GREAT AGAIN?

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October 2, 2018 Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Istanbul, Turkey. He never walked out. Indeed, over time it became clear that he had been brutally slaughtered, and his body dismembered with saws by Saudi government agents. The President of the United States defended not the American resident journalist Khashoggi, but the Saudis, emphasizing the monetary value of the U.S./Saudi relationship. He continued to provide advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia. Republican support and popularity with his base did not suffer at all.

The Turks, however took note. Turkey was already very aware of the power of money within the Trump Administration. The former National Security Adviser, Mike Flynn had been on Turkey’s payroll as a “consultant”. Flynn had failed to disclose his status as a foreign agent for Turkey, or his role in the conspiracy to kidnap Turkish cleric Fathullah Gulen from the United States and secret him off to Turkey, likely for a fate not dissimilar to that of Khashoggi. Seeing Trump’s continued approval of the Saudis and Flynn, Turkey’s ruler, Recep Erdogan decided to push for an end to American protection in Syria of the Kurds, whom Turkey wanted displaced and weakened. To the astonishment of many, President Trump ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops, leaving the Kurds, who had fought side by side with Americans against the Islamic State abandoned and fleeing for their very lives from Turks and Russians. Trump’s support never wavered.

Even as an investigation of President Trump’s relationships with Russia, led by Robert Mueller yielded potentially damaging details, and his documented and witnessed blackmail of Ukraine for investigations of enemies in exchange for desperately needed weapons led to his impeachment in the House of Representatives, the Republican led Senate held him free and harmless, weakening Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression and cowering Trump’s domestic rivals as Bill Barr, more a Trump consigliere than an Attorney General, began helping Trump allies and investigating investigators.

Emboldened, President Trump’s exertion of his power and disdain for the rule of law escalated, along with his overt racism. So did his open embrace of Vladimir Putin. He railed against N.A.T.O. allies, announced withdrawal of American troops from Germany, and insisted that Russia be readmitted to the G8 (now G7) despite its annexation of Crimea, invasion of Ukraine, and poisoning of Russian exiles in England. North Korea’s Kim Jung Un became disgusted that even as Trump publicly courted his friendship as well, he was unable to extract such tangible benefits as the Saudis, Turks, and Russians.

Perhaps the most interested observer of all was President Xi Jinping of China. Economically and militarily, China continues to emerge as the primary rival of the United States for world supremacy. Accordingly, Mr. Trump regularly ignites his base with anti Chinese rhetoric. Their personal interactions though are quite different from the rhetoric. Trump even asked Xi Jinping for help in Trump’s reelection effort in the form of investigations of his rival Joe Biden, and a successfully concluded trade deal to bolster the U.S. economy. Astutely, Xi Jinping mentioned the prison camps in construction in China to house the Uyghurs and other minorities. Mr. Trump expressed comfort with it all. Seizing on this compromise of the moral high ground, China began publicly denouncing U.S. hypocrisy on human rights, and oppressive measures in Hong Kong.

The most grievous action however involves Mr. Putin. It is now revealed that he offered and paid bounties to Taliban in Afghanistan to kill American troops. President Trump, despite this being in his President’s Daily Briefings claims to have been unaware of it while in frequent friendly phone calls with Mr. Putin, inviting him to Washington, D.C., and campaigning for Russian reentry to G8.

A cadre of former Trump Administration officials, including former Chief of Staff John Kelly, former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, former Secretary of State Rex Tillis, and former National Security Adviser John Bolton have denounced President Trump’s discourse with foreign leaders as injurious to the national security of the United States, but his Republican and base support remain strong. Legions of Americans are dying due to his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, and his advocacy of mass gatherings with resistance to face coverings even as te sicknesses become more pervasive. Still wherever he goes there is a welcoming sea of adoring fans in red baseball caps bearing his trademark phrase, “Make America Great Again”.

