Incognito vs. Martin or Masculinity vs. Man

Certainly by now, those of us in the sports world have heard, discussed and read about the Richie Incognito vs. Jonathan Martin situation going on with the Miami Dolphins. Leggo!!!!
For those of you who have not heard of this ummm, situation please click on this link http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9926139/richie-incognito-miami-dolphins-used-slurs-messages-jonathan-martin. Now before I continue, allow me to share some of my past experiences with football. I played all the way up to the Semi Pro level. I’ve been the victim of attempted bullying on at least 3 separate occasions. I say attempted because I always fought back whether the person was bigger than me or not. I’ve also been the recipient of being hazed. I got thrown in the shower by my high school varsity teammates. I’ve even gotten into a shouting match with a Coach on the Semi Pro level who I felt slighted me at practice.
It’s taken me a while to realize, I don’t process anger well. I’m a happy go lucky guy and when I’m angry, I’m angry. I see red and I really wanna hurt someone when I get to that level. That being said, I’ve sat back and had some rather informative debates with friends of mine regarding this incident involving Incognito and Martin. I’ve also read remarks from Antrel Rolle (http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9931466/antrel-rolle-new-york-giants-says-jonathan-martin-stood-in-miami-dolphins-harassment-case). I’ve listened to Dan LeBatard on Mike & Mike in the morning basically state that players feeling like Martin should’ve stood up for himself is the wrong approach…that Martin did the right thing. He even sorta kinda chastised Mike Golic for his beliefs which mirror my own.
We also have the NFL Countdown crew weighing in on the situation at this link http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9928049. This is ESPN’s “First Take” stance on the issue http://youtu.be/N-Pix2iVD84. This is a video from ESPN’s “Numbers Never Lie.” Here’s a tweet from Incognito to ESPN’s Adam Schefter…
Richie incognito ✔ @68INCOGNITO
@AdamSchefter Enough is enough If you or any of the agents you sound off for have a problem with me, you know where to find me #BRINGIT
8:52 AM – 3 Nov 2013
I put these links out there because I want people to read and listen. I want people to read, look and listen because what we’ve done on so many occasions (especially on this particular incident)is call a man’s masculinity into play based on whether or not he’s willing to vocally stand up to another man who is berating him. Well the question I ask is…who are we to judge? Sure, you can judge the action but judge the man? Until you’ve walked in another man’s shoes, it’s real hard to do that.
As stated earlier, I’ve had people attempt to bully me. Why I have no idea but I do know that to stop it, I had to mentally be ready to take matters to a level the bully wasn’t prepared to. See bullies don’t quit unless they feel they will take a lost. We like to say that bullies are cowards and true, some of them are but some bullies are sick individuals and the only way to end their bullying is to take them out…literally. I don’t believe that Richie Incognito was a bully. I actually feel like he’s a sick individual. Understand, he called Martin on the phone and left a voice mail. On that voice mail, he called him a half nigger and told him he would kill him. Mind you, all the other stuff, I would’ve said, “Theo, you gotta whup this guy’s ass.” Even the mother insult would’ve just required a simple ass whupping. But now the nigger comment and threatening my life? Well let’s just say I would’ve asked Richie was he prepared to die. I don’t take threats against my life lightly and if you make such a threat…I’m going to find out if your heart pumps that type of blood.
That being said, I’m disappointed to say the least in comments made by Antrel Rolle along with comments made by some of the Miami Dolphins. See before you are a football player, you are a black man, an African American and for Incognito to make comments such as this says a lot about how he feels about African Americans in general. I mean damn, Riley Cooper made racist comments at a concert that weren’t directed at any specific teammates and he caught way more flack from his African American teammates. Really? Really? So let me see if I get this right, players don’t want Riley Cooper on their team but Richie Incognito you want? Mike Wallace this is directly aimed at you, I am so damn glad you are no longer a Steeler. These are Wallace’s comments on the matter, http://www.nfl.com/videos/miami-dolphins/0ap2000000276797/Wallace-I-wish-Richie-was-here. Are you serious? Are you serious? He’s a great guy? These comments are made after the voice mail excerpts were revealed to the public. Eagle’s running back, LeSean McCoy publicly said he lost respect for Cooper and this was based on Cooper not threatening a fellow teammate but here Wallace is saying, “Coops a great guy.” Are you serious Mike? Brutha, good riddance.
Let me say this to Jonathan Martin. I can’t say I would’ve did what you would’ve done. At 5’8” 220 lbs, I would’ve had to go see about Richie, height and weight difference be damned. That’s me though. How you chose to handle the situation was right for you and I publicly admonish those who look down on you and question your manhood for doing so and here’s why. You are in the National Football League after being drafted in the Second Round of the 2012 draft. Mind you, you declared early. You play Offensive Tackle, a position that requires collisions on every snap of the ball. You don’t get to that level of play by being soft. You’ve put in the necessary work to a professional football player. I say to you, great job. You did what was best for you and you resolved this matter in a manner that was best for you…not for the organization, nor for a teammate but what was best for you. That’s to be commended, not condemned.
For the naysayers out there, I say this. Maybe Martin doesn’t do well with anger. Maybe he has no off switch when he gets angry. Maybe a fight with him is a fight to the death. Smirk all you like but for some people, that’s how they live their life. For some people, they go their entire life suppressing their anger because their very own experience has taught them that, “I can’t come back from being angry” so they do everything to not get angry. Then there are people who are very non-confrontational. Just like there are some people who search out confrontations, there are some people who do everything to avoid it. People wanna question how Martin resolved his issues with Incognito? Screw you. He went to his father who raised him and asked him how to handle it. His father, Gus Martin (a Harvard Grad and a Professor of Criminal Justice Administration at the California State University, Dominguez Hills) advised his son. And I’m pretty sure that his mother Jane Howard-Martin (also a Harvard Grad and currently a corporate lawyer at Toyota) his mother advised him as well…son, you stand more to lose financially by engaging into fisticuffs with this goon. They advised him that there was another way. Who are we to judge? I’m out.

Last comment, be prepared for Richie Incognito to point the finger at Dolphin teammates and Coaches who knew and conspired and supported him in antagonizing Jonathan Martin.

