SjP's Wordless Wednesday ~ A collage of political cartoons depicting the impact and importance of the Black vote in American from Reconstruction to November 2008. What a difference 165 years makes?

Sphere: Related Content

In the words of Yobachi about BlackPerspective.net:

I created this site to give new voice to socio-political issues that are in need of thoughtful consideration and addressing. I would like to take an academic – and in line with my personality –snarky look at various issues facing the black community both here in the States, and those affecting the global African Diaspora. Yobachi received the 'E' for Excellence Award from Electronic Village and has honored Sojourner's Place as one of his ten honorees.

Much obliged to Yobachi! This is indeed a humbling honor and I am pleased, in keeping with the rules, pass on the 'E' for Excellence Award to the following Excellent Blogs!

Sphere: Related Content

The Campaign Participants:

Activism Blog Catalog
BlackPerspective
Cry Haiti
Darfur: An Unforgivable Hell on Earth
Dream For Darfur
EddieGriffin BASG
Electronic Village
Hagar's Daughters
Modern Musings
Opinionate Black Woman
Sojourner's Place
The Sudanese Thinker
Treehugger.com
Ultraviolet Underground.com
Vanessa Unplugged
What About Our Daughters
Wonderland or Not

Speak the Truth!

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner's Place ain't got nothing more to say.

Sphere: Related Content

While Michael Corleone sat at the cemetery during the burial service for the Don, Tom Hagan asked, Do you know how they'll come after you? Yes, Michael replied, they're arranging a meeting in Tessio's Territory, where I'll be safe.

The meeting: The Democratic National Convention

The territory: Denver, CO

Tessio and his Family: The DNC and Super Delegates

The rule: Never put out a hit on the Chair of the Commission

My mother has a saying plant a seed where you want it to grow. And it certainly seems like the seed to give the Democratic nomination to Hillary Clinton has been sown. Not only sown, but its about to grow like a weed!

Since the PA primary, Hillary has been espousing how she is ahead in the popular vote using her own new found mathematics. What she says is that she has received more popular votes from those having voted. This includes the Michigan and Florida primaries, and excludes all caucus states.

Now, I don't have a problem with Team Clinton spinning these numbers, but I do have a problem with the fact that this new math is providing the rationale for the DNC and super delegates to steal this nomination from Barack Obama. I must say, its a shrewd and smart move (Tessio was always smarter) because it give super delegates something to "chew on" and "consider" going into Denver six weeks from now.

If she wins or even comes close in any of the remaining primaries, be assured that the Clinton-math will become more of point of discussion. But, don't get it twisted, the discussion will not be should we give her the nomination but rather will this suffice as a plausible rationale to do so.

The spin, however, has started. Below are just a few news outlets reporting on the Clinton popular vote since PA (click the icon for the full story).

April 24, 2008

If Michigan and Florida are counted, Clinton is ahead by 100,000 votes -- 15.1 million to Obama's 15 million. Without those states, Obama has a 500,000 vote lead, 14.4 million to 13.9 million.

Clinton says she has received more votes than any Democratic candidate in history.

Clinton is hoping the popular vote argument will persuade them to endorse her. Of the superdelegates who have made public their choice, Clinton leads Obama 255-232.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has called on the superdelegates to make up their minds, but superdelegate Debra Kozikowski said it makes sense for her to wait until the primary process is completed.

April 23, 2008

Including Michigan and Florida, Clinton has 15.1 million to Obama's 15 million - a lead of about one-half of a percentage point for Clinton. Without Michigan and Florida, Obama has 14.4 million to Clinton's 13.9 million - a lead of about 1.7 percent for Obama. Neither total includes the primary vote total from Washington state, since it doesn't count toward the nomination and the party awards delegates based on its caucus. Michigan and Florida's votes don't count toward the delegate total that will determine who will win the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August. Obama said delegates are the most important factor in determining the winner.

April 24, 2008

The truth is, I think, something did happen. Hillary is a little better off than she was before. She's not going to drop out. She is ahead by this weird counting of the popular vote. She can make the case that Obama is not as strong as he looks in the polls because all these exit polls, people say they voted for him and find out by five percent they didn't.

In other words, she has an argument. And who knows? It may prevail. If he screws up again like he did in San Francisco, there's an outside chance, very outside, very remote, that she could still win the nomination.

April 26, 2008

Within hours of the Pennsylvania victory, the Clinton campaign announced that "more people have voted for Hillary than any other candidate," a claim that was widely thought to be aimed at the party honchos who will break the impasse between Sen. Clinton and rival Barack Obama.

A popular-vote lead could give Sen. Clinton talking points with the superdelegates, but it isn't likely to sway them, say political experts. Uncommitted congressmen are more likely to be influenced by the popular vote in their home districts, "but I don't blame [Clinton] for trying," says Carol Fowler, chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party and an Obama supporter.

April 28, 2008

Even so, Clinton now leads in the popular vote, if you include the Florida and Michigan results, by 121,943 votes. And even if you include the imputed totals for the Iowa, Nevada, Washington, and Maine caucuses, she's ahead by 11,721 votes. It seems to me that this provides the Clinton campaign with an important talking point, though one they're probably reluctant to use over the next two weeks. Reluctant, because the likely Obama victory in North Carolina could erase this popular-vote lead, and) an offsetting Clinton margin in Indiana seems unlikely (or at least risky to project from current polling). But looking ahead from May 6, Clinton is likely to regain that popular-vote lead (including Florida and Michigan) and quite possibly could gain a popular-vote lead counting just Florida and not the more problematic (because Obama was not on the ballot there) Michigan. She'll get big margins in West Virginia on May 13 and Kentucky on May 20, and it's not clear Obama will get a big margin in Oregon on May 20; Obama won the nonbinding February 19 primary in Washington only narrowly. If Clinton wins big in Puerto Rico on June 1, as the one poll I've seen there suggests, that will far outshadow in popular votes any Obama margins in South Dakota and Montana on June 3.

