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Glenn Beck & Alex Jones: Inspiration for White Supremacist 580 Freeway Shooter

October 18, 2010 By

580 Freeway Shooter Byron Williams claims he was inspired by Glenn Beck

Were Fox News talk show host Glenn Beck and 9-11 Conspiracy expert Alex Jones the inspiration for Byron Williams the 580 Freeway Shooter?

We sat down and spoke with Pacifica Radio investigative reporter John Hamilton about his story which first appeared on Media Matters called Progressive Hunter which details what led to the shootout in the wee hours of the morning on July 18th 2010 between 45 year old unemployed white supremacist named Byron Williams and California Highyway patrol last summer.

According to the article Glenn Beck and Alex Jones of prison planet/ infowars were key inspirations for Williams. On the night in question, Williams was enroute to San Francisco where he planned to shoot workers at the Tides Foundation which is an organization that helps distribute funds to left leaning non-profits and political organizations.

When all was said in done that fateful night 3 police officers were left lying in the highway injured. Williams who was wearing body armor had more firepower than the police who eventually subdued him.

Williams in his own chilling words said he was inspired by the attacks exposes put out by Fox News TV host Glenn Beck. We also come to learn that Jones has an even bigger influence.

In the interview below we hear clips from both Beck and Williams who is currently locked up in Santa Rita jail, 20 miles outside of Oakland awaiting trial.

We also talk about the leniency afforded to people like Beck while many others including rappers are shut down and material removed from public airwaves for fear of inciting violence.
This is the first of two parts
In the video below we continue our interview w/ investigative reporter John Hamilton who goes into more detail about the failed assassination plot carried out by Byron Williams.
We hear more about the influence Fox TV host Glenn Beck is having on domestic terrorists. We also focus on the influence Alex Jones had Byron Williams.
Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

What Lessons Can We Learn from the Chilean Miners? We need Urzualian-type Leadership

October 13, 2010 By

News of the rescue currently underway in Chile of the 33 miners who were entombed for 69 days has brought tears to many people’s eyes.  On the surface it appears that all of us like a good story and thus far this has all the makings. We have heroism on the highest levels, both amongst the miners and the teams of people who came together to rescue them. Thus far a horrific tragedy seems headed to a happy ending and while I’m sure there are complications that one could pull out and focus on, most of us are really in need of hero or heroes hence we aren’t gonna go there.

It’s all about sticking to the narrative encompassing the themes of heroism, teamwork and problem solved that we need to stick with.

When watching the nonstop coverage, I cant help but look the story from a variety angles starting with asking why so much coverage?  Aside from the devastating 8.8 earthquake that tilted the planet off its axis this past February many of us here in the US never gave a damn about anything going on in this country. Even with the quake, very few of us sought out or paid attention to any of the heroism going on then. Over the years there’s been lots of tragedy with successful outcomes but for whatever reason this one was inserted into our news cycles and subsequently our consciousness.

I’ll be cynical and say most news outlets covered this story because it netted them high ratings. It fit all the criteria and whatever way this turned out, successful or tragic, the end result would be the same all of us would be glued to our TV sets sharing this experience. What I find most interesting is how we’re sticking to the script no matter what. No one is questioning anyone’s ulterior motives for the rescue, including the President Sebastian Pinera who pushed pretty hard for this. Was he doing it for political points or because he cared?  We’ve heard the stories about the mistresses and wives meeting for the first time while they anxiously await their loved one to surface. The running joke is miners like Yonni Barrios are going from one tight situation into another.

But that’s neither here nor there.. Like I said its all about the heroism and problem solved themes that we’re keeping front and center. But on a deeper level why are we touched and more importantly what lessons should be learned and applied to the Chilean mine rescue?

The first thing that came to mind was teamwork and people coming together. I think deep down in side all of us yearn for the days when we can all truly come together with the attitude that together we rise as individuals we perish. Being each others proverbial keeper is the order of the day..It’s what made this rescue after 69 days possible. How many of us picked up on this lesson and will apply it to everyday life?

Shift foreman Luis Urzua... We need more Urzualian leadership in our world where we have shared sacrifice in times of need

The other thing that stood out was shared sacrifice. I was struck my the leadership that of the shift foreman Luis Urzua who is credited with saving everyone by rationing out supplies and laying out early plans of action for the first 17 days when the miners weren’t in contact with anyone. Hearing how he encouraged everyone to pull together is more than heart warming.

