By now, I’m sure you know that yesterday Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza were sentenced to a maximum of 14 years of hard labor for being in love. The couple, who were arrested following their engagement party are charged with unnatural acts and gross indecency.  Their punishment was given the maximum sentence, which is reserved for “the worst crimes.”  Though not surprising, this sort of intolerance toward homosexuals is not uncommon in Africa, even in the more westernized countries.  This sentencing sets a  bad precedent.

While the White House, Amnesty International, the United Nations and and celebrities like Madonna have condemned the ruling, these words will most likely have no effect.  However, the threat of withdrawing funding from Malawi could help this cause.  Currently 40% of Malawi’s budget comes from foreign aid.  Even this is unlikely as even in America, there are still many hate committed against our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and many laws barring them from basic rights (hello gay marriage).

There are currently two separate petitions online calling for the release of these two men, you can sign them here and here.

peace,
e.

sources: 1, 2, 3

So last night the House passed the health care reform bill AND  the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (a.k.a. student loan bill).  Thank God.

I know everyone is hyped about universal health (and I am too) but I am really hyped about this student loan bill.  So what’s in it:

• kicking the banks out the mix, which will save you money when it’s time to repay your loans
• more money for Pell Grants
• loan forgiveness for people serving in the military
• starting in 2014, reducing the cap on how you repay each you (from 15% of your income currently down to down to 10%)
• more funding for community colleges and HBCUs
• early education funding is out, but I’m sure it will get money in the revamped No Child Left Behind

The health care bill has loan forgiveness for doctors, dentists and nurses – lord knows they need it.

You can read the full thing here (yes, it’s at the end of the health care reform bill).

peace,
e.

I was gonna go to bed – had a long day at school, stressed out and tired.  I was reading more tweets about Derrion Albert and got worked up all over again.  Then I read another article on CNN about the murder and how they’re trying these 4 teens as adults and I get to bottom and read

Albert’s aunt, Rose Braxton, told CNN affiliate WGN-TV that the family was hurt again when a memorial in Albert’s honor was burned down.

“To go and burn a memorial after such tragedy, then that just speaks for itself to what kind of people they are,” she told WGN-TV.

Pardon my french (and sorry Mom because I know you read this) but WHAT THE FUCK?

What is wrong with us?  How you gonna be fighting some rival “gang” and then just beat down other kids who happen to be outside.  How you gonna clobber people with railroad ties (where in the world did they even get those)?!  How do you stomp someone’s head? Repeatedly.  Apparently both “gangs” beat on Derrion, which shows they don’t even know who in the world their “enemies” are.  What is wrong with these kids?

So now kids can’t even leave school without worrying about getting beaten down to a bloody pulp?  Kids can’t stand outside their community center anymore? What the fuck?

We can’t even mourn people who were killed?  We have to now worry if the memorial we create for our loved one is going to be BURNED down because some “gang” members are upset their homeboys are in jail.

It’s enough.  It’s too much.  It’s senseless.

I don’t even know what the answer is.  People want to blame the parents.  I used to do that until my brother went through his “I’m a thug/I wanna join a gang and be an asshole” phase.  My mom raised both of us in the ‘burbs.  She sent both of us to private school.  She’s involved in his life and constantly keeps him involved in sports so he’d have no time for that foolishness.  But somehow his sophomore year in college he got in with the wrong crowd and lost his ever loving mind.  He was out of control.  For once in my life, I was scared of my little brother.  It was truly a dark time.  I don’t know what brought him back – disappointment from his family, disapproval from his peers, hell, maybe even God.  I don’t know what bought him back but I’m thankful it did.

My other brother, not so sure where that will end.  Do I love him?  Of course.  Is he a good kid?  Around me he is.  Do I think he could get caught up in a group mentality and do something completely stupid and senseless and violent.  Yes.  And that’s what scares me.  These kids out here terrorizing Chicago, and New York and Newark and Hartford are our brothers.  They are our sons.  And we gotta figure out a way to bring them back.  Because this shit has got to stop.

Nas wrote a letter to these “warriors” telling them “killing is played out.”  Bow Wow made a video telling kids to increase the peace and urged his celebrity peers to speak out.  I hope other men that these kids look up to also condemn this senseless violence.  I know open letters and PSAs aren’t going to do much.  But at least they show these men that yes, you are hurt and upset about the hand you’ve been dealt, but you gotta handle things differently.

I’ll end with this video courtesy of Baratunde of Jack and Jill – This is not normal.

peace,
e.