Can we really afford to let this happen - not just for this election - but for those yet to come?

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner('s Place) ain't got nothing more to say. ~~SjP

Sphere: Related Content

Sphere: Related Content

Wesley Snipes guilty...sentenced to 3 years on misdemeanor IRS charges...The three cops accused of killing Sean Bell are acquitted! What's wrong with this picture? How does this happen? Well, I've already talked about why this happened in Wesley's case and I must speak on the Sean Bell case.

It is hard to believe that these three cops were acquitted of this heinous act on the eve of what was to be Sean Bell's wedding. With today's not guilty verdict, I am now more amazed that this case went to trial at all. Why not just say that the homicide was justifiable at the Grand Jury rather than spending tax payer money for an outcome that had already been decided. The picture of the bullet-riddled car is evidence in and of itself that Sean Bell was murdered in what is akin to the Sonny Corleone hit! Mind boggling! Simply mind boggling!

But, it appears that more times that naught, members of the fraternal order of law enforcement when facing criminal indictments, opt to have bench rather than jury trials! According to an article on Law.com,"The U.S. Constitution may guarantee the right to a jury trial, but as the verdicts in the Sean Bell case proved once more on Friday, that does not always make it the best option."

Here are some reasons reported for bench rather than jury trials:

1. Emotions that law enforcement officials stir in certain jurisdictions. (Translation: if your in law enforcement and beat the s*it out of a (black)somebody or even kill them, opt for a bench trial and you'll probably get off).

2. Judges make decisions purely on the facts and the law. (Translation: if you are in law enforcement and beat the s*it out of a (black)somebody or even kill them, opt for a bench trial and you'll probably walk).

3. The court is objective and allows questions of carelessness or incompetence to other forums. (Translation: if you are in law enforcement and beat the s*it out of a (black)somebody or even kill them, opt for a bench trial and you'll probably be able to watch the evening news about the verdict at home).

4. The judge's reputation landing the case, whether the charges turn on a complex legal issue and/or ramifications of race. (Translation: if you are in law enforcement and beat the s*it out of a (black)somebody or even kill them, opt for a bench trial and you'll probably be able to have a beer tonight with your boys).

Perhaps, justice for Sean Bell, his family, his children will come as it did for Rodney King if and when federal charges are brought. One can only hope that they are not given yet another opportunity to beat the s*it out of another (black)somebody or even kill them and "cap" it off with a cup of coffee and a *(d)unking donut.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner('s Place) ain't got nothing more to say. ~~SjP

> > >SjP's truth continues

Sphere: Related Content

Never saw this one coming! I thought for sure that Wesley Snipes would get no more than probation after being found guilty of tax evasion. But according to the New York Times, Florida federal judge William Terrell Hodges sentenced the actor to three years in prison for willfully failing to file tax returns.

Hodges gave Snipes one year for each count plus one year of probation for the misdemeanors for which he was found guilty. Convicted in February, Snipes apologized for his actions before he was sentenced - but that didn't sway the judge. When sentencing Snipes, Hodges stated "These are serious crimes, albeit misdemeanors, because he has a history of contempt over time..." The judge, did however, Hodges allow Wes to remain free on bond until the US Marshals Service or Fed Bureau of Prisons summoned him.

The co-defendants, Eddie Ray Kahn and Mr. Rosile, were convicted on felony charges. Kahn was sentenced to 10 years and Rosile for four and a half. Of course, Snipes's legal team intends to appeal.

Could it be that Wesley was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison for misdemeanor charges because he's viewed as an "uppity negroes" needing to be put back in his place and taught a lesson? Just seems like there's a lot of "uppity negro"-syndrome going around lately. No, I'm wrong...the judge said that Snipes "has a history of contempt over time..." It's his contempt that got him 3 years... YEAH! RIGHT!

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner('s Place) ain't got nothing more to say. ~~SjP

Sphere: Related Content

Before Prince...Before Rick...Before El DeBarge...THERE WAS JACKIE! THE ULTIMATE MAN WITH A PERM!



This one was just too good not to post! It's a two-fer!



These men use to have perms, but they left the lye in too long and now they're bald! Just had to include this one as promised earlier this week regarding the Rozita Swinton and the Texas FLDS Compound!



Mrs. Grapevine and MarvelousOne are the creators of this bloggie meme

Here’s how to play:

THE RULES:

1. ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE

2. OLD SCHOOL IS DEFINED AS MUSIC CREATED BEFORE 1993

3. NO OFFENSIVE WORDS ALLOWED, PLEASE USE EDITED RADIO VERSION

4. POST A VIDEO OF YOUR FAVORITE OLD SCHOOL SONG TO TAKE US BACK DOWN MEMORY LANE

5. ADD YOUR NAME TO THE MEME LIST SO THAT OTHERS CAN CHECK YOU OUT

6. HAVE FUN & DON’T FORGET TO COMMENT

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner('s Place) ain't got nothing more to say. ~~SjP


> > >SjP's truth continues

Sphere: Related Content