http://nnpa.org/racism-costs-the-u-s-billions-every-year-by-freddie-allen/
http://nnpa.org/obama-on-defensive-over-healthcare-glitches-by-freddie-allen/
[****NO BRIEFS THIS WEEK]
EXCLUSIVE
PASTOR JAMISON SAYS
HE AGREES
WITH NAACP, DESPITE
TV REMARKS
By Cash Michaels
Editor
Despite
televised remarks that seemed to suggest that he was at odds with the NAACP
contention that five recent Wilmington police shootings of black men were evidence
of “street justice,” Rev. James Jamison, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church for
All Nations, told The Wilmington Journal
Wednesday that, in fact, he fully supports the civil rights group’s call for an
independent citizen’s review board, and holding local law enforcement
accountable any time there are questions about alleged police abuse.
Rev.
Jamison, who also serves as WPD chaplain and heads up the grassroots
anti-violence organization, Boots on the Ground, told The Journal in an exclusive interview that he answered the
questions that a WECT-TV news reporter asked, but couldn’t respond to what
NCNAACP President Rev. William Barber, and NHC NAACP President Deborah Maxwell
said at a downtown press conference Tuesday, because he hadn’t seen any of it.
“I
was not aware of what Barber said,” Rev. Jamison, who has not seen the WECT-TV
interview, told The Journal. “The
question I was asked was what I thought of the Wilmington Police Dept., not in
relations to any shootings, not in any relation to what Barber said, or anything.
And I stand by what I said, because I’m out there on the street with them a
lot.”
“And
I haven’t seen any police brutality, or seen them grossly disrespect citizens,”
said Rev. Jamison, continuing that he has seen police officers keep their cool
after being verbally abused and challenged.
Only
at the end of the TV interview, Jamison recalls, did the reporter mention Rev.
Barber’s name. The minister says he replied, “Well I didn’t see that,”
referring to what the state NAACP leader had said.
It
was only later that Rev. Jamison says he got calls telling him that the TV
story tried to play him as opposed to Rev. Barber, which he says wasn’t true.
So
his remarks praising the WPD for “outstanding” crimefighting were based on his
personal experiences working closely with local police officers, Rev. Jamison
said, and were not meant in anyway to contradict the NAACP’s call for greater
scrutiny of the five police shootings – all in the past thirty days – where
three black suspects were killed, and two wounded.
The
NAACP maintains that in at least one case, the victim was unarmed, and in the
remaining cases, the suspects did not fire on police, or even had their guns
drawn.
Rev.
Jamison says he stands by the statements he gave WECT-TV, but that legitimate
questions have been put on the table about the five police shootings that must
be addressed.
“I
do agree with everything I heard Rev. Barber said, and I don’t have a problem
with it” Rev. Jamison says, once he was briefed about it by NHC NAACP President
Maxwell.
“I
told the reporter that anytime a citizen has a question about the legitimacy of
a department head or something like that, those agencies have the
responsibility to answer. That’s how I said it,” Rev. Jamison.
And
does he have a problem with the NAACP asking for answers in the specific case
of Brandon Devonne Smith, who was fatally shot by two NHC Sheriff’s deputies
and a federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent on Oct.13th?
“No,
no, no. I think that if you’re right, you should be able to answer questions
asked top you, and you should be above reproach,” Rev. Jamison replied, adding
that the DA and chief of police were men “of integrity” who should have no
problem answering the community’s questions.
“I
don’t have any opposition to anything that’s open, and fair and upright,” he
added.
-30-
W-ed -THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Let’s
face it, the police rarely like to answer questions, let alone BE questioned,
or forced to give answers.
Transparency,
despite what you may have heard this week, is really not part of the law
enforcement culture. Why? Because historically, despite their unabiding oaths
to “protect and serve,” that always comes with a caveat.
“As
long as we get to do it our way.”
The
African-American community has long been on the business end of that caveat. A
couple of false arrests here (the Wilmington Ten and Central Park Five); a
couple of vicious beatings there (Rodney King); and sadly, some unjustified
fatal shootings too (Amadou Diallo and Jonathan Ferrell).
