Friday Night “Black” Out!

October 17th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

My favorite times at Huguenot High School happened every Friday Night.   Especially when I became a Flag Girl in the band.  We were the cream of the crop in the inner city of Richmond, Va.  We even gave the County boys a run for their money.  I remember one night we were playing L. C. Byrd, a Chesterfield County School.  Their football players got off the bus and we went into shock.  Those were some of the biggest men I had ever seen gathered in one place.

We instantly started making jokes about their size.  We said our players would get run over by freight trucks.  We said those country white boys were going to crush us into black pancakes.  We laughed and we joked but our football team didn’t find it very funny.  They pounded their chest, huddled in prayer, and came out with the intention of proving us wrong.  And they did.

They had no fear.  The didn’t care about skin color, size, or county lines.  They said to themselves they were the best, they had a coach that demanded the best from them and they delivered.  When L.C. Byrd left our not-so state of the art school, after playing against our semi-disadvantaged squad, they left in defeat. 

Things aren’t so pretty these days at Huguenot High.  With a 1-5 record, they suck.  There is no other nice way to put it.  What was once a dominate force in High School football is now a mere shell of its former self.  The games arent’ even close and don’t even ask about their away record.

What could cause this?  A big answer is the loss of our coach Bo Jones but that is a simple answer. In our winning days, we were the exception to the rule.  All the other city schools were horrible.  I remember one game, we scored so many touchdowns, at half-time we started coming up with new had gestures for the second half.    We didn’t want to keep repeating the same routines.  Then instead of marching back to the bus playing our music and showing our steps, the coaches and parents demanded we run to the bus because the crowd was VERY upset about the outcome of the game.

Friday Nights are supposed to be fun and filled with lasting memories for members of the team, the school, and the community.  How crucial is fixing our desire to compete in our overall mission to save our community?

What’s wrong with inner-city sports?

Prayer

Of course I’m going to start with prayer.  Most inner cities are run by Democrats/Liberals/Progressives, so they are usually the first to restrict worship.  No God for you.  They are the first to say “Winter Break” instead of “Christmas”.  They are the first to make a big deal out of moments of silence because someone might be thanking God for their school and teachers. (Doesn’t that kid know the Government gave them that school and pays those teachers?  But I digress)  The ones who like to assume the role of God but take no credit when their decisions turn to ruin.

God is an integral part of most Americans lives, no matter the color, size, or county lines.  Removing him from the picture doesn’t give our youth the ability to humble themselves before a greater power.  It doesn’t give them the opportunity to take their worries to God and leave them there, allowing them to focus on the field.  It removes the blessing God heaps upon us when we gather in a group and praise his name.  If we want zero-cost solution to fixing our schools, bring back prayer.

Parental Involvement

After God, the next most important people are the parents.  When did we stop becoming parents?  Even in my childhood, I don’t remember my parents ever showing up, for anything.  Why do we refuse to be there to shape our children?  Well, yet again, Democrats/Liberals/Progressives run our inner cities; so they are the first to decide they can raise a child better than the parents.  They are the people who spend Hundred of Millions of Dollars in Social Services, Early Childhood Development, and every other program to help the disadvantaged.  But what they actually do is take the responsibility away from the parents.

The Family unit is an integral part of all Americans lives, no matter the color, size, or county lines.  If we think we can turn our children over to a beaucracry and let them raise the next generation, we deserve everything we get.  Our kids are not running wild because of a politician, a government program, or any other red herring.  We learned hard lessons but we don’t share them with our children.  We stake our faith in schools, counselors, or anybody else tasked with the responsibility and then we look dumbfounded when our children can’t read, write, or have the stamina to compete in-game. 

The Coaches

The leader of the unit, next up at bat.  This is so easy.  If the coach doesn’t think the team can win, then the team probably won’t win. One thing I learned about football from my older brothers’ was how mean a coaches are.  They went to County schools and the coaches called them all kinds of names, made them run extra laps for little in fractures, and flew into a rage after a team loss.  They were taught discipline, humility, respect and they loved their coaches for it.  Do I even need to remind you D/L/P run the inner cities, so they are the first to frown upon an adult being an adult and a child staying in a child’s place?

A line of Authority is an integral part of all Americans lives, no matter the color, size or county lines.  Our children need people who demand respect of them, if not, how will they ever learn how to be respectful?   Our children need people who demand greatness from them, if not, how will they ever learn what great feats they are capable of?  Our children need to be praised for their accomplishments and called out for their mistakes, if not, how will they ever know the difference?

