Nuremberg Revisted

I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. After the horrifying and embarassing photos depicting American treatment of prisoners of war in Abu Ghraib prison back in 2004, I wondered if things could get any worse. Well they did, a lot worse actually.

The debate over Abu Ghraib and more recently controversies surrounding the use of torture at Guantanamo Bay have created a political firestorm. Many former prisoners have come out with stories of torture, abuse, and neglect. Many of these prisoners were held without actually charging them with any crimes or holding hearings or trials. The last time I checked that kind of behavior was illegal and morally rephrehensible.

Following the 9/11 attacks I, like many other Americans were scared that it might happen again. President Bush and many other high ranking officials in his administrations assured the American public that they would protect us. This "protection" has gotten America bogged down in two costly wars, has done nothing to improve our image abroad, and has only added emphasis to the popular notion aborad that America is engaged in a war against Muslims and not a war against terrorism.

In their zeal to protect American interests and lives, the Bush administration knowingly overstepped several moral and political boundaries. As a country, America proclaims that torture and political asassination are wrong and against international law. Yet America's leaders have ADMITTED to having suspected terrorists tortured through sleep deprivation, physically assaulted and beaten, and waterboarded, or made to endure a process that induces a very real and painful sensation of drowning. The information that comes out during these so-called interrogations is of dubious value at best because information that is obtained under duress is quite often inaccurate. A prisoner will say anything to stop from being tortured.

To get around the Geneva Convention and other human rights treaties, the Bush administration refused to classify the POW's as "enemy combatanants". To do so would require the US, under international law, to treat them with respect and would not allow any kind of cruel treatment or torture. After news first came out about the illegal practices organizations like the Red Cross have conducted independent studies of American treatment of POW's in the war on terror. They have concluded that America is indeed guilty of breaches in international law that could qualify as war crimes.

There is a current movement in Washington, particularly among members of the Senate, to uncover the truth. The truth needs to come out, the accused will either be convicted or exonerated. Justice must be served. Recently a journalist for the New York Post came out with a startling accusation that Vice President Dick Cheney had presided over a political assassination ring. Basically these were covert members of the American military whose sole purpose was to capture or kill suspected enemies of the United States. They acted with no congressional oversight and reported to no one except the Vice President himself. Other former Bush aids have since come out offering evidence that further substantiates these horrifying allegations.

Life is not a Jason Bourne movie or an episode of 24. Those are hollywood dramitizations that are not rooted in reality. If it comes out through investigations that such actions were taken by the Bush administration, then it would only add to a growing laundry list of atrocities that were committed in the name of preserving freedom and democracy. After World War 2, as the full scope of the Holocaust became public, the Nuremberg trials were insituted to punish those who were responsible. Perhaps America needs to hold its own version of Nuremberg to bring to justice any and everyone who was responsible for committing these atrocities. A Spanish court is already investigating whether these charges merit a charge of war crimes.

President Obama has a chance to turn America around. It is time for us to regain the moral high ground that we lost when POW's were being tortured while we spoke of liberty and justice. America's words must line up with its actions or our integrity and public image in the world will forever be tarnished. A leader with a damaged reputation is one who is no longer fit to lead. President Obama should declassify all pertinent documents from the Bush era in an effort to obtain the truth. Notice that I am not calling for some ridiculous witch hunt. If it turns out that these actions were justified then the charges should be dropped. But America must realize that in the international arena there are two kinds of power. There is military and economic power, and their is ideological and moral power. If America does the right thing, we can not only redeem this great nation, but we can once again show the world that justice does prevail and that we stand by our beliefs of equality and fairness. If we don't investigate this, other nation's will, then the consequences will be far more severe.

Sexting- The Real Deal

Everyone knows that child porn is against the law. And for good reason, minors need to be protected from sexual predators that could strike if given an opportunity. The penalties for these crimes are harsh, including jail time and mandatory registration as a sex offender. But what happens when the victims and offenders are both underage? How about when the act seems completely innocent and consensual?

