While many Republican candidates for president have danced around the reason for the horrific shootings at Emanuel AME, Ben Carson to his credit called racism when he saw it in a statement he released on June 18th. Read his statement below.
Last night evil walked the streets of Charleston. My heart aches for the families of the victims. I pray for the...
Posted by Dr. Ben Carson on Thursday, June 18, 2015
In light of the rash of videos showing police acting inappropriately toward African Americans there are two things we can expect whenever a video comes out. One being that everyone will see the videos and based on their own biases see what they want to see. The second thing is that conservatives/republicans/Tea Party will always side with the police and give them the overwhelming benefit of the doubt. Many African Americans will side with the victim because many have had or know family members that experienced their rights violated by the police. It's sad, but things always break down by race and political beliefs with this cases.
Conservatives will always find a way to side with the cop no matter what they see on video. They will post pictures of the victim holding up their middle finger or acting in a thuggish manner (even if it's not an actual picture of the victim), claim the kids were disrespectful, or if they are lucky find and post a victim's criminal record. They will do this to justify whatever the officer did as if past mistakes or teenage stupidity allows one to be beaten or shot. It's automatically assumed that the black victims were somehow at fault. They expect minorities to blindly show respect to people who in many cases show no respect to them.
There are two things that amaze me about conservatives/ Tea Party types always siding with the police.
One being that no matter how many of these videos come out, theses are always considered isolated incidents. Conservatives tend to believe that there are no bad cops just bad blacks that get themselves shot or beaten.
It's also amazing to me that people who are always spouting off about the government trying to violate their constitutional rights have no problem with police violating the rights of African Americans or other minorities. If you believe it's okay for police departments to police many minority communities the way that they do, then you believe in allowing them to routinely violate those people's civil rights. Conservatives should be the first to stand up and denounce inappropriate police actions if they truly believe the BS they spout.
Now of course that's not going to happen and one has to wonder why. Is it just having the utmost respect for law enforcement? Is it simply a blind eye to the realities of policing in minority neighborhoods, or is it due to the hue of the victim's skin as in good old fashioned racism or bias?
George L. Cook III, AfricanAmericanReports.com
Stephen A. Smith made news for his receding hairline, naw just joking. Mr. Smith made news for his suggestion that in one election African American should vote republican. He believes and probably correctly so that the democrats take the black vote for granted, and they should be made to earn the black vote. No argument with him there. But from I heard Mr. Smith said he was asking African Americans to vote for people that they don't know.
Mr. Smith also stated that, “A vast majority of black Americans look at the Republican Party as the enemy.” He says that democrats have successfully painted republicans as such. That may be true, but I have a few points that Mr. Smith might want to keep in mind.
* If black voters did vote republican the republicans would repay them by enacting policies on education, housing, and healthcare that would be detrimental to many African Americans.
* As an elected official at the local level, I know there is one thing you MUST do if you want someone's vote. ASK FOR IT. Republicans don't come to black communities to ask, so why would anyone vote for them.
* For some reason, republicans still regard outreach to African Americans as "catering to a specific group", although when it comes to Hispanics they think differently.
* Democrats may have painted republicans as the "enemy", but that's the republicans fault for letting someone else paint their narrative and CHOOSING not to be there to refute that narrative.
* Optics. The republicans constantly do things that infuriate African Americans such as with the Loretta Lynch situation, always choosing the police side in the shootings of young black men, voter suppresion, finding new and inventive ways to attack the President of the United States, etc.
* It's not the job of black voters to for even just one election to reach out to the Republican Party, it should be the other way around.
I understand the intended point behind Mr. Smith's suggestion and thinks he has good intentions but I just don't think it's necessary to vote republican to get democrats to step up their game. Maybe African Americans just need to flirt with republicans (yes, I know that means we have to find one in our neighborhoods first but work with me here) I also don't think that Mr. Smith looked at the ramifications of such a vote. Of course that's just my humble opinion.
George L. Cook III, AfricanAmericanReports.com Email Mr. Cook
Loretta Lynch's nearly stalled attorney general nomination is becoming rallying cry for liberals who say Republicans are purposefully delaying a vote.