Redskins…More Than Just A Name

As the NFL season approaches the midway point, the NFL itself as an organization finds itself still dealing with an issue that presented itself well before the preseason…Washington’s usage of the name “Redskins.” Washington’s owner, Daniel Snyder has gone on record as saying that he would never change the name. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that he supports Snyder’s stance. Just recently, members of the Oneida Nation (a Native American Organization that opposes the usage of the name) sat down and had a meeting with NFL representatives regarding the name and a potential change. Roger Goodell was not present and reports from the meeting state that Oneida Nation was not satisfied with the results.
ESPN has done several reports on the ongoing controversy surrounding the name Redskins with one former member of the Redskins (Caucasian of course) stating that he saw nothing wrong with the team being named Redskins. He even went so far as to comparing a human being offended by the name to an animal being offended by its name and image being used as a mascot. The problem with such a comparison is that last time I checked, humans considered themselves to be superior to animals. Personally, I think ESPN didn’t take their reporting as deep as they should have so in my grand return to HARD IN THE PAINT…I’m going to do just that. Leggo!!!!
There are some things we need to understand first and those things stem from our development as an American culture and society. The pilgrims came over to this country and were aided in settling this great land of “ours” by…you guessed it, Native Americans. Those very same European settlers were able to buy land from the Native Americans for a few beads and such. This is not speculation. This is fact. At some point in time, the peaceful coexistence between the Native Americans and European settlers (now calling themselves Americans) eroded into an all out war. With their superior weaponry, the New Americans won the war and almost wiped out the very same people who helped them cultivate the country we now reside in. Even Hollywood depicted Native Americans as being nothing more than savages during the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Anyone remember back in the 70’s and 80’s how when playing Cowboys and Indians how you always wanted to be the Cowboy. No one wanted to be the Indian because the Indians were the bad guys. We didn’t really learn any better until we got to high school and college. Anyone else besides myself, see how such a portrayal can affect a person’s perception of a whole group of people.
Anyway, during this war between the two parties, a nick name originated for the Natives…Redskin. Common sense should come into play here. Today we speak English and English originated from England to which the Europeans settlers that ventured to this country came from. Native Americans much like African Americans did not speak English when first approached by Europeans. Hence it is highly doubtful that these groups of people even knew what a Redskin much less a Nigger was. These were labels given to them by their European counterparts to identify them as being different. Back then as even so today, being different is often frowned upon. This is not some made up accusation. American history is wrought with stories of how being different has ended in isolation, dismemberment if not death altogether.
That being said, in America…English was adopted as the “new” native tongue just as Christianity was adopted as the “new” native religion. Oh yes, this is a history lesson because if anyone has any sense, they should realize that the Native to this country already had a religious faith in place just as well as having a native language already in place. That being said, in their native tongue, Indians may have called themselves a great many things; I’m almost certain that Redskins was not one of them and why should it have been? Native Americans for the most part all possessed the same skin complexion, just on a lighter, darker basis just as African Americans do.
Here’s where things take a turn. As the country aged, Native Americans had their reservations that they could fall back to. Huff and puff as much as you want to, burning a cross on an Indian reservation was not going to be as successful as burning a cross in someone’s front yard. African Americans had no such land that they could fall back to thus they became united as to what they would and would no longer stand for. We saw this cultivate during the “Civil Rights” movement. For better or worse, African Americans have forced their way into mainstream society, from our clothes, to our music to our slang. We are right there for the world to see us. Even Caucasian kids attend Historically Black Colleges, i.e. no segregation. In essence, we’ve learned how another race feels about certain titles. I would say that if you’re a racist today, you really are just plain stupid. I say stupid because in 2013 you should know better and ignorant people don’t know any better. Stupid people know better, they just want to be stupid so if you’re still practicing racism in 2013…that makes you stupid.
What does that mean to mainstream society? It means that African Americans are united in our persistence to be accepted by different cultures, different races and different people. There will be no more crosses burned in yards, there will be no public labeling of being called out of our names. If you call an African American a Nigger and you’re white…the only way you’re doing it to that person’s face is (a)you’re not by yourself or (b) you’re carrying a weapon because you already know what the result is going to be. Next history lesson, the name Redskin came into existence for the Washington football team back in 1937. Does anyone think the former owners of this franchise asked a Native American how they felt about their image being associated with the name, “Redskin” before using it? I seriously doubt it. And why would they? For centuries, European Americans have carried themselves with a sense of entitlement when it comes to doing and saying what they want and not feeling any remorse for doing so. Why should this time around be so different?
The problem with Native Americans forcing such a name change from the Washington football team is this. They are not united. Some don’t see anything wrong with it because they are being told by the country that we live in…that it doesn’t matter what we call you. That being said, there’s a lot to the name that people choose to call you. Publicly, we are calling this group of people a name, they didn’t come up with on their own and we’re telling them, “Hey, we can call you what we want to publicly, don’t get mad.” There are some things that are not even considered in this country. Using a slang (negative connotation) term associated with a Latin American, African American and or Asian American is outright heresy. Social media as well as newspapers wouldn’t be able to contain such a backlash. The picket lines would be too long and too thick for fans, players and owners to walk through. Police escort would be a necessity.
You wanna say to me, “Theo…what about the Florida State Seminoles mascot?” I understand exactly where you’re going with this so allow me to point out some similarities. Both have their logo painted boldly in the middle of the field. The Redskin is actually a brown face. The Seminole is actually a white face. On the helmet, Washington used the brown face or the Redskin. On their helmets, the Seminoles actually use a spear. Now here’s where it get’s interesting. Daniel Snyder says the name Redskin is not offensive yet I’ve never seen a Native American stand side by side with him for a photo opportunity. As a matter of fact, I’ve never heard or seen a Native American dressed up like a Redskin while attending a game Washington has played in…not even the Super Bowls. As for FSU, I’ve never seen a Native American come out dressed as Chief Osceola and plant that spear at Doak Campbell Stadium. That’s real odd considering FSU actually has Native Americans enrolled at its campus. Yet here it is in 2013 and we as Americans with common sense and all the intelligence that is incumbent upon humans to have, believe…that not only is such usage of these images and the names associated within are not negative in nature but that Native Americans are not offended by such atrocities.

