Tuesday, March 31, 2009

That's What I Been Sayin'!

There CNN goes again digging around in my head. Years ago I was screaming about celebrities (Angelina Jolie and Madonna) adopting children from foreign nations. Look, I don't have beef with children from other countries being adopted, but what I do have an issue with is the fact that there are so many children here in America in need of a loving home that doesn't consist of 15 other kids ready to pummel on them because they're the runt in the litter. In the words of Joker from Next Friday, "Charity starts in la casa!" I couldn't agree more.

Read Roland Martin's words here.

Thanks

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Need a Fix?

In my typical fashion, I was reading CNN.com today to see what the skinny was in the world (that's read: America), and I came across a couple interesting things. No, I'm not referring to the Larry King Live Megan McCain interview transcripts. I'm referring to a proposal that has been made, not for the very first time ever, but nonetheless one CNN actually ran. How exhilarating!

Let's preface the point with this story.
President Obama wants to up the security along the U.S./Mexico border to help prevent the spillover of drug violence in Mexico onto U.S. soil. What that really means is, "That's your problem, not mine. Keep it over there." However, economist Jeff Miron has a plan that may help to alleviate drug-related violence, as well as corruption, extortion, bribery, and needless arrests. In two words: legalize it. "It" does not solely pertain to marijuana, because marijuana is the least of anyone's worries. It's things like heroine, opium, and cocaine.

So what do you think? Do we need more security, or do we need to just let people do what they want to do. Read Miron's article before replying. He has many valid points, such as his reminder to all of us about the Alcohol Prohibition from 1920 - 1933. It makes perfect sense. I'm not saying I'm all in favor of junkies walking around the streets high as a kite all the time, but it would be nice to see the violence drop, not just here in America, but all over the world. If we solve this crisis, maybe we can all sit down and share some stories over a beer.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

WHOOP! WHOOP!

That's the sound of the police!

I was listening to RSE Radio today, and Toki Wright (recently signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment! Congrats!) was discussing something that happened recently in Seattle, when a police officer brutally beat a 15 year old girl in custody, because he claimed he was trying to prevent any further assaults from said teen. I don't need to say anymore. Instead, I'll direct you to the site, and you can watch the video for yourself.

www.PoliceBrutality.info is a site dedicated to informing the American people about the heinous acts of our police forces. They're meant to "Protect and Serve" the citizens of this nation, but for every good cop, there's a bad cop out there to overshadow his/her positive accomplishments.

Check it out. Read. Watch. React.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Rack 'Em

I'll make this quick.

On Saturday, February 28, 2009, I hosted a pool tournament here at the school where I work. The brackets were setup for a total of 32 participants, but only 26 people played. A couple left for the weekend, and the rest were too lazy to come out of their rooms around or anywhere after Noon.

All in all it was a good day. The event was planned for Saturday and Sunday, but the games went by quicker than I expected, so we knocked it all out at once. The best moment had to have been as I was handing out the trophies to the final four contestants, the young man who placed 3rd was so proud of himself for what he accomplished. He had the smile of a child on his face as he looked down at the trophy in his hand and said, "Wow, I've never won a trophy before. This is my first one."

And that's part of why I do what I do. I can't get that gratification all the time, but if I can help make a difference or help someone else make a difference, then all the other headaches and stress that come with the territory are worth it.