Enter sexting, or the art of sending and recieving nude or semi-nude enticing photos, whether through email or text messages or even postings on social networking hubs like facebook or myspace. Studies indicate that 20 percent of teens and 33 percent of young adults age 20-26 have sent or posted sexy photos of themselves. Even higher percentages have reported recieving such material from someone they know, 31 percent of teen and 46 percent of young adults.

This growing phenomon is causing a stir among lawmakers and police, who are attempting to crackdown on child pornography. Currently, prosecutors in many districts are taking the stance that minors who are caught with such materials in their possession can be sentenced to jail time and classified as sex offenders. The least harsh punishment is a mandatory ten hour rehab program. While the penalties seem harsh, consider the fact that the moment a person turns 18, possession of photos that depict a minor in a scandalous manner are automatically illegal.

The consequences of sexting can't be overstated. Jesse Logan, a high school senior in Cincinatti, Ohio, took a nude photo of herself and sent it to her boyfriend. Harmless right? It was until it got out to the general public. Within days the photo was being circulated among several local high school student bodies. People who saw the image taunted Jesse, calling her a whore. She later committed suicide by hanging herself when the harassment didn't stop.

It is sad that we live in a world where such tragedies are possible. The photo never should have gotten out to the general public. Rather through carelessness or deliberate mischief, it did. It cost a young girl her life. There is a very fine line to walk between people's right to privacy and the need to protect minors. The surveys and polls indicate that a sizable portion of our young people are engaging in these activities. We must find ways to protect them without criminalizing them and destroying their futures over something they may not realize is illegal. As always, compassion must be the order of the day since human decency is obviously lacking. It never should have come to this.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20090327/cm_uc_crbbox/op_239471;_ylt=AipxksDBe5XQCkiT1EdoyAn9wxIF

Chris and Rihanna...Again

I had hoped it wouldn't come to this although I knew all along that it would. A few days after the incident I told my roommate that the two would get back together. Sure enough, not a week later they were arm in arm again. I was bored one day so I started looking at editorials, you'll never believe what I found.

There seems to be a general consensus that Rihanna is an idiot for taking him back. I would agree but with a few reservations. First off, Rihanna is a victim, not the villain. I can't tell you how many people have said that she either did something to deserve this in the first place (wrong!) or deserves it now because she took him back (also wrong!). Statistically speaking, domestic violence is often a repetitive occurence. The abuse cycle going from honeymoon to tension to violence and then back again is VERY REAL and VERY DESTRUCTIVE. Whenever emotions are involved, people don't always think rationally about the risks they are taking. The whole phenomena of women taking back men who physically, emotionally or psychologically abuse them is also real and very dangerous.

Should Rihanna have taken him back? I can't answer that because I'm not her and I'm not him. I don't know either one. I do know that staticstically speaking its probably not a good idea. I also know that people should be focusing less on this one specific troubled couple and a lot more on the bigger issue. Domestic violence is a big problem that no one likes to talk about. I stand by my earlier comments that ultimate responsibility lies with the man and that hitting a female is wrong under any circumstances. With that being said, it can be hard for a guy who's trying to do the right thing and the girl keeps getting up in his grille.

This leads to a bigger issue. What causes domestic violence? Is it misplaced anger? Are the offenders bad people? Can they change? Are they ever justified in their action? After all there seems to be an underliying notion prevalent in the black community that if a woman challenges a dude's manhood then its ok to put her "in her place". What kind of talk is that? What gives me or anyone else the so called right to strike another person? The answer is nothing. That is not a right anyone ever has, unless it's a case of self-defense,(which the Chris Brown case wasn't) It's time to really sit down and deal with the problem, or people are going to keep perpetrating and falling victim to the same acts of violence. You are not less of a man if you walk away from the argument. Ladies, as much as you want to you probably can't change the man that is abusing you. He has issues he needs to work out on his own, way from you. Your safety is most important.

Ultimately, Chris deserves another chance in the public spotlight, AFTER he has gone to counseling and atoned for his sins. But Chris isn't the only one. There are men all over the world who are just as guilty as he is. There are women who are guilty too. I hate to admit it but I know a few women who would own me in a boxing match. A recent study found that women are nearly equally as likely as a man to throw the first punch in an argument. Its never weak to be the bigger person and do the right thing. Ultimately both the victim and offender need help, for the victim to cope with the pain and for the offender to deal with their anger and whatever other issues they have.