The reason Urzua is going last is because the miners finally decided on a system where the strong and more experienced would go first to help pave the way and correct any unforeseen problems. The weakest would go next so they could be helped and rescued by those behind them and those ahead. In other words there would be a human safety net for those who were weakest. Urzua would go last not because its pride thing, but because he demonstrated a type of strength that reminded us that those who have the most may also give of themselves the most. They have the experience and strength and thus can afford to..I wonder if we picked up on that lesson?

It wasn’t lost on me these types of heroic attributes were taking place as many of us are experiencing the worse economic downturn since the recession of the 1930s. It also wasn’t lost on me that this was playing out while we’re hearing stories that banks who we bailed are now garnering record-breaking profits for the second year in a row with little if any intention of sharing the resources. we keep hearing about those who have the most are hoarding and hoarding. It makes me wonder where’s the Luis Urzua for Wall Street?

These miners stayed underground for 69 days. Most of us can’t sit still for 5 minutes. They sat in this hole and decided with the help of strong experienced leadership that they were gonna pull together and see to it all 33 miners leave. If you was weak they were gonna help. If your freaked out someone would comfort you. But seeing how these miners sitting in that hole for such long time gel together as a team was a lesson for the ages.

Meanwhile back at home in what is deemed the most powerful nation on earth, many of us are going on a second or third year of sitting in an economic hole and instead of encountering Urzualian type leadership, we’re running across people who got out the ‘economic hole’ (bailouts) thanks to our shared sacrifice who once reaching the surface have pulled up the ladder and left the shaft.

Chilean Miners came together as a team and made sure the weakest among them was accounted for

As I’m writing this more miners are being rescued. No one is leaving that shaft till the last one is up and accounted for. No one is running around suggesting that the miners were at fault and thus deserved to wallow in the shaft and die. It’s all about making sure everyone is alive and well.

Could you imagine with all this showing of support and donation of resources if one of those miners who was rescued a year  found himself facing a similar situation where he was making decisions and he decided to NOT rescue those in need? Could you imagine if one of those rescued miners a year down the road faced with similar circumstances decided to tell a new crew of miners stuck in the shaft to pull their own selves up?

Think it can’t and won’t happen? Look at our friends on Wall Street, look at our pompous friends in congress who wanna cut your unemployment while not cutting their salaries. Take a look at those folks who were actually whining on TV that there was a temporary hold on foreclosures to make sure all the paperwork was legal. Hence it meant that thjose crying wouldn’t be able to immediately benefit from the misfortune of others.

Think it can’t and won’t happen? Take a look at the million dollar a year pundits who come on TV every night crying about shared sacrifice, calling evil and socialistic and that its unfair that they have to pay a few extra dollars in taxes and how they’re sick and tired of helping out those in need.

Think it can’t and won’t happen? See if your sneering and rolling your eyes when you hear stories about the poor and downtrodden among us and you entertain the thought that perhaps they deserve to be there because they didn’t make ‘wise choices’. See if your thinking these thoughts and somehow forgotten the day that a Luis Urzua came into your life and helped you out of a hole

Something to ponder

Dave D

 

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , ,

Is Eminem Being Unfairly Targeted for His Homophobic Lyrics Because he’s White?

October 13, 2010 By

There’s a lot of buzz around Eminem‘s recent 60 Minutes appearance with Anderson Cooper. On the surface it was a good look as there’s no denying Em’s popularity. He’s now seen as an OG of sorts who has finally returned to the scene after being away for a couple of years recovering from a series of life altering mishaps.

We all know about the tragic night club shooting of his best friend Proof (Detroit’s un-official mayor ) a few years back. We also know that Eminem almost overdosed and had been hooked on drugs. According to him he’s been 2 years sober. Like it or not when polled Eminem’s name frequents cracks the top 5 in one Hip Hop’s greatest rapper ever.  His delivery, controversial subject matter and clever word play has earned him his respect. However, what caught people’s attention during the 60 Minutes interview was his remarks around homophobic and misogynistic lyrics. When asked about them and the controversy that emerged here’s what Em is quoted as saying;

“I felt like I was being attacked. I was being singled out. I felt like, ‘Is it because of the color of my skin? Is it because of that you’re paying more attention?’ There are certain rappers that do and say the same things that I’m saying and I don’t hear no one say anything about that.”.

You can peep the full interview here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFGVXtwc-Ak

Em’s remarks raised more than a few eyebrows and left us with a few things to think about. The name of the game as he well knows is when you’re trying to make noise to blow up a spot, unless you have a compelling story to tell or exemplary skill sets, the best way to bring attention to yourself or an issue is to kick up dust and cause controversy.