So
any police officer who has a problem with the above declarations…don’t bother.
History just isn’t with you.
But
now we come to an extraordinary situation – five law enforcement shootings of
black suspects in Wilmington/New Hanover County, all since Oct. 13th
of THIS year.
That’s
just thirty-one days ago!
Only Charlotte comes close, except
that the five police shootings there took place over a period of the first nine
months of this year.
And people were raising eyebrows
about that.
So when 35 police bullets are
exhausted to bring down five people – none of whom fired a single shot first,
or even had drawn a weapon, yes Wilmington/NHC law enforcement, sensible people
are going to ask, “What in the hell is going on here?”
Those
sensible people include our local NHC and NC branches of the NAACP, a civil
rights organization that has a long history of dealing with situations of
alleged police brutality not just here in North Carolina, but throughout the
nation.
The
NAACP knows a police problem when it sees one, and we certainly have a big, and
disturbing one here.
Let’s
be clear, if there’s any community that wants solid, effective law enforcement,
it is the African-American community. With so many people in desperate pain
from poverty, unemployment, historical bias, drugs, etc., there are going to be
problems, and decent, law-abiding people support good law employment to ensure
safety, and the preservation of the social and civic fabric.
But
in the performance of their tough, tough duties, law-abiding citizens also
expect, if not demand, the highest standard of professionalism and fairness on
the part of law enforcement.
When
citizens hear of five shootings in thirty days, with three of them fatal, they
rightly question whether those high standards are being maintained, and if our
elected officials, like our mayor, City Council and district attorney, are
paying attention.
Again,
enter the NAACP, to ask the tough questions, and put its foot down in demanding
no-nonsense answers.
Our
elected leaders would like for us to believe that five police shootings in thirty
days – three dead, two wounded, and all black men – is normal, and everything
is under control.
Indeed,
they’d love for the NAACP to just shutup and go home, while officials try to
make us get use to such foolishness.
And
our DA Ben David, normally a good man, is so disturbed that the NAACP bothered
to notice the police carnage, that he actually issued a statement effectively
saying that Rev. Barber doesn’t live around here, so he has no say in what goes
on in Wilmington.
Gee,
didn’t Wilmington officials say the same thing about Rev. Benjamin Chavis over
forty years ago when he, just like Rev. Barber, was asked to come here to help
address a problem?
And
wasn’t it Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – a well-traveled civil rights leader who
was known to repeatedly stick his nose into other people’s business – who once said,
“ Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere?”
Mr.
David, unless you can top Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we strongly suggest,
sir, that you quit while you’re ahead.
The Wilmington Journal stands firmly
with both our NHC and NC NAACP branches in calling for true transparency
surrounding these five police shootings, for the establishment of an independent
citizen’s review board (with subpoena power, or else it’s toothless); release
of the police records surrounding these cases; and for the state Attorney
General’s Office to take a special look at these cases beyond the ongoing SBI
probes to see why a pattern of police abuse has been clearly established.
Let’s
be real, in the past thirty days, we’ve had a “Shoot first, and answer no
questions” mentality on our police force. ALL citizens of Wilmington/NHC have
the right to ask why, and hold our law enforcement and elected officials
accountable for the answers.
We
want local law enforcement to do their job, but that doesn’t mean, as NCNAACP
Pres. Rev. Barber said, that they be “judge, jury and executioner.”
The
accountability starts now, and our elected, and nonelected officials need to
realize that they’ve lit a fuse to something that will not end well.
When
the NAACP speaks, they better listen!
And act!
-30-
EXCLUSIVE
WAKE GOP WANTS
‘HONEST PEOPLE,’
NOT DEMOCRATS,
WORKING THE POLLS
By Cash Michaels
Editor
An
email, issued by the Wake County Republican Party and given to The Carolinian, calls for local
“patriots” to apply to become local precinct poll officials, because, “We need
honest people who want to see our elections conducted in a legal way, and are
willing to help.”
