Your Black Bloggers » Wallace Q. Weaver

Wallace Weaver: Lynching President Obama; From Hope to Rope

Wallace Q. Weaver — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:54:14 +0000

by Wallace Q. Weaver

Once again, we have been given proof that we do not live in a post-racial society. Racism is alive and well and our failure to address it only perpetuates it. Perhaps what Vice President Biden said, when he made a gaffe about slavery, was far too mild.

According to the latest viral image floating through social media, they don’t want to just put y’all [us] back in chains; but they want to bring back good ol’ fashioned lynching.

The picture is a spin off of the iconic Barack Obama “Hope” portrait, only this time the President is portrayed dead with a noose around his neck and the word “rope” along the bottom.

Where is the human decency? There used to be a time when no matter how much you may have hated the policy, there was always a respect for the President of the United States. This sickening image first appeared on my computer screen as I was browsing my Facebook on August 28- the 49th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech.

Nearly 50 years later, if King were alive today, I feel that he would say he must be in a nightmare. We are far from the dream MLK had for this nation. Many called President Obama’s election a “mountain peak moment,” but in the face of the racism and hate we are living with today, there are much bigger mountains to climb.

Race is an important factor in this election, and not because Democrats are playing the “race card,” but because bigots and hate groups are playing the “racist card.” Simply put, this is an outrage and we cannot stand for it.

About Wallace Q. Weaver

Wallace is a highly motivated and very opinionated young man from Philadelphia, PA. Currently pursuing his undergrad from Seton Hall University, Weaver hopes to graduate with a degree in Diplomacy and International Relations before entering law school. ”When I’m dead and gone, my only wish is that when people talk about me they say that I worked hard and tirelessly for our community and our nation. “His ambitions are to make America a better place, in whatever minimal way he can, and believes that this starts with raising consciousness.

Effigy of Obama Lynched

Wallace Q. Weaver — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 02:13:13 +0000

By Wallace Q. Weaver
Nope, this is not in the Middle East or even in another country. This has happened on our own soil in Florida. Pastor Terry Jones either really loves the lime light or really hates Obama, gay people, Muslims, black people, and anyone else who doesn’t fit into his ideal congregation. Either way, this recent event is so disgusting I can hardly believe my eyes.

A few media cycles back, Jones was threatening to burn Korans. Now, he sees it fit to host a good ol’ fashion lynching, the very thought of which literally turns my stomach. Of course, the pastor did not call it a lynching, but a protest; arguing that President Obama is killing America. To graphically display his protest he erects a scene of Uncle Sam lynching President Obama with a, presumably aborted, baby in one hand, and a gay flag in the other. When asked to explain his opposition to the President, Jones claims:

“That is why we have now chosen the hanging of Hussein Obama to represent how the American people must, in a peaceful way, stand up and reject President Obama and reject his anti-American policies. It is time for us to stand up. It is time, again, for America to become America.”

What ever happened to the basic respect we had for our President, the symbol of America leadership and patriotism? When did we lose our common decency? In a way, I feel wrong for writing this story and giving him the infamy Jones clearly feeds off of, but we as Americas cannot let this idly go by. Frankly, if this isn’t something that can energize the Black community to support this President, I don’t know what will. People like Terry Jones want to take our people back 200 years. We don’t even have to go back 75 years to go back to the days of lynching. They, these radical fringe racist, want to lynch this “negro.” We need to band together. We, as the Black community, know how to protest and when we do, it’s for the good of the whole country, promoting the general welfare, as our Constitution reads. Maybe it’s time for us to get back to the basics and show people like Terry Jones what true patriotism, citizenship, and peaceful demonstration is really about.

About Wallace Q. Weaver

Behind Every Great Man…

Wallace Q. Weaver — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:39:07 +0000

By Wallace Q. Weaver
As the popular maxim goes, “Behind every great man, there is a great woman.” This saying has been found fairly correct throughout history, and the Obamas are no different.

Regardless of the public opinion on President Obama and his policies, Michelle Obama remains an American sweetheart. I feel this is especially true for the Black community. Our community recognizes the strength our women provide and demonstrate on a daily basis, whether in a traditional family setting, as a single mother, or church organizer. There is no denying that the Black community has lost much gusto for the President. He needs our support in this election just as much as he needed us last election. Since we hold our women in such high esteem; can Michelle serve as a valuable liaison between Black America and the President?

Though the answer may not be apparent yet, the Obama campaign is hoping the answer is yes. Michelle is actively campaigning for her husband. This week, she made an appearance in the Philadelphia area to rally enthusiasm in the wake of all but enthusiastic economic reports just released. She pointed out that yes, we are not in the ideal place with our economy but, as the campaign says, “we have turned a corner.”

Michelle put it to her audience this way, “In the end, it all boils down to one simple question: Will we continue the change we’ve begun and the progress we’ve made, or will we allow everything we’ve fought for to just slip away?” This election is pivotal in the direction it will take America. We will be put on a course of catering to the wealthiest or having a concern for the middle class.

