Black Walnut, Racial Identity and Me

I wonder if I’m black? This might seem like a weird question to ask given my obvious abundance of melanin in my skin. But I guess that this may not enough to make one black according to one “conservative” commentator. Now when I say conservative, I don’t mean my Republican friends who differ with my political beliefs, I mean those who believe our president is a Kenyan national with hopes of planting anchor babies, I don’t really listen to them. Victor Davis Hanson wrote a piece for the National review which states why Herman Cain is a real black guy and Obama is not.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have known what constitutes authentic blackness. But thanks to people like Mr. Hanson and of course my favorite buddy in the world black walnut himself Herman Cain, the debate that seemed to be everywhere during the ’08 election is revving back up. Unfortunately people of Mr. Hanson’s ilk confuse me. You see way back in 2008 and shortly after the election of BHO the same people who are claiming that the current heat Cain is feeling is because he is black and the Democratic Party and their liberal agenda are racist wanted us to believe that because a black man was in office racism was no longer a problem. So if I understand their logic our President was black enough to end racism except for when our candidate has gotten himself into trouble?

The problem with this is as I have said on numerous occasions is it portrays being Black as one set list of things. If you don’t fit in somehow your blackness isn’t as authentic as someone else’s. Mr. Cain is a republican businessman who made his wealth peddling bad pizza, I am a democrat who like hip-hop. Am I blacker than Herman Cain? No, because it’s not something that can be measured. In his book, “Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness” writer Toure states: "If there are forty million Black Americans then there are forty million ways to be black. There are billions of cultural artifacts of blackness... Not one of these things is more authentic than the other." And this is true. I listen to all forms of music (minus country) , love documentaries, and have no interest in becoming a rapper. Do these things mean I am not as black as Herman Cain?

I think what angers me most about these people is that while they argue over who’s blacker, they are missing the beauty and complexities of Black culture. It has infinite possibilities and a chance to learn from them all. When you box yourself into one narrow preconception of what Black is you’re still Black, but you become something else as well.

An idiot.

Herman Cain... really dude?

The following post is probably going to be seen as a political post since it is about GOP hopeful Herman Cain. I would have to disagree with you; this is at the heart of it a common sense post. Sure I have disagreements with Mr. Cain, from his stance on abortion and belief that Planned Parenthood is just your one stop shop for abortions to his belief that homosexuality is a choice this is not about that. This is about two of the most asinine statements I have ever heard spouted by someone who is running for president.



When asked about the controversy in Murfreesboro, Tennessee regarding the building of a proposed mosque the esteemed and fair Mr. Cain stated: "I don't agree with what's happening because this isn't an innocent mosque." Think about that. Here we are almost a full decade after this anti-Muslim sentiment began sprouting up and it still angers me. Not only does it imply that all Muslims are responsible for every act of terrorism, it overlooks one of the fundamental reasons for the founding of our nation, the right to be free from religious persecution. What someone needs to tell Mr. Cain is that guess what, we were not attacked by Islam, we were attacked by Al-Qaeda. Oh and Sharia law that he keeps talking about as if he was an expert? Sharia Law is defined as a code of conduct or religious law of Islam. Hmmm, a code of conduct as deemed by religion? That sounds a lot like the Ten Commandments.

What really bugs me though about Cain was this statement regarding how liberals will be “doubly scared that a real black man might run against Barack Obama." Ugh. Really? And what makes a real black man? When pressed on the topic he ran away saying “If he wants to call himself black, fine. If he wants to call himself African American, fine. I'm not going down this color road." No Mr. Cain, not only are going down the color road you put us on this path. If you disagree with the President that is more than fine, this is not an attack on your policies, but to just say I am really black, he is not, makes you out to be a clown.

This line of thinking is also dangerous. This thinking of someone being blacker than another implies that there is a template for blackness. That unlike other people we are confined to a list and not allowed to be anything but that. Using his logic I could say I am blacker than he is. For instance, I am a black democrat, he is a black conservative. Not too many of those. Now I obviously am not saying I am blacker than Mr. Cain, but you see my point. I suggest that if Mr. Cain wants to be taken seriously he stops playing the race card himself. It won’t matter how black he says he is come election time. If all you have is this, I doubt the American people will be buying.

Amazing.

Something about this picture makes me happy.

A New Day...

Somewhere a King who took us to the mountaintop is smiling.



