The Dumbest of the Dumbest of the Week
by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.

Mike Huckabee, potential presidential candidate, who has spent the last month discussing Beyoncé, also discussed her in his recently released book, ‘God Guns, Grits and Gravy.’ Ninety-nine percent of all the people in the world are concerned and committed to their children. They want to make sure they have good moral character, education and a chance to share in the American Dream.
Huckabee was just getting warmed up. His next target: Jay Z, music mogul and Beyoncé’s husband. About Jay Z, Huckabee wonders, “does it occur to him that he is arguably crossing the line from husband to pimp by exploiting his wife as a sex object?
Those people running for president should be discussing infrastructure, ISIS, and saving poor people. I would suggest they read John Hope Bryant’s book, “Saving the Middle Class,” instead of insulting the first family and Beyoncé, which is totally irreverent.

Dr. Ben Carson, by most accounts, is an excellent neurosurgeon. I would submit that he is the second dumbest politician in America. He is second because I feel reasonably assured that of all politicians in America, there must be at least one dumber than he is. Ben Carson upheld ISIS, as an example of the United States during comments before the Republican National Committee.
“We’ve got ISIS. They’ve got the wrong philosophy, but they’re willing to die for what they believe, while we are busy giving away every belief and every value for the sake of political correctness. We have to change that.”
Carson acknowledged his comments were likely to spark controversy and gain headlines but he dismissed the press attention. The remarks are similar to ones he made previously, likening the United States government to Nazi Germany in that both, he argued, worked to silence their opponents. Many within the establishment wing of the party remain wary of him, however, because of his talent for those remarks that make him so popular with the far right. He also started a firestorm of criticism over comments he made that Obamacare was the ‘worst thing’ to happen to the U.S. since slavery.
What he really was saying at the conference was that the American soldier does not have a commitment to defend the U.S. of America. How do you think the families of those people feel who have died for the country and those who came back with one leg, one arm and no eyesight?
I think he would find it very difficult for his wife and children to vote for him.

Mitt Romney. One time, two times, and three times. Mitt Romney has run for  President, so far, three times. He has two more times to go to tie his father’s record who ran five times. He has three more times to go to break his father’s record. In my personal opinion, this is what he is attempting to do.
If you remember, the last time he ran he spoke before the NAACP, he played the race card so the NAACP wouldn’t vote for him. He assumed he’d pick up a lot of white votes because of this. He called over 50 percent of the people in the country freeloaders who he wasn’t going to try to appeal to for their vote.
Now he’s saying rich people get richer, which he is one of, and we need to help the poor folks. I surmise that he doesn’t even know any poor folks.

“The Mayor is a socialist”

O’Reilly, Fox’s highest-rated host, calls possible lawsuits from Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo that her city may sue Fox News ‘ridiculous.’ Hidalgo told CNN Chrisitiane Amanpour that Fox News had “insulted” her city through repetitive coverage of supposed “no-go” zones for non-Muslims in Paris and elsewhere in Europe. Fox News has apologized for inaccurate comments about Muslims in Europe.
Among O’Reilly’s points:
– “The mayor is a socialist.”
– “Fox News isn’t even seen in France, because they block it.”
– “This is just an attention-getter.”
O’Reilly accused Hidalgo of ‘playing to the left’ and added ‘The suit’s going nowhere. It’s ridiculous.”
Mayor Hildalgo said, “I think we’ll have to sue. The image of Paris has been prejudiced, and the honor of Paris has been prejudiced.”
The ‘no-go’ zone idea has been largely discredited and French media outlets have had a field day with Fox’s coverage. Bill O’Reilly said, “I didn’t have anything to do with this.” Then he went after Hildalgo.
His guest, media analyst Bernie Goldberg, said, “I don’t know what the laws are in France. If this were in America, it would be called a frivolous lawsuit… Anybody can sue anybody, but a city can’t win a lawsuit became it’s been insulted.”
Fox News executive vice president Michael Clements called the lawsuit ‘misplaced.”
“We empathize with the citizens of France as they go thorough a healing process and return to everyday life. However, we find the mayor’s comments regarding a lawsuit misplaced.”

By Mahari A. McTier

I recently read, for the third time, The Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of a Slave. The letter is said to be a speech delivered by Willie Lynch on the bank of the James River in the colony of Virginia in 1712. Lynch was a British slave owner in the West Indies. He was invited to the colony of Virginia in 1712 to teach his methods to slave owners there.
In his speech Lynch said that he had a foolproof method for controlling Black slaves, “I guarantee every one of you that, if installed correctly, it will control the slaves for at least 300 years.” He said that his method was simple and that any member of the slave owner’s family or their overseer can use it.

