A few years ago, I attended what is commonly known as the “Arizona Black Rodeo” in Scottsdale, AZ. This was a well-known and heavily attended annual event, drawing crowds even from out of state

It was presented in recognition of the black cowboy throughout history. Although this event was held every year, this was my first time. While there were a lot of things to see and do, as well as many references to its history, I could not help but feel uncomfortable with the title of the event. I wondered why not (to avoid issues) name the rodeo after, say, Nat Love; aka, Deadwood Dick- the most famous black cowboy of all, or one of several different options?

Obviously, that was not the priority in mind.

In any event, after several hours of various attractions, great food, and fun with my wife, I didn’t even think about it. Towards the end of the day, I began receiving comments regarding the pictures I’d posted on social media. Though most of the responses were positive, one in particular gave me pause. “I know you are a great person,” it read. “I don’t understand how there is, without talk a “black rodeo?” If it were a white rodeo, wouldn’t there be talk?” He was right, and I knew it. Not for a moment did I do the, “It’s only a name,” thing, or excuse it by going into America’s history on slavery and racial issues as a rationale. Nor did I defend the “necessity and value concerning a celebration of the black cowboy in America”; those were not the points or even his points.

Honorable? Certainly. Worthy of a celebration? Absolutely. Harmless? Maybe not.

What if it were an all-white rodeo? Granted, even if an argument could be made for it being representative by-and-large of the times in the 1800’s, excluding white cowboys based on the color of their skin was just as wrong then as it is now. Somehow, someway, based on skin color, we overlook it. As I said before, the lines become blurred when color is involved.

Oddly enough, despite what many profess, it is as though blacks in America suddenly have amnesia when it comes to their own history. Somehow, someway, many of us have made excuses for our frailty through what some simply call, ‘reverse racism.’ History reminds us of those hundreds of solemn-faced black men of the 60’s- each draped in A-boards, bearing the words, “I AM A MAN.” History reminds us as well of the bloody 1965 attack on hundreds of civil rights activists at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. History cries out still when 6-year-old Ruby Bridges crossed from segregation to de-segregation in 1960, and when four black college students dared to risk their lives to sit at Woolworth’s segregated lunch counter later that same year.

Were these individuals seeking Affirmative Action? Equity? The removal of Aunt Jemima, Ms. Butterworth, and Uncle Ben from our nation’s kitchens?

No. These brave souls fought for no more than the salient distinction of being recognized as equals, bearing the same rights and privileges allowing some to become Miss America, some to win Academy Awards, while others still became President.

Unfortunately, we have couched ourselves in the dangerous position of thinking that addressing our racial differences by ‘reversing’ the attack somehow rights what is considered a wrong. Even in theory, this is a failed concept on its face. As a wise man once said, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth only leaves us blind and toothless.” Regardless of any justification, the term ‘reverse racism’ is an oxy-moron; there can be no reversal-there is only racism.

The simplicity of Martin Luther King’s words still ring true and have stood the test of time. There is indeed a danger inherent in judging by the color of one’s skin rather than the content of one’s character. Yet those profound words will be of less effect until those for whom they were spoken take full and unadulterated advantage of their value. Until the day black America recognizes the many avenues where we have overcome, we will continue to bask in a never-ending sea of obscurity, falling short of the fruition of Dr. King’s dream.

https://theblacksphere.net/2022/09/when-racism-is-ok-a-deeper-look/

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Biden's Pentagon Makes Shameful Suggestion to Troops Struggling to Feed Their Families

The U.S. army is recommending soldiers apply for SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, to help cover their rising costs from inflation.

The U.S. Army cites the higher prices on a range of goods because of inflation in its recently released official guidance.

“With inflation affecting everything from gas prices to groceries to rent, some Soldiers and their families are finding it harder to get by on the budgets they’ve set and used before,” the guidance written by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston reads.

“Soldiers of all ranks can seek guidance, assistance, and advice through the Army’s Financial Readiness Program.”

The guidance points soldiers to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and links them to the federal welfare program’s website.

“SNAP is a U.S. government program that provides benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families via an electronic benefits transfer card that can be used like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail food stores. Service members and their families may be eligible,” the Army guidance reads.

“To determine qualification, visit the SNAP website or call the SNAP information line at 800-221-5689.”

Food insecurity for troops is not a new problem, but the recent surge in inflation has put service members in an even tougher situation.

“Based on the Pentagon’s own data, 24% of enlisted personnel are food insecure,” said Mackenzie Eaglen, an analyst at the American Enterprise Institute.

“While food stamps are a Band-Aid, they’re also an admission that basic pay for enlisted troops and their families is too low — further exacerbated by unyielding inflation causing paychecks to shrink more.”

Federal inflation data released in August shows that food prices have risen at the fastest rate since the 1970s.

“The food index increased 10.9 percent over the last year, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending May 1979,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“The food at home index rose 13.1 percent over the last 12 months, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending March 1979,” BLS said. “The index for other food at home rose 15.8 percent and the index for cereals and bakery products increased 15.0 percent over the year.

“The remaining major grocery store food groups posted increases ranging from 9.3 percent (fruits and vegetables) to 14.9 percent (dairy and related products).”

Eaglen said the answer is to increase pay and be more realistic about how inflation affects service members.