"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop.
And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man!Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!"
-Martin Luther King, Jr

November 4th

This is going to be my last post of a political nature and it has nothing to do with who running for the highest office in the land. It is more focused on those of us who are burdened with the responsibility of choosing a leader in the midst of a highly uncertain time. The right to vote is one of immense responsibility, one that is not to be taken lightly. As Americans we must weigh the pros and cons of each candidate and choose whom you think would be the best candidate. You do not however mock or belittle someone else or make assumptions as to why they are voting for a candidate. Also, we can not, absolutely can not believe everything we see on television or read on the internet. Obama is not an Islamic terrorist, John McCain does not have an illegitimate black child in South Carolina, Sarah Palin did not hide her daughter's first pregnancy by saying it was her. All lies perpetrated by fanatics, not just from the right but from the left as well. I am voting for Obama, I have many friends voting for McCain, it doesn't make either one of us better people. We all come from different backgrounds, have different personalities, so natrually our outlook on things are going to differ. Is it right to hold up stuffed monkeys with Obama shirts? No. Is it right to hang Sarah Palin in effigy? No. These actions divide more than anything the candidates themselves could ever do. McCain is an experienced senator who can never be repaid for all he has given his country. Obama is a transcendent voice and his community service record should be commended not insulted. America, whoever wins, we must all get behind this leader and do what is best for the nation. Vote, but don't belittle and berate those who have a difference of opinion.

Colin Powell= Model American

I have always had so much respect for Colin Powell, not just for his service to this country but because he is a man of such high character. Listen to what he said about his own party regarding the assertions that Barack Obama was a Muslim:

"Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian, but the real right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, 'He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.' This is not the way we should be doing it in America."

Now that is what I call a maverick.

Disrespectful Banter

During the course of my day I get asked alot of general questions, ranging from sports to politics. Now when asked these I generally have no problem answering these questions, but when politics is on the table without fail someone asks "are you voting for Barack Obama because he is black?" Now I can guarantee none of my white friends have been asked are they voting for someone due to the fact they are white. I find this question to be offensive, because it insinuates that I am unable to make a decision based on the facts. That I have to look at a guy's skin color to make a choice. If that was the case i would never vote because as we all know Obama is the first legit candidate of color. I take my voting very seriously and look into each candidate. I owe too much to those who came before me to ignore the issues. But ok, here are a few reasons. The McCain campaign lies too much for me. Example, in a new ad an excerpt of Obama speaking showed this: "says our troops in Afghanistan are "just air-raiding villages and killing civilians." In reality it was taken from a speech a year ago where he said: "We've got to get the job done there, and that requires us to have enough troops so that we're not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous problems there." Ok, want a another? You got it. How can I vote for a man who chooses a woman who doesn't even know who is leading our troops in Afghanistan. Really Gov. Palin? Gen. Mclellan said that? You sure it wasn't Gen. McKiernan. And I have many more reasons why I am not voting for John McCain so if you ask me if I am voting for the Senator from Illinois because he is black you might just get a bipartisan bitch slap from the old Chocolate Puma.

Palin...

You know I have been relatively quiet since the announcement that Sarah "The Barracuda" Palin was named the republican vice presidential nominee. It just seems weird to me that now if you question her credentials you are deemed sexist. James Carville said her nomination seemed odd due to the experience that she had and he was called sexist by Michele Bachman saying it was "offensive to American women." Really, people still question Obama's experience but I guess it's okay since he's a man. Hell people still question whether or not he is Christian. But once again I guess it's okay if you're not a woman. So I won't mock her, I would hate to be labeled a sexist.

Guess who's back...

Ladies an gentlemen, I have urgent news to report...The Chocolate Puma is back and is angrier and more sarcastic than ever.

The first topic, the shameful campaign tactics used by John McCain and his camp.


Really? So Barack Obama, the Harvard alum, community activist, and senator is on the same level as Paris Hilton who never graduated high school and Britney Spears who has made more news recently for not wearing underwear? Are you serious? Are you fucking kidding me? This whole campaign is just sickening. This is not the McCain of '08, the rogue senator who went across party lines to do what he thought was right. This version will do anything to gain the vote of conservative republicans. If elected I am afraid he will just be Geroge W. 2.0 (the older version). Well, I guess that's acceptable, as long as he doesn't have a funny sounding name.

Again?

