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Tuesday, February 28, 2006My worst fears have been confirmed...Octavia Butler died on Saturday (Feb. 25th), according to her long time friend Steven Barnes. This is my birthday. I am heart broken. Steven is married to Tananarive Due, another one of my favorite writers. This is a nice tribute to Octavia Butler. I feel so fortunate to have met her. A few years back, I heard she was coming to Chicago for a book signing. I brought 10 books of hers that I had previously read and stood in line and had her autograph every single one for me. I could tell she didn't mind because she smiled. Can you believe, I somehow missed a book and was planning on getting it autographed when I saw her again... In October 2005, I went to The 15th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Writers Conference at Chicago State University because they were honoring the great Octavia Butler. Everyone could tell I loved Octavia Butler from my questions. I even tried several times, to gently nudge her to write a sequel to her Xenogenesis series. She said no with a smile and added, I will leave that for you to do. I responsed and said, my imagination is not as good as yours. Xenogenesis series/Lilith's Brood Dawn (1987) The three volumes of this series are also collected into two omnibus editions, Xenogenesis (out of print) and Lilith's Brood. I'm so glad I have the Xenogenesis series (autographed). I also tried to get her to reconcile Lauren with her daughter (Larkin) in the Parable series. She said no with a smile. Parable series Parable of the Sower (1993)Finally I said, when you killed Doro from your Patternist Series, although he was a soul sucking vampire, I was disappointed, and missed him. So I asked, is it possible that you could give your stories a Hollywood ending? She said oh no, no, no, and she smiled. I said well, you can't blame a girl for trying... Another giant among us is gone. She will be missed... All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change. God ls Change. -Earthseed: The Books of the Living (from Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower)  
Monday, February 27, 2006The rich gets richer, and the poor is still displaced...I'm not shocked they are reporting this, but I have my doubts about the Katrina victims being helped in any kind of significant capacity. Especially with reports coming out of New Orleans that they (Contractors) are hiring illegal Mexicans and then dismissing them without pay after the work is completed (after the major contractors has called immigration on those same Mexicans). So - I will continue to believe the reports I get directly from New Orleans. And they simply state the majority of the Katrina money has gone to those who need it least. There's more to this story... Two-thirds of the $3.27 billion raised by private nonprofit organizations and tracked by The Post went to help evacuees and other Katrina victims with immediate needs -- cash, food and temporary shelter, medical care, tarps for damaged homes and school supplies for displaced children.
I think it is very difficult for some blacks and whites to believe (especially those with Conservative leanings) that this society (white) can be so diabolical as to invent a disease that does not exists and that same invented disease can some how disproportionately affect the black world (Africans & African Americans alike) and not the white world. Therefore, to reconcile this in their minds, many would rather just ignore any evidence that contradicts their reconciliation. It simply makes people feel good to think no one can be this diabolical to invent an alleged plague that science can't prove exist in the first place and then treat those whom they deem should be infected with said plague with very toxic drugs that are known to be so toxic that they will kill anyone who takes those drugs for that fictitious disease. You have that whole Hegelian concept at play here; if the lie is big enough, people will believe that lie and then the proposed solution to the said disease only benefits those who created the alleged problem in the first place. Harper's Magazine wrote an excellent article about the misconduct of certain AIDS researchers and how they have dismissed the overwhelming scientific evidence about HIV/AIDS. March 2006 article "Out of Control: AIDS and the Corruption of Medical Science" (PDF).
Sci-fi author Octavia Butler dies after fall Octavia E. Butler, considered the first black woman to gain national prominence as a science fiction writer, has died, a close friend said Sunday. She was 58.
Thursday, February 23, 2006Some things are predictableWhat is happening in the Muslim world is a good example of why I don't talk about my beliefs openly. Once others know what you believe, you become vulnerable to their vices. Therefore, if you learn your opponent’s religious beliefs, you will understand how they think and you will be able to manipulate their thoughts and actions because they now become predictable. It is a well-known fact that people can't think outside the confines of their religions. Surely, your God should be greater than any shrine or image on this earth. So, why all the turmoil? These current attacks could be from anyone who stands to gain from the civil unrest in Iraq. The way the Muslim world is reacting lately - it is like taking candy from a baby (too easy). It is interesting to note, you didn't have this happening before the U.S. ousted Saddam Hussein. Some people it appears need to be controlled and ruled with an iron fist. Well, Well, I guess we can all conclude that the U.S. has successfully destabilized that region. A bomb attack on an important Shia shrine has prompted Jalal Talabani, Iraq’s President, to plead with his countrymen not to allow the country to slide into civil war. “We are facing a major conspiracy that is targeting Iraq’s unity,” Mr Talabani said...