Frank Taafe, Profiling & The Vilification of George Zimmerman

The verdict is in and today on Hard In The Paint we take a look from multiple vantage points at George Zimmerman. Leggo.

Today is Monday. Two days after the Not Guilty verdict came down for George Zimmerman. God has blessed me with time off to follow this trial on a daily basis. I saw Rachel Jeantel on the Witness Stand and I silently shook my head because I wondered why she hadn’t been properly prepared by Prosecution. I’m black so I understand her mannerisms but like I said…I’m black. Her verbiage, her tone, her attitude was not going to play well with mainstream American Society. I knew this…why didn’t anyone else. And predictably she got blasted by the media (some are even now blaming her for Zimmerman’s acquittal), George Zimmerman supporters and her own race/culture of people. That last part surprised some people. It didn’t surprise me not one bit. There’s an old saying and it’s been said since before I was born (1968) that black people are like crabs in a bucket. In essence we’re always fighting to get to the top and we don’t mind dragging one another down to do so. Here was this 19 year old young lady (she speaks 3 different languages by the way) and her very persona was/is being torn down because in spite of everything that happens, “SHE DOESN’T SPEAK WELL,” which has always been code for a black person being uneducated.
Nevertheless, she wasn’t the only Prosecution witness who didn’t fare well on the Witness Stand. Associate Medical Examiner Shiping Bao said repeatedly he knew nothing. Even going so far as to say…, “Absolutely nothing.” What???? You performed the autopsy, why don’t you know anything? And why are you reading from your notes? Americans want to know what’s wrong with our judicial system? You just got a small taste of it on live television. Defense tore down witness after witness and all I could do was shake my head. Defense stated over and over that Trayvon threw the first punch. No one and I mean no one ever introduced the notion that Zimmerman could have thrown the first punch. Absolutely no one. Prosecution kept telling the jury to draw their own conclusion while defense kept telling the jury that, “Trayvon confronted and threw the first punch at George Zimmerman.” Outstanding job by the Defense Team. One could almost feel sorry for George and question the evidence on the table if not for Mr. Frank Taaffe. That being said, guess what…the jury did draw their own conclusion; that beyond a reasonable doubt, George Zimmerman was innocent of all charges.
Allow me to say this. George Zimmerman’s best friend is a man by the name of Mark Osterman. Mr. Osterman for the most part has kept out of the public eye. Not Frank Taaffe. Taaffe is George’s neighbor…not his best friend but his neighbor. This guy is a literal PR nightmare and if you know nothing of George Zimmerman…if you listen to Taaffe enough…you’re not going to care too much for Zimmerman. What’s that old saying, “Guilty by association?” Taaffe has made just about all the talk show rounds (please see Nancy Grace and Dr. Drew) and on each one he comes across as loud, obnoxious, buffoonish, grand standish, filibusterish and so on and so forth. When it comes to Taaffe, it does not matter how many experts you’ve spoken to, his experts know more than your’s do. He’s also passive aggressive. When dealing with those of the African American persuasion and or females, he is very condescending. If you’re at a bar, this is the guy you leave home because, he’s more than likely going to take a misunderstanding and turn it into something else. While I admire his passion and loyalty to George Zimmerman, he has become a polarizing force and very insensitive to the death of Trayvon Martin. Now let me pause here for a minute or two.
No one knows what happened on that faithful night save Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. I repeat, forget what you’re being told, even if George is the one telling you. No one knows. As they say, there’s 3 sides to every story…my side, your side and in the middle lies the truth. With that being said, the problem that I have and the problem that everyone should have whether you support George or not, Trayvon wasn’t doing anything wrong that night. I say again, he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was on his way from the store where he had purchased an Iced Tea and a bag of Skittles. He had $40.00 in his pockets. He was on the cell phone with Ms. Jeantel. He was going to his father’s house. It was raining outside. He had on a hoodie. Because of all of this…he looked suspicious? Yes George said he was looking around and he had his hands in his pocket but I gotta ask myself, “Damn Theo, have you done that on the way home?” Have any of us ever done it? Are we all subject to looking suspicious for doing so? This could have been Frank Taaffe. This could have been Mark O’Mara. This could have been Tracy Martin. This could have been Mark Osterman. I say again…it could have been anyone of us.
Please understand when I say…I’m 45 and that could have easily been me. That could have easily been anyone of us regardless of our race, regardless of our age, regardless of our gender. It could have easily been anyone of us. Unfortunately it was one of us and because this prevailing thought was allowed to fester…a young teenager lies dead, his killer not looking the least bit remorseful. When asked if he would’ve done something different, his take on it is that he believes it was God’s will. Huh? Say what? See, even I who served 6 years in the Marine Corps if faced with taking a life would be remorseful for doing so because the agonizing question that would keep repeating itself in my mind is, “What more could I have done” especially, especially if I could’ve prevented such a needless death by doing something different. Make no mistake, Trayvon’s death was needless and senseless. And this is what makes George look so bad to so many, Trayvon did not die because he threw the first punch, he died because he “looked” suspicious.
As a result, mothers and fathers are telling their sons and daughters even as we speak to no longer wear hoodies. Some are pledging to take their children back and forth to wherever they need to go. Some are even saying that should their child meet such a fate, they will take the law into their own hands. This is the road we are unfortunately headed down. I can’t say which road I will travel. I don’t want to have to ever deal with it. I have two daughters, one 18 and one 12. I’m not particular about telling my daughters what clothing they shouldn’t wear because someone might profile them as being a suspicious character and I say again, make no mistake, it is this assumption that lead to the eventual death of Trayvon Martin. While Zimmerman most definitely has been found not guilty, he should still be held responsible for his reprehensible conduct by both his supporters and non supporters. Profiling is completely and utterly wrong. In this great country of ours, we cannot afford to judge one another like this. Why you ask? Because we’re all so very different and that’s not to be feared…that’s to be appreciated. I’m out.

Paula Deen, Justifiably Sued By Lisa Jackson Or Not?