Where are the Fathers’

The role model has to come next.  How can a mother teach a boy how to tackle?  Now, this is not a knock on women.  I love football and can teach a boy a lot about all aspects of the game, but I can’t teach him the mechanics of receiving a snap without fondling the Centers’……well you know what I mean.  A boy, especially a football player, needs a father or at least, a father figure. He needs that affirmation that he is moving up on the food chain of manhood that only another man he respects can give him.  D/L/P run the inner city and they are the first ensure there is no man in the house by giving food stamps and housing to the women, with the simple intent of keeping the man away.

A two Parent household is an integral part of all Americans lives, no matter the color, size, or county lines.  A mother can sit on the sidelines and say “they better not hurt my baby”, while the father is yelling “hit’em harder”.  I don’t really mean that, because I would be in the stands yelling “not another yard”, but you get what I’m saying.  Dads punch the sore spots, while Moms get the ice packs.  While there is always a story of a child who made it through tough circumstances, he is usually surrounded by a team that had normal home lives.

A Respect of School

Under the lights should be a sanctuary. (Yes, that is a direct reference to Remember the Titans)  Today, our kids use a difference in schools as another reason to separate themselves.  I rep this school, you rep that school, so we have a problem.  What?  They have no respect for the building that houses their school.  They have no respect for the Principals, Teachers, or any other authority in that school.  They have no respect for the materials provided to them by that school.  Yet, they can fight with other students because the rep that school.  D/L/P run the inner cities, check your local school board, and they are constantly pointing out how inferior the schools are in their districts.  You think the kids don’t hear?

A belief in the Institutions of Education is an integral part of all Americans lives, no matter the color, size, or county lines.  How can you expect a 13 year-old to care about a school he attends, when he constantly hears news reports about how the school is falling apart?  How can you expect him to care about an education when he knows there is a 43% chance he will drop out?   With unions running the school boards, instead of focusing on the kids, the talk is always about getting more money.  No amount of money will help a child who has zero respect for his institution of learning.

Calling All Boosters

The support team, WE NEED YOU!  With State budgets shrinking, extra-curricular activities are the first to go.  D/L/P makes sure of it, then they throw it back in our faces as a reason to raise taxes.  Yet again, this can’t all be placed at the feet of Government.  It should be our jobs as parents to know what our children, their schools, and their sports teams need.  We need to take our place back as boosters, fundraisers, and Sponsors. 

A support system is integral in all Americans’, no matter color, size, or county lines.  Nothing can give a team more confidence than the support our their entire community.  When people show up, the kids have a reason to believe their victory, or defeat, won’t only affect them but everyone around them.  They get the chance to prove to that negative neighbor, all those nights in the back yard running drills was worth it.  They get to show their little brothers what they can accomplish with hard work.  They get a chance to shine in front of the people that most influence their lives.  There is no replacement for that feeling.

With all that said, what are we left with?  A generation of children who have no desire to compete.  They don’t care if they’re the best or if they get beaten 38-8.  They don’t care about anything and we leave them in a system that doesn’t truly care about them.  It’s sad there isn’t more of a reason to celebrate on Friday Nights.

Why Can’t I Find A Man?:A Look at Black Femenist

October 13th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

Every female has a friend that can find fault in every man that comes around her.  She is the one you don’t invite when you’re introducing your new beau to the fam.  Every man she does like ends up wanting to knock you in the head from time to time.  That is your Feminist Friend.

Since the release of Fire from the Heartland, I’ve been introduced to a new segment of the population I didn’t take seriously.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, I still don’t take them seriously but I’ve begun to notice what part they play in breaking down the black community.  They create the bitter, uptight, always want to tell you about your man when she  never has one, woman in your life.  She is of the feminist mold.

 That is not most black women.  We are strong and don’t mind being independent but we still want a man.  Personally, I’m not changing a tire, checking the oil, or taking out the trash.   That is what my man is for.  I will, however, cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I will go over and over spelling words and spend hours braiding hair because that is what the woman does.  I bake cookies, sign up to go on field trips, and for the first Five years of my daughter’s life I have shaped her outlook on life.

To you, nothing I’ve written so far sounds bad.  You’re thinking that’s right, that’s how it’s supposed to be, but the feminist consider these life choices to be destructive to Womenhood.  That unless your husband is a cheating politician, a lying Global Warming Billionaire, or is attracted to you because you’ll inherit Daddy’s Millions’ then there is no reason for you to consider marriage.

I remember the argument when I was about 10 years old.  Murphy Brown was intentionally becoming a single mother on T.V.   The debate became is it something wrong with a woman raising a child on her own?  What was left out of the debate makes all the difference.  We didn’t know the effects of providing for the mother and the child; leaving the father to fend for himself in the streets.  They didn’t tell us part of the Communist plan was to destroy the notion of what is family.  They forgot to remind us the first thing slave masters did was separate the family as the means to break both the women and the men.