I heard my Congressman, Danny Davis endorse various people for the up-coming Illinois elections and one of those people were Representative Karen Yarbrough. I was a little disappointed with Danny Davis, because he should know that Karen Yarbrough is serving the interests of real estate businesses. Karen is running against one of my close relatives, Chris Welch. Naturally I want Chris to win, not only because we are related, he really is a honest and forthright person that will represent the interests of those he was elected to serve if he is elected as the Representative of the 7th District. He's has done some wonderful things as the president for the School District 209. He is responsible for building a magnet high school (Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy) so that the students who are excelling in school will have a place that is conducive for their continued development. I'm happy to see that the Chicago Tribune endorsed him over Yarbrough. Yay!!! Hopefully, he will win... Here is what the Chicago Trib said about the 7th District in general:
I had already learned that Karen is notoriously known for running a spear campaign against her opponents. Chris said he was going to stay away from this type of campaigning since he thinks it is counterproductive. What the Trib said about Yarrough: Democratic Rep. Karen Yarbrough has the smarts and experience to be a thoughtful, independent legislator, but she consistently fails to inspire. She's far more facile, for instance, at identifying line items for which she would increase spending than areas that need trims. And, finally what the Trib said about Welch: Emanuel "Chris" Welch, an attorney and Proviso District 209 School Board president, understands education-funding issues and offers his own district as one ripe for consolidation to save on costs. Welch, from Hillside, has clever ideas for informing new parents of college savings and early childhood education programs. He is endorsed in the hopes that he'll rise above all the local political squabbles.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006Black Gold...Bullfrog has an excellent post on black goal (oil that is) that is worth its weight in gold. We've always been taught that oil is a product of fossil fuel and there is a limited supply and this supply peaked in the 1970's and by the year 2050, the world will completely run out of cheap oil (the peak oil theory). According to Bullfrog's research, there is a new theory and it is called the "Abiotic Theory of Oil Formation", which contradicts the original "fossil fuel" theory. More importantly, this not so new theory (known since the 1950's) states that oil may not be a limited resource and may not be organic in origin. I find this whole theory very fascinating. I will revisit this story when I learn more...
Tuesday, February 21, 2006A legend among men...Today is the 41st anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X. He was one of our finest. It is unfortunate that he is not talked about as much as MLK. He is the epitome of what I consider greatness. I respect him more than any other person that ever lived.  Young Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, Omaha, Nebraska. This young Malcolm looks exactly like someone I dated in high school.  Malcolm was assasinated at Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom on February 21, 1965. He had just taken the stage when he was shot. Malcolm X was 39 years old. This society has the blood of many of our courageous leaders on their hands. According to Democracy Now, there are three missing chapters from the autobiographies of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley and Spike Lee. In those missing chapters, the New York Police, the FBI, and possibly the CIA were involved in Malcolm X's assassination. However, this is something that we always suspected. Why is it that good and progressive black people are killed by this society in the prime of their life? We have been going through changes with this society for a long time. Two of my favorite quotes: 1. You're not to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it. 2. Concerning nonviolence: It is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself, when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.
Monday, February 20, 2006Israeli Cabinet OKs Economic SanctionsThis is the danger of depending on the West. If things don't go their way, they will take unreasonable actions against you to force you back in line. They must always have an unfair advantage over their opponent. How is this right especially since the Hamas government was democratically elected? I guess democracy is just a word used only when it is convenient. Where is the righteous indignation of the Christian right on these types of issues? Oh wait, silly me - this doesn't count, we all know that the morality of the West doesn't extend to others. The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved a halt in monthly transfers of tens of millions of dollars to the Palestinians, in the first response to Hamas taking control of the Palestinian parliament.