Assault On American Values

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Below is a list of offenses by the President of the United States in full view of the world that are shocking given his broad support in a country called leader of the free world and a nation of laws. Sadly it isn’t even a complete list.
1. Kids detained in cages.
2. Daily barrage of lies.
3. Misapplication of funds designated for defense but used for his border wall.
4. Constant trips to his golf resorts at taxpayer expense with inflated rates charged to Secret Service.
5. Defiance of oversight and constitutional separation of powers.
6. Courtship of despots and denigration of allies of the USA.
7. Use of the Attorney General to reward friends and punish rivals.
8. Shameful abandonment of Kurdish allies on the battlefield.
9. Siding with Russia over USA Intelligence Agencies.
10. Massive loss of life due to mismanagement of coronavirus pandemic.
11. Public advocacy of violence against political opponents and the press.
12. Mocking women when they allege sexual misconduct.
13. Politicizing face covers during pandemic, costing lives to be lost.
14. Constant attempts to deprive citizens of health insurance.
15. Advocacy of voter suppression.
16. Racist statements, practices, and policies.
17. Entreating and extorting foreign political and electoral help.
18. Defiance of legal subpoenas and ongoing obstruction of justice.
19. Denying government employment on the basis of demanding personal loyalty.
20. Brutalizing peaceful protesters to enable a photo op holding a bible upside down.
Shame on all of us.

Confederate Statues?

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I can’t recall why I asked the question. We were standing around near the stereo in my Nashville condo, having drinks before dinner, listening to the Doobie Brothers. Trisha and Diane worked with me at Ford Credit. On this evening, I was meeting their husbands for the first time. The condo sat in Printers Alley opposite the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar, a popular tourist destination.
Nashville holds a special place in my heart. As African Americans my wife, son, and I encountered less racism there than in New York or Michigan. Our guests that evening were all Caucasian, unimportant to us, but salient to this story.
“Trisha,” I inquired “what do you know about the Civil War?” She replied “I know we won.”
For a couple of seconds, her husband, a Tennessee native, stiffened, then joined the rest of us in laughter at Trisha’s innocent insensitivity. Diane and her husband, like Trisha’s husband are native Tennesseans. Trisha, my wife, and I are “Yankees”.
“It’s not that simple,” I amusedly advised Trisha. The current controversy over confederate statues is one example of its lack of simplicity. Many people are understandably fed up with these symbols of slavery and white supremacy towering over us in public squares. While I concur, having lived and socialized in Hagerstown, Maryland Jacksonville, Florida and Nashville, Tennessee I’ve come to appreciate that every guy with a rebel flag on his cap or belt buckle doesn’t wish me enslaved nor intimidated. Nor did I seek to insult them wearing my N.Y. Yankees cap or my X cap in remembrance of Malcolm. I don’t suggest that I have all the answers, but I do have an opinion. Here it goes.
There should be museums in the South acknowledging the memory of those who fought and sometimes died for a cause that they believed in. If your forebears fell at Antietam, they’re no less loved by you than mine who fell there as well. Calling confederates traitors is wrong, as wrong as having their statues symbolically lording over citizens in public plazas.

Taking A Knee

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I’m a military veteran: four years in the U.S. Navy, mostly on ships. When I was on the carrier U.S.S. Wasp, CVS-18, if it were to go down at sea, or if it were being boarded by Russians, it was my responsibility to destroy the top secret cryptographic materials on that flagship rather than have it fall into enemy hands. I would have died doing that, and was prepared to do so. It was my solemn duty. So while I often tease about how little real action I saw during my military tour, there were those times like in Guantanamo Bay at night when I stood watch with my loaded M-1 aft ship while my shipmates slept, and if a Cuban or Russian tried to board that ship it was up to me to prevent that from happening, and I would have, or would have died trying.