Some black leaders suggested Tuesday Lynch's race could be playing a role in the delay of her confirmation.
President Barack Obama nominated Lynch, who would be the first African-American woman to lead the Justice Department, in November.
"Never ever did we expect that it would take four months in order to get this done. So then one must wonder, what are the reasons? I think race certainly can be considered as a major factor in the reason for this delay, but it's also the irrationality of the new Republicans," said Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-North Carolina, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, on a conference call Tuesday. Butterfield said the GOP has been influenced by its "extreme Tea Party right wing."
Read more: Some black leaders say Lynch's race playing role in delay
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on CNN's State of the Union that he would put off any consideration of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch to force a vote on a human trafficking bill that Democrats will likely reject over an abortion provision. In essence he is holding voting on her confirmation hostage until Democrats meet his demands. Watch his comments below:
SNL‘s Weekend Update piled on Dr. Ben Carson for his comments about how prisons show being gay is a choice, because some people go in straight and come out gay.
Former NYC mayor Rudolph (I used to be relevant) Guiliani made some very negative comments about President Obama. In case you missed it his comments made at a New York fund-raising event for Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin are below.
“I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America," said Giuliani, according to news outlets that had reporters at the dinner. "He doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love me. He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up, and I was brought up through love of this country.”
For those of you that thought that statement might have just been a temporary brain fart Guiliani followed it up the next day with this gem while trying to explain his comments to the NY Times:
“Some people thought it was racist — I thought that was a joke, since he was brought up by a white mother, a white grandfather, went to white schools, and most of this he learned from white people,” Mr. Giuliani said in the interview. “This isn’t racism. This is socialism or possibly anti-colonialism.”
Now I have been waiting for republicans and especially black republicans to step forward and admonish Guiliani for his comments. I thought that the party that claims it is trying to make inroads into the black community would be all over this like white on ri.... Whoa bad analogy there, but you get my point. I expected You know somebody like a Mia Love, Tim Scott, Will Hurd, or a black conservative group to speak out say something like, "I don't agree with the President Obama's policies but Guiliani crossed the line."
Well through my crack investigative reporting I have come up with a statement by black republicans on Guiliani's ridiculous remarks and that video is posted below:
In light of Mississippi Republican Gene Alday lawmaker making some comments so racist that his own party quickly distanced itself from him (so you know what he said was messed up), I have taken it upon myself to help my republican friends when it comes to answering questions about African Americans.
Now, I'm not going to tell you to avoid phrases like, "them", "The blacks", "democratic plantation", or "those people". If you follow my advice you wont get into trouble for using any of those dog whistle phrases.
Now pay attention my republican friend. If a reporter ask you a question pertaining to race DO NOT under any circumstances answer it! This reporter is not your friend. He or she knows that you will give an answer based on your limited interactions with African Americans. Not only that he or she knows that most of what you will say will be based on stereotypes and false propaganda that has permeated the Republican Party for years thus setting you up for a spectacular fail.
So what's one to do?
Now if the conversation is over a cell phone make a static like noise, pretend you are losing reception, and hang up. Do not take the follow up call from that dastardly reporter!
So what do you do if confronted by a reporter in person? Don't worry I gotcha.
If a glass of water or some salt is nearby throw these items into the eyes of the reporter to give you time to run away and jump into the first moving vehicle you see. The salt will give you more time for obvious reasons. In there is nothing their to temporarily blind the reporter you can try a diversionary tactic like shouting, "Hey, isn't that Hillary Clinton?". When the reporter pees themselves and turns away you can run for it.
If none of that works then pretend to pass out and remember to keep your eyes closed until your aides and staff can whisk you safely away.
If you follow these steps you will be okay answering questions on race and not insert your foot into your mouth.
Now if you do some dumb sh*t like take your republican ass to London and answer ANY question even I can't help you...LOL.
George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com
[SOURCE] TV One's liberal political commentator Roland Martin will co-host the Republican National Committee's Black Republican Trailblazer Award Luncheon on Wednesday in Washington D.C.