Some are predicting that the world will run out of cheap oil by 2050. Others are predicting that the world's population will increase by 2.6 Billon over the next 45 years, with all the growth occurring in less developed regions. Interestingly, with all of this growth, one report estimates that Europe's population is expected to decrease by 70 million by 2050, while another report estimates the decline may be as high as 90 million. Some thoughts: If the population is expected to grow in developing countries, how can these countries especially Africa be ravaged by HIV/AIDS. Shouldn't we see a decrease in the population? Why is the West trying to control the population growth of developing nations when they are using at most 20% of the world's natural resources? Maybe this energy would be best spent on trying to find ways to circumvent the inevitable decline in their population. It's interesting to note that currently there are five additional ways to get pregnant using scientific technology (listed below) besides the traditional way (engaging in the horizontal polka). When these techniques are used, I wonder if the child inherits the infertility problems of the parents. If this is the case, this could explain in part the decline. The decline in Europe's population demonstrates that science is not a cure all. However, I do wonder what other factors (hidden) are driving the decline. 1. AID (artificial insemination with donor sperm)
This morning on the Cliff Kelly show, a mother and her attorney tells how her 14-year-old son was killed in a boot camp in Dade County (FL). The child was arrested and charged for grand theft auto for joy riding in his grandmother's car even though he wasn't driving the car and the grandmother refusal to press charges. The officers that brought the child home after an accident told the family, even if you don't press charges, we will. From what I understand, this is a common practice in Florida that is being used to unfairly criminalize black youths. I suspect this is another way along with teaching our children to be criminals in the fourth grade that will assure that the following prediction come true (1 in 3 black males born in 2001 will go to jail in their life time). Anyway, the courts put this child on probation and he was later charged by police for violating his probation by going to a high school. He was then sent to boot camp under the pretense of keeping him from going down the wrong path. The officers brutalized and killed him within the first two hours that he was there. Fortunately, someone got this on tape because the coroner said he died as a result from internal bleeding that was caused not because of the brutalization by the officers, but because he had the sickle cell trait. Ironically, this is not considered a disease, and yet, the coroner's report said this was the cause of the child's death. I tell you, living in America is toxic to the survival of African Americans. If we are to survive in this environment, we must stop this type of barbaric and inhuman onslaught on our youth. This is more of that relative morality the U.S. is infamously known for.
Friday, February 17, 2006Feudalism Repackaged...Although the statement below is a page out of the medieval European feudal system, it sure sounds like the platform of Christian theology if you change a few words. Just look at Samuel I, Chapter 7. This is consistent throughout the Christian text, obeying your Lord and if he tells you to kill, you must kill. In addition, this means anyone who holds a different worldview from you. Does this sound familiar? What about the Axis of Evil campaign by the Bush Administration? It's also interesting to note that modern day England has named its parliament after their old medieval feudal society (The House of Lords & Commons). Who are we worshipping, a man or a God when we say "My Lord"? I'm always taken aback by people that actually believe America's moral values are declining. Everybody always neglect to mention a specific time when the Christian values were high or even on the incline. Courtesy of Church Secretary - this book appears to deal with the non-existent moral values of the Church. "Over a period of almost two millennia, the Christian Church has oppressed and brutalized millions of individuals in an attempt to control and contain spirituality". So I ask again, what period were these Christian values on the inclined, and don't you have to have an apex (when was it, I certainly missed this event) before a decline. The noble men (Medieval Europe) In order to obtain the land, a vassal had to pay homage to his lord. To do this, a man went down on his knees before the lord without a weapon, placed his hands between his lord's hands and promised to be his man, to serve him and fight for him. The lord then granted the man a fief. A fief was usually a piece of land, although sometimes it was a right, such as the right to fish in a stream or the right to collect a toll on a certain road. Lords commanded a small army made up of vassals who owed him military service for their fiefs. When he made a law, he used this army to enforce it.