Fast forward to my late twenties. I’m a junior officer at the Chase Manhattan Bank in New York. My best friend from college, Terry Wright, was a manager at Consolidated Edison, New York’s public utility. We were proud and dedicated corporate types. One of the benefits of having a decent job was going to the Knicks game, which we did. We went after work, so had on our corporate uniforms. I had on a blue pinstriped suit, white shirt, and yellow tie. Terry had on a brown pin striped suit, white shirt, and red tie. Before the games, when the national anthem was played, we always stood with our hands on our hearts, loyal and proud Americans (both with Caribbean roots.) That wasn’t always the case with people of color in those days. There was much racial and ethnic strife in the 1970s, as the nation struggled with the emerging civil rights and integration rules. FALN (Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional) were blowing things up in New York City, seeking Puerto Rico’s independence. There were several black nationalist organizations advocating the same, and militancy was rampant. We understood and were empathetic, having experienced daily racial indignation all our lives, and having been active in the Student Organization for Black Unity on our college campus. However, it was our belief and hope that times were changing, and that through dedication and hard work one could overcome the circumstances of one’s birth, and integrate successfully into mainstream society.

At this particular game, we arrived early. We had good seats, and walking to them we passed some white teens that we noticed only because there were about 5 of them, and they were sort of loud, joking and having fun, and most of the seats were empty at the time. At any rate, we got to our seats, settled in, and began discussing how our individual work days had gone. At one point, we noticed that the teens we had seen sitting far behind us had moved, and were now sitting in a lower section even than ours, to our right. We commented on it, and returned to our conversation. We were interrupted by a Madison Square Garden attendant who walked past those teens, as well as other fans who were by this time arriving, and came to Terry and I. He asked us to show him our tickets. I asked him why he needed to see them, and he replied that he needed to know if we were in the right section. Terry asked him why was he asking for our tickets, and not asking any of the people around us for theirs? His reply was “Never mind them. I’m asking you, and if you don’t show me your tickets, security can escort you out of here.”

We showed him the tickets, he looked at them, handed them back, and left. The teens who were in front of us snickered, but when the people arrived who had paid for the seats they were in they moved back to the seats they were properly assigned. When they played the national anthem, Terry and I did not stand. We sat silently, broken hearted.

That was long ago. Today when I attend sporting events, I stand for the national anthem. That is not to say that I do not experience fairly constant reminders that I’m not viewed as other Americans are; but time has passed, I’ve matured, and I react differently to different things. However, when I see people take offense to real life injustices and indignities, I understand it. This current controversy isn’t going to make me change my posture, but I understand those who will react differently. I have a son whom I worry about, whom I have worried about since he started driving on the roads in high school. I’ve been mistreated personally by policemen, and fear what some of them might do to my son. I have also been assisted by policemen, and have personal friends who are or have been policemen. The person who offended me most in this current situation is President Donald Trump, the opportunist who used this device for the purpose of dividing people, and appealing to our worst instincts.

While people are name calling and passing judgment about taking a knee or not, American citizens in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are reeling from unprecedented challenges. I think of Turnbull from St. Croix and Jiminez from Santurce, who served with me in the military, and hope they are okay. I see the President focused on tweets about taking a knee when those guys may be somewhere trying to survive, and it angers me. I read his tweet about how irresponsible Puerto Rico is, as opposed to expressing sadness and determination to help those people, and it angers me. The next game I go to, when the national anthem is played, I will stand as I always do; but if I see Turnbull or Jiminez there and they are sitting, I would understand. And I wouldn’t question their integrity nor their patriotism. They’ve earned the right to be less than pleased.

I.T. and the New Look Cavs

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I just read an article by Isaiah Thomas entitled “This Is For Boston”. It was the heartfelt outpouring of emotions from a little guy who has always fought against the odds, persevered by his will and skill, and thought he’d found a home with the Celtics. It broke his heart to find himself traded, again, and it broke mine reading his account of when it happened and what the experience was like for him.