Sadly the question of poverty has not come up yet in this election but it is safe to say the Romney will most definitely not care about that issue. So when it comes to helping the average American and continuing the recovery of our nation, Michelle says her husband “can’t do this alone.” He will need the support of Black America, White America, frankly- All America, if we are to see further progress. She continues, “When we need a leader to make the hard decisions to keep this country moving forward, you know you can count on my husband, your president, because that is what he has been doing every single day in the Oval Office as President of the United States.”

In 2008, Barack, himself, seemed to have that irresistible charm, but time and the wear and tear and 3 years of national politics has dimmed the light on his halo. Above the fray of politics is our first lady, Michelle, who may be the Presidents biggest key to victory. I love Michelle, and can’t wait to see her back on the campaign trail.

About Wallace Q. Weaver

Hypocrisy in the High Courts

Wallace Q. Weaver — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 01:17:14 +0000

By Wallace Q. Weaver
America is a nation of checks and balances. This allows for a comparatively more stable form of government than most others; however, when it comes to the Supreme Court, one could argue that it stands above the rest in having the final say in what is considered law; its only answers to the concept of the American Constitution. Now, in saying the concept of the Constitution, I’m not slighting the document or saying it doesn’t have merit; I am saying that today we refer to the concept of the document, not its actual content. Our founders could not see the future; therefore, there is no way they could have foreseen the issues we deal with today, thus when deciding if things fit in within the constraints of the Constitution, it must be a referral to the spirit of the law, not the letter. So here we have this bench of individuals ruling on the spirit of American law; something that is extremely subjective, which is why choosing our judges is a heavy decision.

The issue of racism, particularly racial profiling came to the forefront of public attention during the Arizona Immigration fiasco, but profiling has been the reality for millions of minorities,including the black community, since the very inception of this country.

Sherrilyn A. Hill, a college professor at University of Maryland’s Law School, eloquently puts it this way, “The United States has a dignity problem. The concept of dignity is recognized by law in countries all over the world. It is a cornerstone of both international and humanitarian law, which governs the treatment of prisoners of war, and international human rights law. But it has little power in American jurisprudence. A robust recognition and protection of dignity is precisely what we need, particularly if we are to understand how racism has broken its tether and become enshrined again in state laws and policies across the United States” (Hill, CNN.com). The power of law in regards to racial profiling and the dignity of our citizens seem to be a question of “do the ends justify the means?” An intriguing question.

Many cities like NYC and Philadelphia have implemented or have tried implementing some form of a “stop and frisk” policy. This is where any person deemed as suspicions can be frisked on the spot, starting at the age of 14. So what happened to illegal search and seizure? Isn’t that pretty much Constitutional Law 101? That’s what I thought when I took governmental law in high school. Clearly, it’s fairly basic concept and yet the courts have turned a blind eye towards it. In NYC, there are laws in place that give permission to place heavy surveillance on law abiding Muslims throughout the city. If this practice has stopped some criminals then that is great, but at what cost; must we give up freedom for security? If the answer is yes, than we are going against a fundamental pillar of what it means to be America. As previously mentioned, Arizona Senate Bill 1070 straight up, overtly legalizes racial profiling. The Arizona laws are seen as the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in recent U.S. history.
This is how the law actually reads:
“FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OF A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE, WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON, EXCEPT IF THE DETERMINATION MAY HINDER OR OBSTRUCT AN INVESTIGATION. ANY PERSON WHO IS ARRESTED SHALL HAVE THE PERSON’S IMMIGRATION STATUS DETERMINED BEFORE THE PERSON IS RELEASED. “

When taken at face value, the issue of immigration is only a case of racism because of the profiling. In reality, however, it is only scratching the surface. This is more than a matter of profiling; it is borderline racial cleansing!

Kris Kobach, one of the original bill drafters said that Immigration is “on track to change the demographic makeup of the entire country. You know, what they call ‘minority-majority. How many countries have gone through a transition like that — peacefully, carefully? It’s theoretically possible, but we don’t have any examples.” The makers of this law created it so as to avoid a situation of majority-minority. This is an occurrence in which the former racial majority becomes the minority. Fear has led these law makers to single out an entire grouping of Americans simply because they look different.

So as I asked before, what is the price of freedom? If we trade in certain freedoms to have security, is America really the “Land of the Free?” We cannot call this nation a free one if we give up our freedoms in the process. It is a contradiction in terms, one of which the highest court in the land is far too happy to uphold. We are faced with a tradeoff. I’m not going to say which choice we should choose but a choice must be made: either we pick our freedom, or an illusion of security. The choice is yours.

About Wallace Q. Weaver

Trump, Prove Romney is not a Unicorn!

