THE TRAYVON MARTIN DISTRACTION...SPY DRONES IN YOUR BUSINESS

Last weekend I was thinking to myself what the Trayvon Martin huge news coverage is really about. I do know one thing is that his death is a waste of life, which I intimately know from suffering the needless loss of my nephew in December of 2006. My nephew was killed like so many other Black males in the United States by the hand of another Black male. Destroyed for nothing that he himself had done, just killed walking down the street to a friend’s house. So, I truly understand the pain Trayvon Martin’s family is feeling. Trayvon Martin was hunted and killed for no apparent reason, for nothing that he himself had done.

George Zimmerman was the culprit that took Trayvon Martin’s life and caused the pain and suffering for Trayvon’s family. George Zimmerman’s stupid action has caused pain and suffering for his own family. Zimmerman, in my estimation, was a zealous fool that really wanted to taste death issued by his own hands. This was not a reaction by Zimmerman, but something he had planned in his own imagination for sometime and the opportunity finally presented itself for him to act out the fantasy he had mentally rehearsed. Surely, this is speculation on my part, with nothing to support it other than Zimmerman’s own actions.

All the marches in support of Trayvon Martin’s family calling for a true investigation into his death is warranted as it smells quite fishy that a man can take the life of another and walk away Scot free. I would love to see all the energy poured out for Trayvon Martin continue for all the Black people killed to march in every city and town where Black killers are decimating other Black people. However, I couldn’t help but think that all this television and radio coverage was being used like the hand of the snake charmer waving in front of the cobra while the other hand grabs it from behind

Yesterday the hidden was exposed, the hand grabbed us. While we were all looking at, mad about and discussing the misery of the death of Trayvon Martin our president was busy giving the out of control police more power to invade our privacy. On February 8^th Mr. Obama signed into law H.R. 658 allowing for the commercial use of spy drones in U.S. airspace. This means soon enough the police state will be expanding into the sky above your home. Your backyard will no longer be your private domain. Drones as small as bees will fly around snooping into your private business.

While the people were crying for justice for Trayvon, while the country holds it’s breath to see if the health bill will be held up as constitutional and the Republicans continue on their battle to see who will be the front man that will lose the presidential farce of an election, the hand of the snake charmer kept us busy while el primero presidente Moreno de Los Estados Unidos was usurping our rights away (some more). To add to the dearth of tricknology by the supreme tricksters is the false fighting about who is the more worthy to lead, the Democrats or the Republicans while both voted equally in the Democrat controlled Senate 75-20 to be able to spy on us. History of late in the U.S. has taught us (if you pay attention) every time there is a big hoopla, especially a Black and white racial hoopla, there is something brewing behind the scenes. WAKE UP!!!

WISE WORDS FROM THE AFROSPEAR TRUTH SEEKER

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Republican Presidential Hopefuls Should Call Trayvon Martin’s Parents

March 21, 2012 by asabagna

The world of American politics, especially presidential politics is blatantly and unashamedly opportunistic. It’s all about hype, slogans and who can capitalize on the latest story capturing the short attention span of the fickle public in the 48 hour news cycle, and/or trending within the world of social media.

Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich can learn from the master politician, President Barack Obama, on how to jump on an opportunity like a pit bull on a 4 year old. When Rush Limbaugh referred to Sandra Fluke on February 28th as a “slut” and “prostitute” for voicing her support for birth control during an unofficial House Democratic hearing, 2 days later she got a call from the President asking if she was “okay”. The parents of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was murdered in a racial motivated shooting on February 26th, has received no call (as yet) from the President to ask if they were “okay”… and they probably won’t.

See… Obama knows he needs the white woman vote to get re-elected, so he strategically decided to show empathy for Fluke’s hurt feelings when she was called a couple of derogatory names. On the other hand, he knows he’s got the Negro vote sown up, so why would he need to show any concern for their pain? Why risk his re-election by being accused of showing favouritism (i.e. sympathy) to people with the same skin colour as him in their time of grief for their murdered son… a grief caused by the imbedded racist attitudes of the “other” people he needs to support him for a second term in office?