Thursday, February 16, 2006Robert Sengstacke Abbott - A Force in American History...Cross posted at American Hot Sausage Last night I went to the Chicago Defender with the music director of the documentary “Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender” and discovered some interesting news. Robert Sengstacke Abbott can be considered the father of modern day black America. He was responsible for a major shift in America's culture. He influenced a geographical change in the African American community that was considered The Great Migration, a mass movement of black people relocating from the rural South to the urban North. The only other migration that can remotely compare to this is the force migration of blacks from New Orleans because of Katrina. Can you believe when blacks were migrating to Chicago, the founder of the Chicago Tribune (McCormick) tried to prevent blacks from settling in Chicago and offered to pay the fares of any black person that wanted to return back to the Jim Crow South. Interestingly, Abbott was recognized by FDR for single handedly getting him elected because the black vote was considered the swing vote during his second term. Ultimately, this led to the monumental switch of blacks voting strictly Republican to us voting strictly Democratic. Ironically, we never even benefited from the New Deal started by FDR, which incidentally contributed to the persistence of two Americas. The following site gives a brief history of the switch and it explains why most blacks still vote Democratic today. It’s all about economics or class. As long as the Republican Party is the Party of the haves and have more, black people will continue to collectively vote for the Democratic Party, i.e., voting on the lesser of two evils. Finally, I think Chicago can be considered the Capitol of progressive American thought. The number of successful actors, artists, politicians, media personalities that comes from Chicago is astounding.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006This Morning on the Cliff Kelly ShowQuote of the year:
I also heard that there is such a thing called "The Curse of the Presidents". William Henry Harrison ordered the brutal murder of the Shawnee nation. He told the soldiers to kill the women and children when the men go hunting and when the men return kill them too (this is more of that relative morality meted out by the West). Before the Chieftan died, he put a curse on the Presidents of the U.S. for the next 200 years commencing with the 1st president elected in the zero year and thereafter. In other words, presidents elected on the zero year will have some type of mishap during their term. So far, something has happened to each President that was elected in those zero years. Interestingly, some have died, while others were wounded while holding office. The question is - will Bush complete his term without a mishap? Or is all of this a coincidence or just silly mombo jumbo? You decide.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006U.S. and Israelis Are Said to Talk of Hamas OusterThis is why there is turmoil in the Middle East. It's the warped sense of values/morality of the U.S. and Israel that are creating the unrest. Then they turn around and accuse the Palestinians of being evil. What hypocrisy. This is all part of that relative truth that I’ve been discussing with Bullfrog. The West (U.S. & Israel) will demonize anything that is not in their best interest and seek to destroy it at all cost. The United States and Israel are discussing ways to destabilize the Palestinian government so that newly elected Hamas officials will fail and elections will be called again, according to Israeli officials and Western diplomats.
This is a link to the state of Dr. King's Dream. Things haven't changed much over the years for Blacks, in fact, in many areas things have gotten worst. All of these years, people are looking to a dream that will never materialized. This King dream has really turned into our worst nightmare. Things are so bad, they are predicting that 1 out of 3 black males born in 2001 will go to prison in their lifetime. In 2001 - 13 states had more black men in jail than in college. This is appalling. One can only assume the numbers are worst in 2006. We are more unaware, ignorant, sick, self-destructive, mentally unbalanced, and monetarily disadvantage than we were when King was alive. I'm convinced this King dream is going to be our undoing. At least when we were segregated, we were not in jail in these numbers and as a group, we operated more as a family unit. We had more unity and now we allowed all of these distractions to pull us apart and keep us separated from each other. We are completely vulnerable to the various vices of this society that uses a different moral standard to keep us in a perpetual state of disarry.
Sunday, February 12, 2006Cheney Accidentally Shoots Fellow HunterVice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, spraying the fellow hunter in the face and chest with shotgun pellets. What an unfortunate incident. I wonder if this is similar to the fact that some people may be too old for driving and their license to drive should be revoked, but in this case, their license to own a gun should be revoked.
Saturday, February 11, 2006Their Levees vs. Our Levees Here's how the British hold back the waters from flooding London:  And the Dutch solution to protecting an entire nation that mostly rests below sea level:  The Italians are defending their city on the sea, Venice: Giant platforms on hinges raise up to break the waves when they get too high  And the richest, most powerful and technologically advanced nation on earth...USA!!!!!! After looking at these pictures of levees in other developed countries, you know something is seriously wrong in America. There’s no excuse for what happened in New Orleans. And now that it has happened, there's no excuse for not rebuilding the city exactly the way it was. If these countries can protect their cities that are below sea level, so can the U.S.
Friday, February 10, 2006Relative Truth and evilBullfrog has a nice discussion taking place on his blog about relative truth. Naturally, I think everything is relative (truth and evil). Society dictates to us what is moral and anything that goes against what society considered moral is deemed immoral. Therefore, morality is mutable. The views change from one time to another. At one point, people thought human sacrifices were fine, and now that act is considered barbaric. At one time, everybody was a pagan, and now, people in this country consider you doomed to hell if you don't believe in Christianity since this is the absolute truth. If you are in Muslims countries, you are doomed if you don't believe in Allah because Islam is the absolute truth. The question is - whose truth are you going to follow? This will dictate whose reality you will act out...
