Money, Not Education Led To Bought Betsy Devos’ Confirmation

Every Congress person who voted for Betsy DeVos, basically disrespected every public school teacher who ever taught them.

Just confirmed Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos,  leveraged her donations to the GOP into a cabinet position that she woefully unqualified to serve. Unless there is campaign finance reform, conservative billionaires will continue to influence our decision makers.

People of color, liberals, progressives and democrats need to learn that along with protests and voting, donating has to become a bigger tool in their fight to point our country not backwards.

This does not mean buying  seats like DeVos, but align yourself with politicians and decision makers who will fight for people and not be influenced by a select few.

The best thing that Betsy DeVos can do now is not become the disastrous Secretary of Education that people think she will become and actually craft an education reform agenda that makes a difference.

However, given her track record in Michigan is less than inspiring, DeVos’ confirmation does not bode well for our country.

Domestic Terrorism is our Real Enemy

I don’t get the bubble that some Trump supporters live in where we have been in constant attack from terrorism.

We are more in danger of armed Americans with our addiction to guns than terrorists from afar…

 The last time I checked, home-grown terrorist Dylan Roof wasn’t from Yemen.

The last time I checked, the Sandy Hook killer was from Connecticut, not Syria.

To deal with  a perceived threat of terrorism than deal with our own issues with gun violence is not only short-sighted, but will put Americans at risk around the world.

The impact of the NRA is far more damaging for our streets than ISIS, but that debate far too rational for people who don’t believe in facts.

Police Can Still Build Bridges in the Trump Era

would encourage police departments that has stated community policing to proceed. If you have a consent decree, continue it.

If you have neither, build bridges with the community. People of color do not hate the police, they just want to be treated fairly.

That doesn’t sound hard, but far too often it is.

Jeff Sessions is Bad For Civil Rights

When Jeff Sessions is confirmed , don’t expect the Attorney General’s to assist in anything when it comes to criminal justice.

Mayors, progressive politicians and organizations has to be more proactive in policing civil rights and voting rights.

I am fearful of even more militarization of police, the drastic over policing of Black and Brown bodies, which leads the increasing of the prison population for profit.

Some people may think I might be blowing this out of proportion, but if you look at who is in charge inside President Trump’s White House, their record and rhetoric, this is basically the vision George Wallace had with a Twitter handle.

We Will All Be Affected by Trump’s Deportation Order.

New ICE director Thomas Homan finds  honor in deporting people.

Now to the Trump voters this great, but if this is broad immigration plan, there is a chance that Europeans with expired visas or here illegally will get caught up in this too. It’s like the three strikes rule.

When Black and Brown folks were getting locked up, the masses did not care but when white users and dealers of meth, heroin, prescription drugs got snared in three strikes rule, then prison reform talk increased.

The same will happen with over zealous thirst for mass deportation of immigrants.

Be Renewable, Not a Fossil

The more we dig into the earth and pollute air, the more we are at risk lives at risk for earthquake’s and climate change.

One would think that coal and oil people would adapt and invest more in renewable energy.

Yet their blueprint of greed of long ago will not only hurt us, but their heirs who have to deal with the legacy of their money hungry arrogance and environmental shortsightedness.

 

Cavs v. Wolves is a Peak Into The Future

Tonight’s Cleveland Cavs game with the Minnesota Timberwolves concern me as young wolves has improved as they remind me of the youth and the tenacity of the Mark Price, Ron Harper, Hot Rod  Williams  & Brad Daugherty Cavaliers teams of the mid 80s.

I think one of the reasons LeBron has been irritated is because he see young guys like Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns figuring out how to win.

LBJ is an old head at this point, so he knows he has this season and next to win.

After that, beating teams like the Minnesota Timberwoves and 76ers with Joel Embidd and Ben Simmons is going to be a lot more difficult to beat towards the end of the decade.

Father time is knocking at the door and LeBron is trying his best to keep that loosening door closed.

It’s Time To Respect Dwayne Johnson

The Emmys was only a few weeks ago, there is an actor, whose never comes up, but should be considered for next year’s award season: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Now while The Rock’s epic rants during his “WWE” wrestling days, should have at least garnered a special Emmy on its own, Johnson’s current role as retired NFL turned financial manager Spencer Strasmore on HBO “Ballers” has given Johnson the freedom to flex the dramatic skills that we sparingly get to see in his big budget films with Vin Diesel or Kevin Hart.

If there is one clip Emmy voters should see is the recent “Ballers” season finale as a hungover Strasmore (Johnson) apologizes to former NFL teammate Eddie George for losing his money and friendship, in front of the NFL rookie symposium.

Nevermind that in reality, it would take great stones for a retired player to make that type of admission, you feel for the dazed and ruffled Strasmore as he achingly tries to right wrong of a friend from the past, while wondering if this admission will destroy his career financial manager in the future.

The camera work and Johnson’s honesty was so convincing that the scene feels more like a clip from HBO’s NFL documentary Hard Knocks, than a scripted TV show,” (where you Liev Schreiber for the voice over?)

Given that the only HBO shows Emmy voters seem to only like these days is “VEEP” and “John Oliver,” “Ballers” will probably not get much, if any Emmy love.

But for my money, Dwayne The Rock Johnson is proving every year that WWE rants were just the beginning of a stellar career that was once improbable, but continues to become legendary each and every year.

 

 

 

 

Facebook Thoughts: Keith Lamont Scott

So plain clothes cops in a unmarked car are going to serve a warrant to someone and they allegedly see Keith Lamont Scott rolling a joint.

They get more police and they see that Scott has an ankle holster and may or may not have a gun (in a open carry state).

He gets out of his car, begins backs up with his hands down and now he’s dead.

The disturbing thing is that instead of going after the person with the warrant, the plain clothes police went after the guy who was about to smoke marijuana (allegedly).

So he died over WEED???

What happened to person who had the warrant in the first place???

In contrast, Dylan Roof killed nine people in a church in South Carolina and he was arrested in North Carolina without incident.

I guess the moral of the story is if you shoot up a church, you can go to Burger King , but if you roll a joint, you will end you dead.

 

In Honor of Rihanna

I always marvel at music acts like the Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen & The E. Street band, who basically play a different set list on any given night.

After watching her recent performances at the MTV Music Awards and the Global Citizens Festival, Rihanna is also that type of artist.

Now before people call blasphemy for comparing RiRi to Mick, Keith, Eddie and Bruce, the fact is that Rihanna has been one of the best hitmakers out of the iTunes generation.

From “Pom De Relay” to “Where Have You Been” to “Werk”, Rihanna has skillfully been able to not only choose the right songs but to also to the knack to ride a trend early (“We Fell in Love”) and get out early at the right time to try something else  (“Four Five Seconds”).

Even Sir Mick Jagger would tell you that being creative is not good enough.

You have to be able to not only give an audience what they want, but also give them something they didn’t know they needed.