Sometimes are arms are too short to box with God

We have to realize our limitations and say: No mas. That's what is prudently being said in Utah were six men have been trapped in a mountain as a result of a mining accident. Even though it seems unlikely the six men still survive -- tests of air quality from holes drilled into several areas of the mountain indicated that the air was not sufficient to sustain life --heroic efforts were made to tunnel into the mountain to try to rescue them. And that effort claimed three lives last week, while injuring six others of the rescue team.

Family members of the six who were initially trapped are understandably disappointed that the tunneling has been stopped, upon the orders of federal safety officials. But why risk the lives of rescue teams when it seems so unlikely that the original six can possibly alive after more than two weeks?

At some point we have to be prudent and realistic, even if that brings little comfort or closure. The families of those who died when that bridge over the Mississippi collapsed in Minneapolis seemed to understand that and to exercise patience. They could see the danger in sending divers into the murky waters at night amid all sorts of hazardous debris while trying to recover the dead. That task has stretched out until now. The last known missing person was pulled out of the water yesterday.

If you knew Rudy the way a lot of us do

I have faith that most people tuned in to what’s happening in the world beyond their own everyday lives will pay attention to what the various presidential candidates are saying versus what the truth is. If they do so, they must help spread the word about Rudy Giuliani’s blatant attempt to rewrite his past and pull the wool over the eyes of people who’d barely heard of him as of Sept. 10, 2001.

Take a look at Wayne Barrett’s explication of the Rudy lies and exaggerations about his expertise in handling terrorist attacks – all based on his exploitation of Sept. 11 and his confidence that by evoking the image of him “leading” New Yorkers from Lower Manhattan that day will bring about such reverence that enough people will be bamboozled into choosing him as the nominee of the Republican Party and, ultimately, the President of the United States. Barrett’s Village Voice piece totally eviscerates that strategy.

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0732,barrett,77463,6.html/full

Motive Behind a Journalist's Assassination

Chauncey Bailey (see previous post) was working on a series exposing how a rump group of criminals calling themselves Black Muslims were involved in all manner of crime, including rape, murder, fraud. Take a look at this article from the San Francisco Chronicle's Leslie Fulbright, where a member of the family involved, the Beys, tells of being Bailey's main source.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/08/07/MNA1RDQAE1.DTL

And take a look at this piece from the Village Voice, where a journalist named Chris Thompson tells of being threatened by members of that Bey clan when he, too, ventured into dangerous territory -- namely, the truth.

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0732,thompson,77457,2.html

True journalists speak truth to power -- regardless of race, creed, color or anything else -- as often as possible. They are the eyes and ears and noses that try to hold accountable those aspects of government and civil society that mean the difference between true democracy and bullshit served on a stick.

Bailey was the victim/hero/martyr here. Don't forget that as others may try to turn this into a persecution of the Beys.

Refreshing Perspectives from Obama

Hillary Clinton says she thinks Barack Obama is inexperienced and naive if he thinks he can bring a fresh approach to foreign affairs. Too bad. What's wrong with the current approach is evident in the US standing in the world when it comes to respect. Obama would meet face to face with leaders of nations George W. Bush considers evil. Obama also would not let Pakistan off the hook when it comes to fighting terrorism. If Pakistan won't do the job of going after terrorists hiding there and in the border areas with Afghanistan, the US will.

Obama also has a good take on the intense focus on the N, B and H words by some civil rights and civic leaders to the exclusion of other issues. In the current VIBE magazine, where he's on the cover, he says: "My priority as a U.S. senator is dealing with poverty and educational opportunity and adequate health care. If I'm ignoring those issues and spending all my time worrying about rap lyrics, then I'm wasting my time."

The NAACP has taken up this cause; so, too, has Al Sharpton. Let Obama focus on other matters.

Journalist Assassinated in Oakland

On most days being a journalist in the United States is not nearly as dangerous as being a taxi driver. Outside the U.S. the killing of journalists – the killing of the messenger, if you will – is more commonplace.

Last week, for the first time in several decades, an American journalist was assassinated in the line of duty in Oakland, California. A masked gunman shot to death Chauncey Bailey, the editor of Oakland’s Black weekly newspaper, The Oakland Post. A 19-year-old member of a splinter Black Muslim group has confessed to the slaying. Hardly anyone believes he acted alone. [[The young man's group is not affiliated with the Nation of Islam.]]

West Coast media have paid attention to this. So has CNN. So has Farai Chidaya, host of National Public Radio’s daily program, News and Notes. Richard Prince, the online columnist has been all over this story (http://www.maynardije.org/columns/dickprince).

But where there should be outrage-tinged coverage among other media, there has been no coverage at all. When will Black + American yield equal treatment? When will Black life be as valued as that of Whites? Had a White editor been gunned down on an American city street, most likely because of a story on which he was working, wouldn’t that editor’s name – or at least the incident – be the subject of conversation and protest across this land?

Contact your local media and ask what’s going on.