Yet again, they made the conversation about the symptoms and not the actual problem.  Yet again, Hollywood was used to tell us the heartbreak we were starting to experience in our neighborhoods was socially acceptable.  Once again, we became the guinea pigs.  Where was Al Sharpton telling the black community not to listen to such non-sense.  Oh, that’s right, he was taking money from Planned Parenthood.   And we look around and wonder what’s wrong with our community?

The feminist of today are right there with Sharpton, killing black babies because they don’t want them brought up in poverty.  They created the atmosphere that keeps the poverty rates high in black communities.  When will we wake up?  They tell us it’s cool to be a single mother, then complain that little black boys grow up in a home with no father.  The show pity to the black community with more handouts, while they are on their Fifth marriage.  They keep trying to get it right and keep financing your inability to even try.  (Try getting food stamps with a man in the house.)

You may think I’ve gotten of target with the title but I know what I’m doing. LOL  This is why, WE CAN’T FIND GOOD MEN!  As women, we all have an idea in our head of what our man should be.  How he should look.  How he should dress.  His shoe size.  We never question their character.  Whether your married, in a relationship, or single, have  you even thought about what principles you want in a man?   Would you trade his wallet size for the respect he shows you and your family.  Could you trade looks for a strong work ethic?   Should you pick a man because of what he can do for your social status or what he can do for your spirit?

We have bought the Liberal/Progressive/feminist lies.  We look past men who drive buses, dump trash, or clean floors because we don’t hold men in high regard when they work their fingers to the bone to provide for their family.  Therefore, men don’t see the point in “degrading” himself to manual labor.  So they sell drugs, get locked up, or are measured for caskets.  These are the symptoms of the Liberal/Progressive/feminist attack on the black community.  They are the Real PROBLEM. 

We need to fall back on our principles.  We all want a home, a family, and security.  They want to make sure we hold no value in these things.  They want us to believe we must turn to them for a solution to all our problems, problems they created.  If we want to get back to happy, healthy famililes, then we must first start voting our principles and not endorsing candidates that go against everything we believe.

Fire from the Heartland: Obama’s Gangsta

September 25th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

I actually cut my last article short because I really wanted to address this. I recieved my first piece of negative press about Fire from the Hearland.  It is entitled Obama a “gangsta” says new film celebrating conservative women.

Out of the whole film, really?  Garance Franke-Ruta are you serious?  Of course you are.  This is the women who didn’t even look me in the eye when she was interviewing me.  She didn’t ask me a single question about my “gansta” comment when she had me right in front of her face.  Instead she waits until she is behind her computer screen to right such nonsense.

Well, isn’t the internet a wonderful thing. 

Did I say Obama was gangsta?  Yes I did.  Back on July 22nd 2008 when I wrote a piece entitled Is Barack Obama the Tony Soprano of Politics?  and I stand by every word I wrote in that article.    I said you had to bring your street smarts with you when you look at Candidate Obama.

And No Garance Franke-Ruta, it’s not because he’s black or I’m black, it’s because he is from CHICAGO!  As Andy Stern would say, “it’s because if they can’t use the power of persuasion they will use the persuasion of power”. It’s because instead of running a fair race, they use loopholes and political favors to elect their representatives.

My real anger at Obama’s Gangsta lies in the results.  How many more black boys have to die on the streets of Chicago before you start pointing the fingers towards the people that profit from their deaths?  How long does the above average poverty and unemployment rates amongst blacks in Illinois have to continue before we look at the government they have in place?  Are we going to wait until the state falls into bankruptcy before we as a nation can say there is something rotten in the Windy City.

Or shall we wait until Rahm Emaual, who has ten times the gangsta in his pinkie finger as Obama has in his whole body, to become Mayor to Hope for Change?   Oh wait, am I a racist for calling a Jew gangsta?  Am I sexist for saying Barack Obama’s big sis Valerie Jarrett is a female gangsta?  Or am I self-hating for pointing out President Barack Obama has no high profile blacks, other than Eric Holder, in his administration. 

No, I’m just a part of that misguided group Frederick Douglass Foundation.  We are imagining we have 13 black Republicans running across the country for seats traditionally held by Democrats.  We aren’t campaigning in safe white zones, we are venturing out into the communities that Democratic policies have destroyed in the last 40 years:

Star Parker (CA-37)

Ryan Frazier (CO-7)

Allen West (FL-22)

Isaac Hayes (IL-02)

Robert Broadus (MD-4)

Charles Lollar (MD-5)

Bill Marcy (MS-2)

Michael Faulkner (NY-15)

Bill Randall (NC-13)

Tim Scott (SC-3)

Charlotte Bergman (TN-9)

Stephen Broden (TX-30)

Chuck Smith (VA-3)

Did I forget to point out, majority of these candidates are Tea Party Favorites?