Today we’re going Hard In The Paint on the Paula Deen lawsuit…leggo.
During the two hottest events gripping our country right now (The Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman Trial and the Paula Deen lawsuit) I’ve recently had a very spirited debate with a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) in regards to the legitimacy of Lisa Jackson being able to file a Sexual Harassment and more importantly a Racial Discrimination Lawsuit against Paula Deen and her businesses. The reason for her legitimacy to file this lawsuit is because both Lisa Jackson and Paula Deen are Caucasian, i.e. white. Let’s examine something other things at play here before we continue.
When this story first broke, under the assumption that the accuser was a black person, some white people and some black people raced to Paula’s defense stating that she used the word “Nigger” back in 1987 and should be forgiven. They said the accuser was just playing the race card and wanted money. When the full story started to unravel and we found that the accuser was indeed a white woman, some black folks responded by saying that she can’t file a lawsuit because she’s a white woman and is only playing the race card for money. Anyone else see something odd about this?
Furthermore, some black folks are saying, “Well hell, I call people Nigga all the time. I even call white people cracka.” Well allow me to say this to those black people that call themselves and others of their race…Nigga. Damn, please do better. If you’re so proud of your damn race; start acting like it. You ever stop to think that maybe white people similar to Paula Deen use the word Nigger and act so damn ignorant is because they see and hear black folks using the word Nigga in reference to themselves and being just as damn ignorant? Think about it. Secondly, although the intent to hurt is the same, “Cracka” does not have a profound effect on white people. They don’t identify with the word. Sure, sure, sure…the name “Cracka” derives from the sound of the whip (usually used by the Master…who was white) that was used to punish slaves back in the day.
Black people (yes I’m an African American, i.e. black) need to do better. Allow me to tell you a quick story that took place while I was in the Marine Corps back in 1991. A white Lance Corporal and I were at Supply and I was moving kinda slow. The Lance Corporal says, “Yo my nigga, hurry up…we gotta go.” I turned around quick, blinked and thought about his definition of the word. He didn’t mean it in a bad way. He meant it as a term of endearment as us black folks like to say. Now I’ve told this story several times and just about every black person says the same thing, “Man I woulda whupped his ass.” And I say why and the response is the same, “Man I ain’t goin let no Cracka call me no Nigger.” Ahhh but there’s the sign. He didn’t call me a Nigger, he called me a Nigga. In essence, he didn’t mean it in a bad way.
Here’s something else. The very same person I had my spirited debate with asked me, “Well I used the word Nigga in 2010 and I call white people Cracka so does that make me a racist?” My answer to him pure and simple was if you’re still using the words to this day then yeah you are a racist. Now let’s understand something. Paula Deen used the word Nigger back in 1987. Alex Haley’s Roots premiered on television back in 1977. So Paula used the word 10 years after this movie premiered. The 60’s weren’t that far removed. Martin Luther King, Jr. organized the March on Washington in 1963. Paula Deen was born in 1947. The Million Man March was in 1995. My point to stating all of this is simple.
At what point in her life does Paula Deen realize that comments like this are insensitive? At what point does she realize that comments like this can/are/should be viewed as racist? If she didn’t know better when she was 15 (King’s March on Washing), when she was 30 (Roots premiered on ABC), when she was 40 (when she actually made the statement) or when she was 60 (when she said she wanted a “True Southern Plantation Style Wedding) when is she going to? Is she so isolated from the rest of the world that she doesn’t understand that African Americans are very sensitive when it comes to this word , it’s usage and all the horrors associated with it? Does she not know that anything affiliated with slavery is a no-go for the African American population?
Now let’s examine some other things. Please check out this link, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_Discrimination_Act_1975. I was told to reference this link today because it would tell me that Lisa Jackson because of the color of her skin cannot claim racial discrimination. Well let’s check it out together, shall we:

Racial discrimination occurs under the RDA when someone is treated less fairly than someone else in a similar situation because of their race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. Racial discrimination can also occur when a policy or rule appears to treat everyone in the same way but actually has an unfair effect on more people of a particular race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin than others.
It is against the law to discriminate in areas such as:
• Employment (section 15) – e.g. when seeking employment, training, promotion, equal pay or conditions of employment;
• Land, housing or accommodation (section 12) – e.g. when buying a house or when renting;
• Provision of goods and services (section 13) – e.g. when buying something, applying for credit, using banks, seeking assistance from government departments, lawyers, doctors and hospitals, or attending restaurants, pubs, entertainment venues;
• Access to places and facilities for use by the public (section 11) – e.g. when trying to use parks, libraries, government offices, hotels, places of worship, entertainment centres, hire cars;
• Advertising (section 16) – e.g. advertising for a job stating that people from a certain ethnic group cannot apply;
• Joining a trade union (section 14).
Nowhere on here does it elude to the fact that you cannot be of the same race as the person you’re suing. Anyone remember the movie “Django?”Anyone doubt Hilde would not have been able to sue Stephen…the Senior House Slave who kept her just as oppressed as her Master? Also to say that a white person cannot sue another white person based on Racial discrimination is to do a huge injustice to the white “Freedom Riders” and “CORE” members from the 1960’s. They died and bled for the cause of African Americans and the Klan did not cut them any slack just because of their skin color.
Now based on this link, http://www.atlawblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Jackson-v.-Deen-et-al.-Complaint.pdf, we have the reason for why Ms. Jackson is suing Paula Deen and her business empire and please rest assured…it is for these reasons that Paula lost her job and sponsors started leaving her high and dry. It has nothing to do with the usage of the word, Nigger. If you could, speed to page 14 and look at the Racial Discrimination described in the work place. Does any of that sound compatible to the bullets listed above? They certainly do to me. But now, here’s something to think about and I fully expect to piss off some of my fellow African Americans. We are still slaves in the mind. We don’t have to worry about anyone else verbally abusing us because we are doing the job ourselves. Some of us don’t even seen anything wrong with what Paula and her businesses have done and allowed in the work place because, well shucks Paula is a just good old fashioned country girl who doesn’t know any better. Horse manure.
Paula Deen is comfortable in her skin. She and her brother see nothing wrong with the way they think and they honestly believe that other white people think the same way. See…to my friend who I had the debate with, if Lisa Jackson were black, her suing wouldn’t be a problem (sadly it still would be to some black people). She’s a white woman though and maybe if more white people came out publicly and displayed the same sense of disgust when a fellow white person uses the word, ignorance and stupidity associated with Racial Discrimination, that type of ignorance/stupidity could finally be taken out the closet and brought into the light where it can be confronted and educated.
One other thing before I go. According to the court documentation…Lisa Jackson quit a job where she was making roughly $69,792.00 a year. That’s good money if you can get it and I don’t know how many people are just walking away from a job for that kind of money. Notice I said she walked away because she didn’t get fired. Ms. Jackson quit a high paying job because she was sick of the bullcrap. She should be applauded for her bravery, not have her motives questioned because she is a white woman. I am proud of my race but I will also say this…to those who support another race’s cause that others deem not your own, I say thank you. Thank you, thank you and on behalf of those that have come before me, I say thank you. And to my fellow African Americans…maybe, just maybe if we stopped using the word “Nigga” in some ignorant thought as of depowering the word, other races might at some point stop using the word as well, at the very least…it will remove all doubt as to the meaning behind the word and the damage it causes. I’m out.