Buzzfeed reports that several Black Republican congresspeople, including newbies Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Rep. Mia Love (R-UT) will be recognized at the event, which will pay tribute to Sen. Edward Brooke, III, who died last month. Additionally, 2016 presidential hopeful Dr. Ben Carson will be in attendance.
RNC chair Reince Preibus hopes that the event will help with outreach out to African-American voters and repair the relationship between Blacks and the GOP.
By now we all know that the democrats took a major ass kicking in the 2014 mid-terms. Many have blamed President Obama for this and maybe rightfully so. Many talking heads have said that this election was a referendum on President Obama's policies. As the President of the US, he is the head of the party so some blame goes to him the same way he would have gotten credit if the democrats had held onto the US Senate.
Many democratic candidates have been blamed for running bad campaigns or single issue campaigns. Some kept rambling about women's reproductive rights, another about income inequality, and another about Obamacare. But they didn't seem to focus on the many ongoing issues affecting voters in their states. Now even though all politics is local on a national level the democrats running for Senate, and the House of Representatives seemed to have no one coherent message. The republicans had one, and it was simple, Obama is bad. Yeah, they ran against something instead of for something but it was a simple message that was uniform across the states and worked.
The infuriating part is that the democrats had great things to talk about. Unemployment continues to drop, gas prices continue to drop, and the stock market is booming and the democrats mentioned none of that in a nationwide narrative. There was no one message that resonated across the country as the republicans had.
Democratic candidates in some states ran away from the president's policies, even attacked him on some issues and asked him not to come to their states. This resulted in losses for everyone that tried that strategy of distancing themselves from the president. No one seemed to get the idea that he could ENERGIZE and MOBILIZE the democratic base.
I'm wondering when DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will get the blame for this? As the chair it was her job to get the message and a strategy out there like her counterpart at the RNC, Reince Priebus did. It was her job to get candidates to but into a comprehensive strategy. In my opinion, she did not, and that led to a huge failure on election night. She deserves a large part of the blame, and I'm wondering why she hasn't stepped down as chair or why President Obama hasn't asked her to step down?
Quite simply she did not get the job done and does not deserve another bite at the apple. I hope we as democrats don't intend to let her led the charge again in 2016 because, in 2014, she led us to republican control of both the House and Senate.
I'm just saying.
George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com
First in the interest of full disclosure let me state that I am a member of the NAACP and a democrat.
The NAACP released a statement following the 2014 mid-term elections in which the organization focused on voter suppression which is a legitimate issue. But what some have focused on (RNC, Fox News, etc.) is the fact that historic victories by both African Americans Tim Scott and Mia Love are not mentioned. Tim Scott became the first African-American elected to the US Senate from the south since reconstruction, and Mia Love became the first black republican female elected to the House of Representatives. I don't agree with the politics of either Scott or Love, but in my opinion if the NAACP represents all people of color then their accomplishments in the 2014 mid-terms should be acknowledged. What do you think? George L.Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com.
Read the NAACP's statement below:
This election was not about who won but rather the citizens who lost the right to participate. This first election post the Shelby v. Holder decision resulted in problems in every single state previously protected by the Voting Rights Act. For 49 years, these states were singled out because they had a history of discriminating against American voters. The Election Protection Hotline we manned with other concerned organizations fielded over 18,000 calls yesterday, many in those same states previously protected by the VRA. As we move forward—it is imperative that our newly elected Congress work with the NAACP and our partners to pass Voting Rights Act Amendment legislation that assures that all Americans have the franchise—our very democracy depends on it.
When I first heard this I thought it was a joke. I checked my calender just to make sure it wasn't April 1, and sadly it is not. Dr. Ben Carson, a man who is a walking and living example of how book sense does not equate to common sense is now strongly considering a run for president in 2016. Rumor has it that he will officially announce his intentions in a video airing this weekend titled, “A Breath of Fresh Air: A New Prescription for America”. George Cook African American Reports.com. Check out an ABC News release on the video below:
[SOURCE] Yes, the 2016 race for the White House has already gotten started -- and it looks like Dr. Ben Carson is first in the ring.