This is what Eminem did. He bursted on the scene 10 years ago causing controversy. It wasn’t just his shocking lyrics but also some of his on and off stage antics. For example, I recall on one of his early visits to the Bay he got into a heated exchange with a radio host on KALX (UC Berkeley’s radio station) who thought he was a bit rude and over the top. The host Sister Tamu wound up breaking his record on the air. Word of that incident spread quick.

A few months later (may 1999) while doing a concert at the Fillmore a fight broke out. Em attempted to quell things only to jump off the stage with crew in tow to pummel a heckler who he felt wasn’t showing the proper respect. What appeared to be an isolated incident was later revealed to be something that somewhat staged as similar incidents of Em jumping off the stage to confront hecklers occurred at other concerts including Las Vegas a few days later. Again controversy sells and Eminem early on was a spark plug for it…

It should come as no surprise that folks wishing to get a message across would not attach themselves to his missteps to get a message out. This has been a tried and true method used by organizations like PETA when it comes to animal abuse and obviously other organizations like GLAAD who went after Eminem to bring attention to homophobia. But with that being said, while Eminem has come under fire, he has never been economically blocked at least not in the ways we seen other artists who dared cross certain lines.

For example, take reggae artist Buju Banton.. Here’s a guy that recorded an over the top homophobic song back in 1988 when he was 15. The song  ‘Boom Bye Bye‘ was about the murdering  gay man and became a huge hit and an anthem of sorts. 20 years after this song was recorded folks never let up him. They protested, got his tours canceled. Folks have and continue to go all out on Buju.  Eminem.. yeah he got heat from GLAAD and other organizations, but his concerts were never cancelled even here in San Francisco where activist have shut down Buju everytime his name is even mentioned.

This has gone on even after Buju has gone on to do positive music and explained his immaturity and ignorance at 15. He is now considered a strong voice for Jamaica. The protests have gone on even after he was the first to set up program Willy to help prevent the spread HIV and AIDs in Jamaica. Prior to that using a condom was seen in a bad light the same way homosexuality was. Buju took those steps and has still been dogged.

Em still performed his over the top songs even after public apologies and a show of reconciliation with singer Elton John who is outspoken on Gay Rights. Em was still embraced even though he does many of those ‘offensive’ songs. In addition when Eminem is mentioned it’s rarely with the tag Anti-gay rapper vs Buju who is frequently cited in the press as Anti-gay singer.

Def Jeff

Now one may look at Buju and say his song was an anthem that sparked violence and hence deserved to be protested. Thats understandable on a number of levels so lets look at  a few other less egregious examples..  I recall back in the early 90s ago LA rapper Def Jeff coming to San Francisco to perform at Club Townsend. He attempted to try to get the crowd hyped  by first yelling ‘All the Ugly People Be Quiet’. When he got a luke warm response he then yelled ‘All the People who got Aids be Quiet‘. To put it simply, after he yelled those remarks it was a wrap.

Even though Def Jeff got a resounding response from the audience that night he soon found himself blacklisted by SF club owners. Many who heard about his remarks refused to book him. Years later, he admitted at that time, he was young and just ignorant to both the horrors of HIV and AIDs. He was also oblivious to the type of anger and scapegoating directed at the Gay community. At that time AIDs was more associated with white Gay males as opposed to folks in the inner city and Jeff was simply insensitive. He apologized, but to know avail. He hasn’t been in the Bay to perform since.

A few months prior to Def Jeff’s remarks, Turbo B the lead rapper for the group the Snap which had the mega hit song ‘The Power’, made some unsavory remarks about Gays and AIDs and caused a huge uproar. Turbo later apologized for his ignorance, but it was all but a wrap for him and his career pretty much went down the tubes from there. It didn’t help that the Snap had a large following in the Gay community. Folks weren’t gonna allow those anti-gay remarks to go.

Cypress Hill

Also around that time a more visible and publicized incident occurred with Cypress Hill who were performing at the Bill Graham Civic Center during the Soul Assassins Tour. The show featured House of Pain, Cypress Hill and a number of other acts. Someone in the opening act acting as hype man yelled out to the crowd ‘”All the fags in the House Be Quiet’. There was a loud response from all the straight males who of course responded to the call.