Daniel Snyder,Roger Goodell & The National Football League…Racists or Clueless

Roger Goodell Says The Name “Redskins” is Non Offensive to Native Americans, Hard In The Paint. Leggo!!!!
When I read this on ESPN I just shook my head. Y’all know I did a segment on this a few weeks ago. I condemned their stance on the issue. I repeat; I condemned their stance…not the men themselves. Well today, I’m going to take a far stronger stance and go so far as to say that these men are either “Closet Racists” or just entirely plain “Clueless” as to what racism really is. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt (why should I though) on this one though.
What has me all in a tizzy at this moment? Well 10 members of Congress on May 31, 2013 sent Daniel Snyder, Roger Goodell and the other 31 owners a letter requesting that the “Redskins” name be changed. You can follow this link (http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0528/faleomavaega.pdf) to see exactly what the letter states. In essence though, the Congressmen give a 17 page detailed reason for the name to be changed. Their reasoning falls on the side of good old fashioned common sense.
Here is Roger Goodell’s response…verbatim, “The Washington Redskins name has thus from its origin represented a positive meaning distinct from any disparagement that could be viewed in some other context,” Goodell writes in the letter. “For the team’s millions of fans and customers, who represent one of America’s most ethnically and geographically diverse fan bases, the name is a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect.” Surely he cannot be serious but…he is. For this to actually get out, he is more than serious. As stated earlier, he is either a “Closet Racist” or he really is so simple minded he has no clue. No wonder the players in the National Football League don’t like him.
Mr. Goodell, I’m no law student but I’m going to defeat your argument by borrowing a part of your comment, “For the team’s millions of fans and customers…” What you fail to mention are the Native Americans for which the team borrows its derogatory name. In your response, you do not reference the Native Americans. You reference the fans and the customers, i.e. the money machine from whence your (rather healthy) pay check comes from. Why you arrogant such and so and so. Clearly that’s what you are to even pen such a response. You’re no different than Daniel Snyder who stated he would never change the name. While professing to give a damn about the way people view this great sport, in essence you just revealed you only give a damn about the money. Shameful to say the least.
Well I’m going to request something from not only the Native Americans but the millions and millions of supporters for their cause. Boycott the game. Plain and simple, picket the games and encourage your friends and neighbors to not watch their games. Men such as Snyder and Goodell are driven by the almighty dollar so in the pocketbook is where they need to be hurt. Sure you can show your support by wearing team color but as far as purchasing official Redskin merchandise? Leave it in the store. When NBC and ESPN has those Sunday night and Monday night games, don’t watch them. When the Redskins are covered nationally on FOX or CBS, watch something else. As the ratings fall, so will sponsorship, as sponsorship falls, so will the team’s revenue.
I will support you on this…because it is the right thing to do. I say again, it is the right thing to do. There are times in this country when the right thing to do is blinded by the color of money and or false loyalty. This need not be one of those times. This can be one of those times when like we’ve done so many, many times before in this great country of ours that we stand together and look ignorance, stupidity and simple racism dead in the eye and say, “No more. No more. No more.” Won’t you join me? I’m out.

Time For Tallahassee, Florida To Take The Next Step

Today on Hard In The Paint we take an unusual turn as we look at the city of Tallahassee, Florida and what’s holding her back from taking her rightful place amongst the “Big Cities” of America. Leggo!!!!