“A better solution is to abandon rosy inflation assumptions, boost basic pay, and request a defense topline above inflation each year so forces and families have predictability and stability,” she said.

https://thefederalistpapers.org/us/pentagon-troops-not-paying-enough-feed-apply-welfare

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Texas teacher who was FIRED for telling students 'don't judge people for wanting to have sex with 5-year-olds'

A Texas teacher has been fired after she was caught on tape instructing students not to use the word 'pedophiles', but instead use the term 'minor attracted persons'.

Amber Parker, 53, who taught English at Franklin High School in El Paso, was sacked from her job after making the comments in class which were captured on video and subsequently shared to social media.

During the 18-second long clip that was posted to TikTok, the teacher can be heard telling students: 'Stop calling them that.

'You're not allowed to label people like that. Stop it, Diego. We're not gonna call them that.'

Parker can be heard instructing her English students in the clip: 'We're gonna call them MAPs, minor attracted persons. So don't judge people just because they wanna have sex with a five-year-old.'

The term minor attracted persons allows people to escape the 'stigma' attached to the word pedophile.

The school district was immediately informed of the incident, which occurred last week - and an investigation was launched, initially leading to Parker's suspension.

El Paso's Independent School District board of trustees, led by Superintendent Diana Sayavedra, then unanimously voted to fire Parker following her controversial remarks.

Liza Rodriguez said Friday: 'After a thorough investigation was conducted, on September 6, 2022, during a Special Board Meeting, the Board of Trustees approved a decision to notify a Franklin High School teacher of proposed termination.

'Any allegation of potential misconduct is investigated thoroughly, and the safety of our students is a top priority.'

It wasn't clear in what context the discussion had been taking place, however students have said it was all part of a class debate as they prepared to read The Crucible.

Some students and parents were quick to defend the teacher - who believed that the clip did not represent Parker's beliefs and the conversation was taken out of context.

But others blasted her for her words. And after an investigation, school authorities also concluded that her conduct deserved further punishment.

Parker is now on paid administrative leave pending termination, it's understood.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11202311/Texas-teacher-Amber-Parker-fired-told-students-call-pedophiles-minor-attracted-persons.html

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Librarians go radical as new woke policies take over: experts

Marian the Librarian, the prim, bespectacled love interest of con artist Harold Hill in the classic musical, “The Music Man,” wouldn’t recognize her profession today.

Libraries, for decades the ultimate safe spaces, have become ground zero in the ongoing culture wars, with battles over banned books, drag queen story hours and free access to porn raging all over the country — from Louisiana to Idaho to Washington State as well as cities like New York and LA.

“The average person has no idea of this but librarians have been targeting children in recent years and trying to turn them into political activists,” said Dan Kleinman, a self-described “library watchdog” from Chatham, NJ, who has run a website called “Safe Libraries” for more than 10 years. He said he has documented the alarming radicalization of the nation’s libraries, including what he says is readily available porn in library computers.

“Librarians see themselves on the front lines on what it takes to bring revolution to the US. You need soldiers in the revolution so they are teaching kids to be little antifa activists who hate their own country and will act as a collective to bring about change.”

Many activists point to the American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library organization in the world, as the driving force behind what they say is too radical an agenda.

The newly-elected head of the ALA — a self-described “Marxist lesbian” named Emily Drabinski — said she rose through the ranks the old-school way, from “looseleaf legal filer to library director.” But her mission is deadly serious.

“So many of us find ourselves at the ends of our worlds,” Drabinski said during her campaign to become ALA president. “The consequences of decades of unchecked climate change, class war, white supremacy, and imperialism have led us here. If we want a world that includes public goods like the library, we must organize our collective power and wield it. The American Library Association offers us a set of tools that can harness our energies and build those capacities.”

After Drabinski won, she posted on Twitter: “I just cannot believe that a Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect of @ALALibrary. I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity!”

The influential Chicago-based Fobazi Ettarh, 32, who was most recently a librarian at Rutgers, is another example of what many call a modern “radical librarian.” Ettarh, who is also an educator and writer, says she represents “librarianship, education, activism, and all the intersections in between.”

“People that say what librarians do in their own time, out of the library, is their own business. As if white supremacy is something you only do on weekends,” she wrote on her “WTF Is a Radical Librarian Anyway?” website.

“It is time to stop being shocked. [People of color] have been telling you this forever. Trans people have been telling you this forever. The disabled. The queer. Librarianship is not the last bastion of democracy. It is not inherently good and sacred. It is an institution. And like other institutions it is riddled with white supremacy, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and so on, and on, and on… This is who we are.”

Supporters of so-called “woke” libraries say they simply want their facilities to be more diverse and inclusive when it comes to gender and race ideology. Opponents say that young children should not be exposed to books like Juno Dawson’s “This Book is Gay,” (a current No. 1 bestseller on Amazon), “Genderqueer” and “Lawn Boy,” which they say depict too-graphic illustrations of gay sex and are freely available to youths at public libraries.

Drag Queen Story Hour, which was launched in San Francisco in 2015, has become a mainstay for children at libraries all over the US and the UK. Drag queens in full regalia perform for children as young as two and three. Though at least two registered sex offenders were found to have been among the drag queens performing at a Houston public library in 2019, the program is still going strong.

https://nypost.com/2022/09/10/librarians-go-radical-as-new-woke-policies-take-over-experts

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)

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