Precinct
officials, also known as poll workers, are trained nonpartisan personnel who manage
voting at various precincts countywide each election day.
The
Wake GOP email goes on to say, “We can’t afford to sit by and let Democrats
continue to dominate appointments to the Precinct Official jobs because
Republicans won’t step forward.”
“Precinct
Officials really understand the voting procedures because they are “Players”
not Observers,” the Wake GOP email continues.
The
email, which The Carolinian contacted
the Wake Republican Party Wednesday about in an effort to confirm, also stated,
“Interested patriots should contact George Lipscomb immediately… to receive a
brief appointment questionnaire and instructions on applying to the Board of
Elections.”
Lipscomb
is listed as heading up the “poll official project” in the “officers” section
of the Wake GOP website.
Later
in the email it warns, “The opportunity for appointment to the very important
2014 elections will be lost if you do not act immediately. The deadline for
filling the empty positions is approaching VERY soon. If we don’t fill them,
the Democrats will.”
The
issue, many observers say, is the highly partisan tone in which the Wake GOP is
advertising to fill what are primarily nonpartisan positions at the polls on
Election Day.
Indeed,
the message at the Wake Board of Elections website (www.wakegov.com/elections/getinvolved)
isn’t partisan at all:
Be a Precinct Official. Did you know? It
takes more than 2,000 people to operate Wake County polling places each
election. These people are your friends, coworkers and neighbors who give 2-3
days of paid service to ensure you have a place to vote on Election Day. We
need your help too! More poll workers are needed in your neighborhood. Do your
part to provide voting opportunities in your community.
After
clicking a link, you’re then taken to fill out an application.
Observers
say given the passage of the Election Reform omnibus law this year by the
Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly, with the blessing of Republican
Gov. Pat McCrory, the concern is that the Wake GOP, and perhaps other county
Republican parties as well, is trying to recruit partisans for a nonpartisan
job for the expressed purpose of further suppressing the Democratic vote,
especially in heavily Democratic voting areas that observers suspect is
targeted by the GOP-supported voter ID law, like the African-American
community.
When
The Carolinian posted the Wake GOP
email on Facebook for comments, the reaction from readers was virtually 100
percent negative, ranging from, “This looks like something from a foreign
country and not American,” to, “…Disturbing…,”to, “Sounds like someone is
trying to hire spies by using the BOE (Board of Elections) as a front.”
When
contacted by email by The Carolinian
to both confirm that the Wake GOP email was indeed authentic, and to speak to
its purpose, Wake Republican Party Chairwoman Donna Williams replied, “As you
know, with the governor’s office going to the Republicans in the last election,
we have a significant need for new poll officials to be recruited by the
Republican Party. Finding this many new people to serve our county is a
daunting task.”
“When
we put out the request,” Ms. Williams continued, “we felt it very important we
recruit civic-minded people inclined to serve their fellow citizens and who
would discharge their duties fairly. In our request we characterized our
preferred new recruit as an “honest” person and a “patriot,” one who will
attend the training that the Board of Elections provides, and follow the laws
of our state.”
Williams
adds that the new voting laws don’t actually take effect until 2016.
According
to a video and website by the Wake Board of Elections, there are 210 precincts
across Wake County, requiring between 2,000 to 3,000 precinct officials to man.
The workers are engaged year-round in preparation for the next election, and
contrary to common belief, they are paid for both work and training.
Applicants
normally apply online at the Wake Board of Elections website or at various
outreach events held across the county.
Based
on an applicant’s skills, experience and interests, officials then decide, if
the applicant is chosen, what role at the polls best suits them in assignment.
Chosen
applicants, unless otherwise determined, are most often assigned to the
precincts where they vote.
According
to the website of the NC Campus Compact, a nonprofit organization committed to
building, “…the capacity of colleges and universities to produce
civically-engaged graduates and strengthen communities,” the benefits of
becoming a pollworker include, “ …fulfill your civic duty; make friends; learn
about elections; and looks great on resumes,” among other highlights.