Anyone who hasn’t read that article should. It gives a very human account for the disruption in one’s life brought about by sudden, unanticipated change. Most people aren’t in the N.B.A. But still most people know the trauma of the plant closing, or reducing staff, or being fired or laid off. There’s the stark realization, the uncertainty, the cognitive dissonance. And then, there’s the acceptance: then the objective analysis. I.T. walks us through those processes in his recognition that the Celtics had let him go. Whether or not one feels that the business decision to go with Kyrie Irving makes sense, one has to sympathize if not empathize with I.T. If you saw him compete for the Celtics, its much easier to do.

But business is business. I remember Ray Allen, part of the Big 3 with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, and how he was treated when Rajon Rondo disrespected him, and Avery Bradley pushed him for his position on the team. I recall the constant trade talk involving him. I also recall the reaction when Ray left for Miami. There was much animus toward Ray Allen, especially because he left and joined the dreaded rivals, led by Lebron James. Pierce and Garnett treated him like the reincarnation of Benedict Arnold, traitor. But Ray made an assessment, and took the opportunity he felt best for he and his family. It worked out for Ray Allen. He won another championship in Miami, and was an integral part of that championship run. He walked into a back-up role, accepted it, and excelled in it. One of my favorite photos is of Paul Pierce walking behind Ray Allen, complaining about a foul call, as Ray strode confidently to his team’s huddle.

Business is business. The Celtics have sent I.T. packing, just as they did Amir Johnson, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Kelly Olynyk, and anyone else who didn’t fit the needs in their business plan. When that happens, you think about Lebron having left Cleveland. You think about D. Wade having left Miami. You think about Kevin Durant having left OKC, and for the dreaded Warriors no less! It is less offensive when you think about it. Its business.

I’m a Cleveland fan: a Lebron fan. I wasn’t pleased to see Kyrie leaving, and still don’t agree with his decision to do so. But I respect Kyrie’s business decision to seek the optimal business opportunity for his personal brand. I have also gained insight into the man for whom he was traded. I have mad respect for I.T. now, and look forward to the time when he is rehabilitated, and in the rotation for Cleveland.

What do I want to see? I want to see a trade, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, and the Net pick from Boston all to the New Orleans Pelicans for Boogie Cousins. I want D. Wade to get a buy out from Chicago, and sign with the Cavs. And I want to see I.T. putting his heart and soul on the line for the Cavs just as he did for the Celtics. Think about that lineup. At the point Isaiah Thomas/D. Rose. At shooting guard D. Wade/J.R. Smith. At center Boogie Cousins/Tristan Thomas. At power forward Kevin Love/Jae Crowder. At small forward Lebron James/Kyle Korver. By the way, you still have Jeff Green, Cedi Osman, Jose Calderon, Richard Jefferson, Ante Zicic, and Kay Felder on the outside of that rotation, looking in. If the Golden State Warriors can handle that, they truly are a super team. Personally, I won’t bet against all that talent, nor against the will and skill of Isaiah Thomas.

The “Trump Russia Thing”

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During the 2016 Presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton suggested, to the chagrin of Donald Trump, that he might be a puppet of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Of course, Mr. Trump was indignant; but it did seem strange that he not only suggested that he would have closer relations with Russia, but appeared never willing to criticize Russia in any way. Rather than a narrative, I will herein mention 20 facts that individually are suspicious; combined they are chilling, but not to congressional Republicans nor to the hordes of Trump supporters believing he will “Make America Great Again”.

