Verbal Abuse Goes Beyond the "Locker Room"

The crude remarks of Donald Trump that was egged on by Billy Bush is an example of the verbal abuse that constantly occurs with some men who show no respect for women when talking among themselves. But, this type of behavior is not only prevalent in the "locker room". It all too often continues in the homes where their female partners are abused. Many have the false impression that physical, verbal, or mental abuse against women occurs mainly in lower income households. However, any type of abuse is all too common in wealthy households as noted in the link below. During a political atmosphere where Donald Trump's not surprising verbal abusive behavior is popular news, one has to go beyond this and also the claims of his many other similar outbursts that are now coming to the forefront.  We should also consider how this tendancy outside the home may extend within his home. There is an eerie silence from Trump's former wives, and the unbelievable press release from his current wife of forgiving his taped rantings of abuse towards women leaves great doubt.  Money talks in this case, and it is understandable that none of these women would dare to speak out negatively against the "hands that feed them". Nevertheless, physical, verbal, and mental abuse against women is alive and well for all women regardless of class, creed, color, religious belief, etc. and it must stop.

Domestic Violence Among the Wealthy Hides Behind ‘Veil of Silence’

Beware - Donations to American Red Cross for Haiti

Over one year ago, the Blogger posting below was made which includes a link that confirms the inexcusable outcome of donations to the American Red Cross that were not adequately used to assist in the rebuilding process of Haiti after the devastating earthquake. Now, unfortunately, the west coast of Haiti has been severely impacted by Hurricane Matthew. With over 1,000 deaths, Cholera illnesses, homelessness, etc., etc., Haiti is once again in need of public support worldwide. However, it is important to take heed on how organizations, such as the American Red Cross, failed to adequately distribute the millions of dollars in donations that were specifically intended to help rebuild the earthquake battered Haiti. As such, it is necessary to do research on organizations prior to making pledges to know which ones in fact made a significant impact on this country. 

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American Red Cross - $500 Million Unaccounted for Donation to Haiti                                                                                     

~~posted - June 15, 2015

When a disaster occurs, many will donate to the American Red Cross since this agency is expected to put the fund to good use in rebuilding the country or areas of destruction. $500 million was received in donation to aid Haiti in rebuilding after the earthquake. Yet, years after the earthquake in Haiti, the American Red Cross cannot account for how the funds were spent in the redevelopment of the nation in building houses for so many who were left homeless. The organization claimed that they provided housing for over $130,000. However, ProPublica and NPR's investigation uncovered that only 6 houses were built. Thanks to the little known TECHO, Haitians can move out of the uncomfortable blue tents into more suitable basic structures. As more buildings go up, TECHO continues to listen to the needs of the residents and adapt the a building's foundation to accommodate important requests. Red Cross needs to take a page out of TECHO's book. It is no longer acceptable for the American Red Cross to set aside donations intended for specific disasters in order for the funds to be used instead for future matters or to address the organization's administrative issues.

Red Cross Spent Half a Billion Dollars to Build Six Homes in Haiti

Take A Break From On-Air Media Outlets

In this media dominated world, it is often unusual to hear people say they do not watch or listen to the news and other media related sources. But, on second thought, it is not difficult to understand why they would tune out - especially during a Presidential election season. During this season, people can easily become overwhelmed with the constant bombardment of coverage from reporters and also exhausted by a flood of speculations from the unknown who are labelled as "political analysts". Listening to the biases that permeates the news airways, watching political ads that are sponsored to defile the other party candidate's reputation, and tuning in to the non-stop coverage of unpolitically correct behavior of the candidates can become for many a turn off. The media has further added to the charade by inundating the airways with only the brief words from a candidate's entire speech that will cause a stir in voters' outrage and more favorably will generate an engaging topic of discussion for the media's news talk progams. Furthermore, the emphasis of the media personalilties on focusing on polls that are predominently geared towards airing the views of one race of voters while eliminating the opinions of other races of voters adds to the barage of biases fed to the public. So, with bated breath, some have begun to count down the months, days, hours as they look forward to a speedy end to the media's coverage of the presidential campaigning. This joyous occasion in November will allow people to go back to watching news related programs that promote the discussions of diverse topics that will engage a variety of personal views.

46 Olympic Golds......46 Marketing Endorsements??

Congratulations to the USA Olympic athletes for their outstanding performance in Rio, Brazil. Prior to the athletes return to the United States, it was obvious that Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky and a few others already secured marketing endorsement deals from well-known companies or network deals. But, it is quite ridiculous that even the infamous Ryan Lochte, after his crime in Brazil and he blatantly and cowardly lied to the world about the matter, is given a spot to dance his way into the hearts of Americans on Dancing With The Stars. But, in that industry, it is typical to reward people for bad behavior. Nevertheless, how many of the other 46 gold medalists will be so privilege to obtain such lucrative network deals or talk show appearances or coveted marketing endorsements? Or, as with other United States Olympians, will the fame of the current batch be short lived as they fall into oblivion among the countless who are quickly forgotten for another four years or entirely if they retire? For certain United States athletes, winning a goal medal or any other Olympic medal is an outstanding accomplishment for their long arduous preparation but such accomplishments fade quickly from the public-eye for them.

