Rosa Parks: A Conscience of black America

Rosa Parks
1913 - 2005



The death of Rosa Parks reveals a couple of things (to me) about black America then and how it may apply to black America now.

THEN:

Rosa Parks wasn’t a civil rights leader or an agitator against the government demanding social change. She was an everyday working class woman who was tired of being treated like a second class citizen at the whims of any white person who saw fit to remind her of such. While we celebrate her courage to say “NO!” and remember the cause that was started by her actions, we should also take a look at how her actions sparked such a significant united response by the black community in the south. Rosa Parks represented the mental and emotional fatigue of all of Black America but, it appears, none were willing to speak to this fatigue. The black community, as a whole, continued to live under the ‘Jim Crow’ mentality that gave a reality of being worth less than whites. The outcry and response by the black community to take an ‘any means necessary’ approach to the Montgomery Boycott showed how long and how desperate the black community had become living under such conditions. This desperation did not spark violence but it did spark a ‘collective sacrifice’ where churches, communities, and private citizens carpooled in an act of defiance towards what was almost a century of discrimination that had followed centuries of slavery. Rosa Parks said what every black in the south wanted to say to an oppressive government….NO! Her ‘no’ was heard around the world. But her NO also sparked unity instead of violence, her ‘no’ sparked organized effort not individual protest. Rosa Parks spoke to a complacency that kept an entire class of people separated from the promise of America…the promise of freedom. In her passing, let us pay respect for her courage and in her memory let us address the complacency that has yoked the black community for decades if not centuries.

NOW:

The black community in America has benefited from the sacrifices that were made to advance civil rights in America. These sacrifices were being made as recently as the late 1960s. Today, 2005, black America continues to struggle for self reliance and the promise of the American Dream. We have allowed complacency to replace our outrage for better schools and safer communities. We have allowed complacency to turn a blind eye to the high rate of abortions and STDs that plague the black community. We have allowed complacency to allow an entertainment genre to rise and become the soul identifier of Black America. Our complacency has allowed the father figure in the black family to be replaced by a social welfare system. Our complacency allows for the excuses of poverty and education to justify crime and social cannibalism as we feed on each others grief and frustrations. Our complacency has allowed teens to become roll models and parents and parenting to become obsolete. Our complacency allows us to attack those would speak of our ills today instead of uniting to overcome them. Rosa Parks’ ‘NO’ spoke to the mental and emotional fatigue of Black America then but who will speak to our fatigue now? There’s no bus driver to point at to blame for this problem…only a mirror. There’s no bus system to boycott…only a mirror. Black America has to look at themselves to understand why we are still living in the ‘Post Civil Rights’ era and not in the ‘American Dream’ era. Just as we looked to one another to overcome the inequality taking place in Rosa Parks’ time, so too must we look to one another to overcome our complacency, our collective poverty, and our lack of social awareness today. While black America is free according to the constitution, we are still in bondage according to our own behavior and lack of social growth. We blame history for our condition, and fear a future of change. Like Rosa Parks from a generation before… I am here to say ‘NO!’ I’m tired of our disproportionate representation in the prison system. I’m tired of the public school system failing our children. (To fail our children is to fail our future)
I’m tired of the token accomplishments of a select few being aired in front of the population to suggest victory when in fact we are still in the struggle. I’m tired of looking to ‘the man’ for help when we don’t help each other. I’m tired of prehistoric civil rights leaders attempting to keep us in a ‘one size fits all’ political philosophy while our communities wither on the vine. So to the politicians of convenience; seeking our votes while dodging our circumstances, I say ‘NO!’ To the civil rights leaders and organizations of days gone by with no vision of the future, I say NO! To those who look elsewhere to fix the problems in their own communities, I say NO! To those who feed the hate but not our children, I say NO! To those who tear down the family unit but not the crack houses, I say NO! Are you as tired as I am? Are you as tired as Rosa Parks was and you’ve had enough? Then stand, organize, educate, and equip each other for the future that men like King, Shabazz, Du Boise, and Washington dreamed of. Let’s get off of this bus and work together to carpool into a future we can be proud to pass on to our children.