Nothing
about being “honest,” “legal” or a “patriot,” and not a word specifically about
being a Democrat or Republican.
To
become a precinct official in North Carolina, the NC Campus Compact website
advises that one , “must be a registered voter; must be a resident of the
county in which the precinct is located; must not be an elected government
official or a manager or treasurer for any candidate or political party; and
must not be a candidate in the election or a candidate’s spouse, parent,
sibling or children.
The
website does say that among the other “important qualifications,” “good moral character “ is included, but
is not used in the same political connotation that many Democratic critics
accuse the Wake GOP of using “honest” in their email.
Among
the available precinct official positions was “judge,” defined as a person who
works closely with the Chief Judge in managing the election in his/her absence,
and,” … must sign all official documents
and serve on a panel to resolve any challenges.”
For
the record, both parties are allowed to recruit from among their ranks to apply
for poolworker positions at their local Boards of Elections.
Wake
County Democratic Party Chairman Dan Blue III said the Wake GOP email was an
obvious attempt to recruit partisan Republicans to essentially nonpartisan
poolworker positions, for the purpose of carrying out the mandates of the new
GOP voter laws.
“The
differences in the language [between the Wake BOE website and the Wake GOP
email] is startling, if not alarming, where the Board of Elections is looking
for people that are going to ensure that everyone is going to have an
opportunity to vote, the [Wake]
GOP is here talking about ensuring that voting is conducted legally –
suggesting that it’s not conducted legally without their volunteers jumping in
here,” Blue told The Carolinian.
The state party agrees.
“It’s a
shame Republicans are so quick to result to fear-mongering time and time again
to make up for the overwhelming lack of evidence of election fraud as they
restrict voter access in this state,” said Micah Beasley, a spokesman for the
North Carolina Democratic Party.
-30-
NAACP DEMANDS STATE
PROBE INTO POLICE
SHOOTINGS
By Cash Michaels
Editor
Alleging
that, “…it appears there are discriminatory motives and actions on the part of
our elected and sworn community officials,” leaders of both the state and New
Hanover County branches of the NAACP, in an open letter to local officials, are
calling for a state investigation into five recent police shootings of black
men in Wilmington/New Hanover County in the past month, with three of them
ending in death.
During
a press conference Tuesday across the street from Wilmington City Hall, Deborah
Maxwell, president of the New Hanover County NAACP, was joined by Rev. William
Barber, president of the NC NAACP and other community leaders, in saying that
the NAACP was, “…concerned with the pattern of “street justice…,” and,
“…[we’re] calling on the North Carolina attorney general to release and
investigate the situation.”
“In
the past month, four African-American men have been shot and killed by our
local police,” the letter from both Ms. Maxwell and Rev. Barber state. “One
report says that the Wilmington/New Hanover has had more police shooting
investigations than any other county or city in this state this year.”
The
NAACP open letter continued, “While the men who were shot and killed had
allegedly been engaged in acts that might have led to a criminal conviction,
after they were charged and had an opportunity to defend themselves in court,
the NAACP is concerned with the pattern of ‘street justice,” rather than courthouse
justice, that emerges from a study of these four cases.”
On Oct. 13th, Brandon Devonne
Smith was fatally shot by two NHC Sheriff’s deputies and a federal Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms agent. Officials say Smith fired at two officers in
Creekwood.
On
Oct. 25th, Tevin Robinson and Ronald Dashaen Roland, 20 and 18
respectively, were fatally shot by six Wilmington police officers after a
robbery at the 17th Street Pizza Hut. Though the pair were found to
have been armed, neither gun had been fired, police report. A third suspect,
Jalani Smith, 20, was shot in the hand, and arrested.
And
on Nov. 6th, Jhalie Dunham Mitchell sustained a gunshot wound in the
foot after police say he and two other men allegedly drove a gold Cadillac
towards officers investigating a report of a home invasion in an apartment
complex on Lullwater Drive.