Thursday, February 09, 2006Teaching black kids how to commit burglary...Black people are fighting a losing battle in America. This society is hostile on many fronts. Today I just heard on the Cliff Kelly Show that part of a lesson plan in the Baltimore, MD public school system was to teach black kids how to rob a house. The worksheet even had the nerves to include how to put on a mask so that you won't get caught. A 4th grade child said to his mother - I don't want to rob a house mommy. The mother became furious when she saw the assignment. Can you believe the worksheet was suppose to prepare the children in the Baltimore public school system for a standardize test that is coming up. A female caller in Chicago said, this has also happened here and she went to the school and complained. The woman said her child never brought the paper home again and she monitored closely what they were teaching her child. Some people wonder why we are in the predicament we are in and are quick to lay blame at our feet. We are constantly fighting an uphill battle. The question is - are we going to win?
Wednesday, February 08, 2006Confessions of an Economic Hit ManLast Friday (Feb. 3rd) I went to Transitions BookPlace and heard John Perkins speak. He is a really interesting person. I bought his book and got it autographed. Here is a synopsis of his book. I think it is a must read... Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: John Perkins was one of many highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the world (Poor Countries) out of trillions of dollars by lending them more money than they could possibly repay and then take over their economies. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoff, extortion, sex, and murder. TAG: Economic Hitmen
I started a photo journal. I made my first post last night. We have a new grad student who took pictures of everyone to display outside of the lab. The funny thing about the photo, I think I look like my avatar.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006Five weird things about me - Other than the obviousCame from Darni - Although she didn't tag anyone, I have a feeling that she wanted me and Mak to pick up where she left off. 1. My weirdness started when I was born. When I was born, my umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck and I was born with a veil over my head. Imagine growing up and everyone telling you that since you were born with this veil, you are going to see ghosts. They had me scared half to death. I have witnessed some interesting things. 2. When I was born, it took the doctors 8 minutes to get me to take my first breath. When I finally started breathing, all I did was let out a sigh. 3. My parents had eight children; all of them were suppose to be born in February. One of my sisters came two weeks early and one of my brothers came two weeks late. 4. It is interesting to note that my mother was told by her doctor that she should stop having kids when she had her 4th child. Since she wanted a large family, she ignored that advice. I am the 7th child, born on a day that adds up to 7 and was born in a year that is a multiple of 7. I'm eternally grateful to my dear mother. 5. When I was taking a chemistry class a white man told me that I scared him. When I asked why, he said I've answered him multiple times when he didn't ask a question. I told him this is not true, when did this happen? He said you just did it. I said no, I heard you ask me a question and I was just answering your question. This was week three. The following week, I had to finish the rest of the term without a lab partner.
African American leadership is impotent. They can't lobby to congress to get funds for New Orleans and the Mayor of New Orleans is now trying to seek aid from other nations. Our black leadership should take a hint from the white leadership who refused to buy into the whole HIV/AIDS hoax in their communities. It is obvious why this misinformation is fed to the black community. This government knows that black people are ignorant of science. Here is an article that is highlighting the AIDS risk to black men and women. It states that heterosexual sex has now replaced drug use as the most common means of transmission of the virus to women. What bull! Now, here are two links to scientific articles that shows that HIV can't be sexually transmitted here and here. I also attached a little synopsis of the truth behind the biggest hoax the world has seen. Only the aware black people are going to get through this. We are singing, dancing, laughing, partying, and praying our way into oblivion. Where is our leadership? Where are Jesus & Allah when we need them? We are the prayingness and believingness people in the world and yet, so far during our time of need, these entities have been missing and yet the game is continuing to be ran on us. Check out this site to see what I mean. This man is peddling death to our community. This type of ignorance makes my blood boil. And, just think - now they have linked this National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day to Black History month. Talking about adding insult to injury.
As part of the celebration of Black History month, on February 2nd (Thursday), we were invited to play drum at a preview of a documentary that was held at The Field Museum of Natural History that gave a glimpse into the lives of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. These are the only African Americans that have retained most of their African heritage and language. It was really nice to meet someone (Queen Quet) who was elected as a Chieftess to speak on behalf of her people. She has a beautiful voice and we purchased two of her CDs. This is one of the places on my destination to visit (the many islands of the Gullah and Geechee people). It's interesting to note, that the Gullahs from what I understand speak a language that originated in Sierra Leon, and the Geechees speak a hodgepodge of native African tongue mixed in with English. Although I didn't understand anything that was said when Queen Quet spoke Gullah, however, when she switched to speaking Geechee, much of what she said was totally understandable since it sounded like many of the people in South Louisiana. This is a must see documentary. I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart and I don't trust their motives, but I admire the fact that they thought enough of our people to fund the making of this documentary. I never knew that the Gullah/Geechee people were considered a separate nation within the U.S. This is clear evidence that the term African American is an umbrella phrase used to describe a diverse nation of people. Btw: I traced my mother's family back to Sierra Leon.