The next day, angry members of the Gay community reacted and targeted radio giant KMEL which gave away tickets for the show. Letters and phone calls came in and the end result was Cypress Hill was banned from airplay on the station. The group quickly issued a letter of apology, even though they weren’t onstage at the time. The logic from the Gay protestors was that they were responsible for the insensitivity of the acts they brought along with them, hence they needed to be banned. The Cypress Hill radio boycott lasted for almost a year. It wasn’t lifted until they actually wound up doing a syndicated Soul Assassin’s radio show on our station.

Now again let’s not get things twisted, anyone advocating for the beating, killing or even the discrimination of gays or any ethnic group is bad news. And folks on the receiving end of those insults and threats have every right and should express their anger and outrage. If that outrage includes protests and shutting folks down, so be it. All of us have a responsibility in being aware of boundaries that exists within certain communities.But bringing this back to Eminem, he was given huge passes and in many ways embraced. Em’s angry lyrics have more often than not been praised by publications like the UK Guardian and Spin Magazine for expressing and reflecting the angst and anger felt by many within the white working class.

So is Eminem a target for his homophobic and misogynist lyrics because he’s white? Hardly. It’s more likely that he’s a target because he’s enormously popular. I think many of these organizations learned that they can only go so far in bringing attention to these issues going after lesser known artists. Hence  as long as Eminem is in the spotlight he allows a light to be shined on these issues. Hence anything he says will be scrutinized for an opportunity to weigh in. The attacks on Eminem are not the same as the shut downs and demonization of entire groups of Black and Brown folks for anti-social ills.

When Def Jeff and Turbo B got clocked all of rap was called into question. When Buju Banton was called all of Jamaica and its culture was called into question. When Em was called out it began and stopped with him. We didn’t make the connection with Eminem being a white man born in the US who may be part of and ultimately influenced by a culture that includes everyone from conservative politicians to overzealous Evangelists who routinely bash the gay community. Bottomline in spite of his hard upbringing there are major institutions in this country that have afforded Eminem a few priviledges he himself might not recognize and certainly didn’t acknowledge during his interview

something to consider

-Davey D-

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Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Essential videos to peep, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Media is Mind Control: Afrika Bambaataa vs Hot 97

October 8, 2010 By

Media is mind control has long been a sentiment held by  folks who felt that deliberate distortions and mischaracterizations my broadcast media was a weapon that led to entire communities being dehumanized. We saw this take place in winter of 2004 when Hot 97 deejays got on air just two days after what many considered to be the worst natural disaster in history and made fun of the 200 thousand people who perished.

The Hip Hop community was outraged and came after Hot 97 led by an organization called REACH.. a big rally was held in front of the station where all sorts of artists and activists came out and spoke truth to power. Among the speakers was  Hip Hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa and long time activist and former Green Party Vice presidential candidate Rosa Clemente. We married their powerful words to some remarks made by Minister Louis Farrakhan on media and the way it influences people’s thinking.. Opening up the mashup is media justice advocate Malkia Cyril

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Yv1ay0CmM

 

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Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , ,

Why I’m Scared of Christine O’Donnell by J Smooth

October 8, 2010 By

Shout out to my homie J Smooth for posting this up…Yes there are many reasons to be scared of Christine O’Donell and her Tea Party ilk.. What’s even scarier are all the people who could stop her who simply won’t for some very weak reasons..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjn6RoJBkmQ

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Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , ,

Who Shot Ya?-The FBI Informant Civil Rights Photographer & the Murder of Dr Martin Luther King

September 25, 2010 By

In recent days damning information has surfaced about the role a pioneering Civil Rights photographer named Ernest C.Withers played in the murder of Dr Martin Luther King. Withers who died in 2007 had long been rumored to be an informant for J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI even though he was very popular figure in Civil Rights circles. It’s been reported that under his guise as a photographer he was reporting on King’s movement up to the moment of his assassination and in the days that followed.

Like so many organizations that were fighting for Freedom including the Black Panthers, SNCC, The Nation of Islam then known as Black Muslims, SCLC to name a few were all under constant surveillance with orders from Hoover to disrupt and discredit their operations. Hoover considered many of them to be hate groups, terrorists and communist sympathizers.

Sometimes the surveillance came from FBI agents planting listening devices, recording phone conversations and following Civil Rights leaders in cars. Other times it came from sending Black agents into key organizations where they would earn positions of high rank and trust and later report back critical information. This was all done in addition to the FBI sending letters to various leaders where they would attempt to black mail, play one-off the other, make threats or play mind games like encouraging distressed individuals to commit suicide.

Martin Luther King

The murder of Dr King is especially troubling, because it demonstrated the lengths the FBI would go to stop a movement…. I think people should pause for a second before reading on and really think about this. Again the FBI operates from the money we pay to them via our taxes. They are here to serve and protect the people.