1. To handle the numerous inquiries into Russian connections, President Trump has hired attorney Marc Kasowitz. Mr. Kasowitz represents OJSC Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank in U.S. civil court disputes.
2. Trump’s “leading candidate” to replace Jim Comey as F.B.I. Director is Joe Lieberman, an associate at Mr. Kasowitz’ law firm.
3. Law firm Morgan Lewis was named Russia Law Firm of the Year 2016 for their extensive ties to Russia. Trump turned to them to get a certified letter which he claims proves he has no business ties to Russia.
4. Trump fired F.B.I. Director Comey after Comey refused to pledge loyalty to Trump, rejected Trump’s request to stop investigating former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn’s Russian connections, and refused to end the investigation of the Trump campaign’s possible collusion with Russia in hacking and other influences on the U.S. election.
5. Mr. Trump maintains communication with Mike Flynn after reluctantly firing him, advising Flynn to “stay strong” under intense investigation, as Flynn has sought immunity and fifth amendment protections.
6. Mike Flynn was removed due to not declaring then lying about his interactions with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak.
7. Jared Kushner, Trump Senior Adviser and son in law had undisclosed meetings with Russian Ambassador Kislyak along with Mike Flynn, and with Sergey Gorkov, head of Russian state owned bank Vnesheconmbank, which has been under sanctions since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.
8. The day after firing Jim Comey as F.B.I. Director for continuing to investigate “the Russia thing and Trump”, the President at Vladimir Putin’s request hosts Russian Foreign Minister Sergy Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak in the White House, brags to them about relieving pressure on himself about his Russian connections in doing so, and divulges highly secret intelligence to the Russians, possibly endangering an agent of the U.S. ally who provided the intelligence. U.S. media was excluded from the meeting, but Russian were not, and Vladimir Putin offered to provide transcripts if needed.
9. Mr. Trump asked the Director of National Intelligence and the National Security Adviser to deny that there is evidence of Trump campaign collusion with Russia in the 2016 election, even though the matter is under investigation.
10. Devin Nunes, Head of the House Intelligence Committee and Richard Burr, Head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, at the behest of the White House call media outlets to discredit news stories about contacts between the Trump campaign team ad Russians, while these committees are investigating just that.
11. Mr. Nunes pulls a stunt with White House staff, pretending the take data he actually got from those staffers to the White House in an attempt to validate Mr. Trump’s discredited assertion that former President Obama wiretapped President Trump.
12. Due to his behavior, Mr. Nunes has to recuse himself from the Russian investigations.
13. Attorney General Jeff Sessions also has to recuse himself because he was part of the Trump campaign being investigated, and he like others did not properly divulge his meeting with Russian Ambassador Kislyak.
14. Mr. Trump defends Vladimir Putin constantly while denouncing the U.S. intelligence agencies who unanimously conclude that Russia was behind the hacking and misinformation efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections, including Wikileaks activities. He even compares them to Nazis.
15. Even though warned about Mike Flynn by President Obama who had fired Flynn, and being told by Flynn about his foreign entanglements, Mr. Trump hired Flynn as National Security Adviser and had Flynn getting the Presidential Daily Intelligence Briefings. After Acting Attorney General Sally Yates went to the White House to warn that Flynn had lied to the F.B.I. about his Russian contacts, he remained in position with unlimited access for another 18 days.
16. Vice President Michael Pence denied knowing about Mr. Flynn’s foreign payments and lobbying even though the Trump Transition Team, headed by Pence, got a letter from Rep. Elijah Cummings about these matters, and Flynn himself had informed the Trump Transition Team that he was under investigation for his work on behalf of Turkey.
17. Mike Flynn’s lobbying client in Turkey actually had business dealings in Russia, and worked with an executive in Russian oil companies on Turkish lobbying projects.
18. Former British MI6 agent Christopher Steele compiled a dossier on Donald Trump which concluded that Trump is under Russian influence. Much in the dossier has been proven accurate.
19. Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was paid by former Russian ally Ukraine to influence U.S. attitudes toward Ukraine ties to Russia. The Republican Party platform deleted language critical of Russia’s actions in the Ukraine reportedly at the insistence of the Trump campaign.
20. Carter Page, former adviser to the Trump campaign and a constant advocate for warmer relations with Russia visited Russia during the campaign, and met with Russian Ambassador Kislyak during the Republican convention. He is evasive about why he is under investigation Similarly, Roger Stone, another Trump associate visited Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and seemed to have pre-knowledge of what Wikileaks would reveal.

This is just a partial list. Concerning?