The Republican contenders should take a page from Obama’s playbook and call Martin’s parents to offer their condolences. They should also put on a hoody, have a bag of Skittles in one hand and an Iced-tea in the other, take a pic and post it on their Facebook page with the caption: “We’re All Trayvon Martin!” Sure it’s blatantly insincere and strategically opportunistic, but that’s what American politics is all about. It’s about taking advantage of the hot story and manipulating the story line for your own benefit. After the Fluke affair the media was on them, particularly Romney, for not calling Fluke or publicly admonishing Limbaugh, especially after President Obama did so. By calling the Martins, maybe the media… and African-Americans… may finally wake up and realize that “Barack Obama doesn’t care about Black people”. The republicans may even get a few more black votes.

Hmmmm… I doubt it

Back When I Was An African American I believed...

We Blacks in America came from the West Coast of the continent of Africa.  Coming over on ships, packed like sardines for a voyage from the east to America.  I later found that even Blacks from the central portion of the continent were also bought and sold into the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.  The people of the Kongo would march as many as 500 miles from the interior of Africa to the Ghanian sea coast, into Goree Castle to be shipped to the Americas as chattel.  This was big for me, after having been spoon fed on the idea of the powerful Mandingos (I never could pin down whether there was ever a people called Mandingos), Ashanti and Mau Mau (I later learned the Mau Mau had nothing to do with a tribe or nation of Africans on the west coast.)  My belief in this version of our history would be later confirmed by a book I thought long and hard as to whether I would read it or not.  Not only was I Black, and African American from a world view, but I also knew Jesus was a Black man.  I was a Christian.  Black and Christian.

 Years and years ago there was this huge book store chain called Book Star that soon appeared in several major cities.  Now that I think about it, it probably was one of the first of the big book store chains that was dedicated to books as the primary product.  At any rate, a friend and I would frequent this book store at least once a week to go and read, thumb through and eventually buy books.  We rarely read the same genre, but we would break off and later somehow bump right into each other at some point in time in the store.  On the way out one night a book caught my attention, The Secrets Of Voodoo by Milo Rigaud.  Black Power Vic wanted it right off the rip, but Christian Vic said "maybe you shouldn't buy that and put that in your home.  It says Voodoo right on the cover.  Christian Vic won out. In fact Christian Vic won for several more years too  .Eventually Black Power Vic got his way after reading so much about Egyptian Religion and eventually reading African Origin of Major World Religions by Dr. Ben Jochannan.   In the book Dr. Ben  clearly states Christianity comes directly from Voodoo.  After about 5 years of mental battle and evolving, Black Power Vic could finally read about Voodoo from an Haitian Perspective.

Mr. Rigaud's family is/was part of the branch of free Haitians during and after the revolution known as the Mulattos and his direct decendent was Andre Rigaud rival to Jean Jaques Dessalines.  Milo Rigaud does a masterful job of showing the inter-relatiions of the Vodou to Judaism and Christiantiy.  Yet, at the time, the most powerful information that came clear to me was learning the several nations of people that actually came to the Americas from Africa. This was based on what Vodou rites that exists on Haiti. The nations of people enslaved on Haiti each had their own Vodou rite.  There was the Congo rite, Nago rite, the Ibo rite, the Rada rite from Ouida in Benin and the Petwo rite.  The Petwo rite is said have been the only rite to develop in the Americas and not have an origin in Africa. 

RISE IN PEACE WHITNEY HOUSTON!

My Little Something For Black History Month...My 10 Picks For The Greatest Guitarist Ever!

Initially I was not going to post anything under the title of Black History Month.  Over the years I have had enough with corporate sponsored versions of our history, and my attempt at rebuking the corporation's story or simply mentioning the names and deeds of people that the corporation chooses to keep hidden. 

This year, actually this morning, I decided I wanted to note some people that are near and dear to my soul.  Near and dear to me for the music they produce and quite actually, I believe are not given enough credit for their contribution to the world of music.  Most of my peers are huge fans of Jazz, and artistes like Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk rounding out the sounds with the taste of Gil Scott Heron and The Last Poets.  Not being a Jazz enthusiast at all, rarely ever am I afforded the opprotunity to express who is heavy on my iPod rotation.  In light of that I present to you my picks for 10 greatest guitarist ever!