I don’t know why I expected more from reporter but I did.  It was a novice mistake but it won’t happen again.  If you get anything from this film, make it my response to Arlen Specter’s questioning of Michelle Bauchman: “had it been me, you would’ve gotten a response from someone who didn’t care about being a lady”.

Fire From The Heartland: Just the Beginning

September 25th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

The first-ever film to tell the entire story of the conservative woman in her own words, “Fire from the Heartland” is a powerful statement about America at a crossroads and the women who have awakened to the crisis. With role models such as Clare Boothe Luce, Margaret Thatcher, and Phyllis Schlafly as inspiration, these women are the unintended consequence of the liberal feminist movement.

Tracing the long history of the many conservative women who have been the backbone of this great nation, from the founding mothers of our Republic to today’s “Mama Grizzlies,” this powerful and compelling documentary honors the self-made American woman.

Activists, politicians and commentators such as Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, S.E. Cupp, Dana Loesch, Michelle Easton, Sonnie Johnson, Jenny Beth Martin, Michelle Moore, Jamie Radtke, Deneen Borelli, Janine Turner, and Congresswomen Cynthia Lummis, Jean Schmidt, and Michele Bachmann share their emotional stories of hardship and triumph in their fight for freedom. These women leaders are fanning the flames of liberty across the nation.

Written and directed by Stephen K. Bannon and produced by David N. Bossie, the team that made the critically acclaimed film “Generation Zero” that focused on the financial meltdown and the rise of the Tea Party, “Fire from the Heartland” is a must-see for every citizen concerned with the direction of our country and will stir a fire in the hearts of all Americans.

WOW! That’s all I can say. Okay, let’s start at the beginning…..

Back in June I was interviewed by Citizen United for an upcoming documentary, Fire from the Heartland.  It was quite the experience.  I don’t wear make-up and here was a woman painting my face.  I’ve never been in front of a camera before but here all lens were on me.  I’ve always been willing to share my testimony but here I was recording it for all the world to see.

It turned out to be a wonderful experience.   Tien Pasco and Stephan Bannon were awesome and once we got rolling I had so much fun.  In my biased opinion, it showed in the film.  Beautifully shot and threaded together, I felt empowered surrounded by so many strong women.

My empowerment quickly turned to humility and reassurance in God’s purpose for me.  When I was invited to speak in Roanoke back in April, I had no idea a directors sister was in the audience.  When I finished the speech, I had no idea she got right on the phone with her brother who works at Citizens United and told him about me.  When I confirmed the interview, I didn’t understand the new Conservative movement was under the leadership of women who knew pain and struggle but found strength in God, Country, Family, and Principles.

Fire From the Heartland is film every American who loves this Country needs to see.

With Racism as the main charge against the Tea Party, Americans tend to overlook the big picture.  It’s not about race, it’s about true representation.  The Elite, of both parties, don’t understand what it’s like to have to file bankruptcy and clean other peoples houses like Jenny Beth Martin.   How could they possibly understand what it’s like to work and save for three years for a pair of contact lens like Michelle Bauchman?  Can they really understand Deneen Borelli’s endless fight?

And that’s why Women in the Tea Party are joining the ranks of Phyllis Schlafly, Sarah Palin, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulture, and S.E. Cupp as the true conservatives in America.  This isn’t a fight any of us wanted but it is a fight we will wage none the less.  Fire from the Heartland is just a preview.

Restoring Honor Reflection: My Right to be Selfish

September 2nd, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

I’m BACK!!!!!!!  I know, I know  I’ve been away to long and you’re all wondering what I’ve been up to.  In a nutshell, I was looking at my reflection in the mirror.  I won’t lie to you, I’ve been going through personal turmoil the last 40 days and the mirror tells no tales.  I’ve acknowledged my tears, smiles, and those awkward faces you make when you’re thinking really hard about something that hardly matters.  Oh yeah, my reflection has been my friend for the last 40 days.

So, how fitting that  this weekend’s Glenn Beck Restoring Honor Rally mentions the true need for reflection and correction in our lives.  What a way to end my 40 days.

And this has to be said on my part.  For the critics of Glenn Beck who question his religion, judge him on his inability to separate himself from his religion, or scoff at his gull of openly speaking about his religion, I will pray for you.  Trust and believe that’s not what I really wanted to say but it will suffice for this article.

With that being said, what did I learn about myself in the last 40 days? 

