference (DRC), a coalition of human rights, anti-racism and pro-democracy activists will assemble to place the most pressing situations on the world agenda.
The civil society conference will be hosted at the Centre International de Conférences Genève, adjacent to the Palais des Nations UN compound. Organized by an international coalition of human rights NGOs, this will be a parallel event to the DRC, in support of its aims of promoting universal human rights through the eradication of discrimination, intolerance and persecution.
In debate at March 2009 session of the UN Human Rights Council, UN Watch's Hillel Neuer speaks out for victims from Darfur, Myanmar and Sri Lanka; and takes on UN rights chief Navi Pillay for blaming the victims of Durban 2 anti-Semitism instead of the perpetrators.
The Duban Alternative Summit
On April 19, 2009, one day before the international community gathers in Geneva to address racism, intolerance and persecution in the High-Level Segment of the UN Durban Review Conference (DRC), a coalition of human rights, anti-racism and pro-democracy activists will assemble to place the most pressing situations on the world agenda.
The civil society conference will be hosted at the Centre International de Conférences Genève, adjacent to the Palais des Nations UN compound. Organized by an international coalition of human rights NGOs, this will be a parallel event to the DRC, in support of its aims of promoting universal human rights through the eradication of discrimination, intolerance and persecution.
Supporters
Interdisciplinary Centre for Development and Human Rights - http: // cipadong.wordpress.com
Gram Bharati Samiti - http://www.gbsjp.org
Africa Humanitarian Action (AHA) - http://www.achanet.org
African Center for Humanitarian Action - http://www.achanet.org
Urgence Darfour - http://www.urgencedarfour.org
Genocide Watch - http://www.genocidewatch.org
Inter-African Committee - http://www.iac-ciaf.com
The International Association of Genocide Scholars - http://www.genocidescholars.org
The International Campaign to End Genocide
Council for a Democratic Iran (CDI) - http://www.councildemocraticiran.com
IGLYO - International lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer youth & student organisation - http://www.iglyo.com
Genocide Prevention Month - http://www.genocidepreventionmonth.org/
the Universal Alliance International - http://www.universalalliance.org.uk
Sacred Orchard Corporation - http://www.sacredorchard.org/
Swat Youth Front - http:// www.syfswat.org
Association Internationale des Avocats de la Défense/ International Criminal Defence Attorneys Association - http://www.aiad-icdaa.org/
Federation des Enfants de la Republique
Source: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1048064.html
Durban II Blog Updates
See blog for the latest updates on Durban II, including meeting summaries, texts, and media highlights. [click here]
On April 19, 2009, one day before the international community gathers in Geneva to address racism, intolerance and persecution in the High-Level Segment of the UN Durban Review Conference (DRC), a coalition of human rights, anti-racism and pro-democracy activists will assemble to place the most pressing situations on the world agenda.
The civil society conference will be hosted at the Centre International de Conférences Genève, adjacent to the Palais des Nations UN compound. Organized by an international coalition of human rights NGOs, this will be a parallel event to the DRC, in support of its aims of promoting universal human rights through the eradication of discrimination, intolerance and persecution.
In debate at March 2009 session of the UN Human Rights Council, UN Watch's Hillel Neuer speaks out for victims from Darfur, Myanmar and Sri Lanka; and takes on UN rights chief Navi Pillay for blaming the victims of Durban 2 anti-Semitism instead of the perpetrators.
The Duban Alternative Summit
On April 19, 2009, one day before the international community gathers in Geneva to address racism, intolerance and persecution in the High-Level Segment of the UN Durban Review Conference (DRC), a coalition of human rights, anti-racism and pro-democracy activists will assemble to place the most pressing situations on the world agenda.
The civil society conference will be hosted at the Centre International de Conférences Genève, adjacent to the Palais des Nations UN compound. Organized by an international coalition of human rights NGOs, this will be a parallel event to the DRC, in support of its aims of promoting universal human rights through the eradication of discrimination, intolerance and persecution.
Supporters
Interdisciplinary Centre for Development and Human Rights - http: // cipadong.wordpress.com
Gram Bharati Samiti - http://www.gbsjp.org
Africa Humanitarian Action (AHA) - http://www.achanet.org
African Center for Humanitarian Action - http://www.achanet.org
Urgence Darfour - http://www.urgencedarfour.org
Genocide Watch - http://www.genocidewatch.org
Inter-African Committee - http://www.iac-ciaf.com
The International Association of Genocide Scholars - http://www.genocidescholars.org
The International Campaign to End Genocide
Council for a Democratic Iran (CDI) - http://www.councildemocraticiran.com
IGLYO - International lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer youth & student organisation - http://www.iglyo.com
Genocide Prevention Month - http://www.genocidepreventionmonth.org/
the Universal Alliance International - http://www.universalalliance.org.uk
Sacred Orchard Corporation - http://www.sacredorchard.org/
Swat Youth Front - http:// www.syfswat.org
Association Internationale des Avocats de la Défense/ International Criminal Defence Attorneys Association - http://www.aiad-icdaa.org/
Federation des Enfants de la Republique
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