Thank you Rosa Parks. Thank you for the courage to stand for change. We will carry your torch into the next generation.

M. DiBartolo
American Zulu

Iraq: Evolution of Democracy

Iraqi Elections will succeed

The Iraqis are ready for change and they're ready for peace. The Terrorist have made it clear that their enemy is self determination and the rule of law. By their actions they will draw out even more Iraqis to participate in these elections and turn a corner in their history that will be remembered for generations to come.

This is happening because America took action to depose a tyrant whose threat in the region was real and his influence and support for global terror was ever increasing.

The Iraqis will succeed and the terrorist will fail. Each attack diminishes their popularity. The Women of Iraq will vote for the first time in history. What we will witness on Sunday will be nothing short of historic; a monumental change in a region who in the past was riddled with doubt and hopelessness.

Those who wish ill or failure in this process want nothing more than mayhem and lawlessness to reign supreme. Those pessimists, who believe that this will never be successful, want nothing more than the continued bloodshed of American and Iraqi forces. Those who believe that Iraqis aren't capable of keeping a democracy together, insult the abilities of all people of Islam and especially that of the Iraqi people.

They will succeed, and freedom will reign in the Middle East.

AZ (Posted on 1/26/05)

Freedom has spoken in the Middle East. The Iraqis braved death threats, walked miles, and waited for hours to exercise their right to self determination. As rockets fell around them, and suicide bombers tried to murder them, they stood fast and declared that FREEDOM and SELF DETERMINATION is the right course for them and their children.

The world must embrace our new friends of peace, our brothers and sisters of democracy; the Iraqi people. We must show the extremist that there is no turning back. "Freedom is on the March."

History occurred this day. Some of you would not want to admit it, but if you asked any of those on the streets of Iraq... they would tell you that this is a day that they will not soon forget. Even the left wing press could not spin what occurred in Iraq. Even they were at a loss and simply reported the news as it happened.

God bless the US and Coalition forces, God bless the brave Iraqi people who embraced the same driving force that drove men to sign the Declaratoin of Independence and the same force that drove Martin Luther King to 'have a dream'. Freedom!

AZ (Posted 1/31/05)

Parliament Elects Iraq's First Kurdish President
By Mariam Karouny

Quote:
"This is the new Iraq -- an Iraq that elects a Kurd to be president and an Arab former president as his deputy," parliament speaker Hajem al-Hassani said after the vote.

Saddam Hussein watched Talabani's election on video from his jail cell outside Baghdad later in the day and was shaken by the experience, Iraq's human rights minister said.

"He was clearly upset. He realized that it was over, that a democratic process had taken place and that there was a new, elected president," Bakhtiar Amin told Reuters...


Each step is a success for Democracy and a step closer to a lasting peace in that region. The 1500+ American lives, and the thousand of Iraqi and coalition forces have made the ultimate sacrifice to free a country from a tyrant and to cause a serious blow to Islamic terrorist and their war on democracy. Our continued support for this fledgling democracy will help the war on terror in ways we have yet to realize.

AZ (Posted 4/7/05)

Bush Says Trained Iraqi Troops Now Outnumber U.S.
Tue Apr 12, 7:14 PM ET Politics - Reuters
By Steve Holland

Quote:
FORT HOOD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush said on Tuesday trained Iraqi security forces now outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq and are playing a greater role in fighting insurgents.

Bush's comment followed remarks by senior military officers that U.S. forces could begin to be drawn down in significant numbers early next year if violence remains low at that time.

...

He said security operations in Iraq are "entering a new phase" in which the United States and its coalition partners are increasingly playing more of a supporting role and Iraqi security forces are more self-reliant and taking on greater responsibilities.