Excerpt from the letter:

“I have outlined a number of differences among the slaves; and I take these differences and make them bigger. I use fear, distrust and envy for control purposes. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies and it will work throughout the South. Take this simple list of differences and think about them. On top of my list is “Age” but it’s only there because it starts with an “a”. The second is “color” or shade. There is intelligence, size, sex, sizes of plantation, status on plantation, attitude of owners, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, East, West, North, South, have fine hair, coarse hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action, but before that, I shall assure you that distrust is stronger than trust and envy stronger than adulation, respect or admiration. The Black slave receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generating for hundreds of years, maybe thousands. Don’t forget, you pitch the old Black male vs. the young Black male, and the young Black male against the old Black male. You must use the dark skin slaves vs. the light skin slaves, and the light skin slaves vs. the dark skin slaves. You must use the female vs. the male, and the male vs. the female. You must also have a white overseer who distrusts all Blacks. But it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us. They must love, respect and trust only us. Gentlemen, these kits are our keys to control. Use them. Have your wives and children use them. Never miss an opportunity. If used intensely for one year, the slaves themselves will remain perpetually distrustful. Thank you gentlemen.”

Let’s make a slave.

I ask this question; in 2015 are the teachings of the Willie Lynch Letter still applicable? Do we distrust each other? Do we treat each other differently because of skin shade or hair texture?
I remember a personal experience where many years ago I interviewed with a major wealth management firm in Atlanta. In my interview the owner asked, “Why do you think you will do well in this business?” I responded and he followed with this statement, “My experience tells me that African-Americans don’t do well in this business because African-Americans don’t trust each other.” This shocked me, because I was sitting across from a white man who was telling me to my face something that was true for some African-Americans.
I have been in business for many years and it would be disappointing for me to share some of the things I’ve experienced. I have also been Black for 40 years and I have seen the Willie Lynch Letter at work. If this letter is still holding true at any level, all remnants of this philosophy must be eradicated immediately. We must all trust and love each other, both Black and white.
I encourage you to read the letter for yourself and draw your own conclusion on his pledge that his methods would last for at least 300 years.

(Mahari A. McTier is a Financial Advisor with Tier 1 Advisors, LLC and can be reached at maharimctier.tier1@gmail.com.)

What is Today’s Dream
More than 50 years ago a great orator stood in the shadows of our nation’s Capitol and laid out a great vision. This orator spoke of a “dream deeply rooted in the American dream”, and dreamed of a time when a person, “Would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. As he repeatedly used the phrase, “I have a dream this morning”, and laid out for all what that dream was and made us feel what it would be like to realize it, he made us all of one accord, because he made us all want that same dream. He made that dream beautiful.
But he didn’t just make a dream beautiful, he used a dream to fight real fights on behalf of real people. When you look at pictures of posters from marches that Dr. King led, the signs say, “Jobs, Justice, Peace.”  Dr. King spoke of a dream but he lobbied for decent jobs at decent wages. In fact when he was killed in Memphis, he was there supporting Memphis Sanitation workers in an effort to get better wages.
Fast forward to today, and the unrest that followed the disturbing deaths of Travon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, and ask yourself, what unifying message is being sent by those who present themselves as leaders. Out of all the rallies and the die ins, and the shut down the mall efforts, what agenda to move the community as a whole forward, came with this movement?
I feel like we have become the kind of people who just jump on the next thing, and then move on. For weeks we had a high level of action as people expressed their dissatisfaction with the number of Black lives lost to police violence. And now not so much. Did we win something?  Did all of the Police violence stop? Or did we just move on to the next thing?
Dr. King tried to find a way to solve the problems of the community.  He did not bounce from one idea to another. He created a vision of the world he wanted to help create and spent his entire lifetime chasing after that vision with all that was in him. He did not take the time to enrich himself along the way. He cared so little about money that Harry Belafonte often had to help him with basic living expenses and is said to have paid for his children’s education. It was that kind of commitment that made him so valuable.
A man who cannot be bought is a dangerous man, and a man who can be bought for a million is no better than a man who would sell out for a hundred, we are just negotiating the price, not the principal.
I don’t know that we have recognized leadership in our community any more. There are people who claim the title, and even some the media recognize, but do you see anyone like Dr. King who is so totally committed to the movement, that they literally put the movement before themselves or even their children? I do, but for the most part they are just ordinary folks, not the ones MSNBC wants to highlight and thrust forward as our new national leaders. I keep asking myself was there a vote and I missed it.
As we go to recognize the life and legacy of Dr. King, I think that his style of leadership and his commitment to leadership are two of the things we need to recognize. Furthermore, as we recognize Dr. King, we should hold him up as a role model of what kind of leadership we need today, and if those claiming the mantle are not living up to the model we need to keep looking.
Or at least that’s the way I see it.
(Do you have a question or comment on this column? Look me up on Facebook/HollisWormsby or email me at hjwormsby@aol.com.)

