I’ve also posted this blog entry on my blog: http://www.theparadigmshiftshere.com
I'm sure you're all familiar with the sensational 'war' declared by the wealthy and the mighty on the pirates (mostly) from 'Somalia'...if you're not, view THIS article for the big 'spin' served to you courtesy of massive sponsorship by some very wealthy 'special-interest' groups...
Now for 'a' truth about the matter...
...we all need to dig much deeper - in unity, compassion, tolerance, forbearance, understanding, generosity, and respect - to first understand one another and then to realize and accept that we are essentially from the same 'mold' - if we are divided today, it isn't because of anything other than our own ignorance and choosing...
...it's very easy to point fingers and lay blame, but extremely difficult to take ownership...
...I am very tempted to rant on this in my trademark 'tongue-in-cheek' style, but in re-reading Barack Obama's 'Audacity of Hope', I'm beginning to resonate with his wise choice of speaking the language of inclusion, of conversation rather than confrontation...so, here's my humble attempt...
...as The Aga Khan eloquently pointed out in an interview: "...Rather than shouting at each other, we should be learning to listen to each other..."
The Audacity of Hip-Hop: The Obama Mix http://jayteedee.mypodcast.com/2008/04/The_Audacity_of_HipHop-99445.html "They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided, to disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose... We are one nation. We are one people. And our time for change has come." This is dedicated to everybody everywhere who believes in freedom, and change, and unity, and hope. Tracklist Barack Obama Speaks on Hip-Hop Jay-Z - American Dreamin' Black Spade - Revolutionary Bullsh*t The Roots - Rising Up featuring Wale and Chrisette Michelle The Roots - Rising Down featuring Mos Def and Styles P J. Kwest - I Am Obama Hi-Tek - Tekzilla featuring Common Barack Obama Speaks on Fatherhood Common - Black Maybe featuring Bilal Blackstar - Respiration (Remix) featuring Black Thought Michelle Obama Interlude Kaleber - Dope Ice Cube - Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It (Remix) featuring Scarface and Nas Pharoahe Monch - Never Walk Together FMB - Vote Obama featuring Taz-Ra Barack Obama Speaks on America Download and Enjoy Juwan
Check out the other mixes: http://jayteedee.mypodcast.com/
Making Sense: Hip-Hop Star, Common, Raps About Rev. Jeremiah Wright
By Jawn Murray, BlackVoices.com
Rap star Common has always been lauded for his conscious lyrics. Last April, the Chicago-bred artist was the only rapper featured on the 'Oprah' show during a town hall meeting on hip-hop after the fallout from Don Imus calling the Rutgers women's basketball team 'nappy-headed hos.' Now the rapper is on the front line again, this time defending his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Unless you've been under a rock, you know by now that Wright, pastor and spiritual advisor to presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama, has come under fire for some of his more "controversial" sermons.
Mainstream media outlets have deemed the messages "anti-American" and have overused words like "inflammatory" and "explosive" all while accusing Wright of being a "racist." The 36-year old rapper, who has been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since he was eight years old, said he wasn't shocked about the tone of Wright's sermons.
"I am a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ, which is the church of Pastor Reverend Wright who has now become a national figure and I'm very proud of that. As we can see, as Barack has spoken, he said he has learned a lot from Reverend Wright. I can say that I've learned a lot from Pastor Wright. A couple of weeks ago I was in Chicago and it was his retirement ceremony and I wanted to go up and speak, but I didn't. I have rapped in the church which shows how progressive this church is that they let me rap there. I wanted to go up and speak and say how well he had raised me. I grew up with my mom and my step-father, but I felt in many ways that I was raised by his sermons also. His sermons always endorsed God and promoted God and believing in God and spirituality and being proud of who you are as a person and dealing with the Black community," Common told me during our interview at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills last week.
Common believes that Rev. Wright is preaching self-love and not hatred and his sermons were attempting to empower a disenfranchised race of people.
"I think it's something important that we can acknowledge and say we're proud to be who we are. It's not an anti anything. It's about love for your culture also. I think many other cultures do it. Italians love their culture and Mexicans and Jewish people love and respect their culture. I think it should be okay for Black people to say, 'We love our culture. We love everybody else too, but we love our culture too.' That's the message that I got from Pastor Wright," he explained.
The rapper, who stars in the upcoming film 'Street Kings,' said that the attack on his pastor is just below-the-belt politics at his finest.
"I see what's going on," he smiled. "It's American politics. They try to twist and turn and find something wrong when things are going right. They have to try and find something negative. I can't say that I've seen all of the clips, but it's nothing surprising because I've been in that particular church since I was 8 years old. I know what Pastor Wright speaks and I think another thing that we're learning as people in this country is that as much as I look to Pastor Wright or Barack Obama as a leader and a great person or my mother as a leader and a great person, I have to make decisions for myself and what fits and what is gonna work well with me so no matter what speaker I listen to, I take what I get from it and say, 'okay, this is what I believe and this is what sits right with me and this is what I would use to apply to my life.' I think that's a lesson that we all can get from this."
According to Common, the national uproar over Wright's sermons isn't the first time the Chicago minister has come under fire.
"Even before it got bubbling nationally, it was going on locally," he shared. "[There were] petitions that we signed. There were certain newspapers in Chicago that were really trying to bash the church and it was like a petition that was asked of me to sign and other members of Trinity saying that we weren't in support of that newspaper for that and that we know Reverend Wright is not what they are portraying him to be."