The second point is when you’re talking about an individual like Martin Luther King, you’re talking about a man who was calling for racially harmony and non-violence. He was challenging systems of Jim Crow and overt racial discrimination that I would imagine very few would support in 2010.

On the day of his death he was working feverishly on a Poor People’s Campaign for economic justice. How much more benign could one get?  Sadly our government which to this day has buildings named after Hoover, the architect of these surveillance policies called Cointel-Pro stopped at nothing to get him. from the looks of things they got Withers to go along with the plan and several others.

Dick Gregory spoke about sinister forces at work that eventually killed Martin Luther King

Long time activist Dick Gregory spoke on the murder of Dr King and how there were all sorts of folks involved including the Black preachers in his entourage. I want folks to peep this video and pay close attention to the video he plays during his presentation. You can later on watch the rest of the lecture which is 3 or 4 parts.  After you watch pt1, I want folks to read this excellent article from Margret Kimberly of Freedom Rider/ Black Agenda Report to get better insight into Withers and the damaging role he played.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiOq85bLFnE pt1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgTaP7Ye4eM&feature=related pt2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5n9LVfpAC8&feature=related pt3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp2dEBygjt0&feature=related pt4

Also as an added piece I am including the conversation Malcolm X had with the FBI when they tried to get him to turn on the Nation of Islam. I want folks to have richer context in which to understand the depth the FBI went in trying to compromise and intimidate our leaders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WdnRe1L6V8

Freedom Rider: Ernest Withers the Informant

by BAR editor and senior Margaret Kimberley

Margaret Kimberley of BAR

The long and infamous history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and its attacks upon black Americans in their struggles for human and civil rights are by now well-known. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover actively worked to destroy any and all black activists beginning in 1919 when he pursued the political and personal destruction of Marcus Garvey. That subversion of legal rights and the democratic process continued for decades but operated at its fullest extent in the 1950s and 1960s.

The purpose of the FBI Counter Intelligence Program, COINTELPRO was, in Hoover‘s words, to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize” what Hoover called “hate groups” but which were in fact organizations fighting for full citizenship rights. The most infamous COINTELPRO action was the murder of the Black Panther Party Chicago chief Fred Hampton. An informant, William O’Neal, joined the Black Panther Party under FBI direction, served as Hampton’s bodyguard, and was then instrumental in planning his killing.

Commercial Appeal, Withers was an FBI informant who gave extensive information on King and other activists in Memphis, their movements, and their conversations. Withers reported to the FBI on the day of King’s assassination and in the days following.

Unfortunately, Withers died in 2007 without ever being confronted with the longstanding rumors of his activities. His colleagues are left to their own devices in trying to understand why he acted as he did. They are also left trying to decide how and, in some cases, whether to judge Withers for his betrayals.

“He actively sabotaged the work of others and endangered their lives, livelihoods and a movement which was bigger than any one person.”

The human response of wanting to defend someone thought to be a friend may be understandable on a personal level, but should never be acceptable politically. The charges against Withers are well documented and in all likelihood he was an informer and was paid by the FBI. This means he actively sabotaged the work of others and endangered their lives, livelihoods and a movement which was bigger than any one person, even those who may still feel a personal connection to Withers.

Whatever the justification for their activities, informants like Withers should never be forgiven and their acts should not be justified. Sadly, many of the people personally victimized by Withers are defending and rationalizing his actions. He had a large family to support, he may have been threatened, the information he gave probably did little harm, etc. Andrew Young’s comments about Withers are the worst of all. “I don’t think Dr. King would have minded him making a little money on the side.”

Andrew Young has been the king of the cringe-worthy comment for some time now, but this remark is appalling even for him. As one of King’s closest confidantes, Young should know better than anyone the damage caused by FBI’s actions against King. They tapped his phones, recorded his conversations and encouraged him to commit suicide. Because there was no timely investigation into the King assassination, we will never know if the FBI was directly involved. The fact that Withers was located in Memphis and reported on King’s activities and movements up until the very moment of his death is in and of itself suspicious. The revelation of Withers’ activity should be a reminder of the extent to which the state dedicated itself to destroying any organized effort at black empowerment.