 Bobby E. Mills, PhD

Selma is a historical documentary about American history, not just another movie. It is a documentary that every American should see; especially White Americans. It’s mindboggling that the 87th Academy Award Nomination Committee disrespected the movie Selma. At last, Hollywood has shown its true colors and demonstrated to the world that they cater to whiteness. The Academy Committee lacks moral-intellectual integrity because Hollywood does not honor talent and creativity but whiteness. Now the world knows who Hollywood is because of the snubbing of the movie Selma. It is a sad day in American society when a documentary film of this historic magnitude is not recognized for its epic contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Selma has everything individuals love in a movie: drama, suspense, intrigue, and mayhem and violence in all of its raw racist ugliness.
Twenty-first century America has a Black president and he cannot protect the Civil Rights legislation that President Johnson passed in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965; because of political partisan polarization (Congress and Supreme Court). For ungodly reasons The Supreme Court recently stripped the 1965 Voting Rights Act of key provisions.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3). The right to vote is the very foundation of American democracy and of course the U.S. Constitution guarantees it. Yet history tells a different story about voting rights for Blacks in America, they have never been “free” to vote without it tainted with malice in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
Make no mistake about it, I am not a professional movie critic, but Selma refueled and triggered memories from my theological training. In 1964, I was a young seminarian at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (CRCDS) in Rochester, New York. Two weeks before the scheduled Selma March, the seminary invited Malcolm X as a guest lecturer to an annual convocation event. Then, there were only twenty Black seminarians enrolled in CRCDS. I can vividly recall listening to Malcolm X speak the truth about race relations in America. I was in awe listening to Malcolm X as he evoked tears of God-fearing redemption from both whites and Blacks at a predominantly white seminary.
After hearing Malcolm X’s speech and watching the media continuously play the horrific images of violence heaped on the bodies of Americans seeking their constitutionally declared voting rights, my classmates and I felt it was time we joined the movement. My fellow Black classmates, Wilson Fallin, Bobby Joe Saucer, Archie Allen, Edward Jackson, and I jumped in our car and headed to Selma. We remained in Selma for a few days, waiting with expectation to take part in this historic event only to have the March cancelled. As a result, of those circumstances; we had no other choice but to return to CRCDS. The March from Selma to Montgomery took place three months later.
Without a doubt, any God-fearing American that views this documentary movie cannot sit through the movie without shedding tears. I cried many times. Viewing Selma reiterates to all Americans; especially Black Americans who do not exercise their constitutional right to vote, that they do a disservice not only to themselves, but those individuals who suffered life threating injuries as well as those who died for the right of all Americans to vote. The U.S. Constitution is an almost perfectly written document. It is a document the world has not seen before, not even the Magna Carta included everyone. However, the legal enforcement of the document is mired in race and ethnicity, social class and gender discrimination.
In the 21st century, Blacks must also understand the cause and effect that is mirrored in the results of their own behavior regarding their socio-economic plight. Selma clearly demonstrates the behavior of some whites has been notoriously ungodly over the almost 400 years that Blacks have been in America. They have set a distorted example of Christianity for the world because God hates racism. Hollywood just set a bad example. Of course, this is why we still have institutional racism in the 21st century some whites in high places set bad examples for others. We may not have racism by law, but racism still exists in individual mindsets and institutional power resources. To be sure, shame, shame, and more shame on Hollywood elites.
Allow me to paraphrase the Weeping Prophet Jeremiah: “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for Hollywood.” (Jeremiah 9: 1). So where is there hope for the perilous plight Black Americans face even after 400 years of contempt?
To conclude the matter I leave this scripture for all God-fearing Americans to ponder: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” So be it.