The
State Bureau of Investigations and NHC D.A. Ben David have determined that authorities were justified
in the Brandon Smith fatal shooting, even though he was unarmed. The SBI is
currently probing the other four police shootings.
NHC
Sheriff Ed McMahon, in a statement Tuesday, said he has have no problem with SBI
probes into the actions of his deputies, and that he and Chief Evangelous,”…are
committed to share resources and work together to provide a safer community.”
“We
will continue to use every available resource to provide transparency,
truthfulness and quality investigations for the Wilmington Police dept. and the
citizens of Wilmington,” said Chief Evangelous in a separate statement Tuesday.
NHC
D.A. Ben David also defended local law enforcement’s actions, telling a local
TV station that the real problem was, “…young men shooting and killing each
other, and then failing to report it…”
And Rev. James Jamison, the WPD chaplain, and strong police supporter who oversees the "Boots on the Ground" community anti-violence effort, joined D.A. David in defending local law enforcement, saying that based on what he's seen, police use great restraint in shooting cases.
"I think sometimes w don't realize that these officers are concerned about dying too," Rev. Jamison told WECT-TV, adding that the WPD was doing "an outstanding job."
However, after considerable negative community reaction, Rev. Jamison has reportedly backed off of some of his WECT-TV remarks.
And Rev. James Jamison, the WPD chaplain, and strong police supporter who oversees the "Boots on the Ground" community anti-violence effort, joined D.A. David in defending local law enforcement, saying that based on what he's seen, police use great restraint in shooting cases.
"I think sometimes w don't realize that these officers are concerned about dying too," Rev. Jamison told WECT-TV, adding that the WPD was doing "an outstanding job."
However, after considerable negative community reaction, Rev. Jamison has reportedly backed off of some of his WECT-TV remarks.
But based
on media reports of the five police shootings, the NAACP maintains that, “none
of the four men shot by the police fired first at the officers; none of the
four men had drawn weapons; and one of the men, unarmed, was shot 24 times in 3
seconds, hit by 9 bullets; and grazed by several more while on the ground.”
“We
are deeply concerned that in the past thirty days, there have been two
shootings where the suspects were unarmed,” Ms. Maxwell told reporters. “We are
not pro-crime for young men robbing and carrying guns. The police are here to
arrest and let the judicial system exact justice.”
She
also noted how, in one situation, a tank was brought in from Brunswick County.
“…[T]o terrorize an entire community like it was under occupation is unfair,”
she said.
Maxwell
continued, “In thirty days we have had 35 bullets fired by our police at four
people. The issue here is… are we moving towards excessiveness?”
Saying
that, ” …there has been a breach in the trust that holds our community together…”
and that, “those who enforce the law, must abide by the same law…,” the NAACP
leaders demanded the public release of police reports; the setting up of an
independent local citizens’ police review board; and patience on the part of
law enforcement for investigations to be completed before publicly stating that
police shootings are justified.
In
addition, per the open letter to NHC District Attorney Ben David, Wilmington
Mayor Bill Saffo and City Council, and Wilmington Police Chief Ralph
Evangelous, the NAACP said it wants, “…an immediate meeting convened by the
D.A., the Mayor and the Police Chief, to set up a joint community forum with
the NAACP within two weeks to hear and respond to concerns about how we might
build an atmosphere of trust, transparency and training in our community.”
“We
believe in a system of law enforcement where the police arrest, prosecutors
prosecute and juries and a judge render judgment,” state NAACP Pres. Rev.
Barber said. “We are concerned that officers are expanding their role and
deciding for whatever reason – race, class, whatever the reason – that they can
be judge, jury and executioner.”
-30-
CASH IN THE APPLE 11-14-13
By Cash Michaels
NEWS,
NEWS, NEWS – Boy, the closer we get to the holiday season, the more news of all
kinds seems to come out of nowhere. I know Pres.
Obama has had his fill. And we here in North Carolina are beyond sick of our
state government. So I am certain that when Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa
and New Year’s Day comes, they will be deeply appreciated and embraced by just
about everyone.
I
hope.