"Like free people everywhere, Iraqis want to be defended and led by their own countrymen," Bush said. "We will help them achieve this objective so Iraqis can secure their own nation and then our troops will come home with the honor they have earned."
For the full story go to: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=sto...2/pl_nm/bush_dc

Iraq is expected to grow up in a very short period of time, and much will be expected of their leaders and military forces... but as so many other nations have made this journey and become peaceful states within and peaceful neighbors throughout their region, so to will Iraq. We can't abandon them for the sake of political 'I told ya so'... they are trying to become a democratic society and each step should be congratulated.

AZ

Reports of Iraqi Hostages Cited as Rumor
Date Posted: Monday, April 18, 2005
Quote:
MADAIN, Iraq, Apr 18 (MASNET & News Agencies) - Iraqi forces regained control of a lawless town near Baghdad, but failed to find any hostages, contradicting reports that Sunni gunmen had seized scores of Shiite residents and were threatening to kill them.

The three-day standoff around Madain, fueled by rumor, suspicion and sharply contradictory reports, had threatened to spiral into all-out national crisis as Sunnis and Shiites negotiate on the formation of a new government, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

There was no resistance and no captives were found in the agricultural town of about 1,000 families, evenly divided between Shiites and Sunnis, reports the Associated Press (AP).

"The whole city is under control. We've secured houses where people said there were hostages. We could not find any. I don't think we'll find any," said Iraqi Brigadier General Mohammed Sabri Latif after a 1,500-strong Iraqi force backed by U.S. soldiers swept into town.


There are others, even in this forum who are reporting this hostage situation as fact when they don't have all the facts from that region. They are those who wish for failure rather than success. They revel in the thought that US, Coalition, and Iraqi forces would fail. This is sad...

AZ

Initial Successes in Iraq Schools Reconstruction

BAGHDAD, April 9, 2005 — Amid the danger for U.S. troops and civilians in Iraq there's also plenty of hope: The American mission includes reconstruction projects that are revitalizing parts of Iraqi society, especially the schools.
Iraqi schoolchildren are eager to learn, and many people say the country's school system is one of the bright spots in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion two years ago.


Perhaps, over time, the children will see what the adults of today cannot... Hope is what we bring. Democracy is a hope for something better.

AZ

Posted on Wed, May. 04, 2005
Al-Jaafari

Iraq swears in its new democratically elected leaders
The Washington Post

Quote:
BAGHDAD, Iraq — As Iraq's first democratically elected government was sworn in Tuesday, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari appealed to those who have taken up arms against his Shiite-dominated government.

“Come back to our people with atonement and apology so you can take part in the process of rebuilding and development,” al-Jaafari said. “Our heart is big and can encompass you all, unless you shed blood or violated the integrity of others.”

...

“The dialogue of words will take you to what the language of bullets and the ethics of perfidy failed to do,” he said.


It took the United States 13 years to form a government after we declared our independence. It has taken the Iraqis 3 months. People continue to say that the insurgency will undermine the democratic efforts taking place in Iraq and despite an increase in the brutality, the Iraqis have formed a government and made another significant advancement towards a peaceful Iraq. Iraq is the only predominately Muslim country in that region that has a freely elected government which also includes women.

It's funny how the main stream press has managed to stay distracted from this news with more pressing issues like 'the runaway bride' and what Paula Abdul said on 'American Idol'. They will spoon feed you bullshit to keep you distracted from any positive news that could possibly in any way cause you to feel proud or hopeful.

For those of you who are against this war regardless of the success and you looks for the negative news in every ray of sunshine I say this:

Yes the attacks continue; But the Iraqis are united against it.
Yes troops have died; But in 3 years we have lost no more than 2000 troops in this war on terror and in that process we've managed to liberate 50 million people. You may not think that is not worth the price paid but I would disagree. We paid a much higher price in Europe, Korea and the Pacific and freedom continues to strive in those areas without a controlling American presence.

This is another milestone for the Iraqis and all free nations and peoples should congratulate them for their accomplishments.