Again, if you know someone in a situation like this, stand up for what's right and don't stay silent. Lives might hang in the balance. In the meantime, stop blaming the victim, its not their fault. Just like the offender deserves forgivness and mercy, the victim deserves understanding and love. I hope the media lays off of Chris and Rihanna, what happened was wrong but they deserve some privacy. If they want to work things out then give them a chance, I wish them the best. We can't let celebrities distract from the real issues of domestic violence and spousal abuse. It always starts with one, if each and every one of us vows to never let this happen, eventually as the message spreads progress will be made.

The REAL War on Terror

I've really had enough of this nation's hypocrisy. And before you get all defensive and stop reading this post because you think I'm anti-American just listen to what I have to say. After all they say that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. Our leaders have lied to us about the goals or rather the results of the war on terror and its time to speak out.

If you ask any politician what we are fighting for they would probably throw out the same tired old BS line, "we're fighting to protect America and spread democracy". I agree wholehartedly with both, if that's what were actually happening.Recently two incidents occurred in the middle east that have been largely ignored by the American government and news outlets. Ignored for good reason, these events are absolutely shameful. In Iraq, the proud reporter who threw his shoe at George Bush during a press conference saying that it was "for the widows and children and all who have died in your war" was arrested, beaten, and sentenced to 3 years in prison for assaulting a foreign dignitary. The trial itself was over very quickly and the overall fairness of the whole affair is doubtful at best. At any rate the man acted as he did in order to make a political statement, it certainly wasn't assault. He threw a shoe at him, one that missed at any rate.

Allow me to be very clear, my own personal opinion about Bush does not matter. What the Iraqi journalist did was a little outrageous in and of itself, but isn't that what political protest is all about? Sometimes the outrageous works. There have been many protest since before the war even started and NONE of them have gotten the attention that this stunt did. Whatever your or my opinion of Bush, the reporter or the war on terrorism is, the objective facts remain unchanged. In a so called "democracy" that we have supposedly molded after our own, a man was arrested, severly beaten, and then thrown in jail after a sham of a trial.

Yet no one in America is outraged about this. Not only is this morally wrong but it makes us and our country look like the fools of the world. We talk the talk but then don't walk the walk. The people in America our either clueless, heartless, or they stupidly believe in these trumped up assault charges. I'm going to go outside after posting this and throw a shoe at the first person I see. I guarantee you no one will charge me with "assault"

But wait it gets better. Maybe this form of extreme protest makes you a little uneasy and less likely to sypathize with the offender, I admit it took me a minute to come around. So let's move on to America's other little colonization project in the middle east. Afghanistan. Here a man was arrested for "blashpemy" and sentenced to 30 YEARS in prison. What did he do to deserve such a fate? What heresy is so horrible that he deserves this punishment? Surely it must be something serious like taking a dump on the Koran while calling allah every four letter name in the book. Nope, not even close. He circulated pamphlets about supporting women's rights in the new "democratic" country under the leadership of President Karzai, a leader who's popularity is falling everyday.

Under the oppressive Taliban regime, women were property. They existed only for the purposes of blind servitude to a brutal male-dominated social order. Women were not allowed out of the house unless they were accompanied by a male relative at all times. Women who tried to get an education had acid thrown in their face. Rape victims were treated as criminals and thrown in jail, socially ostracized or killed in some horrible manner. This was life for women under the Taliban.

But that all changed when the calvary came in right? I mean we Americans, upholders of freedom and democracy, overthrew the evil Taliban and made life wonderful for everyone. I really hope you're getting the sarcasm and irony in all of this. Again, to be clear, my problem is not that this man was arrested, or even convicted. This misogyny and hatred has become apart of Afghan culture and will not disappear over night. Race relations in America took 400 years before things got better. My problem is that the American governement is letting this happen. There are political and other options at our disposal to secure the release of this innocent man. But our government has done nothing. It hasn't even condemned the court decision. We are content to sit here and moan about our economic woes and plummeting stock market. We're infuriated that we have to skip our daily latte from Starbucks because of shrinking wallets while this poor man rots in jail for the next three decades. Oh well, by the looks of it we'll still be in Afganistan in 2039 win he gets out, if he lives that long of course.

