I want to make a relationship between two seemingly unconnected issues.
When Clarence Tomas did not register a vote the other day on an 8-1 decisions in favor or a Black Death row inmate, I was relieved. (Miller-el v. Cockrell) I was relieved because I was so tired of wanting to be convinced to my personal satisfaction of the “is he is or is he ain’t” issue.

When I read an on-line article on Sharpton and Moseley-Braun by an AA reporter, I once again wanted to be convinced to my personal satisfaction of the “is she is or is she ain’t” issue.

Black Candidates: We Can Do Better
By Jonetta Rose Barras

Wednesday, February 26, 2003; Page A23
One is a small-time New York cultural-nationalist hustler and alleged federal snitch who wants to be a statesman. The other was accused of misusing campaign funds -- maybe even her campaign manager -- and cavorting with Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha at a time when many African Americans had mounted an international campaign against the West African leader because of his human rights violations.
Full article:
www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A2707-2003feb25?language=printer

And when I heard Senator Conyers, a famous college professor and a talk show host express their personal opinions that Congressman Harold Ford wanted to be leader of the Democratic Caucus for selfish reasons, I was again relieved of the “is dey is or is dey ain‘t” issue.

I really can not personally answer that question, but I can express my opinion. My opinion is based in part on what Brother Harold Cruse said of Black intellectuals as reported by Mr. Conrad Worrill:

"It was in the first chapter of The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual that Cruse raised this question of the problem of identity of the African in America people. The question of our identity still remains a fundamental problem with the African in America Community today. There is a tendency in the African in America Community to identify with, emulate, and support other races and ethnic groups at the expense of our own race."
Full article www.athena.tbwt.com/content/article.asp?articleid=2480

This article really got me to thinking and I ended up wondering “Why do a lot of the members of the dominant society say that people who oppose the war are not patriotic?” (A wide leap I must admit, but I‘m doing my best.)

The dominant society has for centuries exercised its power to go in and take whatever a person of color has. Especially if it is a money producing entity. And so it is, the dominant society is going in to take over a Black country, Iraq, kill its leader, many of its citizens and take over its accesses and if you are a member of the dominant group who is a war protester,they would imply, you are a n----- lover. “You are the worst element of our society and deserving of our scorn”

Personally, I do think the people who are against the war are considered n----- lovers by the dominant group because ‘they just don’t understand how we real Americans do things and treat n.......’

So, here we are and this is what I came up with: the ‘Educated Negro’ as Dr. Carter Woodson calls them is willing and capable to keep the masses in check thereby providing the yeast to make the dough of the dominant society rise into astronomical proportions. (I tried to change my choice of words but it didn’t work.) It is so ironic to me that the two dominant countries that want to take the lead in this war have lots of AA in their armies. (Remember the conquering forces of apartheid South Africa?)

Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
BB

Song: “Guess who I saw today” by Nancy Wilson