AZ

Iraqi posts unfilled as Cabinet sworn in
Bid for agreement with Sunnis fails
By Thanassis Cambanis, Globe Staff | May 4, 2005


This article is an example of those who see nothing but failure in the war on terror. Of course if things aren’t perfect then they must be failing! Those who spread this type of doubt in the progress being made in Iraq ignore so many facts it's not even funny. For instance...

Israel, a democratic/parliamentary system of government, has routinely left certain post open as they have put a new government in place. The Prime Minister of Israel has routinely served as defense minister while they continued to debate and discuss who would fill the last remaining posts. What has happened in Iraq is a huge accomplishment and anyone who would site that because Iraq has 'only filled 39 of the 42 post' has somehow missed the mark of accomplishment is just a pessimist wishing nothing but failure for the Iraqi people for the sake of their own abstention to the war in Iraq and the policies of Bush 42. This is a sad state of affairs and why there is such a deep divide between those for freedom and those for so called pacifism by any means.

AZ

Iraq's Dulaimi Named Defense Minister, Completes Cabinet
Quote:
May 9 (Bloomberg) -- Saadun al-Dulaimi was yesterday appointed Iraqi defense minister and Bahr al-Ulum oil minister as Iraq's National Assembly approved the final six members of a national unity government.

…
Quote:
Iraqi politicians also say that a Sunni defense minister will stem a Sunni-led insurgency that has raged since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein. Supporters of Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime, who lost their status when the regime fell, have been blamed for much of the violence in Iraq.

Quote:

A former officer in Saddam Hussein's army, al-Dulaimi went into exile during the Iran-Iraq war and retuned to Iraq after the ouster of Hussein who had sentenced him to death and confiscated his assets, AFP said. He then set up the Baghdad- based Iraq Center for Research and Strategic Studies, an analysis institute, which has conducted most of Iraq's public opinion surveys, it said.

AZ (Posted 5/9/05)

Sunnis end boycott of Iraqi politics

GROUP THAT SAT OUT JANUARY ELECTIONS VOWS TO HELP DRAFT CONSTITUTION, COMPETE FOR VOTES
By Ellen Knickmeyer and Naseer Nouri
Washington Post

Quote:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - More than 1,000 Sunni Arab clerics, political leaders and tribal heads ended their two-year boycott of politics in post-Saddam Iraq on Saturday, uniting in a Sunni bloc that they said would help draft the country's new constitution and compete in elections.

Quote:
Most Sunnis boycotted national elections in January that put the long-suppressed Shiite majority in charge. Meanwhile, a Sunni-led insurgency appears to have become increasingly unpopular among ordinary Iraqis as the death toll from bombings and other attacks climbs.

AZ

History Unfolds
The people of Iraq have made another historic step in their march towards democracy and the rule of law and tolerance. Today, October 15th 2005, millions of Iraqis will walk past fliers that threaten death to those who would vote today; walk past the IEDs set explode when families are passing by; walk by the concrete barriers meant to protect them from the Islamo fascist who are hell bent on destroying the progress of democracy as well as the hopes and dreams of the Iraqi people. Today, the Iraqi people vote on their Constitution.

In a couple of days we will have the official results of this election and we will see the will of a free people decided with ballots instead of bullets. The Middle East continues to make historic progress towards peace. The progress made today will be an ally to peace loving societies and ideologies everywhere while separating it from those societies and ideologies that encourage the spread of intolerance, hate, and violence. As stated in the beginning of this blog...the Iraqi people are tired of war and desire peace for themselves and for their children. The terrorist may get the headlines but the Iraqi people get the ballots and they will be the ones to decide the future of their country...not the Islamic extremist.

AZ

Compassionate Conservatism: The testing of America.

The debate over who should pay for the recovery of the gulf region from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita has only begun. So called “compassionate conservatives” across the country have made it clear that tax payers should not bare the brunt of the cost for that region to recover from the devastating affects from both storms. These soft hearted conservatives claim to be compassionate all the while complaining about their tax money going to help areas and people who should be responsible for their own recovery based on the fact that they chose to live in a region prone to those types of storms. This view is very disappointing. They’re compassionate alright! Compassionate for their friends and family in need but not for those on the gulf coast. However, their unwillingness to share their tax contributions to help our fellow citizens has some merit.