1. I’ve learned to accept my own growth.  There will always be people who remember me as I once was.  But I have the Right to be Selfish and decide to see only what I am now.  I find no joy in rehashing sins I’ve already turned over to God.  I find no happiness in holding old grudges that God is already in the process of working out.  It profits me none to turn away from God’s word and live by someone else’s memory of who I should be.
2. I’ve learned I’ve alwasy been a problem creator, now I’m a problem solver.  My rebellious teenage years caused me more problems than I realized.  Not only did I act out against my parents, church, and school,  I let it seep into my mental process.  When a problem came along, mostly by my own creation, I could rationalize why it was everyone else’s fault.  But I have the Right to be Selfish and immediately ask of myself, ‘What could you have done differently?’  I don’t care who was wrong or right, it only matters that I fix those things which I control.
3. I’ve learned walking in God’s Will shall reveal false prophets.  No one can tell me what God’s Will is.  I speak to God and ,in his mysterious way, he speaks back to me.  I question my language, tone, and subject selection.  I question my colored hair, short skirts, and the stero-type that comes along with those fashion decisions.  But, in the end, I have the Right to be Selfish and be exactly who God made me to be.  He has had his hand in every other decision I’ve made, so if its not broke……..
4. I’ve learned some arguments are not worth having.  I’m the ultimate debater.  Very rarely is there a conversation that I run away from.  But I have the Right to be Selfish and decide where my time would be better spent.  It would be easy to assume I’m talking about politics but that’s way off base.  I’m talking about those everyday conversations that end up putting a crimp in your day.  The time spent talking about what you’re going to do, while you’re actually accomplishing nothing.  Time spent complaining about the things around you, while not lifting a finger to find a solution.  Time wasted on those who can point out every flaw you have but have this uncanny ability to forget they are also flawed.
5. I’ve learned you can’t help everyone and sometimes the best thing you can do for a person is Pray God comes to their heart.  Always offer a hand when you see a person in need.  Always make yourself available to those who need to testify or need to hear your testimony.  Always humble yourself before trying to give advice, especially if its unsolicited advice.  But never take on someone else’s salvation.  I have the Right to be Selfish and accept that I am not God.  I am not omnipotent and all powerful, I am but flesh and bones.  While I can imagine what I want your life to look like, only you and God can make it a reality.
6. Finally, I’ve learned not to get so wrapped up in your own reflection you forget the impression you leave on other people.  God made you in his image and that makes you beautiful.  Not because of the cosmetics you wear, the name-brands you sport, or the kicks you have on your feet and if that’s where you find your self-worth, those around you probably only see the superficial as well.  I have the Right to be Selfish and decide I want to be remembered for my words and actions.  I want to be worthy of the kind messages, well wishes, and constant encouragement I get from those around me and I can’t accomplish that staring at the mirror waiting for it to speak back to me.

I know all this Selfish talk can seem counter-productive but it’s the only solution we have.  We must make the choice to be SELFISH in following God’s word.   So it doesn’t matter what political party you vote for, they must be subservient to your true ideals and principles because you have left them no other option.  You are so steadfast in what you believe and what you stand for, it doesn’t matter the color of a person’s skin if they step out the boundaries of what you find acceptable.  You are so steeped in Truth that you can smell a lie a mile away and it forces other to be truthful in return.

The real truth is, these acts aren’t Selfish, self-serving, or easy.  These are the hardest paths to salvation.  You won’t get the life you’ve wished for, you’ll get the life God planned for you.  You won’t see progress devoid of any striff or disappointment.  You will relapse to old habits and find yourself on your knees asking what went wrong and praying for strength to make it through.  You will start to feel your life is totally out of control and the hits just keep coming.  But in the moments where you need to step out on faith, in the moments where you must speak up, in the moments when you’ve placed yourself so far out on a ledge you can’t see your way back, God will show up.  And if you can reflect back and know with certainty that every move you made was by God’s Will, you will  have no fear.  You will have no doubt.  And when they say you are trying to accomplish the impossible, you can say: “I Selfishly have the Right to say, All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me.  Amen”

Black Political Fighting Words

June 22nd, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

Willie Lynch came up with the idea years ago.  We must separate slaves from one another.  We can use age, skin lightness or darkness, gender, position, and any other qualification that would cause slaves to bicker amongst themselves.  For the last 200 years we have willingly played this game, judging each other on what we see or hear.

What’s more sickening?  I now see this behavior on the side of Blacks opposed to Big Government.  Every one has a story or reason they don’t trust the Democratic Party, yet we still have no trust for each other.

I’m tired of playing by someone else’s rules and accomplishing nothing.  So we’re stepping off the politically correct and stepping into fighting words.

Black Elites- I don’t really care what political party you belong too.  I’m talking about those black people who hold their degrees, experience, and title like a badge of superiority.  The blacks who think they are the exception, not the rule.   The intellectuals, privileged, and those grandfathered in from the Civil Rights age who know how to solve the problems of the black community, if only we’d follow them.