Carson, a famous pediatric neurosurgeon and conservative political star, will air an hour-long ad introducing himself to the American people this weekend, an aide to Carson confirms to ABC News. Carson said over the summer that he is “starting to think about” seeking the Republican presidential nomination, but has not made a formal announcement.
The documentary titled “A Breath of Fresh Air: A New Prescription for America” will air in 22 states and Washington, D.C. The paid video will detail some of his biography and family life, including his rise from being born to a single mother with a poor childhood in Detroit to director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins for almost 40 years, known for his work separating conjoined twins, to potential 2016 presidential candidate.
After giving democrats, an ass whupping of epic proportions in Tuesday's election republicans will have control of both the House and the Senate starting in 2015. President Obama will have a tough time getting anything he wants done, and he had better go to Costco and load up on pens for all the vetoes he will be issuing.
But as tough as all believe the next two years will be for our president he just may be better off with the republicans in control. Why you ask? It's really very simple.
He won't have to deal with weak-kneed democrats who ran from him at the first signs of trouble. They ran even though the president had limited options when it came to hot button topics like Ebola or ISIS. They ran from Mr. Obama even though the stock market is booming; unemployment numbers are dropping, and gas prices are at a four-year low.
He won't have to deal with democrats who not only threw him under the bus but tried to back it up, all to win re-election. Some didn't even want him to campaign for them (and still lost). With "friends" like that who needs enemies? In my humble opinion, President Obama will now have a better idea of which democrats have his back and which ones are waiting to stab him in the back.
Now President Obama will have to deal with republicans and both parties know exactly where they stand, you don't like me and I sure as hell don't like you. That makes dealing with each other a lot easier, and some things might actually get done.
Well, we can hope anyway.
George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com
Today's mid-term elections are important so go VOTE! This election can effect all aspects of your life so you owe it to yourself and/or your family to go vote.
Parts of North Carolina's new voting law, considered one of the toughest in the nation, were set aside for next month's elections because they were likely to disenfranchise black voters, a federal appeals court panel ruled Wednesday.
In a 2-1 ruling, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals suspended provisions of the Republican-backed law that would have eliminated same-day registration during early voting and voided ballots cast on Nov. 4 outside of a person's assigned precinct.
"Whether the number is 30 or 30,000, surely some North Carolina minority voters will be disproportionately adversely affected in the upcoming election," wrote Judge James Wynn, a former North Carolina Supreme Court justice. "Once the election occurs, there can be no do-over and no redress. The injury to these voters is real and completely irreparable if nothing is done to enjoin this law."
Read more: Appeals court suspends part of new North Carolina voting law
Georgia republican state senator Fran Millar seems to have a problem with Sunday voting in his state. Actually it seems as if he has a problem with Sunday voting being held at South Dekalb mall since it's frequented by African Americans. Read his post from Facebook below.
Early voting in the three days before Election Day is back in Ohio.
U.S. District Judge Peter C. Economus granted a permanent injunction yesterday preventing Secretary of State Jon Husted from restricting or eliminating voting on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before all future elections.
Democrats, who benefit from weekend voting because supporters tend to come to polls in greater numbers on those days, were overjoyed at the ruling. Republicans, meanwhile, were uniformly silent, with the exception of Husted, who issued a statement praising the decision as a victory for “uniformity and equality” in voting hours.
Read more: Three days of voting to be restored before Election Day in Ohio, federal court rules
Sen. McCain reveals his true plan to fight ISIS.
From time to time we here at AAR get lucky and get interviews with top government officials. Today through sheer subterfuge and outright lying I was able to get an interview with none other than war hero and war hawk Sen. John McCain. This wasn't easy. I only gained access because I claimed I was from Fox News. McCain and an aide were dubious about my claim because I'm black. That was until I told them I was Ben Carson. They were silent for a moment and then agreed to an interview after McCain made a comment about us all not looking alike. Below is my interview with Sen McCain and his surprising plan to fight ISIS.
AAR (George Cook) (That's me!): Thank you for granting me this interview Senator McCain.
McCain: Oh no problem, I love helping you people.