First let me say that I believe Tallahassee, Florida is a great place to raise a family. I’ve been here since 1994 and it really is a town with that down home feeling…well almost that down home feeling Is say almost because people can still look at you and not speak, lol. I remember when I first got here; there was only one Urban radio station…96.1. Heck, there wasn’t even an overpass. Coming from places such as Memphis, Tennessee and Atlanta Georgia…I was like, huh? All that has changed though. At one point there were 3 Urban radio stations, 96.1, 102.3 and if I’m not mistaken…100.7. Well, 100.7 has since become a talk radio station but there’s still the two r
Kids can go to various high schools and get a great education. I mean there’s Florida High, FAMU High, Leon High, Lincoln High, Godby High, Rickard’s High, North Florida Christian High, Lawton High, Maclay High, SAIL High, Woodland High, John Paul II Cat-holic High, Community Christian High and Atlantis Academy High. Phew…those are a lot of high schools and Tallahassee has the room for it. If that isn’t enough, there are 3 main colleges here, such as Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College. Then there are the other colleges such as Keiser, Saint Leo, ITT, Flagler, Embry and Barry University.
By now you’re probably starting to wonder what I’m getting at. Well, just bare with me here. Of course you can’t have all this education unless you’re a pretty important city and well…Tallahassee, is an important city. It’s the capital of Florida and with such prestige comes well…a certain status. A status that Tallahassee is still trying to achieve in…2013. Let’s go by the numbers and do some comparisons to other famous cities in and near Florida.
First let’s acknowledge that Tallahassee, Florida with a landmass of 100.3 square miles is home to the Florida State Seminoles. Jacksonville, Florida with a landmass of 747 square miles is home to the University of North Florida and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Orlando, Florida with a landmass of 102.4 square miles is home to the University of Central Florida Golden Knights, the Orlando Magic of the NBA, Universal Studios and Disney World. Tampa with a landmass of 112.1 square miles is home to the University of South Florida Bulls, the MLB’s Rays, the NHL’s Lightning, NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Bush Gardens Amusement Park. Miami with a landmass of 35.68 square miles is home to the University of Miami Hurricanes, MLB’s Miami Marlins, NHL’s Florida Panthers, NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the NBA’s Miami Heat. Valdosta, Georgia with a landmass of 30.3 square miles is home to Wild Adventures Amusement Park. Last but not least, Atlanta, Georgia with a landmass of 131.8 square feet is home to the Georgia Tech University Yellow Jackets, Six Flags Over Georgia Amusement Park, MLB’s Atlanta Braves, NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
Phew. Anyone notice anything? How about this…Atlanta is the capital of Georgia. Notice how many attractions they have? Notice how many attractions Tallahassee, doesn’t have? With as much landmass at it has, it is almost inconceivable that Tallahassee does not have a major sports franchise, let alone an amusement park to call its very own. To be perfectly honest, such commercial restaurants like Dave and Busters, Joe’s Crab Shack and The Cheesecake Factory don’t even exist in Tallahassee, Florida. It has often been said that to make money, you first have to spend money and well, I’ve spoken to some officials here in Tallahassee and their main concern is for the city to make money. Well I say to you this, being the center of agriculture and trade is all fine and dandy but you gotta step your game up if you want to generate big boy money.
Admittedly, getting a pro team here is out of the question for now because we don’t have the population nor the revenue to maintain one. I say we because I reside here in Tallahassee but what we can do is move in an amusement park. A “Wild Adventures” of its very own would be a nice play to start. Wild Adventures is an inexpensive amusement park to get started and then see about getting your very own comparable “Bush Gardens” style amusement park here. If Orlando is big enough to maintain 2 amusement parks, so is Tallahassee. Bringing in restaurants that people would otherwise have to go out of town to eat at is a start in itself. All you need now are outlet stores to keep people from a going out of town to Destin and Panama City, Florida.
There’s already a Dick’s Sporting Goods under construction on Apalachee Parkway…to compete with Sports Authority and Academy Sports and Outdoors. For those that don’t know, Dick’s is a major sporting goods store. Having that store in Tallahassee only increases revenue for the city. Here’s the ticket though, Dick’s will easily sustain itself during the college football season but to sustain itself during the offseason, you will need something, i.e. other sports to keep the fans spending their money. This is when you may have to look at a professional indoor football team.
Sure, it’s been tried before but the City of Tallahassee Officials must first understand…get a team in place first, don’t charge them much to be there that way the team doesn’t have to charge the fans that much to come. Allow for the team to become a winner, over time…ticket sales will rise, as ticket sales rise, you can now charge the team more to use your facilities. Understand, fans like being associated with a winner and where will they go to get their team apparel from? You guessed it, one of the 3 major sporting good stores you have in your city. As the team becomes a winner, you will also have fans coming from out of town needing a place to stay and places to eat. Sure it’s a steady process but you see where I’m going with this right? And since the games generally take place at night, why not give the people something to do during the day…for instance an amusement park and or some outlet stores to shop at.
This is just an idea of mine but hey, being the center of trade and agriculture cannot be the only thing you have to hang your hat on. In my opinion and it’s just mine but for Tallahassee to be the capital of Florida and not have much to show for it in over 20 years…well maybe it’s just time they tried something different. Don’t you think? I’m out.

Why Does It Take A Tragedy For Law Enforcement To View Everyone As A Person

Why Does It Take Tragedy To Bring Us Together…or as I like to say, Why Does It Take A Tragedy For Law Enforcement To View Everyone As A Person
On April 15th, our country wept as allegedly…two individuals planted bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. As much as people may want to make this out of as some sort of religious spectacle, these individuals fled the scene. See I’m of the mindset that if you truly believe in your cause, you stand there and proudly claim it…whether it is religious or personal, you claim it. No need to run because you did it. You were proud when you were doing it, be proud after you’ve done it. To not do so deems you a coward.
All of that being said, I was proud to be an American once again as we stood by one another and helped one another. Generosity poured out to all whom were affected save for a slight few (yes Westboro Baptist Church, I’m referring to you). You know what, I wasn’t going to do it but now is as good a time as any. I am so sick and tired of people using God as an excuse to judge one another. It’s not your damn job. You’re not qualified. Stop speaking for God as though you have a direct line to God. You don’t. Stop speaking for God as though you are God. You’re not. To be perfectly honest, we need to just start giving these religious zealots the attention they deserve…none.
That being said, I was proud to be an American…to see us coming to aid one another. It absolutely sent goose bumps down my spine to see those people wheeling the runner away from the explosion, a runner who was now missing his legs because of this cowardly attack. It makes me think back to September 11, 2001…when civilians, firefighters and law enforcement alike worked on the same page to save one another…to save one another. That’s what it’s all about ya know, working together to save one another. Even though I come from that N.W.A. era of “Fuck The Police” I whole heartedly believe in the mantra that is on the side of a Police Officer’s vehicle, “To serve and protect.” I also remember going to elementary school and meeting “Officer Friendly.”
All of that aside, I’ve also been alive long enough to see the Public’s view of Law Enforcement change over the years. Please understand I do not have a dislike for law enforcement in general. In essence, they are a microcosm of the universe we live in. Just like we have some ass holes walking around on a daily basis, some of the ass holes unfortunately have badges as well. In light of what took place in Boston last Monday, this may not be the time but I honestly feel like it shouldn’t take events like that for us to see the law enforcement at their best. We should see them at their best on a daily basis and if we are to understand the struggles they go through on a consistent basis, then they should be just as understanding. After all, a bad attitude is a bad attitude regardless of whether there is a badge attached to it or not.
Well Theo, what has you all up in arms? Well I’m glad you asked me that. The other day, I was in the court room sitting where visitors sit when I observed a minister speaking to one of the “Detainees.” Along comes Deputy “Friendly” (yes I’m being sarcastic) who asks the minister who was he and what he was doing speaking to the detainee. The soft spoken minister told him who he was and Deputy Friendly hastily responded by telling the minister, “You don’t belong over here…as a matter of fact get from over here, just get from over here!” Everyone in the courtroom just stopped what they were doing and just stared at the deputy. The minister turned around and quietly went to his seat. Allow me not to leave this part out, a female deputy approached the one who had just lashed out at the minister and spoke to him. Did this lead to an apology or anything of the sort? No it didn’t. It led to absolutely nothing.
What’s my point here? Well, an officer of the law can be just as rude as they want to be with a regular civilian with fear of little to no repercussions. They have a code. They protect one another. However a civilian cannot be rude to an officer with the same lack of fear. Being rude to an officer of the law is really asking for trouble. After all, they are the ones with the badge and the gun and if their reputation as a stand up officer precedes them, you can pretty much guarantee your arrest. This is a huge inconvenience for anyone regular person who has just been offended by an officer’s conduct. Don’t take this article as a bashing of law enforcement, just take it as a notice of the one’s who abuse the privilege of the position they hold. If any law enforcement individuals are reading this segment, it may not apply to you. That being said, I promise you know someone in your department who it does apply to and that person places you in jeopardy every day. I’m out.