The muted response to the Withers revelation is sad proof of the lack of study of the movement, its fall and its aftermath. If this world-changing phenomenon were considered in the light that it ought to be, there would be unified revulsion expressed about Withers and a meaningful discussion of how the movement ended. The killing of Martin Luther King meant the effective end of one of the most successful mass movements in the history of the world. It is difficult to imagine that the information Withers provided to the FBI was not in some way connected with King’s death. For that reason alone, the outrage surrounding this revelation should have been loud and clear.

“It is difficult to imagine that the information Withers provided to the FBI was not in some way connected with King’s death.”

The Withers case should not be seen through the window of the past. It is a warning to us in the present and a reminder that the police state apparatus is ever present.

J Edgar Hoover may be dead but his legacy and damning Cointel-Pro policies live on today

The Withers case should not be seen through the window of the past. It is a warning to us in the present and a reminder that the police state apparatus is ever present. Should the civil rights movement be reactivated and organizing for change become the norm once again, there will be another COINTELPRO, under a different name no doubt, but the activities will be revived and some “friends” will turn out to be wolves in sheep’s clothing.

We now have a government which gives itself the right to order the assassination of American citizens and which claims the right to order anyone arrested and incarcerated without charge or trial. Black Americans have been entrapped in dubious, false flag terror cases created out of whole cloth by the government and its informants. The past is prologue and Ernest C. Withers will not be the last person used to sabotage his own people.

An energized, well organized movement for political change is what this nation needs most. That movement should learn the history of past movements, including the errors, and the betrayals that brought so many people and organizations to premature death. Individuals brave enough to speak truth to the powerful should be able to do so without repeating past mistakes or falling prey to the snares which brought down so many in the past. Ernest Withers should be remembered as a traitor. Yes his photos are iconic but they are now tainted and cannot be rehabilitated for the sake of sentimentality. The revelations about Withers are indeed frightening and rightly cause paranoia and anger. Those feelings cannot be submerged. They should be discussed openly. If they are not, then there are more Ernest Withers’ in our future and more destroyed movements.

Commercial appeal

http://www.commercialappeal.com/withers-exposed/

Margaret Kimberley’s Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains an edifying and frequently updated blog at http://freedomrider.blogspot.com. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgandaReport.com.

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Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sarah Palin & Her Mamma Grizzly Bears…10 to Watch Out for During the Mid-Terms

September 24, 2010 By

Sarah Palin is everywhere and causing havoc along the way. For the mid-term elections she has a number of Tea Party candidates vying for office who she endorsed and dubbed ‘Mamma Grizzilies‘… Here’s a break down of who they are.. They range from Star Parker to Carly Fioriona to Sharon Angle. We suggest you pay close attention to them..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoXwzm8Tdmc

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Here’s a Hard Hitting Revolutionary version of Rick Ross’s BMF

September 20, 2010 By

I love when someone does a rap song that results in multiple remixes and versions of that same song.. Back in the days we saw this kick off with songs like ‘Roxanne Roxanne’ by UTFO which spawned over 30 remixes. Later we saw numerous variations of the Inspector Gadget theme culminating with ‘The Show‘ by Doug E Fresh.

We saw this earlier this year with Jay Electronica’s ‘Exhibit C‘.. We recently saw that with Rick Ross’s ‘BMF‘…Jumping into the fray is Oakland rapper Lord Rab. As he describes it.. This is not the average BMF remix! Lord Rab gives praise to the Black leaders who deserve it and always were prepared for revolution! Homeboy was not kidding , Tight lyrics and good imagery make this one of the best BMF remixes to date.. Who knows maybe Rick Ross himself will wanna jump on the track and give this his blessing and go in on the revolution tip the way Lord Rab does..

-Davey D-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2RsGM6VLxg

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Malcolm X

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , ,

Some Thoughts on Today’s Glenn Beck Rally & What We Should Know About Dr King, Black Pride & Urban Radio

August 28, 2010 By

Some thoughts on Todays Glen Beck’s Restoring Rally…

Conservative talk show host Glenn Beck tried to hijack the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King

Below are some of the tweets I shared with folks this morning about Martin Luther King and how his legacy has been allowed be hijacked and distorted with the Glenn Beck ‘Restore Our Honor’ rally that went down today in Washington DC at the Lincoln Memorial. For those who don’t know Beck decided to hold a rally on the same date and place as Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech 47 years ago in 1963.

Beck said he wasn’t trying to be political and it was pure coincidence his rally was on the anniversary of the King speech. In fact he tried to flip it and say the rally was a way for folks to honor the troops. He knew folks would ride for that cause and be less critical if he crossed the lines in other arenas. We says that’s BS. Beck knew what he was doing. He even went out and got King’s conservative niece Aleveda King to be one of the keynotes.