Black Conservatives- Who believe race isn’t a issue anymore.  The Afro-Conservative Vanessa coined the phase, “the Carlton Banks Syndrome”.  Those who have never had to experience poverty and strife.  Their parents are middle-class to rich and they are not ashamed about it.  They grew up around proper dictation and learned at a young age how to manage a checkbook, so they are well prepared for the world, whatever it may bring.

Black Nationalist-  The Farakhans of the movement.  They believe blacks should run and control their own neighborhoods and financial systems because the system is so screwed against them.  It’s not, “You can do it”, it’s more, “You have to do it because the white man will tear you down if you don’t.”  They believe in “Black Power” but spend most of their time talking about “White Superiority”.

Black Libertarians-  The “your fist must stop at my nose” crowd.  These people don’t care how many times you try to bring up race, they only focus on the times it personally affects them.  “I take care of me and mines and shouldn’t have to stand up for anyone else.” 

Then there’s ME.  I talk in Black and White all the time and very rarely does it have anything to do with race.  It’s because I have eyes and a true focus.  I am not an elite who thinks I know all the answers. I’m one part Conservative, one part Nationalist, and one part Libertarian.  There is one distictive part of me that is missing from this equation and our political conversation, I’m one part Hood.

I’m not influenced by the Elites who would tell me “if we just do this, we could solve all our problems”.  Bullshit.  If it were that easy, it would’ve been done by now.   History is filled with brilliant men and women who understood they could solve problems if they started small and let the people build upon their seeds. You can stand on the top of the mountain handing out fish but you will find me in the lake giving instruction.

I’m not influenced by Conservatives who think we walk in a color blind society.  You know why people don’t believe you?  They see in color.  Hell, even in black and white you can tell the difference between the races.  Does this mean they are racist?  No.  It means they are politically incorrect and I love them for it.  I am Black and not afraid to say it.  I know that there are racist white and black people, I just don’t care.  If  you are my friend, that’s all I see.  If you are my enemy, that is what reflects in my mind.  If I’ve never met you, I hold my judgement. 

I’m not influenced by Nationalist who think the world rotates on color.  How are you any different from Klansmen who think being White some how makes you special?  Race is not the major issue facing us today and it’s time we change the subject.  If there isn’t a single situation between a white person and black person where you think the black person is in the wrong, something is wrong with you.  How can you teach empowerment and victimization at the same time?

I’m not influenced by Libertarians who think we can realistically undo 100 years race baiting, social engineering, and government dependence in one fell swoop.   I know there are still some black people alive who remember the sounds of the dogs barking and the sting of their bite.  I know there are still some black people who remember the force of the water sprouting from hoses aimed by armed government officials.  These feelings and memories can’t be overlooked or easily forgotten.

So what does influence me?  People.  Regular everyday people who are mixed with a little Nationalism and Conservatism.  People who consider themselves Elites but want to live in a Libertarian world.  You know, the people we all claim we want to help but we spend so much time arguing and differing ourselves from one another we totally forget they exist.  Yup, those people.

They want to live the Elite life.  They want prosperity and positions of power but they don’t want to walk around with sticks up their……you know.  They want parties, committees, and fundraisers where people aren’t so politically correct they refuse to serve fried chicken.  They want the big house and nice car but I guarantee you Hip Hop will still fill the airwaves.

They want Conservatism.  Fathers want their daughters to graduate High School still a Virgin.  Mother’s want their sons to know how to treat a lady.  Grandparents want to see their family unit still in tact on their deathbeds.  Teenage boys want to live under a supply and demand economy, just with access to a better product.  And most of us have no problem thanking God for the Good moments or falling to our knees praying for help in times of strife. 

They wholeheartedly support Nationalism.  They want to see black owned stores and businesses in their communities.  Barack Obama is proof they want to see people who look like them achieve great things.  They lose interest when the conversation is focused on what someone else is doing.  It’s not “this is how you can start a business”, it’s “this is how you beat the cracker at his own game”.  We don’t like games and are not going to invest time, effort, or investment  in them, period. 

They support Libertarianism more than you know.  They don’t want government to have the right to interfere in their homes.  They don’t want government telling them how to discipline their children.  They don’t want Government influencing their ability to say Merry Christmas or prevent their sons from keeping score in a football game.  They get pissed off after they spend three years paying off a car and still having to pay property tax.  They crave limited government but are assimilated into government dependence.

So, do we each gather our groups, go to our corners, and come out swinging at each other when the bell rings?  I think I know the answer but we’ll see in Part 2.  I think I’ll give this article a little time to fester before I go any further.

What Jay-Z and Ronald Reagan Have In Common: Rally for Ron Ferrin

June 4th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

History In The Making

If It Talks Like a Bureaucrat and Gets Paid Like a Bureaucrat, Don’t Be Surprised There’s Oil in the Gulf

May 31st, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

One of the first rules you learn as a child is if  it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, It’s a DUCK.  So, are you really surprised at the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or the incompetence behind the clean-up?