WAKE UP AMERICA! We have the audacity and the gall to claim that we are humanity's salvation and that we alone are the upholders of freedom and justice. One man is going to jail for throwing a shoe and another for speaking up about women's rights and we're just gonna let it happen. Historically speaking though, this isn't all that surprising. After all America has perfected the art of doing nothing in the face of injustice. America did nothing to free slaves, (the civil war was about federalism and states' rights, ending slavery was an unintended by product), it did nothing when the Nazis implemented the horrific genocide of millions in occupied Europe, (yes our government knew and took no action, no commando raids, no bombing of the train tracks that led to Bergen-Belsen or Dachau, not even a verbal condemnation because anti-semitism was rampant in the US at the time) no intervention during the 1990's genocide in Rwanda (We vowed to never let it happen again, oops but then what about Darfur?)

Don't believe the hype. This nation is no better than the rest of the world when it comes to doing the right thing. It's time to stand up and be about something more than just ourselves. America, forget what's comfortable, screw politcal expediency and for once, just once, do the right thing. Until that day comes. America is nothing but a gigantic hypocrite. Nobody likes a bigot.

Zombie Racism?

For fans of the videogame industry or anyone in general who has been following the news lately, the New York Post's Stimulus/Ape political cartoon isn't the only form of media expression drawing criticism for racist depictions.

The popular survival horror series Resident Evil is now being slammed for the latest installment in the saga. Resident Evil 5 features a white protagonist, Chris Redfield, walking through African villages killing hordes of zombies. So why the uproar? Critics contend that the portrayals of Africans as savages are racist and that it is wrong to feature a white American male killing them in various ways. I would agree that the game was racist if this is what was really happening, but it's not.

The hardcore gamers know what the Resident Evil series is really about. A western evil corporation has created a virus that it proceeds to accidentally or intentionally infect people with. The protagonist, Chris Redfield, is a part of an elite government task force charged with stopping the infection and saving civilian lives. The first three games in the series were set in the United States and featured zombies of all colors, but were mostly white. Resident Evil 4, a best-seller and game of the year for 2006, was set in Spain and so accordingly featured Spanish zombies. Now the bad guys have set up shop in Africa.

Its one thing for political pundits and race watchdogs to watch a three minute trailer of a thirty plus hour game and declare it racist. Especially when said trailer features a white guy in the opening scene shooting poorly clad Africans who are screaming and running at him in a completely deranged and in-humanlike manner. Their greivances and misgivings about such images are understandable.

Historically speaking, Africans were long depicted as animals, physically strong but mentally defunct, uncontrollable, and even immoral. This popular notion fed the hen common belief in white supremacy and validated everything from colonialism and slavery to Jim Crow and aparthied. This practice even continues today. The next time you turn on ESPN, listen to how the athletes are described. Much time is devoted to their physical prowess while hardly any attention is paid to the dedication and intelligence that is necessary to succeed in high level indivdual and team sports. Lebron James is a "beast" or a "dominant post player" but not a really smart strategist.

But I digress. While these greivances are understandable, they ignore the main context of the game. This is a survivial horror game about zombies. The Africans and others in the game appear normal, until they are two feet from you and their heads burst open and tentacles come out to drink your brain. Having played the game, I can attest to the fact that making the zombies more human-like adds to the horror and overall visceral experience. It is truly exhilerating to be chased through a village by dozens of enemies. Desperately fending them off while looking for a means of escape is incredibly fun. The blood really starts pumoing when you reach that last dead end and its time to stand and fight. Once you play the game, you realize that Chris has a partner who is a strong, non-stereotypical black woman named Sheva Alomar who fights alongside with you. You encounter bosses and other enemies who are not African as well as human allies who are. Oh and I should mention that the game was developed by Capcom, a Japanese based publisher/corporation in a country that does not have the same twisted history of race relations as America does.