TRUMP and the ALT-RIGHT

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Paul Nehlen unsuccessfully challenged Paul Ryan, Republican Speaker of the House in Ryan’s Wisconsin primary bid for reelection. Although ultimately, under extreme pressure as the Republican Party’s candidate for the presidency, Trump endorsed Ryan, he initially refused to endorse Ryan while instead praising Mr. Nehlen.
A movement known as the Alt-Right championed Mr. Nehlen’s effort to unseat Mr. Ryan. Although not succeeding in that case, the Alt-Right achieved two stunning successes in 2014. Eric Cantor, then House Majority leader, was defeated in his reelection bid in Virginia by David Brat, an Alt-Right darling based on his strong anti-immigration stance. Subsequently, John Boehner was forced into retirement from his position as House Speaker largely as a result of Alt-Right reaction to him on the issue of immigration.
So what is this Alt-Right movement? Why are they so concerned about immigration, and what else do they care about?
The Alt-Right fancy themselves guardians of white identity and white culture. They see globalization and multiculturalism as threats to the divine whiteness of Europe and the U.S., thus their high priority around limiting immigration. People from the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America are viewed by the Alt-Right as diluting and polluting the whiteness of Euro-America. They consider Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany to be a race traitor due to her actions and positions in favor of immigration as thousands of folks from the Middle East seek refuge in Europe as they flee conflicts at home. Conversely, Briton Nigel Farage is an Alt-Right hero, having led the charge resulting in the United Kingdom voting to exit the European Union in large measure as a reaction to large scale immigration. At a rally in Mississippi Mr. Trump denounced Hillary Clinton as the Angela Merkel of the U.S., restated his resolve to “build the wall” to keep out immigrants, and introduced Mr. Farage with high praise.
Mr. Trump typically claims non-affiliation or unawareness when pressed about his support from white supremacists, an example being his claim not to have known who former Klansman David Duke was. He cannot deny affiliation with the Alt-Right credibly.
Trump’s major financial support comes from a Super PAC funded by hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer and managed by Kellyanne Conway until she became Chairwoman of Mr. Trump’s campaign. Mr. Mercer also finances Breibart News, whose chairman, Stephen Bannon proclaims Breitbart the “platform for the Alt-Right. Stephen Bannon is now CEO of Donald Trump’s campaign.
So we see that the Alt-Right, having brought down establishment Republicans not sharing their rigid pro-white agenda are now committed to the making of a President.

TRUMP KNOWS THE POWER OF RACISM

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Donald Trump has taken presidential politics from the ridiculous, past the sublime, lapped the ridiculous, and is in hot pursuit of the rabidly insane. His statements confound most people, even those who doggedly cling on in support of him. He started with “build a wall” to keep out those Latinos he has labeled rapists, thieves, and murderers. He moved on to Muslims, all of whom he considers terrorists or complicit in terror, so “don’t let them in…” When challenged by the son of a fallen Muslim hero, Trump disparaged the wife and mother, “…maybe she wasn’t allowed to say anything…” In case Hillary Clinton might win against him, he encouraged the “…Second Amendment people…” to “..do something about it…” Locking up “Crooked Hillary” just wouldn’t be enough. That was the last straw for some folks, but Donald wasn’t out of straws. He labeled Barak Obama, sitting President of the United States, “..founder of ISIS”. Even worse, to drive home his assertion that international leaders don’t respect the President, Trump says Vladimir Putin of Russia has used the “N-word” in discussing President Obama, although Trump  is alone in his awareness of this. Now, he’s literally inviting voter intimidation under the guise of concern about fraud, urging Pennsylvanians to “..go into those areas and watch what’s going on, and make sure they don’t vote 5 or 15 times…” Does anyone doubt where “..those areas..” are, or who inhabits them?

What is sad is not the fact that Mr. Trump says these things. What’s sad is that the more of them he says, the more popular he becomes with roughly 40% of the American electorate. Bolstered by talk radio and Fox News, these folks are solidly, even violently behind the notion to “Make America Great Again”, essentially by getting rid of those who can be defined as “other”, or those who would defend them.

