Project 21: New Visions

If a homeless, drunken bum lying in a gutter says people shouldn't drink, is the message diminished because it comes from a homeless, drunken bum? Judges routinely sentence the guilty to public service. This can include the guilty speaking out against their past illegal behavior. Does this, for example, make the message of participants in the "Scared Straight" youth offender program any less important? Obviously, the answer to both is a resounding "no." So the question that begs for an answer now is why would Bill Cosby's message about priorities for black families be diminished because someone came out of ...
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There are lots of jokes poking fun at growing old. For instance, you know you're getting older when everything hurts and what doesn't hurt doesn't work. Likewise, the gleam in your eye now comes from the sun hitting your bifocals. A little humor can go a long way in dealing with getting older, but making healthy choices is no laughing matter. For example, people age 65 and older are taking more prescription and over-the-counter medicines than any other age group. While these drugs work wonders, they only work when they are actually taken. In the black community, seniors will occasionally ...
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In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that executing prisoners who committed capital crimes such as murder as minors violates the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment." While this ruling is heinous in itself, the rationale used by Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, David H. Souter, Stephen G. Breyer, John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in arriving at their majority conclusion is more disturbing. When he was just 17 years old, Christopher Simmons told people he "wanted to murder someone." As described by Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority ...
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By calling for Social Security reform, President Bush has signaled he is serious about taking on the "third rail of American politics." This comparison to the lethal electric rail on a subway implies that politicians risk certain death - or at the least getting seriously burned - should they take up the issue. By now, it's understood President Bush says what he means and means what he says. As was the case regarding Iraq, the President seems unafraid to take on this very difficult mission. But, as with Iraq, the administration seems to be inept at communicating the problems faced ...
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Now, the world knows. For several months, bitter liberals, terrified Arab monarchs and dictators everywhere told the world Muslims weren't prepared for democracy.  They essentially claimed voting is a luxury exclusively for those in the West.  Terrorists tried every conceivable measure to intimidate Iraqi voters into staying home. All of these attempts to suppress the vote in Iraq were smashed en masse on January 31 as millions of Iraqis braced for the uncertainty of their journey and marched to the polls. How sadly were the cynics mistaken?  Old men in crutches joined young women in burqas at the polls.  Those ...
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I recently learned about an African-American male who died of lupus at the age of 40. He is survived by a wife and four children - with the youngest only two years old. Although the cause of his death is somewhat rare, the story in its essence is quite common. African-American men often die young. According to a 2003 report from the Centers for Disease Control, the average African-American male can now expect to live 68.6 years. This is generally attributed to the poor quality of health in African-American communities along with poor lifestyle decisions. It is also common knowledge ...
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Black History Month celebrations largely focus on those who secured equal rights for all: People such as Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglass and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What's often overlooked, however, is the path of opportunity they paved and its importance today. The accomplishments of living African-Americans can provide the younger generation with hope for the future. Past heroes deserve no less honor, but drawing attention to those who seized upon the opportunity they secured lays the groundwork for a more prosperous future. For example: * Before running for the U.S. Senate in Georgia last year, Herman Cain spent over ...
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Thirty-three years after Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, "Jane Roe" (whose real name is Norma McCorvey) is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rehear her case because she claims she was lied to about the safety of the procedure. But suppose it is not her struggle that ends the barbaric murder of the unborn? Suppose it is not the efforts of Heartbeat International, CareNet, the Pro-Life Union of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Blackgenocide.org or the Elliot Institute that rein in the heathen cash cow of the abortion industry? Suppose it is the very ones who are at risk of being killed by ...
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Every third Monday in January, our nation celebrates the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King's struggle for civil rights and equality are certainly worthy of recognition and emulation. Events will honor his life and achievements. Amidst all the music and fanfare, however, some black leaders will take the opportunity to make political statements. When they do so, black Americans will once again receive a heaping helping of liberal divisiveness and the toxic gospel of victimology contributing to black America's demise. Not long ago, I watched a replay of a past King Day celebration at a ...
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While watching the television special "Black History, Television Shows" with my family, I learned things that had never occurred to me about some of my favorite shows. The program, hosted by sportscaster James Brown, featured a panel of celebrities and activists who provided incredible perspectives on the history of television and black performers' roles in it. I grew up on these old shows. Growing up largely without a father figure, I used to pretend I was a part of those shows. I heeded the messages given by the fathers to their sons and daughters. Those shows instilled principles that I ...