Monday, February 06, 2006Study Ties Political Leanings to Hidden BiasesThis article is old, but I was on my little sabbatical when it came out, but I think it is worth linking to anyway. I didn't need a study to tell me that those who vote Republican have racists tendencies even many of the black Conservatives who appear to have a disdained for anything that is black. Last week I also heard that many white people became Republican after the OJ Simpson trial. If this is true, this further supports that racist Republican voting study.
I saw a nice video on Professor Kim's site. It is absolutely shameful how things were mismanaged in New Orleans after Katrina. It's really interesting to hear Nagin talking about how supplies and people were in New Orleans, but for some reason, the supplies nor the people were used in a timely manner to assist the residents of New Orleans that were stranded in the drowning city.
This morning was my annual review and everything went well. My committee told me that I could start writing up my thesis. I have one set of experiments to complete, but it is good to know that I will have my PhD soon... Tonight, I will be going out to celebrate! Yea for me...
Wednesday, February 01, 2006Why do blacks continue to support Democrats?Original link is gone POLITICS By Adele Fergusen One of these days before I die, I hope to see a shift in the attitudes of somany of my black brothers and sisters in this great country we share, fromperpetual victimhood, to pride in their achievements on the road from slaveto American citizen.Remember Ronald Reagan's story about the kid who had to shovel a huge pileof manure? He went about it with such joy he was asked why and said, "Withall that manure, there's got to be a pony in there somewhere." "The pony hidden in slavery is the fact that it was the ticket to America for black people. I have long urged blacks to consider their presence here as the work of God, who wanted to bring them to this raw, new country and used slavery to achieve it. A harsh life, to be sure, but many immigrantssuffered hardships and indignations as indentured servants. Their descendants rose above it. You don't hear them bemoaning their forebears'life the way some blacks can't rise above the fact theirs were slaves. Besides freedom, a job and a roof over their heads, they all sought respect.But even after all these years, too many have yet to realize that to getrespect, you have to give it.The treatment given President Bush at Coretta King's funeral was shameful. And these weren't poor, uneducated black people who "dissed" him. They were among the country's top-drawer blacks, there to bury black royalty. While Bush got the cold shoulder, former President Clinton was welcomed as if hestill held the office. It mystifies me why the black population remains in thrall to the Democratic party. Black parents want a good education for their children yet they are consistently denied two opportunities that have proven enormously helpful in the few places where they are allowed because the D's oppose them. School vouchers and charter schools. The teacher unions, among top contributors to the Democratic party, opposethem for fear of losing control of the public schools which continue to turnout kids who have to be slipped through graduation by finding alternativesto standard requirements for learning, and where black kids fall behindwhites. And what the teacher unions are against, the Democrats are against. Many a school board member is a Democratic activist there to be on theground floor against vouchers and charter schools.In the few places where vouchers to attend private schools and innovativecharter schools are allowed, the unions file lawsuits claiming damage to thepublic schools by diverting the voucher money to poor families and limitingas much as possible the number of students who can attend the charters. Theywon one in Florida last month. Sure, the ultimate solution is to jack up the performance of the public schools, but so long as the unions are running the show, that isn't going tohappen. The unions don't care if you're a good teacher, just that you're amember and pay your dues. It is nearly impossible to get rid of anincompetent teacher. Their interest is themselves, not the kids, and theiranswer to the poor performance of the schools is more money. Black students regularly trail white students because they get the more inexperienced and less qualified teachers and are plagued by low expectations. Results of the use of vouchers and charter schools have beenoutstanding, yet the Democrats say no, so why do black parents support them?Why do they act the victim? Blacks have no Cesar Chavez. Jesse Jackson isn't going to buck theDemocratic Party. Neither is the NAACP. Black parents should confrontDemocratic leaders at all levels and demand these tools of learning be madeavailable or expanded or don't count on our vote for your candidates. You'velet the unions keep your kids down too long already.(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville, Wa., 98340.)
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