PHILIPPINES
TRAGEDY – My GOD, the typhoon that hit the Philippine Islands recently caused
immense devastation, and has killed upwards of 10,000 people there. Reports are
that an estimated 1.7 million children have been affected by tragedy. And as
you can imagine, every provision imaginable is needed.
So
if your local church is sponsoring a drive to lend assistance with food,
medicine, clothing, you name it, please give generously. Many of these people
had little to start, and now thousands of their countrymen are dead, and many
are missing.
You
can also go to the websites of the American
Red Cross, AmeriCares, Direct Relief International, Mercy Corps, Save the
Children, UNICEF and World Food Programme to give, and find out more about
how you can help.
PAY
UP, SPIKE – Of course there has to be a trial so that a judge and/or jury hears
all of the evidence before deciding, but the facts remain that last year, when
filmmaker Spike Lee allegedly (and
admittedly) retweeted what he thought was the home address to George Zimmerman in the wake of the
tragic Trayvon Martin murder, he was
wrong.
The
address belonged to the Sanford, Fla. home of an elderly couple, who were
forced to subsequently move to a hotel because of threats on their lives.
That
couple has now sued Lee, accusing him of negligence.
Strangely
enough, Spike did call and apologize to the couple, and even handed over a
check to settle. But now they’re saying that they were harassed again during
the 2013 Zimmerman trial, and they want cash time for that trouble.
Another
odd thing – the original erroneous tweet which Spike Lee then retweeted to his
240,000 followers actually came from a man in California who, to this day, has
never been hauled into court.
So
Spike is now holding the bag…twice!
Let
this be a lesson, boys and girls. Let this be a serious lesson.
FORGOT
TO SAY, “YEAAA” – With so much going on, I don’t think I ever took the
opportunity to cheer when the children of legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye finally filed suit against
imitation slime singer Robin Thicke
for allegedly ripping off Gaye’s 1978 hit, “Got To Give It Up” in his huge
summer hit, “Blurred Lines.”
You’ll
recall that Thicke struck first blood by suing the Gaye family first, claiming
that he’s done nothing wrong, and that they don’t have the right to sue him. That
slick legal move only made the Gaye children angrier, so they got their legal
ducks in a row, and now have countersued, alleging that Thicke not only
violated their father’s copyright, but that the music publishing company
handling the copyright, failed to protect it.
The
Gaye countersuit also alleges that Thicke is a serial rip-off artist when it
comes to Marvin’s music, citing other songs he’s done in the past where large
portions are direct copies of popular Marvin Gaye songs. Go to Youtube and dial up Thicke’s
“Million Dollar Baby,” and tell me it doesn’t sound like Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble
Man.”
So
I personally and professional applaud Marvin Gaye’s family for stepping up to
the plate and defending their father’s legacy. If a performer (I just can’t
bring myself to call him “artist”) like Robin Thicke can getaway with alleged
copyright infringement, then anybody can. Taking a piece of someone’s
intellectual proper is fine, and allowed under the US Copyright Office’s “fair
use” provision.
But
taking whole songs, changing the words, speeding up the beats, and changing the
titles, is not allowed, and I hope that the Gaye family has the legal firepower
to prove that is what allegedly happened in this case.
The
Gaye children deserve to be compensated for their father’s work.
“TWISTED
WORLD” - Jason Whitlock is a
talented, although arrogant sportswriter for ESPN.com. Many be the time that he
has simply embarrassed himself with stupid press conference questions after big
games.
Other
times he writes controversial columns which get him into tons of trouble. Like
the one recently where he called the Michigan
Wolverines football team “low character.” Ouch. That was not taken lightly
by anyone associated with the team, or the school.
But
this week, Jason Whitlock has written about the Jonathan Martin – Richie Incognito – Miami Dolphins controversy. A
young second-year tackle, tired of being racially harassed by a white teammate,
suddenly ups and leaves the team because he can’t take it no more.
And
as we get deeper and deeper into the details, we find that the harassment was
beyond just severe teasing, but rather where Martin was the target of gross
racial slurs, and threats on him and his family.
