Let’s play a game, shall we? The name of the game is called “Imagine.” The way it’s played is simple: we’ll envision recent happenings in the news, but then change them up a bit. Instead of envisioning white people as the main actors in the scenes we’ll conjure—the ones who are driving the action—we’ll envision black folks or other people of color instead. The object of the game is to imagine the public reaction to the events or incidents, if the main actors were of color, rather than white. Whoever gains the most insight into the workings of race in America, at the end of the game, wins.

So let’s begin.

Read more...

The organization known as Oath Keepers is not a militia. There is, I believe, a parallelism that one affects the other. Some explanations behind the ten points of the Oath Keepers’ Oath speak directly to concerns expressed on militia and conspiracy Web sites, for instance, and I think I address these below. For now, let’s see what the organization says it, and its members, are about:

Read more...

The underpinning of the so-called Tea Party “movement” would be funny if not for the off-the-cuff alliances being made between local groups and so-called militias and other organizations, such as the John Birch Party.

Just think about this: citizens worried so much that they lives in fear of their government. Has our government rounded up and interred us, our families, or our communities? Is there a pretext leading to a valid concern over the imposition of martial law?

In a word: No.

Read more...

Do we have another example of political insanity amongst us? Yes, I'm afraid we do, and the phrase I coin for it is the: Do-Nothings.

There is an ill-defined political reactive movement across our nation today that some, particularly so-called Republicans, are harnessing for their own political benefit. At least, they’re harnessing it for the time being, and very loosely at that. For, this reaction actually cuts across the board and is aimed at politicians without regard for their political party affiliation.

Read more...