 

 

First Amendment Rights for Some Not for All?

Certain persons and groups behave as if the First Amendment rights are restricted to their causes only, so these entities have no qualms announcing to the world that they have a right to air or demonstrate their personal views. However, those same hypocritical persons and groups do not seem to believe that the same freedoms that apply to them are equally applicable to others - primarily minority persons and groups since there seems to be no tolerance when minorities express their views that are also protected by the First Amendment. One case in point is the situation where WNBA basketball players incurred fines for wearing "Black Lives Matter Shirts" to show support for the cause of the senseless killings of Black men. The fines represented a method of silencing the players in a country that boasts to the world that all residents in the U.S. are guaranteed the First Amendment rights. God forbid the ridiculous criticism of Gabby Douglas for not putting her hand over her heart on the playing of the Star Spangle Banner at the Rio Olympics. Maybe she too was simply demonstrating her First Amendment rights not to do so with the continued injustices of minorities. Colin Kaepernick has also taken, some may say, a brave stance in not standing for the Star Spangle Banner due to his beliefs in the injustices that continue to be evident towards Blacks and minorities in this country. However, his action has seen a backlash from those who may feel that certain freedoms are restricted to them only since they stupidly burn NFL shirts bearing Kaepernick's name and NFL number. These people also complain about his disrespect for the military in not standing for the Star Spangle Banner which by the way, seems to have its other verses purposely omitted since the third verse was written in celebration of the death of slaves during the war. In fact, even the Pledge of Allegiance is not immune to controversy as the major writer, bigot Francis Bellamy, wrote articles that included the following:

""The hard, inescapable fact is that men are not born equal. Neither are they born free...," 

""peon ... a shiftless and unreliable kind. The native Mexican works only that he may ... live for a month on the rewards of a week's work." 

"Perhaps more important than any of the causes I mentioned then as tending to race purification has been the effect of untrammeled sexual selection upon the quality of two or three successive generations. .............. To-day this sense of responsibility, practically unrecognized in all previous ages, has become one of the great ethical ideas of the race, reinforcing, with an intense conviction and duty, the natural impulse to seek in marriage the best and noblest of the other sex." 

Anyhow, the WNBA players, Gabby Douglas, and Colin Kaepernick have causes, and such convictions must be respected similar to those people who continuously cry foul when they believe that their First Amendment rights are being violated. If well-known persons such as the WNBA players, Gabby Douglas, and Colin Kaepernick do not stand up and make their oppositions to racial inequalities evident, then such concerns will continue to be overlooked.

Melania Trump's Tribute To Michelle Obama

She walked gracefully out on stage in a flowing white dress to loud cheers and applause. It was set to be a night of shining glory and a magical moment for Melania Trump who was expected to give an unforgettable speech to the RNC crowd. All in the auditorium listened attentively to a speech that they believed was simply outstanding. But, Oops! The praises began to become unsettling and Melania Trump's grandeur began to decline when it was quickly revealed that she stole words from Mrs. Michelle Obama's speech. What an embarrassment!!  Yet, even more absurd is the blatant denial from the Trump camp that Melania used her own words when it is quite obvious without a shadow of a doubt that when listening to both women simultaneously on their videos that certain words out of Trump's mouth are identical to that of Obama's. But, even more comical is that Melania Trump chose to plagiarize the words of the wife of a man who Donald Trump absolutely considers his archenemy. It doesn't get any better than that! On the other hand, it is quite an honor for Mrs. Obama when someone such as Melanie Trump resorts to using Obama's words since she had no other options of captivating the RNC crowd. This shows what an impact Mrs. Obama's speech had not only on the nation but also even on Mrs. Trump.  But, incidentally, who could tell that words used by Mrs. Obama to express her experiences growing up in a working class family on the south side of Chicago could be used to describe Mrs. Trump's immigrant experiences as a model in New York hobnobbing with the rich and famous.  Guess you never know the power of words when they are plagiarized!

Paul Ryan's 100 Intern Selfie - Shows Employment Racism At Its Best

Can you spot any interns of color in their 100 intern selfie with Paul Ryan.........looking, looking......hmmm.......can't seem to find any??!! In a previous post, it was mentioned that racism against Blacks in the United States is so much more than the police shootings. In addition to many factors mentioned, a less noticed observation was included that Blacks continue to be overlooked for lucrative jobs not because they do not have the education and experience to match a White candidate's qualifications but because an all White interview panel may not believe they will fit into cliques established at White majority organization or agencies or departments. This picture supports that fact. Surely, out of 100 Capitol Hill interns, it is unbelievable and a great shame that any one looking at this selfie cannot readily identify ANY Black intern. Even worse is that Paul Ryan, the Speaker-of-the House does not have common sense to realize that such a selfie would be offensive to so many people at such a racially charged period since it only reflect the racist employment disservices to people of color. Instead, his simple-minded reaction lies solely on the basis that he is setting a selfie record. This is a clear indication that people of color, primarily Blacks, will continue to be denied opportunities to become successful in the United States.

Racism in USA - More Than Police Shooting