(1) Son House.  Born in Riverton, Mississippi Edward James House, Jr was a contemporary of the legendary Robert Johnson.  In fact, Son House relates the story of a young Robert Johnson coming to him requesting to "tour" with he and other Blues men aroung the south and was turned away because his guitar skills were subpar.  My favorite joint by Son House is Death Letter Blues

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(2) Born Ellas Otha Bates in McComb, Mississippi (home of R & B singer Brandy) was soon adopted by his aunt and changed his name to Ellas McDaniel.  Soon the McDaniel family moved to the south side of Chicago, like may in Mississippi undoubtly escaping the overt racism and hoping for better work.  After the move to "the Chi" he eventually changed his stage name to Bo Diddley.

(3) Muddy Waters was born McKinley Morganfield in Issaquena County, Mississippi near the legendary Rolling Fork, Mississippi.  By age 17 Muddy began playing guitar by imulating Son House vocally and Robert Johnson on guitar.  He was raised by his grandmother and by 1943 moved to Chicago, where he was introduced to the electric sound and playing larger venues.  My favorite tune by Muddy Waters is I'm A Man.

(4) Johnny Allen Hendrix born November 1942 in Seattle, Washington became know to the world as Jimi Hendrix.  Without a doubt Jimi Hendrix is the greatest and most influential guitarist that has ever lived. Born left handed, most guitarist will change the strings placing the "bass" stirng at the top part of the neck of the guitar ending with the highest note string on the bottom.  Mr. Hendrix however, never changed the strings therefore not only playing the strings upside but probably backwards as well.

 

(5) Eddie Hazel born December 1950 Brooklyn, New York to Grace Cook.  Eddie began playing the guitar when he received a guitar for a Christmas present from his older brother.  His shining moment was seleced as number 60 Rolling Stone's top 100 guitar solo's of all time, and one of my favorite joints, Maggot Brain.

 (6) Born November 1956, Michael Hampton joined P-Funk at the age of 17 and gave a rousing rendition of Eddie Hazel's phenomenal solo of Maggot Brain.  Hampton once said he learned the guitar by sitting and listening and practicing Jimi Hendrix songs over and over.

(6) Without a doubt Prince Rogers Nelson has become one of the elites of guitarist.  Born June, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Prince busted onto the scene with the smash hit I Wanna Be Your Lover.  However, falling under the R & B genre, Prince never fails to show us why he is one of the baddest guitarists of all time. Two of my favorites tunes are All The Critics Love You In New York and Lady Cab Driver.

 (7) Leonard Albert Kravitz, known to the world as Lenny Kravitz is a masterful singer, song writer and guitarist.  Son of the late Roxie Roker and cousin to the famous weather man Al Roker, Lenny has given us such great tunes as Rock And Roll Is Dead and American Woman.

(8) Ernie Isley, born March 1952 and part of the world famous Isley Brothers.  Not known as a Rock-Funk band, the brothers always found a way to bless us with Ernie Isley's guitar solos.  Ernie was influienced by non other than the great Jimi Hendrix while Jimi lived in the Isley household.  One of my favorite songs that featured Ernie's guitar styles is non other than the great song Atlantis and Ernie's Jam.

 (9) Edmond Montague Grant, born March 1948 in Plaisance, Guyana is one of my favorite guitarist.  Know for the famous Electric Avenue album, Mr. Grant's guitar stylings are not often heard on his album releases.  However I have had the great fortune to see him perform live in concert.  Let me tell you, this brotha can bang it out on the guitar, even playing notes on his behind.

(10) Born July 1947 in Jalisco, Mexico. Carlos Agosto Alves Santana, known to us simply as Carlos Santana has put it down for decades.  Santana has always blelnded into his music Mexican, Latin Caribbean, Soul creating his own unique style.  Not withstanding his many many hits including Black Magic Woman and Jingo, my one of my favorite joints is off the Shaman album, Aye Aye Aye, Hoy Es Adios, and Victory Is Won.

 Honorable mention:

Mikey Mao Chung

Wyclef Jean

Maquel Jean Baptiste

Buddy Guy