The Republican’s Response on the State of The Union Address or as I like to call it, “Getting One Speech From One Parent is Enough!!!!”

Okay, I watched it. By it I mean the Republican’s Response to the State of the Union Address given by President Barak Obama. I’m just going to call it overkill. I would like to leave it right there but I can’t. See that’s not going to cut it since I was asked by someone to address the Republican’s Response…soooooo today we go Hard In The Paint on the Republican’s Response on the State of The Union Address or as I like to call it, “Getting One Speech From One Parent is Enough!!!!”

Okay, lemme just say I’ve never been a fan of someone giving a State of The Union Address after the President has given “his” State of The Union Address. It’s too much. So if I understand this correctly, the President is gonna say something and then the Party that’s against the President is going to come on minutes later and rebut what the President just said. Really? Really? That’s just too much. I mean seriously, isn’t the Presidential campaign over with? Why are we still having rebuttals this late in the game? Honestly it’s just a waste of time. I mean really, he’s still gonna be President after your rebuttal so seriously…let’s just not waste each other’s time. Let’s just move on already.
Anyhow, let’s address this clean energy issue that Marco Rubio brought up when he was discussing Solyndra. Marc my man, I’m just going to say this. It’s kinda hard to throw sand at the guy for trying to get an energy bill passed when Bush sat on it for 8 years. Many people around the world are applauding our President’s efforts to clean up our air. Oh by the way, the many people include celebrated scientists. Yeah I just thought I would put that out there. In essence, you might wanna ride with the “POTUS” on this one.
And another thing, so the Republicans agree with the President when it comes to lowering the corporate tax rates (which are the highest in the world) so American companies will be encouraged to bring their business back stateside? Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. You don’t say? Well damn, who raised those corporate taxes in the first place? Beuller? Beuller? Ferris…Beuller? Yeah, I’m being sarcastic but I’m really being sincere at the same time. See it’s gonna be kinda hard for me to believe a word the Republicans have to say after their last guy was in office.
See I’m going touch on this and leave it alone until the next political season. I’m 44 years of age. My grandfather was a staunch Republican. I’ve seen several Presidents come and go and by far the worse one was George W. Bush. This will not be me acting as a spin doctor. No, I’m just going to say something that even an idiot that’s been around long enough knows. George W. Bush was our worse President by leaps and bounds. So bad was he that the Republican Party didn’t even want him at their GOP Convention when Barak Obama first ran for office. There’s no denying that. His policies drained this Country of the plethora of finances and resources left to it by the previous President. No one should be surprised either, especially since we elected a “C” average college student to the White House. I’m still shaking my head on this one.
Now here I am, presented with Marco Rubio, the charismatic answer to Barak Obama. Well here’s the problem Marc. The last Republican President before you was mentally challenged. The last person to run for Vice President for the Republican Party was also mentally challenged. Thank God, she’s not in office. So now here I have you? Here’s the thing. Ronald Reagan…I couldn’t stand the guy. I didn’t care for his policies but the country prospered. I didn’t care for George H.W. Bush. I didn’t care for his policies but the country prospered. Now some people reading this are going to probably be Republicans and that’s cool. You didn’t like Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton? That’s cool. The country prospered. Under George W. Bush, our country nosedived.
Not only that Mr. Rubio but you mention that our country is suffering from a Moral Breakdown? Really? Really? Well when did the Republican Party notice that our country’s moral center was shifting south of the equator? Was it before or after the 2008 election when Tea Partiers were showing up at Republican rallies telling our Presidential elect to go back to Africa and toting signs that were just atrociously racist? Was it before or after the Tea Partiers and certain other Americans hung our President by the neck in effigy and proudly displayed the pictures on the internet for all to see? Oh yeah, I’m still bothered by that. Has our country’s moral fiber always been a concern of the Republican Party or is it now a tool to be used as stiffer gun control laws are being called into being? And please understand, although I am not a card carrying member of the NRA, I believe whole heartedly in the right to bear arms. So please understand, you playing the “Gun” card is not going to cut it. Try something else.
Before I go though…before I go, let me leave you with this. To Mr. Rubio and the Republican Party, after Bush and after Palin, the last thing you need is for someone who lacks composure in front of a camera. Mr. Rubio, you played with your hair 3 times, wiped your mouth 2 times and if that wasn’t enough…you reaching for that bottle of water was absolutely priceless. All of that was done by you and you’re supposed to be the charismatic answer to Barak Obama? You can’t even stay composed for the camera, how are you gonna stay composed when the millions and millions (in The Rock’s voice)call for your head because they don’t like your policies? Next time, leave the State of the Union Speeches to seasoned professionals or how about this…for now on, let’s just let the President give the State of the Union Address whether he/she be Democrat, Independent or Republican and leave it at that? Huh? Yeah? Whatta ya say? I’m out.

Why Do Some Americans So Dislike President Barack Obama

Since we are celebrating our President’s Inauguration, I felt like turning the clock back and posting a previous segment of Hard In The Paint that I wrote during the Presidential Campaign. Enjoy.

