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May 16 This Week in Pop-CultureI decided to separate the politics from pop-culture this week because like I said in a previous week, it was an eventful week:
*P.S. Sorry for any formatting issues (Spaces sucks at times) Recap on Politics This WeekIt’s been a while since I did a round-up of the week’s news but this has been an eventful week to say the least. So here goes:
2. President Bush sacrifices golf for the war: Of all the stupid comments (check out the video here) I’ve being subject to listen to for the last eight years from W, this one ranks up there. In an interview with Politico.com, Bush made this quote: “I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf,” he said. “I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.” Ok Mr. President, let me tell you how to send the “right signal,” about the war: Put some funding into Walter Reed hospital for injured soldiers to get proper care; the same goes for the GI bill to increase benefits that are depleting. Also, treat the thousands of veterans with dignity who are going homeless when they return from war. The aforementioned signals are just a start . . .
May 14 MLK Statue Fiasco Getty Images
Here we go again with art driving folks nuts! Let me be the first to say I'm a huge proponent of the theory that all "art is subjective." As long as you're not doing something with damning images a la Golf magazine a few months ago with a picture of the "noose," it's difficult to get me all up in arms about various images because most revered art work whether from Michael Angelo or Picasso have at one time have been seen as controversial. Now the latest art controversy is of one of the greatest Americans ever produced, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts says the sculpture of MLK make him appear "too confrontational." Granted, I don't think the sculptor should have made MLK cross his arms, anyone who studies body language would tell you the crossing of the arms could evoke several messages and often, not positive ones. However, I can't imagine what this lead sculptor, Lei Yixin is going through. First, there was an outcry from the black community about the sculptor chosen for this landmark statue was not "African-American;" he's Chinese. Now after, he erects the statue, the commission is saying the image is "too confrontational" but should be more "sympathetic."
Ok, time out! As an African-American, I never had a problem with the sculptor given the commission. I felt that the commission was following the principle of MLK in part not to judge a person by the color of his/her skin but by the content of his/her character. In my opinion, let the best sculptor (regardless of race) get the commission. Now about the statue: How do you make MLK more "sympathetic" when his life's work was confronting the injustice of his time? Seriously! After 40 years of his assasination, some critics have gone against the "santa-clausification" of MLK. These critics felt that MLK was more than just the "I have a dream" speech. Isn't it ironic that the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts is doing exactly what those critics bemoaned?
Again, I ask how do you make MLK's statue appear more sympathetic? Is it with him preaching against the inequality of the land on his pulpit? Or marching for the Montgomery bus boycott? Or seeing the image of a man the head of FBI, J. Edgar Hoover once called "the most dangerous man in America?" Yes he followed Gandhi's principles of "non-violence" but let's face it, MLK was no Gandhi in his demeanor. If you are going to sculpt a statue of a civil rights icon, you have to face the truth of the times. As the lead sculptor, Yixin responded to this latest controversy: "I just want to focus on King's ideals." Bravo Yixin! Very Grateful!Sometimes we look at life's little inconveniences and depending how we choose to view the situation, it could really put us in the dumps or make us see the glass half-full. That's where I found myself when my mother's day plans for all the mothers in my life was shot to the pits. It was after three in the afternoon and I was debating the best highway to take to start my travel plans. I finally decided on the Turnpike and spoke to one of my Godmothers to wish her a "happy mother's day." I told her the conversation was going to be short because I was getting close to get on the highway and I would talk to her later.
Thirty minutes later, I just paid the final toll and I was now in the city waiting at an intersection for the light to turn green when my car cut off automatically - went dead. I tried starting the car again and it won't start. This wasn't the time for this (it never is) and here I was on a busy street as South Florida was having record breaking heat. Also, I was confounded because anyone who knows me knows that I take great care of my car. In fact, I just had it serviced about six weeks ago. So I'm thinking, should I call AAA, then I remembered one of my family members (GodDad), lived about thirty blocks away from where I was stuck. I called him to tell him about the situation and where I was. Also, called another family relative (another guy) who I was supposed to be seeing later on. I'm all for equal opportunity when it comes to women but when it comes to my car; call the guys.
As I was waiting with my emergency lights on, a black guy I don't know approached my car. I guess he saw the look of shock on my face and quickly assured me he was only there to help. The stranger told me he'll park his car at the opposite gas station then come back to help me push my car out of the intersection. When he returned, another black guy (another stranger) was behind my car with his car. The first one without the car said he'll push while the other guy in his car will use his car to push my bumper. They both helped me into the safety of the gas station before my GodDad was able to get to the place. I was profoundly grateful.
So it was an inconvenience knowing I wouldn't be able to drive back home that day since it was found out something might have been wrong with my water pump and/or thermostat (never did anything with those since I got the car). I had to crash at a nearby family relative's home (the second person I called) to check out his mechanic first thing in the morning. All my plans for Sunday and Monday were now altered but you know what, the time I couldn't run everywhere made me check out some "spaces" sites and catch up on my personal business on the computer. Also, I had time to reflect about the days' events and appreciate the kindness of strangers and the un-ending support and love of family. May 12 What's up with the NYPD? Can somebody please tell me what's happening in New York specifically with the NYPD? See the above picture? That's a picture of a high-ranking officer, Chief Douglas Ziegler, head of Community Affairs Bureau. Not only that, he's married to NYPD deputy commissioner of Equal Employment Opportunity (you'll see the irony of that in a minute). Oh did you notice he's black? So what's the problem? The problem is the officer was off-duty in street clothes when he was profiled; you know, driving while black.
So Officer Ziegler was approached by two NYPD officers (who are white) while his SUV was parked. The two white officers ordered him out and did not believe the NYPD identification Ziegler showed them. Seriously? Actually, one of the officers got in a shouting match with him after the said identification. Well since this case was filed, the said officer has been stripped of his barge and gun and also placed on modified duty.
NYPD, your rep is so shot right now, it's not even funny. This is less than a decade after Amadou Dillo, a few weeks after the controversial verdict of Sean Bell, the protests on the street last week, then this latest news this week. And to think it was against your very own - let me paraphrase what a police source said; "I don't know how you cannot recognize a Police Chief with ID around his neck."
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