So I was reading the paper the other day and a guy called Barack Obama by his middle name which is Hussein, and called him a terrorist basically. Really? Because of his middle name? Oh boy I guess I have to jump upon my soapbox and rant on the topic again. Yes, his name is Hussein. Yes, he has been photographed in traditional Kenyan garb, but does this mean he is a terrorist? No. It means he comes from an International background and is proud of his heritage. To be ridiculed for it is the real terrorist act. I have many friends, alot will vote for Obama, some will not. But the reason they are not voting for him has nothing to do with his name, his beliefs just don't mesh with theirs, and that is fine. He is the candidate for me, but maybe not you and I respect that. What's the reason people make fun of McCain? Because he is old, and he is. People have called Obama a terrorist and questioned his patriotism which is sad. Read his story, his books and you will realize that he and his background are truly American, through and through.

Yes We Can

Now that is what I call a Presidential celebration.

Wow...

History has been made, congratulations Barack Obama.

It never ends...

Wow. Just wow. I thought we had turned a corner.

Everytime one of these idiots makes a statement like this they use the excuse of "I was just trying to be funny." Well I got a question, when are black people, and minorities in general gonna stop being the butt of America's jokes?

Bob Johnson is a Giant Douchebag.

The Clinton campaign is really beginning to annoy me. This so called campaign that they are running is flat out disgusting. Their latest tactic has been to get one of their biggest black supporters to attack Barack Obama...again. If you don't remember, in January Bob Johnson, the creator of BET, made a passive aggressive swipe at Obama's admitted experimentation with drugs which he tried to cover up and say he was referring to the community outreach work that Obama was active in during the beginning of his career. Now Bob Johnson has come out and said that he agreed with the racist and flat out wrong assertions of Geraldine Ferraro. He has been quoted as saying, "What I believe Geraldine Ferraro meant is that if you take a freshman senator from Illinois called `Jerry Smith' and he says I'm going to run for president, would he start off with 90 percent of the black vote?" Johnson said. "And the answer is, probably not... ."

Well Bob, when Obama announced that he was running for the presidency Hillary Clinton lead with 52% of the black vote, and the lead increased to 60% by March according to a CNN poll. Over the course of 2007, he worked hard and eventually took over the lead. It was not just handed to him. As a young black man, I find it insulting that a man of Johnson's position would say something this idiotic. In America, there is NO advantage to being a black man. And to say that the only reason that Obama is where he is because of his race just completely ignores all of the hard work that he has done academically, socially, and politically. No one is saying anything about Clinton doing as well as she has because she is a rich white woman and believe me that is much more of an advantage than being a black man.

When the topic of race has been brought up, it has not been the Obama campaign, it had been the Clinton camp. It says to me that the Clintons don't believe in this day and age, that a black man just can't possibly win an election on his own merit and skill. It has to be due to his race. And that my friend is the most insulting and disgusting thing of all. I am not saying vote for Obama because he is black, if you disagree with his beliefs and policies by all means vote for someone else. But if you don't vote for him, don't say because he is black. That is just as bad.

If Obama does not win the nomination, I don't know who I will vote for, but I can give you my personal guarantee that it won't be Hillary Clinton.

At this point I'd put Frankenberry in office before Hillary.

Is Jeremiah Wright really that bad?

I'm sure you people have all heard about the controversy surrounding Jeremiah Wright and his comments following September 11th. If not, here are just a few brief quotes from his infamous sermon:

"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye...and now we are indignant, because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."

"Violence begets violence. Hatred begets hatred. And terrorism begets terrorism. A white ambassador said that y’all, not a black militant. Not a reverend who preaches about racism. An ambassador whose eyes are wide open and who is trying to get us to wake up and move away from this dangerous precipice upon which we are now poised. The ambassador said the people we have wounded don’t have the military capability we have. But they do have individuals who are willing to die and take thousands with them. And we need to come to grips with that."

Now the shocking thing to me has been the uproar caused by these statements, or more accurately how this has been negatively attributed to Barack Obama.

My first point is that we all know people and have been associated with people who have said and believe things that we do not agree with. I have family who are openly against gay marriage although I am for it, I have friends who believe things about other races that just are not true. While I have voiced my displeasure and given my opinion, it should not negatively reflect on me simply because I know these people.

Secondly, John McCain had the support of people like Jerry Falwell and has the support of Pat Robertson. How in the hell is this guy not catching any flack for it? Remember this lil' diddy from the great and moral Pat Robertson?
"You're supposed to be nice to Episcopalians, and the Presbyterians, and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Anti-Christ."

So how is that better than what Rev. Wright said?