I need to get this off my chest so once again, I’m going HARD IN THE PAINT! Today’s topic…,”WHY ARE AMERICANS SO ANGRY WITH THE PRESIDENT?” Mind you, I’m not just talking angry about his policies but I am talking spit fire angry enough to punch him. Hey listen, I didn’t care for Bush’s policies but I don’t think I ever wanted to assault the man, tell people who liked him to pour syrup on him and eat him up nor compare him to known mad men such as Adolph Hitler or Osama Bin Laden. Where is this underlying hatred coming from? I really wanna know so today I’m taking the time to ask.
Let’s back up and mind you I’ve only heard one Republican speak out on this one specific issue (please see John McCain). Now let’s talk about the Tea Partiers. First of all I don’t know why they call themselves this since they bear no political resemblance to anyone who participated in the Boston Tea Party. I read the history books and the previous Tea Party stood against taxes so to show their disgust, they threw boxes of tea into the Boston Harbor. The current Tea Partiers are nothing more than fascist racists. They show up to Republican Rallies with all types of racial paraphernalia. No one stops them from entering and no one asks them to leave. On video tapes you can spot them loudly saying, “Obama go back to Africa.” In still photos you can see the racial signs they carry with them. Really, and I’m expected to believe this isn’t about race? I don’t recall anyone saying, “Clinton go back to Arkansas” or “Bush go back to Texas.” Heck, Arnold Schwarzenegger is Governor of California and no one is telling him to go back to Thal Australia. I never heard anyone question his place of birth nor ask for his birth certificate. LOL. If I’m not mistaken his English dialect could still use some work. Okay I’m being funny but completely serious at the same time. Oh by the way, isn’t Arnold…wait for it…Republican?
No one from the Republican Party aside from McCain even bothers to chastise these people. They simply run amok and do what they do. Are the Republicans that desperate for a vote? Here’s an idea. Instead of acting like they’re concerned about who should or shouldn’t be registered to vote every four years, they should be concerned about what message their party is inadvertently sending to the thousands of tax-paying citizens in our country. You’re condoning blatant racism just to win a Presidential campaign. It’s a sad day in our country when this is what we are willing to accept to win the most important office in our country. Here’s something of interest, Obama denounced his former Minister (who made some very inflammatory remarks regarding our country which were very racist if I might add) and came out and said he was a devout Christian. Has anyone from the Republican Party denounced the Tea Partiers…disassociated themselves with the Tea Party or came out and said they were a devout “anything?” I cannot imagine if the Democratic Convention was populated by sign toting members of the New Black Panther Party. Smh.
Next on the table, Barack Obama is our first (known) bi racial President. His father is black and from Kenya (yes there is a difference). His mother is white and from America (once again, there is a difference). He came up through poverty while living with his grandmother…who was white. He went to college and graduated. He went to Harvard and graduated. Whether he is the President or not, this is a success story to be proud of, not disgusted of. He is the absolute embodiment of what two races (who have notoriously been at odds throughout history) have to offer when they come together. Heck, the guy has even won the Nobel Peace Prize. Please understand, I’m not talking politics this morning, I’m talking respect for our fellow man which some of us are showing we still don’t have. Not only don’t we have it, we are demonstrating to no ends how far we will go to display…not having it. Hank Williams actually compared Obama to Adolph Hitler. Really; Adolph Hitler? There are those of us who without having met the man actually want to do him bodily harm. My question…why? Why so much anger. Even during the Reagan years, I didn’t care for him but I never would’ve compared this guy to Hitler.
While running for President, he had to endure racial slurs from the Tea Party along with his birth certificate being questioned by everyone and I mean everyone. Really? If that’s the case, I wanna see the birth certificate of every President and then have it authenticated. Oh by the way, I haven’t forgotten about the Congressman who shouted out “Liar” while the President was speaking to Congress. No other President has had to endure that. What makes Barack so different? He takes his wife to dinner, he’s wrong. He buys his daughters a dog and he’s wrong. Yet the same people who say he was wrong for doing all those things have absolutely nothing to say about Bush chilling at his home during Hurricane Katrina.
Heck it took him a couple of days to get to New Orleans. I’m not stating sentiment. I’m stating facts. You wanna say Obama should’ve known that the embassy was going to be attacked, I will raise you one and say Bush should’ve known our country had the potential to be attacked during 9/11. Didn’t Bush have access to the same Central Intelligence Agency that Obama had? How many lives were lost during 9/11 and Katrina? One life is too many but please let’s not get into a body count. Oh by the way…the guy responsible for the 9/11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden is dead and do you know who issued the order…you guessed it…Barack Obama. And if we wanna talk faulty intelligence…I’m still waiting on the Weapons of Mass Destruction to be found. LOL.
Mitt Romney is aggressive in both debates. Okay well during this debate Obama was aggressive as well. Now people are saying Obama came across as desperate. Huh? During this last debate Romney made a comment in regards to how single parenthood breeds violence yet there his son is off camera saying how he wanted to punch the President for calling his dad a liar? Hmmmm…both parents are in his life so what was his excuse for wanting to result to violence. LOL. I wonder what we would have said had one of Obama’s daughters made such a comment. My goodness, we already don’t consider Michelle to be First Lady material because she shows her arms too much and is too active. Michelle exudes nothing but class. She is a loving wife and mother who adores her husband. What more could you ask from a First Lady? Some people say she exercises too much. Really? She just looks different then our usual First Ladies have is what one woman said. Really? I wonder why that is. I really do.
I’ve had the luxury over the past couple of days of engaging in what I consider to be healthy dialogue with two supporters of Mitch Romney and they both got somewhat bothered by the questions I asked and the points I raised. The tone of their responses if I were to copy and paste them here bordered on the “Angry” side and I’m curious as to why so much anger. We all should be. Listen, I’m not saying Barack Obama is perfect. I’m not saying he should or shouldn’t be our next President. Vote your heart but if you do nothing else…go out and vote. What I am saying is that the type of criticism this man has faced since before and since taking office has been like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And I do mean nothing…I’ve ever seen before and sad to say…I don’t believe the disrespect has anything to with his political policies. Maybe it’s about time as a country we stood up and collectively admitted it.