America prides itself on being a giving nation. Our sitting President, George W. Bush has run both of his campaigns on premise of being a compassionate conservative. The relief effort in the gulf region gives the US and the President the opportunity to put our words and our pride where our money is. Helping those affected by these two storms shouldn’t be the primary role of the Federal Government but of those moved to help people in need. The Federal, state, and local governments should support the efforts of those who are on the ground helping the residents of the gulf region recover but it should not take the leading role. Those who are moved by compassion should be the ones on the front lines ensuring the repatriation of New Orleans and the rebuilding of that region. President Bush should push for donations not for more government to take action to help the masses. The initial emergency response to most any major disaster needs the government’s resources and ability to respond in a timely manner. But the long term recovery and rebuild should come from the people pulling together to do what needs to be done to bring life back to that region, not the federal government. If we truly are compassionate then there should be enough help to get the job done with more to spare. It’s not just our government leaders and other compassionate conservatives who I put on notice to put up or shut up…

I also call on the so called leaders and organizations of the black community who make a living on making grandiose statements with little results. I call on people, groups, and businesses such as;

Dr. Bill Cosby
Oprah Winfrey
Reverand Jessie Jackson
Reverend Al Sharpton
Dr. Mike Dyson
Minister Farrakhan
The Urban League
The NAACP
BET
UPN
President Bush

I call on them to put a coalition together to raise private money to assist all those affected by the hurricanes in the gulf region. I call on them to put their differences and ambitions aside and unite behind a common cause: The rebuilding of the gulf region (both residential and business). Finding true leadership in the black community has been a challenged for decades and now is the time for real leaders to rise above the spoon fed strife offered to us daily by the main stream media and to do what is best for the advancement and recovery of our own people; Americans devastated by these storms.

People of compassion, faith, and social justice should all be united behind this one cause. Encouraging people to act on their compassion through private means removes the need of our federal government to be responsible for every calamity that happens within the nation. Doing the latter would make our government an even larger bureaucracy intruding in every aspect of our social development and becoming less and less effective as it does so. People need to rise and up and take care of each other. Looking to our government to fix each and every detail of our lives makes the government our conscience and our expression of identity instead of being our mirror, reflecting who we are to the world.

This is our test America. Are we going to remain helpless and codependent on our federal government to think, act, and fund all that we need and thus define who we are? Or are we going to rise to the challenge of helping our neighbors, friends, and fellow citizens to recover from one of the worst devastations our country has every seen? I believe Americans are the key ingredient to any recovery not the federal government…it is our work, our belief, and our sweat that will reclaim the gulf region from the rampage of Hurricane Katrina and Rita… not taxes, not congress, and not the main stream media.

I call on these ‘leaders’ to unite and show solidarity in an effort to help all Americans affected by this storm. I call on these black ‘leaders’ to unite and ensure that the minority culture and heritage of New Orleans will not be discarded with the debris from the floods of these storms. I call on these men and women to put their position below the effort to help and do what they can in an cooperative effort to assure the survivors of these storms that we will not leave until every home, every store, and every apartment that was formally occupied by gulf region residents will once again be there for any and all who would want to come back.

Compassionate conservatism has met its greatest need of compassion…will it answer? The black community has met its greatest challenge for blacks affected by a natural disaster…with they answer?

We need not look to our government for all the solutions, cause our government to grow larger than it is, or give it more power than it previously had because we are less inclined to get dirty helping our neighbors. We need to do what’s right. We need to stand up and be men and women of conscience and help those in our hemisphere…our own countrymen who are in need. They need assurance by fellow Americans that their lives will be restored because our prayers, our sweat, and our finances are in place to help them through.

Let’s see if our affluent leaders, business people, and politicians are as eager to help and they portray on T.V. Let’s see if they are putting the needs of our communities above the needs of their ratings, revenues, or opinion polls.

AZ