Ultimately,Resident Evil 5 is a fun game that helps me unwind after a hard week of exams, papers, and homework. I don't in any way consider the game offensive or insensitive. However, for those who do, Capcom has issued several statements explaining their rational behind the game and has apologized for any unintended offence that it may cause. For those of you that do find it questionable, your opinion is well rooted both in historical fact and unfortunate reality. In this so called post-racial America, there still exist bigotry, racism and inequality. Add to that the perception of seeing so many Africans die in combat and it becomes sort of reminiscent of the tragic wars and genocides that have plagued the continent for decades. However before you write this off as another example of racism, I ask that you play the game for yourself. As the old adage goes, don't knock it until you try it. You might be surprised at what you find.

Are Arabs the New Black?

It was late last night, like 4 in the morning and I couldn't sleep. So I turned on Comedy Central and was amazed at what I saw. Two standups in a row, both people of Middle Eastern descent, talking about what it was like living in post 9/11 America. One of them commented that Arabs were the new Blacks when it came to racial profiling, prejudice, and general confusion, fear, mass hysteria and hatred. After thinking it over for awhile, I realized that he was right!

As a Black man I am familiar with the notion of Driving while Black, aka the only reason you're being pulled over is because of the color of your skin. But what about Muslims? Is it really a coincidence that they are always selected for so called random screenings at the airport? Do you tense up a bit when a tall arab looking man passes by in close proximity? What effect has the Patriot act really had on US security and constitutional rights?

Although its human nature, America in particular has a nasty habit of waging a very nasty and very effective public relations campaign of dehumanizing its enemies. Throughout history, Black have been defined as less than, savages, apes, animals only intersted in plundering White women, lazy, stupid, smelly, subhumans that needed to be controlled, subdued, put in their place. This kind of thinking fed white supremacy from colonial times up until the end of the civil right movement. Occasionally these images still occur, even in 2009 with the running of the controversial political cartoon in the New York Post.

But its not just Black people, During World War two, the Japanese were considered the lowest of the low, animals, brutes, stupid monkeys who couldn't think for themselves. Thats why they had to blindly follow Hirohito in attacking the sleeping gian that was America. They had no regard for human life, they flew their own planes into American ships, charged with bayonets drawn against brave United States marines. Ultimately what happened, they got two atomic bombs and millions of casualties for their trouble. But few people in this country at the time or even now batted an eye at this incredible slaughter. Why? Because the rhetoric of Japanese being non humans worked. After no one really cares about someone who isnt human right?

The tragedy doesn't end there. Jews, Irish and Italian immigrants, Catholics, and Latinos have all felt the sting of this "dehumanization" at some point or another in out nation's history. Its a painful thing to realize but don't take my word for it. Know your history and the history of this country. I love America but it has some serious historical issues when it comes to dealing with anyone who is of a different race, ethnicity, or culture other than White, Protestant and Anglo Saxon.

So what's my point? Its happenening again and no one cares. Because the general American public has subscribed to this warped idea that everyone in the middle east is an angry terrorist who will either hijak a plane or wear a bomb strapped vest at some point in their lifetime. Its incredible the impact that media and entertainment can have on an individual and collective subconscious level. Still think I'm making all this up? Listen to what your fellow Americans said in a blog about the latest statement from Iran's leader concerning Israel.....

"The entry "cancerous path" is not that bad. The West should start the surgical removing of the cancerous ideology of islam out of the flesh of mankind"

Intense radiation should be the method of choice. (Implying the use of nuclear weapons)

Yeah, we could call for the annihilation of Tehran and an end to the occupation of Persia by the genocidal muslims.

Iran is on record for having made enough threats against Israel to justify under international law Israel taking out Iran. With nukes if necessary. I would love to see a bunch of radioactive mullahs whining in their tea. The world wouldn't do much about it.

Yeah, if those evil Jews had such formidible powers one would think they would have removed the blight of the Koran from our midst long ago.