Take heed as you read this article and look at the big picture.  This maybe one incident but it is the norm in Bureaucracies.  The bigger the Government grows, the less regulation we actually get.   The Elite of Big Government will always focus on what they want or need for their backers.  The small organizations and agencies propping up big government go unsupervised and therefore are prone to corruption because they hold tremendous power over a localized area or section of the economy.  

Since Obama became President, he has pushed his Agenda full force.  Like him or not, he will have his (SEIU, ACORN, you fill in the rest) will done.  With the Elite of the Federal Government focused on Healthcare, Cap N Trade,  and destroying the United States Financial Standing, are you surprised people at the Minerals Management Services were allowing BP to fill out their own evaluations?  Does it shock  you Elizabeth Birnbaum was fired, I mean “resigned”, even though she was an Obama pick for the position?    Are you wondering why the Federal Government had a plan of action in case an oil rig like Deep Water Horizon did explode, yet they didn’t have the actual materials to carry out that plan?

I’m going to give Obama a break on this one.  He is trying to take over an entire country, how in the world do you expect him to pay attention to an area so small?  He doesn’t have to worry about the workers getting sick off the dispersant’s BP is using to fool us about how much oil is actually under the surface, he’s assured those workers free Healthcare.  Why do I say it’s free?  Because they are now unemployed and their way of life is basically destroyed.  Oh, wait.  We’ve extended unemployment benefits, we’re taking care of them.

At the local level, you have Bobby Jindal.  An honest politician who acknowledges he doesn’t have the answers but knows doing nothing is not a proper course of action.   Governer Jindal wants to build land barriers to block the oil from reaching the shores of Louisiana.  Are you shocked the Federal Government actually OWNS the shoreline and the Bureaucrats in Washington are running test on what might happen instead of actually acting.   Are  you surprised politicians at the local level, with the exception of gems like Ray Nagin, have a far greater staked interest in prevention and clean-up? 

See, I’m not surprised.  I understand they are still trying to push a GREEN bill, even while we are currently facing the greatest Eco-disaster in our country.  In fact, I expect them to try to pass Cap N Trade with some money and resources allotted for the Gulf.  Come on, how could you vote against helping the clean up in the Gulf, even if it means raising energy cost to every single person in the country?  Never let a crisis go to waste.

It doesn’t shock me people at MMS were accepting bribes, sexual favors, and lump sums of cash.  They know they are expendable.  They know how their industries work.  They are going to get all they can, while they can and do you really blame them?  They can take the money, gifts, title and experience and move some where else in the country not affected by the mess they created.  The American Dream, right?!?!?!?

I’m actually glad America is getting to see what an actual executive looks like in Bobby Jindal.  I watch Jindal when he tries to speak on the National stage, nervous and reserved,  but let him talk about the state of Louisiana and you can understand why we need to restore the Republic.  Individuals elected at the local level should have the authority to handle local issues.  Not only should they have the authority, they should have the responsibility.  The Federal Government sticking it’s nose in thinking it knows what’s best, allows situations like Katrina and this spill to occur.  States now wait and some actually expect the Federal government to come in and save them.  What happened to States that legislate, defend, and protect their own boarders because that’s the role allotted to them by the Founders.

Before Obama signed the Healthcare bill we were shouting to the roof tops, do you want your Doctor’s Appointments to be run like the DMV, Social Services offices, or the Post Office.  Now I question, do you want your Healthcare run like this Oil Spill?  What about your energy?  What would happen if the Government controlled all our electricity, a bureaucrat was watching porn, and some how the lights went out.  Forty-Five days later they still can’t solve the problem but some lowly person you’ve never heard of has been fired. 

That is Big Government.  If it walks Like a Duck and Talks like a Duck, you better go and join a Tea Party.

Generation Zero: The Pawns That Lived Through It

May 15th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

When you think of the ’60’s, what’s the first thing to come to mind?  Even though this was the time of Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, when phrased properly, you get an immediate image of “Hippies” and drugs.  Woodstock.  War Protest.  An era of American History where we lost all sense of common decency and affection towards each other.  This is the time period explained in Citizens United’s Generation Zero.

The documentary is a great timeline of how we got to the financial crisis now gripping our country.  It starts with the Hippies of the ’60’s and progresses until those same people began to control Wall Street and the White House.  But you know me, I can’t replay the movie for you.  Check it out at GenerationZeroMovie.com.

Here’s what I learned.  Big Government is sooooooo dangerous because the “Kings” and “Queens” treat every other player on the board like a pawn.  I’m not a GREAT Chess player but I know the rules of the game.  The “King” and “Queen” alone can not win a Chess match, I don’t care how special or all powerful they assume they are.  That’s why they are provided Rooks, Knights, and Bishops to give them support, plus one row of pawns to deflect, protect, and advance the “Kings” and “Queens” influence over the board. 