Decades ago, in an African nation called Rwanda, the media called out for the Hutu majority to do something about the Tutsi minority. It resulted in husbands hacking wives to death with machetes, and members of the same congregation murdering their fellows at church service, because after all, they were “other”, and you’d be better off without them. Trump hasn’t yet called black and brown people “cockroaches” as the Tutsi were labeled in Rwanda, but is the animus not as recognizable?

The hatred is contagious, extending far beyond the American borders. Italian Olympic gymnasts muse about needing black skin to win contests, as their coach asserts that blacks, not suited for management, aren’t buoyant enough to win at swimming. You see, people watch Fox News all over the world.

Common decency, if not common sense, should compel people to reject these notions and their champion, Mr. Trump, before we cross the threshold of lunacy that plunders the world into turmoil and millions to their grave.

Why Is “Black Lives Matter” a Legitimate Phrase?

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I know very little about the political organization, “Black Lives Matter.” It is not known to me whether there are actions or positions on issues that they have taken which deserve scorn, criticism, or outright rejection. Should that be the case, then it would be appropriate to denounce that organization for same.

However, I’m hearing volumes of outrage at the very phrase, “Black Lives Matter”, and I find that appalling. In the first instance, we need to put the phrase in context by adding two words, “…as well”. Hopefully that will help impart understanding to those who suggest that the phrase is inherently racist. It is not. What it recognizes and seeks to counter is a plethora of examples which suggest that in contrast to other ethnicities, black lives have lesser value. I’m aware of no such suggestion that Caucasian lives in particular have diminished worth.

I’d like to cite just a few indicators of inference that black lives do not matter.
1. Slavery. The basic premise of slavery was that people of African descent were property rather than members of the human family.
2. Segregation. Although not slaves, black people, despite being subject to the same laws and taxation were relegated to separate and unequal housing, employment, voting rights, civil services, and health care. Obviously there were consequences with respect to the quality and length of life as a result.
3. Eugenics. This pseudo-science, foundational to Nazi doctrine, was founded in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. It influenced not just attitudes but also legal positions throughout the nation, suggesting that African descent was indicative of lower humanity. Among the remedies were forced sterilization and other birth control initiatives intended to limit the birth rate of black babies.

Some may choose to dismiss these as aged examples, but I believe they have a profound effect on the perception of African Americans to this day. This may be debated, of course. That they occurred is beyond reproach. There are other, more ominous indicators of black life being marginalized as well.
1. Tuskegee Experiments. For decades, African American citizens in Tuskegee, Alabama who sought treatment for syphilis were given placebo, not antibiotics. They were studied to observe the progression of the disease, without regard to their loved ones, their descendants, or their mortality.
2. St. Louis Radioactive Experiments. In order to study the effects of exposure to radiation, the U.S. Army sprayed zinc cadmium sulfide particles over the Pruitt-Igoe public housing projects, where 70% of the African American inhabitants were children under the age of 12. These citizens were studied as they succumbed to painful and sometimes fatal diseases and cancers.
3. The Death Penalty. Several studies have evidenced huge disparities in the application of capital punishment to people of African descent. North Carolina, to its credit, enacted a law allowing black prisoners on death row to challenge their sentences given the overwhelming statistical evidence of racial bias in sentencing.