(Pause as aide whispers something in McCain's ear. McCain gives me a shocked look.)
McCain: Oh my Mr. Carson I am so sorry I didn't mean to say you people.
AAR: It's okay I work at Fox and hear a lot worse. Can we continue?
(Senator McCain nods.)AAR: Senator you have been very vocal about putting soldiers on the ground and attacking ISIS. Do you really want to do that?
McCain: I want ISIS destroyed, dead, annhilated , terminated, vaporized, eviscerated and all kinds of f*cked up!
AAR: That's great sir but how do you plan on doing that? Even some of your fellow republicans are against putting boots on the ground and admit that air strikes have limited capabilities. When being honest your colleagues admit that real options that can hurt ISIS are limited.
(McCain makes a smile that scares me and begins to rub his hands together.)McCain: We don't need to put soldiers on the ground. We just need to put one man on the ground.
AAR: Who Rambo?
McCain: What do you think I am crazy? Rambo is not real.
AAR: Then who sir?
McCain: Captain America!
AAR: What the f*ck did you just say?
McCain: You heard me Captain f*cking America. We drop him in he kicks some ISIS ass, problem solved.
McCain: Bullsh*t did you see Winter Soldier? He beat like twenty guys in an elevator!
(The aide again whispers in McCain's ear.)
McCain: I have to go, it's nap time.
AAR: Oh please don't let me stand in the way of your nap time.
McCain: Thank you Mr. Carson
THE END
DISCLAIMER: Due to the nature of the Internet I feel posting this disclaimer is needed. This is obviously satire and I did not actually interview Sen. McCain. I sure as hell don't work for Fox News. That should cover everything. George L. Cook III
I was happy to read this article because conservatives are always looking to attack the Obama's in any way they can. Whether or not those accusations are true or not they never miss a chance to get in a cheap shot. Some conservatives have wondered aloud how First Lady Michelle Obama affords her glamorous clothes. ( Yes I know they never wondered how Mrs. Reagan or either Mrs. Bush afforded their's. Wonder why?) Well this article by Nancy Benac puts that nonsense to rest once and for all. George Cook AfricanAmericanReports.com.
Michelle Obama's fashionable clothing has become something of a given in her five-plus years as first lady. Yet her wardrobe still is the subject of endless public fascination and one long-simmering question: Who pays for those incredible outfits?
It's no small matter. Her high-low fashion choices mix everyday, off-the-rack fare with custom creations from top designers whose gowns can run into five figures.
In recent weeks, Mrs. Obama has turned heads with a forest-green Naeem Khan dress at the opening of a new costume gallery at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. She shimmered in a silver Marchesa gown at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. And her flowered shirtdress for a Mother's Day tea at the White House (recycled from an earlier event) hit the just right note for an audience of military moms.
It takes money to pull that off, month after month. Those three dresses by themselves could add up to more than $15,000 retail, not to mention accessories such as shoes and jewelry.
Is it the taxpayers who foot the bill? No. (Despite what critics say.)
Is it Mrs. Obama? Usually, but not always.
Does she pay full price? Not likely.
Read more: Who pays for first lady's fabulous fashions?
Look I don't know if Paul Ryan is racist or not but what he said recently about the "inner city" definitely was. If he and other republicans/conservatives want people to stop accusing them of being racist then they have to stop repeating things that were born out of a racist ideology. Anyway, after Ryan's offensive "inner city" remarks he will be meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus. This wont accomplish sh*t but I guess it's a great PR move. George Cook AAReports.com.
Republican Representative Paul Ryan on Friday agreed to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus after members of the group branded his remarks about inner-city poverty this week "highly offensive".
The controversy began on Wednesday after Ryan said on William Bennett's talk radio show, "Morning in America," that there was a "tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value of work."
Representative Barbara Lee of California, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, called Ryan's remarks a "thinly veiled racial attack."
"Let's be clear, when Mr. Ryan says 'inner city,' when he says, 'culture,' these are simply code words for what he really means: 'black'," Lee said in a statement.
Read more here: Paul Ryan to meet black U.S. lawmakers after 'offensive' remarks