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With a changing of the guard occurring at the NAACP, the nation's oldest civil rights organization has an opportunity for growth and change. It would be in the NAACP's best interest to put itself on a more centrist course than the one it has been on for the past 40 years. After all, the protection of people's civil rights is not a left- or right-leaning ideology. It is simply a responsibility. The loss of support the NAACP is experiencing is undoubtedly due to its lurch to the left and the feelings of many that it no longer represents all blacks, ...
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Chief Justice William Rehnquist's current battle with cancer is sending shock waves throughout the legal community. With the Chief Justice forgoing active participation in the Court's activities, it is speculated that the 80-year-old may be ready to retire. Republican gains in November now create the real possibility of something few would have seriously considered previously: That Justice Clarence Thomas could become the next Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Both President Bush's reelection and the four-seat increase in the Senate's Republican majority make Justice Thomas' promotion a realistic prospect. Court-watchers no longer dismiss him as a political "third rail." ...
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As I listen to the self-examination, recrimination and Monday morning quarterbacking among liberals over their sound defeat in Election 2004, I have a few suggestions. It's not a guarantee for success, but at least they won't be perceived as so out of step with the heartland. Here are some things the liberals should do to reconnect with America: * Stand for something that people can sink their teeth into. Something, that is besides "Conservatives are all wrong - we can do better." Tell us how. And try not to sound so elitist when you tell us. * Promote candidates who ...
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In the minds of the white liberal elite, there is an unambiguous dichotomy between Negroes and black conservatives. A glaring example of this truth is the racist bastardization of Condoleezza Rice, our President's choice to become Secretary of State. Rice is one of America's most accomplished individuals. As is judicial nominee Associate Justice Janice Rogers Brown; as is former ambassador Alan Keyes; as is activist Ward Connerly, economists Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams, diplomat and former general Colin Powell and the Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson. The aforementioned comprise a very small number of a very large and ever-increasing number of ...
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Bigotry can be found in the places one would least expect it to thrive. Author Shirley Jackson, remembered most for horror tales such as The Lottery, understood this when she wrote the slyly brilliant story "After You My Dear Alphonse." The story's unnamed narrator is a middle-class, white housewife who considers herself an upstanding liberal in both actions and thoughts. She is delighted when her young son comes home with his new best friend - a black child named Boyd. She immediately assumes Boyd must be poor and his family is in the neighborhood due to some government program or ...
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Liberals have begun accusing President Bush of having a secret plan to call up more National Guard and Reserve forces after the election, and they are planting the idea that it is a precursor to a renewed draft. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Chris Rodney refutes the initial claim, explaining, "There is no force increase that is expected." Quite simply, the Army is rotating the same number of soldiers into Iraq that will be leaving over the next six months. Additionally, the units expected to be mobilized for this rotation already have been notified. A spokesman for the President called this ...
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As the election draws near, the talk gets louder about voting - even though much of the talk is about voter registration and not voter education. Without the proper education and perspective, a wily politician can hoodwink the electorate. Take, for instance, the issue of terrorism. There is a lot of talk among the candidates about the war on terror and which political philosophy can best fight it. I, however, see the ideologies they want us to vote for and fighting terrorists as two very different things. It's resolve, not ideology, that will win the war on terror. Let me ...
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During the presidential campaign, John Kerry was branded a "flip-flopper" for continually taking conflicting positions on issues. It seems radio host Tom Joyner has a similar problem. On one hand, Joyner wants black America to make healthy choices. On the other hand, he's spent the last year promoting a fast food meal many would consider unhealthy. It begs the question: What position will Tom Joyner hold on black health in 2005? Throughout 2004, Long John Silver's restaurants across America have offered the "Tom Joyner Platter." A portion of the sales of every Platter goes to The Tom Joyner Foundation, which ...
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Massachusetts senator John Kerry, like other liberal politicians, is once again calling for an increase in the minimum wage. The Kerry plan calls for a 36 percent increase to seven dollars an hour. He says it will help those living in poverty. Like all liberal ideas, it sounds good at first. But what will the net effect be, specifically on blacks? The old adage remains true: The devil is in the details. According to a Employment Policies Institute (EPI) study, increasing the minimum wage won't alleviate poverty among the working poor. The majority of workers living in poor families already ...
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Over the years, much has been written about the American racial question and its impact on life in the United States. Conspicuously absent from the debate has been a recognition of how racism may now be but a convenient proxy for cultural marginalization. When racial minorities experience discrimination today, the cause is most likely rooted in differences of culture rather than differences in inherited physical characteristics. Perhaps the time has finally come to attribute American intergroup tensions to "culturism" as opposed to racism. The difference is far more than semantic and it could suggest that America has unknowingly turned the ...
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