Below are some of the tweets I sent out this morning on the rally and what we should be thinking about.

How does King’s Legacy get distorted & hijacked by a Glenn Beck for the world to see? Ask your self that next time u turn on the radio or TV?

A steady diet of who’s beefing w/ who, who does the Dougie the best & endless conversations about Jay-Z and his possible membership within the illuminati.

Sad as it sounds Beck used his air time to give a distorted & false history of Blacks in America-Meanwhile many our urban outlets and personalities said nothing?

How many of our historians and scholars were invited on any of our outlets to give a corrective history..Better yet who was asked on to speak this week?

How many of our urban outlets used their airwaves this week to let millions of people know who Dr King was and what he meant when he gave the I have a Dream Speech?  This week I heard contests for Summer Jam and Rock the Bells ticket giveaways… I didn’t hear one MLK speech.. I didn’t hear one community leader or Black historian who was invited on to these outlets to drop gems and offer guidance so folks could better understand and recognize the cultural hijacking that was taking place.

Dr King's niece Alveda sadly gave Beck and his croonies political cover in distorting her Uncle's legacy. She said she was tired of the Civil Rights Movement

Glenn Beck’s distorting rally complete w/ cheesing Negros in the form of Alveda King (Martin Luther King’s niece ) singing gospel cannot be viewed in isolation. She received a huge applause and unfortunately validated of a disturbing nationwide trend where the History for Black people and other communities of color is literally being white washed. So while Beck is re-writing the legacy of King, the state of Arizona has banned ethnic studies being taught in her universities and the state of Texas has removed everyone from Thurgood Marshall to Cesar Chavez and even the word slavery from high school text books and curriculum.

Earlier that morning Alveda King was shown on CNN saying in a earlier speech that she was ‘tired of the Civil Rights Movement‘..If for any reason, our urban outlets should’ve used those remarks as an opportunity to have public discussion-Where does the Civil Rights movement stand in 2010?…Here are some more tweets I sent out this morning.

A savvy urban outlet would’ve talked about King’s I have a Dream speech and focused on the part where he talked about America’s broken promissory notes and Insufficient funds

A historian would’ve come on the radio and reminded people that in 1963 marchers had to leave by sundown bc the police were outa control & brutal

A historian would’ve reminded folks that MLK spoke out agst wars & put his life at risk to do so-he would’ve told the troops to stop fighting

I hope we keep the lack of history and intelligent convo NOT on our airwaves come Monday morning..If ur a parent u should be upset?

Ask yourself, what did the Funk Flexes, Big Boys e of the world teach us & our kids this week during Black August? Sadly Beck taught more as false as it was..

Beck armed his listeners w/talking pts, & misleading analysis so if they were to debate some one on civil rights issues they would smash on most uninformed urbanites

In the face of Glenn Beck's lofty rhetoric and invoking of Martin Luther King and his no colorlines message, folks still showed up at the Glenn Beck Rally with racial hatred

One of the most disturbing things that Beck did at this rally was imply that King religious and philosophical beliefs would’ve been in synch with the agenda of the military industrial complex. King put his life and definitely the political favors he had obtained by speaking out on the Vietnam War which he found to be unjust. His willingness to speak out was deeply rooted in his religious upbringing which is centered in what is known as the prophetic tradition where one fearlessly speaks truth to power, stands on the side of the oppressed and fights for justice.

In fact it was interesting to hear Beck and his people quote the phrase Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere’. King uttered those words when speaking out against the United States being in War. I find it hard to believe Dr King in 2010 would be in support of any of our wars. He might’ve shown love to the troops, but would’ve told them to stand down and not continue fighting. Here are more tweets..

MLK comes from the prophetic tradition of preaching while many white Americans come from the tradition of equating God w/ Country

What Beck did was remove King from the long line of prophetic preaching which is what liberated Black folks & put him in God & Country tradition

That’s how the king was hijacked by Beck and sadly he found a family member Alveda King to validate that move in front of the world..

Keep all this in mind come Monday morning & ur favorite urban jock is feeding u gossip and beef stories ask why no education?

I keep mentioning urban radio bc one of Kings last speeches was to Black radio DJs where he broke down their importance to Civil rights..

The speech was given in Aug 1967 and kings words were actually quite militant as he talked abt the importance of Black pride & black radio

King worked closely w/ Black radio pioneer Jack the Rapper on crafting his message & delivering it to Black people via radio..