So, informed of those facts, let’s examine some contemporary indicators of life through the lens of black citizens in America.
1. Trayvon Martin. A black teen watching sports on television with his father, walked to a 7 Eleven where he purchased a can of iced tea and pack of Skittles. On his way home, he was shot dead by a neighborhood watchman who claimed he was attacked by the teen, showing bloody scrapes on his scalp as evidence of his plight. The jury found his action to be self defense against the unarmed teen. So black parents came to realize their children could be murdered by anyone, so long as there was no witness or camera. That murderer’s behavior subsequent to his release, including many scrapes with the law, is a blight on the conscience of the country.
2. Tamir Rice. Ohio is an “Open Carry” state, which means it is lawful to carry firearms openly. Tamir, a 12 year old child, was in a public park holding a toy pistol. Within 2 seconds of arriving at the scene, a policeman fatally shot the kid. His action was declared reasonable.
3. O. J. Simpson. This despicable human being was tried and found not guilty of murder. Over 70% of Caucasian Americans were outraged. Over 70% of African Americans were relieved. No one saw him commit the murders. The evidence linking him to the murders was his blood and that of the victims. A policeman took Simpson’s blood to the crime scene. Another policeman, who discovered the victims’ blood including a bloody glove, when asked under oath if he had planted or fabricated the evidence asserted that he would not answer the question on the grounds that to do so would tend to incriminate him. It is telling that in a criminal justice system which presumes your innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, one where doubt was assumed in cases 1 and 2 above, Caucasian citizens fully expected a black citizen to be found guilty under such circumstances, even Simpson.

There are many other examples, but those presented here are ones that trouble me. I don’t profess to speak for anyone but myself, but I can say unequivocally that for me these examples call into question whether black lives matter, as well.

WHY DURANT’S DECISION WAS CORRECT

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WHY DURANT MADE THE RIGHT DECISION; CP3 and Dr. J

There is much discussion and criticism around the decision Kevin Durant made to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and join forces with the three All Stars at the Golden State Warriors. He’s been called a coward, a band wagoner, a cheat, and worse. Part of the anger comes from a sense of his value to the small market OKC region, and supposed abandonment of them. Part of it emanates from a sense of inevitability of success on Golden State given the plethora of talent. There is also a lingering resentment of the partnership Lebron James crafted in Miami with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, and what they achieved in reaching four consecutive NBA Finals, winning two championships. This emerging Warrior contingent is seen by many as the second coming of those Miami Heat. I’ve heard strong opinions from Mike and Mike, as well as Stephen A. Smith.

So, what should Kevin Durant have done? I refer you to the examples of Chris Paul and Julius Erving, which for me clearly exhibit the wisdom of his choice.

Julius Erving is my favorite basketball player of all time, and certainly there can be no question that he was one of the best to ever lace up a pair of sneakers. However, when Shaquille O’Neal indicated in 2014 and again in 2015 that he viewed Dr. J, as Erving was called, as the best ever, his opinion was widely ridiculed. Erving only won one NBA championship, and the most productive player on that championship team had been Moses Malone. How could Dr. J be the best ever?

If we look deeper, however, Julius Erving accomplished a great deal before he entered the NBA at age 26. He won two ABA championships in that rival league whose demise ushered in the assimilation of great players like Malone, George Gervin, Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel, David Thompson, and Marvin Barnes into prominent NBA careers. From his play at the Rucker Summer League in Harlem, New York, through his ABA career, to his assault onto the NBA hardwood, Julius Erving legitimized a high flying, free wheeling style that enabled the Michael Jordans, Kobe Bryants, Lebron Jameses, and even Steph Currys who would follow. He carried the ABA, dominated the NBA, but didn’t have the teams, coaches, and organizations around him to win more than one NBA title. Thus, he is diminished historically.

Players want to win that elusive NBA title. Chris Paul realized his situation in New Orleans wasn’t conducive to that, and he bolted for the Los Angeles Lakers. NBA Commissioner David Stern, however, with New Orleans under league supervision and in search of an owner at the time, looked at CP3 joining Kobe Bryant and his perennially contending Lakers as not in the best interest of the league. He later allowed CP3 to join the Clippers, which raised the Clippers’ fortunes while the Lakers slipped into mediocrity. The Laker organization will never forget that. Neither will Chris Paul, who hasn’t realized his dream of an NBA championship to this day, and may never get one.

Kevin Durant recognized that his best opportunity for a championship, perhaps multiple championships was before him in the presence of unrestricted free agency and an eager landing place in Golden State. He took it. Its a better fate than Dr. J or CP3 are doomed to in recorded history.