Wallace Q. Weaver — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 01:48:52 +0000

By Wallace Q. Weaver
Donald Trump and many extreme right conservatives still question President Obama’s birth record, claiming he was born in Kenya (or maybe Mars, it’s hard to keep up). Well, one liberal group would like to answer the birther question with a question of their own: Is Mitt Romney a unicorn? A democrat from Arizona has started a petition asking Arizona Secretary of State to demand that Romney face the music and confirm for once and for all that he is not a unicorn.

Over 1800 people have signed on to this petition; I am NOT one of them but I do think this is hilarious!

“There has never been any conclusive DNA test proving that Mitt Romney is not a unicorn… We cannot prove it but we cannot prove that it is not the case [either],” said a quote taken from a LeftAction.com webpage.

This is how people make a political statement. These liberals have both mastered the use of satire and have let the world know how ridiculous the conservative birthers are in their claims against the President.

There is no reason for this to be in main stream media. It is a Hawaiian state proven fact that President Obama was born on the Big Island, that is Hawaii, the island state of the United States of America. He has proved it, being the first president asked to provide his long form birth certificate. If Donald and his gang of rabble-rousers want democrats to prove Obama is not an U.S born citizen , he needs to prove to rest of America that Mitt is not a unicorn. Then AND ONLY THEN can we get back to business and start talking about the lesser important issues in this campaign; you know, like the economy and stuff…

About Wallace Q. Weaver

Rush Limbaugh: Minorities want Payback

Wallace Q. Weaver — Wed, 30 May 2012 01:15:58 +0000

By Wallace Q. Weaver

According to the last census, over half of the babies born last year were racial minorities. That was just enough to light a fire under conservative media’s vanguard, Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh’s latest gaff started after CNN reported a story about the noteworthy census report. Rush took this report as an attack against conservatives everywhere; claiming that the minorities are coming… and they’re hungry- for revenge.

During one of his talk radio shows, Limbaugh stated, “It is clear that this and other articles like this are a warning to republicans and conservatives; and this warning is that ‘you are on the wrong side of history… you better do what the minority wants right now or suffer the consequences.’ This is an implied threat!” Ultimatums and payback? This is what you think minorities are about, Rush? CNN contributor Ruben Narrabeth put it this way: “We as minorities don’t want payback; we just want a seat at the table.”

I guess that’s why it’s called conservatism, but I truly do not understand what it is about conservatives that make them so resistant to change. When I listen to the inspiring word of Civil Rights champions like Congressman Lewis or Martin Luther King, I have not once heard any mention of payback (barring a couple radical voices from the Civil Rights more militant wing). Our first minority President didn’t win by rallying minorities to bring the swift sword of just recompense to the racial majority. In fact, he said, “we are not a White- America and Black-America. We are not a collection of red states and blue states; we are the United States of America!”

This kind of rhetoric by Limbaugh and the like is simply fear mongering. It is an attempt to galvanize the republican base, while alienating any minority republicans of course, to get out and vote republican in order to keep the racial majority in power lest the minority come in and flip the script. Couple that with instances like the Pennsylvania republican backed law requiring all voters to have a state ID; basically an attempt to suppress potential democratic votes. This all seems far too familiar to me. Remember things like the grandfather-clause, or the “Black Codes” of the Re-constructionist Era? Or what about the fear politics of the Jim Crowe South?

These fear tactics need to stop! No one wants payback. We are too busy pursuing fruitful endeavors like equal opportunity, a fair education system, I don’t know-maybe an end to cyclical impoverishment, than to think about getting payback. We need to tell Rush Limbaugh to get a grip. The only thing he needs to fear is losing his job due to all the heated rhetoric he’s been spewing the last couple months!

About Wallace Q. Weaver

First there was Planking, but now there’s Trayvoning

Wallace Q. Weaver — Tue, 29 May 2012 02:27:56 +0000

By Wallace Q. Weaver

This is simply outrageous! Once again the youth of America has started another nationally trending fad, but this one is just disgusting. Kids from around the country are “Trayvoning”; that is, posing as a corpse on the floor dressed in a hoodie with a bottle of Arizona ice tea and some skittles, often accompanied with a “witty” comment along the bottom of the picture. When I first heard of this new trend, I immediately saw its potential to be a bold socio-political statement, but sadly, it appears to be nothing more than a strongly distasteful joke.

Seriously, where does one come up with this stuff? I know Trayvon and anyone else who has been wrongfully killed for the sake of bigotry and prejudice is turning over in their grave. I can hardly contain myself from making this post just an angry rant but I will try my best to take a lesson from this egregious ignorance.

The popular maxim goes, “You have to love yourself before you can expect others to love you.” How can we expect anyone to take our plight seriously if we mock the death of our own people? There is nothing funny about this trend. Should we start “Emmitt Till-ing?” Would it be funny to pour ketchup on our face, lie on a balcony and do the “MLK?” C’mon young world, we’re better than this! We have shown that our power and influence over media, especially the internet, is second to none. We need to start using our media prowess for good! Let’s start trending things that will advance us as a people, not take us backwards.