"knife or dagger plunged into the heart of the Arabs."
Do the muslims have a heart? I thought, that they have instead of a heart something like a green pudding, that tells them to love some graffiti-god written on the wall somewhere; that tells them to send their children into suicide bombing; to hate and oppress their women instead of loving them; and to hate everything that mankind created like beautiful arts, literature, painting, dancing, or intelligent innovations - everything except our weapons.

source: http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/025100.php

Is this what Americans really think? If so then I am afraid for the future of humanity. I thought that the world had finally reached a point where we could all recognize the humanity of our fellow brothers and sisters. And before you ask, no I don't support the very real and dangerous evil of extremist Islamic terrorism . But thats just it, extremist is the key word and problem, not Islam. The vast majority, like 99% of muslims are not the ones wreaking havok in theworld in the name of holy war or jihad. Truth be told, every social group has its own brand of extremists. Does anyone remember Timothy Mcveigh and the Oklahoma City bombing? I happen to be an extremist Ohio State football fan, I just don't kill people over it.

We must constantly refuse to succumb to racial or ethnic or any other kind of stereotype. Fear and ignorance are the tools of the enemy. It takes a conscious and concerted effort to combat the very real prejudices prevalent in the media and entertainment today. But it can be done. Want the solution to world peace. Tolerance and the recognition of the value of life and the reality of EVERYONE's humanity. It is the only way and it must happen now.

The New "N" Word

I already know what you're thinking, you're tired of hearing the debate about the racially charged and politically incorrect "N" word. But whether you love it, hate it or just don't care, its time to recognize that at least in the realm of politics there is a new "N" word in town. The hate that this word implies is perhaps just as bad as the racial one and radically conservative Republicans are slinging it around like there is no tomorrow. What's the word, you ask? Why its the dreaded nationalization.

For those who have turned on the TV in the last 5 months you know that our economy is falling faster than an airplane that ran out of gas. In the midst of all this turmoil, president Obama has attempted to forestall the destruction of our economy by doling out bailout money to major financial and business institutions. While it remains to be seen if this tactic will even work, the Republicans, desperate to turn media and public attention away from their party's failures, have revived America's cold war enemy. Many people now contend that these bailouts, the proposed temporary nationalism of banks, and the planned down payment on revitalizing the health care system are socialist in their scope and ideology. That wouldn't be so bad if Republicans weren't insisting that Obama is the reincarnation of Comrade Stalin himself.

Honestly the comparision is utterly ridiculous. Obama wants to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans in order to fund health care reform. Stalin would have confiscated their assets, distributed the money to party supporters, executed all the rich people and then forced the proletariat or working class to live off the scraps. See the difference?

Unfortunately these absurd cries of Obama economics equals socialism which equals communism are actually being listened to by ignorant Americans. First they had to slam Obama as an immigrant and closet muslim. He's not but since when was being Muslim a crime? Don't these people know that Hawaii is a part of the United States too? Since that slur didn't really work, now they have turned to their bread and butter, cold war rhetoric that should have died twenty years ago, or at best should be saved for demonizing current Chinese human rights violations in Tibet. Instead this second red scare is meant to demonize Obama's economic policies and once again convince America that our popularly elected president is really an unpatriotic liberal hell bent on destroying our country.

In this time of supposed crisis, how about our leaders come together, cut the partisan rhetoric and kindergarten name calling and reach a compromise? Things really must not be that bad if politicians can spend their time inventing clever slogans like the U.S.S.A, the United Socialist States of America. Obama's creation of a welfare state might not be what conservatives want, but in reality its the same thing that our DEMOCRATIC European allies enjoy and have lived with for several years now. I don't hear them wailing about the destrucion of Democracy and the end of the world. In short, don't believe the hype. Obama is no more of a Stalin or Hitler than I am Louis Farrakhan. Sadly enought the democrats aren't innocent either. They insist whenever the Republicans disagree with one of their pork laden spending bills that "Republicans are neo nazis who want orpans to starve on the streets"

Enough people, grow up and reason with each other. Its ok to disagree about the economy and the government's role in regulating it. So discuss, sit on Capitol Hill, take your time and don't leave until this problem is solved and the economy is healthy again. After all that is why we elected you, it's inda your job. But at least act like civilized adults and cut the name calling. Not only are the accuastions on both sides way off, but they further divide our leaders and their constituents at a time when the country must be united.