What is it gonna take for us to take domestic violence seriously?  So today Beat Her Down Chris Brown issued a truly pathetic (and heavily scripted) apology to his fans.   It’s too lame for me to post it on my site, but you can watch it here. Why so late, his lawyer advised him not to. I’m sure.  So Chris Brown is looking all solemn and we’re just supposed to forgive him and carry on.

Apparently a lot of women, some with daughters have.  Man on twitter, I’m about to lose my mind.  Women saying “He’s just a kid!” (18 is an adult).  Why should one accident ruin his career? Because that “accident” nearly killed someone and because he’s a role model to some kids.  I mean, are we for real?  Why are Black women the loudest ones calling for us to be calm and forgiving to a man who will choke you out and leave you in an abandoned car?  Why are we forgiving a dude who’s rocking a big chain that says “oops” on it?  Be for real,  he’s not sorry.  He hasn’t changed.  He most likely will beat down another woman.  And some of ya’ll will still be crying for patience and forgiveness.

He talked to his pastor and his mother.  That doesn’t sound like the heavy duty counseling your abusive self needs to go to.  That’s not going to change your mindset and calm whatever rage you have inside of you.

It just makes no sense.  What do you think?

</rant>

peace,
e.

From the same man who told those Hillary supporters that their Whiteness was showing, Mr. Tim Wise is back at it again.  This time he’s is calling out the racist double standards (I could really do two other posts on the ageism and sexism) of the election.  Full text is here.  Snippets below:

For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you’ll “kick their fuckin’ ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

…

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole “change” thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

White privilege is the problem. Boy I’m glad the white guy said it first.

peace,
e.

I don’t think I’m gangsta enough to survive in Polk County, Florida. This suburb may sound vaguely familiar to some of you. This is where Victoria “Tori” Lindsey got beat down a few weeks ago. You might remember, six girls took turns hitting her while two guys stood at the door as lookouts. Oh and did I mention that they taped it and wanted to post this beat down on youtube?

Back in my day (be quiet, I know my day ended like yesterday), it would go down like this. A girl would talk shit about another girl or group of girl one of three ways: in a note, on the phone or aim. This of course always got back to the other girl, and the result would either be girl B talking about girl A, girl B confronting girl A and in very rare cases, girl B physically fighting girl A. What would not happen is a gang of girls attacking one other girl… and then taping it … and the trying to put that trash on the internet for everyone to watch.

The attack was described as “animalistic”. To be clear, the fight was like none I’ve ever seen. The girls took turns attacking Lindsey in an attempt to make it fair. As ride-or-die as they were to beat Lindsey they were very careful not to knock into the china cabinet. The beat Lindsey for 30 minutes – thirty minutes! That’s a long time to be doing anything. I didn’t know that teenagers even had attention spans that long.

I will say, they were committed to getting their message across. If I’ve learned anything from this it’s that you can’t call girls “sluts” on myspace or you just might get your ass beat. Worse than Ike beat Tina, ok that was wrong, but they did beat her down pretty bad.

So yes, the fight was bad, but what was really surprised me was that they weren’t even worried about being charged. They joked about missing cheerleading practice and not going to the beach. I mean, really? You knock a girl unconscious (twice) and continue to beat her, you don’t let her leave until you’re done beating her, you catch the whole thing on film and don’t expect anything to happen?

According to CNN, the ladies (should I even call them that) could be charged as adults and face life time sentences. Yeah, that means you’re missing cheerleading practice. And prom. And graduation. Oh and guess what, the rest of your life. And for what, because some chick called you a slut. And Lindsey is left with blurry vision and she can’t hear out of one of her ears.

I don’t really understand why anyone is so surprised that girls would resort to violence. It’s not new and it’s not uncommon. Don’t believe me? Do a search on youtube. Yeah, it’s a craze of sorts. Now the reasons why one would want to tape and post a fight, well aside from gaining some street cred, I don’t really know. I don’t know that men find fighting sexy. I don’t think you’ll be getting additional acceptances to college because you can stomp another chick into the ground. And it won’t get your ass into heaven.

So who do we blame for this? (Hey it is the American way) Is this their parents’ fault? Should these girls have been spanked when they were younger? Or maybe they didn’t get enough attention. Did they listen to too much rap music or watch too many violent movies? Maybe it was the video games they were playing? Or maybe they were just really bored.

Ya’ll spend too much time worrying about gangstas and thugs and we really need to be worrying about these cheerleaders. I know I am.

peace,
e.