Common said he is proud to be a member of Trinity United Church of Christ and does not intend to back away from Rev. Wright because of the criticism he is receiving. "I think now I'm getting an opportunity to say I'm a supporter of Pastor Wright and he has done some great things for our community and for people. He's a man of God and I love what he's saying. I'm not here to judge anybody 'cause I got my own problems. I say, let he who is without sin throw the first stone. We all got something going on with us and this guy has been an overall great speaker and a very intelligent man who has helped so many people across the world," he offered.
Obama, on the other hand, has had to distance himself from his spiritual advisor. Common feels as though the Democratic candidate and member of Trinity United Church of Christ should not be held accountable because of Rev. Wright.
"I think the comments that Reverend Wright said were his comments. They were not Barack Obama's point of view and I think Barack addressed it and I think he addressed it so well that the obstacles they put in front of him were stepping stones and that speech that he gave [last] Tuesday has impacted the world in a greater way than we ever knew. The things that they threw in front of him, he changed it into something good," said Common.
The rapper said despite spending a good portion of his time residing in Los Angeles and New York City, he does try to get back to Trinity United Church of Christ whenever he can.
Common attended the most recent New Year's Eve service at the church and was invited to rap a freestyle recap of the sermon in front of the congregation. As the base of his rap, he used the three principles from Rev. Wright's sermon: healthy evaluation, hopeful anticipation and holy affirmation.
VIDEO: Common Raps In Front of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSXnQkqYqA4
I just don't believe HRC brought that "plagiarism" issue during yesterday's debate. She must now regret that she did that. I just felt that was cheap and unconstructive criticism. Nonetheless, I now feel that that swipe at Senator Obama will only galvanise and motivate his supporters. We are more likely to see another surprise in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island.
We are still underdogs in those states. But the gap is closing all the time. I believe we will catch up with Senator Clinton before March 4. In God we trust.
YES we can.
OBAMA 08'
this is amazing. I am not one to jump on things that are celebrity endorsed usually, but this gave me chills. As if the speech wasnt inspiring enough as it was.
DEJA VUE
By Terry Cardwell
As I listened to the news today, I found myself in a long ago spot,
Reading
From a place called Vietnam the headline that screamed 10,000 dead,
While on my way to console a distant relative.
He died a hero, trying to save the life of another, the second page read,
My handsome cousin had become one more statistic.
His face is seared on my heart; his mother’s sobs ring in my soul.
We’re defending freedom was the political logic.
So trust me, my President said, this enemy can’t win against our strong will.
Meanwhile the rice patties turned bright red,
As his general spoke of our warriors battling to the very last hill.
And the war raged on. Too soon, I was sitting in my family church,
Watching
The smoke from the candle that I’d lit; waft aloft with my heartfelt prayer,
God please protect my soldier in this horrible fright,
To loose one more of my kin I couldn’t bear.
That wish answered the day he brushed the hand of fate,
I thank the Almighty for granting him a stay of execution,
While his dear friend stepped through Heaven’s gate.
The enemy was slick and cunning, drawing no line on the land.
The rules had to change; survival became the name of the game.
For the ‘grunts’ there would be no summit to take a final brave stand.
Now voices were rising to a deafening roar, shouting stop this war!
Listening
As my brother became a man and faced the draft turned lottery,
He had no college to hide in, or loophole to slip through, to dodge the killing game.
His path would be decided by the luck of the draw, such an absurdity!
Striking a match to the wick yet again, I cried,
How much more can a family give to this blood soaked deal?
Was the effort to resist this evil force worth it? My country sighed.
Then on TV, birth dates were being matched to a number,
With July 7th and three sixty-five, my brother had hit the jackpot.
And the look on my mother’s face I will always remember.
Alas, there was no victory ride; 58,169 caskets came home from that ghastly clash.
Staining
The flag with blood from the fallen, wounding the pride of a courageous people.
Never again would we find ourselves in quicksand, was the vow,
It echoed in every house and under every steeple.
Until that September day when peace was shattered by men adept at hiding in plain sight,
Eager to commit suicide, they pledge allegiance to a different master.
Living far and wide, they work in the shadows of the night.
Our plainspoken chief swears that we’ll hunt and kill every last one, trust me.
So off to a distant nation our military was sent for a powerful strike.
“Shock and awe” it was hyped, would bring these ‘evil doers’ to their knee.
Nuclear annihilation was then bandied about; I’ll stop the threat, my leader pledged.
Seeding
The plans for a different conquest, we’re soon convinced of the need for attack.
Our forces plunge in with imposing might. The casualties’ list when tallied is light,
What a crazy description to use for loved ones blown apart in Iraq.
And the commander has missed a telltale sign of our inevitable fate.
These terrorists are wily and shrewd; they draw no line in the sand,
Their butchery is random; for thousands of years they’ve fed their hate.
The contest evolves into self-preservation; the desert oozes a sickening red.
There’s no place to take that triumphant stand, the recruits quickly grasp,
As the planes fly home with coffins that cradle the noble dead.
On the news tonight, a coworker has lost his daughter in the heat of the current hell.
Dividing
Is my country, as his family mourns and the figures swell from this errant war.
We are bringing liberty to a feuding land, is what my President spouts,
Removing the scab on a long forgotten sore.
The memory is vivid; I’m walking toward a sorrowful meeting.
I stop in front of a black stone wall; and reach up to trace the name.
Head spinning, I wipe a tear from my eye, so fast my heart is beating.
You were my hero Corporal Leroy C. Howe, I whisper, and that you will always be.
As I take the etching and place it in my pocket, I’m at present-day,
I light the candle, “Dear God, watch over my newest ones,” I plea.
Trust this, somewhere on a mountainside, in a cave, a monster sits surfing the web.
Planning…
The next déjà vu.
Teresa Cardwell 2005
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1572871&vid=184799