The legacy of Black radio being an essential tool in fighting Civil rights has been ignored by todays urban jocks & now hijacked by G Beck

Jack the Rapper is the grandfather of all radio personalities.. Wolfman jack, casey casisim, dick Clark etc.. all got their swag from him

His philosophy was theater of the mind-A Black radio jock can make shit on a stick sound good-hence he can sell his ppl the idea of freedom

Click HERE to Listen to the Full Speech of MLK's NATRA Address

Here’s Martin Luther King‘s speech on the importance of Black Radio to the Civil Rights movement & the importance and meaning of having Black pride. This speech was given in Atlanta in August of 1967  in front of the National Association of TV and Radio Announcers..(NATRA)  Here’s the link to this rare but incredible speech http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/60425/

The video below contains excerpts from that speech King gave.. Its called MLK vs the Radio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHdnMfGtAxM

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Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Key Muslims in Hip Hop, Media & Politics Speak out on Ground Zero Debate & Put Heads to Bed

August 25, 2010 By

Click HERE to hear the interview w/ Brother Ali

Yesterday we did a special radio show focusing on religious intolerance toward Muslims in America and amount of viciousness that’s been emerging with the debate around Ground Zero and the proposed Community Center/ Mosque..

We started off by talking with Minneapolis rap star Brother Ali. We talked about his new album US and where he’s headed musically speaking. Afterwards we go in on the Ground Zero controversy. Ali gave us an in-depth and insightful break down on the history Muslims in America and what Islam is really about…

He did a great job dispelling many of the myths  surrounding this religion which is practiced by a couple of billion people. He also talks about the media tricks being played both in terms of how this has been depicted. He expressed concern about how the end of Ramadan may land on 9-11 and that right-wing forces will use the occasion of showing people celebrating the end of Ramadan and twist it to make it seem like they are celebrating the 9-11 attacks

One of the most telling points that Brother Ali laid out was the demographics of those who practice Islam.. The average Muslim is not Arab. In the US the average Muslim is Black. Check out our interview with Brother Ali in the link below..

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/59766/

In part two of our interview we chop it up with Muslim reporter and journalist Nida Khan who has been covering the protests near Ground Zero. She talked about the violence directed at Muslims since this controversy started and how things are more intense than they were after 9-11.  Khan who has just returned from Pakistan talked about how anti-Muslim sentiments play out overseas. She also focused on a recent article she penned called Islamaphobia Weapon of Choice for the Midterms. Here Khan talks about how much of the hoopla is about political position so one can have a wedge issue to get people wound up over.

Click HERE to hear intvs w/ Nida Khan & Keith Ellison

We followed up our conversation with Nida Khan with a Congressman Keith Ellison who called to weigh in. Ellison who is from Minneapolis and good friends with Brother Ali, is the only Muslim in Congress. He confirmed much of what Khan said and focused on the unique campaign challenges him and some of his colleagues have come election time. He felt that making Islam a wedge issue will backfire.  Ellison also dropped science about the difference between culture and religion.

This came up when we spoke about the concerns raised about how women are treated and other practices. Ellison was meticulous with his answer as he talked about stonings and flying planes into buildings are pure distortions of the religion and to the degree any sort violent practice is widespread has more to do with culture then religious tenet.  Its kind of like us having an Easter Bunny to celebrate Easter.  The bunny is culture. The Resurrection of Christ (Easter) is the religion.

He talked about the practice of covering ones head. Ellison pointed out the irony of making fun of Muslim women who choose to wear a Hijab while finding it perfectly acceptable that Nuns and quakers may keep their head covered. He pointed out in traditional Black churches very few women will show up without their finest Sunday hat..

You can listen to our interviews with both Keith Ellison and Nida Khan by clicking the link below

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/59788/

While listening to these interviews check out just how over the top things are getting.. yesterday a Cab Driver was stabbed after being asked if he was Muslim

You can see the News Report by clicking the link below

http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/124338/police–cab-driver-stabbed-by-passenger-who-asked–are-you-muslim–

A city cab driver is in the hospital after being stabbed by a passenger who allegedly asked if he was Muslim, police tell NY1.

Investigators with the New York City Police Department say it all began Monday night when a 21-year-old man hailed a cab at 24th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan.

Police say the passenger asked the driver, “Are you Muslim?” When the driver said yes the passenger pulled a knife and slashed him in the throat, arm and lip.

The 43-year-old driver was able to lock the passenger in the back of the cab and call 911.

Both the driver and the passenger were taken to Bellevue Hospital.

As of late Tuesday, no charges had been filed.

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Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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