Black Man vs White Woman?

Is this Presidential Election simply about a Black man vs. a White woman? No! So please don't let idiots like Jesse Jackson, Charles Rangel, and Bob Johnson marginalize your opinion.

Barack Obama is a strong black man with an incredible sense of purpose. He has a record of caring for the underprivileged and under-represented people in this country.

Hillary Clinton is an incredibly smart woman with a proven track record for fighting for what's right. She fought the HMO's when she was First Lady and has a bone to pick with them regarding Universal Healthcare.

One person that white people should never assume speaks for black people is Bob Johnson. He has built his empire off of the backs of black people just like many white slaveholders. Hillary Clinton should not consider this man the voice of reason or responsibility for black people. Bob Johnson has a history of exploiting ignorant black people (BET programming) and underpaying intelligent black people (Tavis Smiley). At the same time, Barack Obama shouldn't think that Oprah is the voice of the black experience (to supplement his). Oprah has a track record of rewarding white people domestically (Oprah's favorite things), rewarding black people abroad (School in Africa), but ignoring local black concerns (with the exception of Katrina). Obviously Oprah is a much more credible and believable billionaire than Bob Johnson, but both candidates for President need to establish their own identities based on their programs and initiatives, not based on their race or sex.

Barack Obama has several inconsistencies that he needs to be accountable for and respond accordingly. One major inconsistency is his statement that he would not owe any favors or employ any Federal lobbyists in his campaign. However, one of his top campaign employees is a State Lobbyist. The distinction between state and federal is purely academic and any excuse related to this distinction would be an insult. The bottom line concern with this conduct is that if he cant keep his promises now, will he really be able to once he's in office.

Hillary Clinton is in bed with several Special Interest Groups and cannot defend her reasoning behind voting to support the war as well as the amendments to the Patriot Act.

I'll admit, I haven't decided who I'll vote for yet, but there are just so many things that I like about both of these candidates. Barack Obama inspires me. Hillary Clinton teaches me. Do I really have to choose?

I want to be taught and inspired.

The Wire Part 2

So this season of The Wire is focusing on the media and how politics can either affect change or prevent it. We see how the media is given free license to slant and direct the general public. We also see how our endearing Mayor Carcetti fights for change (he gives additional funding to schools) but also allows politics to prevent it (he won't allow Feds to fund investigation because it will hurt his run for governor). These circumstances create interesting plotlines, but my favorite plotlines still will always revolve around two of my favorite characters:





How the hell did HBO find a way for the world to fall in love with two sociopaths?!?!? I don't know but I'm smitten! Their bond of trust and loyalty seems so unbreakable. And even though they seem unfazed by the amount of people that they kill, their vulnerability was exposed with one killing that broached a very taboo arena.

Last season when Michael's father came back from Prison, it was very clear that he had violated Michael's innocence from a very young age. Michael hated him like any child victim would hate their victimizer. However, when Michael told Chris that he wanted his father killed, Chris seemed to understand his pain all too well. Chris usually carried his killings out in a calm manner, rarely ever showing emotion. However, when Chris went to kill Michael's dad, he killed him violently, in a fit of rage, expressing an emotion that he had never shown....expressing an emotion that was hidden. While Chris is killing Michael's dad, Snoop is looking on with a concerned look, and it's the first time she show's emotion. I don't think she showed emotion because she cared for the victim, I think she was more concerned for Chris.

These two characters love each other and care for each others' well being. But that's what's so interesting about them. Care and Love are not in the lexicon of sociopaths.

It'll be very interesting to see where love, loyalty, and trust go (or come) when Omar comes back in town.

To be continued

The Wire (Part 1)

So "The Wire" is back and I can't stop singing it's praises. This is absolutely the best TV on TV. The genius of this show isn't just it's story line, the passionate attention to details, or the meaningful violence....the absolute genius of The Wire is the Characters. The characters in this show do such an incredible job of paralleling their lives to the social tenor of Baltimore that I often find myself rewinding scenes and doing research on individual characters. The creators of this show have taken microcosmic portions of the Baltimore community and interwoven them so well that there isn't one aspect of the show (i.e. Newspapers vs. Corner Boys vs. Police vs. Politicians) that doesn't completely leave me engrossed.



First off, the single most important character in The Wire is Bubbles. His struggles mirror the general body politic struggles of the Baltimore community and he personifies perseverance. When Baltimore's biggest problem was drugs in Season 1, Bubbles was the biggest junky. When Baltimore's biggest problem was gaining intel on the drug problem through wire taps, Bubbles was the biggest informant. When Baltimore's biggest problem was violence (Chris and Snoop's adventures in the vacants) Bubbles was the consistent victim of a violent junky. When Baltimore's biggest problem was their failing education system, Bubble's had a problem keeping his nephew in school and out of the streets.

Now fast forward to season 5 and the problem with Baltimore is the media. Ironically, Bubbles is working for the local paper selling newspapers on the street. Bubbles character tells the Baltimore story from it's lowest vantage point. He represents the lowest class of Baltimore...the streets. It'll be interesting to see how corruption and bias affect Bubbles. Sales of hard paper copies of Newspapers are dwindling at a faster pace than music CD's but yet his job is to sell Newspapers on the street.

Bubbles' story is also compelling in that it shows the true nature of every man...his will to do right vs. his desire to do wrong. Last season we saw Bubbles try to keep his nephew in school but desire to kill his violent nemesis. In the end, his desire to kill his enemy backfired when his nephew died from the poison that Bubbles meant for his enemy. This malevolence versus benevolence leads Bubbles to the most dangerous state a man can be in...ambivalence. Will this ambivalence lead him anywhere or will it cause him to return to the doldrums of drug use?

Stay Tuned for Part two