Clearly
one of two things were going to happen in a situation like that – either
Jonathan Martin gets a gun and goes post office on Richie Incognito, or he does
the sensible thing, and leaves the jungle that apparently is the Miami Dolphins
locker room (with a 4-5 record this season, it’s actually the losers’ locker
room), to go home, and be treated like a human being again.
In
his most recent column, “Martin walked into twisted world,” Jason Whitlock
makes the point that the environment in the Miami Dolphins locker room, if not
the team itself, was no different than a state prison, where inmates have to
live by the worst of their base instincts in order to survive.
Think
about it. Prisons are self-segregated facilities where the worst of the worst
prey on each other in order to rise to the top, and stay there.
Jason
Whitlock:
“I don’t blame Jonathan Martin for walking
away from the Dolphins and checking himself into a hospital seeking treatment
for emotional distress. The cesspool of insanity that apparently is the Miami
locker room would test the mental stability of any sane man.”
Wow!
The place is so bad, that the white player accused of racially harassing and
threatening Martin, Richie Cognito, was so notorious for his bad behavior and
rep across the NFL, that the black players on the Dolphins team made him an
“honorary black” guy, and supported his acts against Jonathan Martin because a)
Martin was only half-black (like a certain president we all know and love), and
b) Martin graduated from Harvard University.
So
Jonathan Martin, apparently in the eyes of his black teammates, wasn’t black
enough and too educated to be “a brotha.”
Jason
Whitlock:
“The Dolphins don’t have the kind of
environment to support someone with Martin’s background. It takes intelligence
and common sense to connect with and manage Martin. Those attributes appear to
be in short supply in Miami.”
An
understatement if ever.
Whitlock
continues:
“Martin was confused. He probably thought
the bullying and hazing would pass after his rookie season. He wanted to fit in
and make it in the NFL. The paycheck is incredible. He tried to laugh off the
abuse and disrespect. He participated in it…. Finally he snapped. He wasn’t
raised to be a full-blown idiot. He was raised to think and solve problems with
his mind. He was savvy enough to figure out a physical confrontation with Incognito
was a no-win situation. It
wouldn’t curb Incognito’s behavior or change the culture inside the Miami
locker room. It would confirm it…. Martin walked…he’s not desperate. He has
options.”
The
reason why we shared Jason Whitlock’s take on the Martin-Incognito fiasco with
you is because we could not have said it better.
Jonathan
Martin was raise and educated to be better than the prison environment that
apparently defines the Miami Dolphin team. He had had enough, and got out to
save his soul, if not his life.
Some
people have bashed Martin, saying that he wasn’t tough enough to play
professional football. Well if his skills on the field were delinquent, seems
to me he shouldn’t have been brought back for a second year. Either you bench
the guy until his skills are up to par, or you get rid of him. Simple. But you
don’t tear down his humanity, his dignity. His manhood, quite frankly, is none
of your business.
His
athletic skill and ability to properly perform his job are.
So
Jason Whitlock, thank you for an excellent piece of writing.
And
Jonathan Martin, you did the right thing by saving yourself, and walking away
from madness.
And
finally Richie Incognito, you are no better than the people who put you up to
this mess, I don’t care what color they are. For you, all I have…is prayer!
Make sure you tune in
every Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. for my talk radio show, ''Make It Happen''
on Power 750 WAUG-AM, or online at www.myWAUG.com.
And read more about my thoughts and opinions exclusively at my blog, ‘The Cash
Roc” (http://thecashroc.blogspot.com/2011/01/cash-roc-begins.html).
I promise it will be interesting.
Cash in the Apple - honored as the Best
Column Writing of 2006 by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
Columnist Cash Michaels was also honored by the NNPA for Best Feature Story
Journalist of 2009, and was the recipient of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP’s
President’s Award for Media Excellence in Sept. 2011.
Until next week, keep a smile on your face,
GOD in your heart, and The Carolinian in your life. Bye, bye.
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