Here’s where the problem comes in.  The “Kings” and “Queens” of Big Government have convinced the American Middle Class that we are “Rooks”, the outside stabilizing force of the American System and we need to be taken care of.  Yet in the same breath, they move our protective pawns leaving us completely exposed.   An example:  I remember my teenage years under Clinton.  All the black inequality talk at the time centered around black inability to acquire a home loan.  So the “Kings” and “Queens” told us we were “Rooks” and we deserved to have a home.  And we bought it hook line and sinker.  We didn’t pay attention when our protection was removed and we didn’t ask why all of a sudden there was so much movement other places on the board.

 If you came up during this time period, especially with the “Liberal” education provided at public schools, you didn’t see yourself as a sacrificial lamb.  The edict from Big Government told you all this was for your benefit.  So “WE”, the American People, went out and took advantage of these loans.  We didn’t care about Fixed rates vs Variables.  We didn’t bat an eye when Acorn workers told us to lie on applications.  While some of this was wreck less, uneducated, and plain irresponsible, it was also a result of us believing we were way more valuable than we actually were.

WE BELIEVED GOVERNMENT.  We believed our “Kings” and “Queens” held the Rooks at high value or if not, we believed they were smart enough not to bite the hand that feeds them.  This is why I’m not great at Chess.  You have to be sneaky and underhanded.  You have to mask your true intentions behind frivolous moves meant to distract and unbalance your opponent.  I’m more of the lay it all on the table type and so are most of the American People, especially when we realize we are not being treated like “Rooks”.   The Federal Government is playing us like pawns and they are not even hiding it any more.

The Banks got Bail-Outs.  The American People got home foreclosures, great loses in property value, bad credit, and bankruptcy.  The Auto Company got Bail-Outs.  The American People got Car Dealerships forced into giving away their location, cars, and client list to other Dealerships because Government said so.   Obama Supporters got payback in the Stimulus Package.  The American People got 10% unemployment rates.

How will history reflect US?  While we worry about what legacy Bush or Obama will have, what will the future generation say when they look at us through the annals of time?  I hope they will look back and realize what some of us currently here are afraid to acknowledge, America was not built for Big Government.  I hope they look back at us and say that was the generation that refused to be put into it’s place by Government.  That was the generation when the people gained enough to power to win the Chess match without a Queen on the board and without the King moving a single space.  That’s when we started to sacrifice for each other because we wanted too not because the Government forced it on us.

That was the Generation were once again America reclaimed, By the PEOPLE for the PEOPLE.

What Does A Community Organizer Organize? The Fruits of Obama’s Labor

May 13th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

I want to share my thought process with you.  I was listening to my Ipod the other day, and Will Smith “Summertime” came on.  Especially in early spring, this song makes you feel good.  It makes you want to clean out your closet and see what you need to complete your summer look.  It makes you want to take your car to the detail shop to make weekly cleanings easier.  It makes you call up  your family and ask when’s the first cook-out.  Right in my moment of bliss a news story crosses the TV screen “Illionois state legislature calls for National Guard to curb violence”.   Way to mess up a great song with harsh reality.

The first question to come to my mind, Isn’t the President from Chicago?  Wasn’t he a community organizer?  Why are those organizations not helping to curb the violence on Chicago’s streets?  If they aren’t there to help curb murder rates caused by lack of hope and employment, then what are they organizing?  Seriously, take away the politics and just look at the people.  They can organize massive rallies and poke jokes from a Correspondence Dinner to protest the crackdown on Illegal Immigration but there is no mention of the blood being shed on American Streets.  They can push for Amnesty for law breakers but what about the innocent people caught in the middle of gang violence.  Where is their march, protest, or even recognition?

Instead we get a “Summertime” filled lost friends, imprisoned peers, and truly neglected youth.  Jesse Jackson Jr. is the incumbent of the 2nd Congressional District in Illinois, where is the Rainbow Coalition?  The NAACP?  Where are any of these groups that claim they are trying to provide Social Justice or true equality?  Doesn’t that include the right to live in City where there isn’t a murder every week day andtwo on the weekend.  If not, it  should.

Which leads back to the basic question, what does a community organizer organize?  If the President spent the majority of his young career rallying the people of Chicago to stand together, should we count 147 people dead this year as proof of Obama’s success?  While most would think that was an attempt at humor or irony, it is a completely honest question.  It only makes sense once you understand what the Acorns and SEIU’s of America are really organizing.

Let’s see what they’ve already done.  Barack Obama is for the Community Reinvestment Act.    While national averages for foreclosures dropped, the rate in Chicago actually rose.  Barack Obama is for the Unions.  The state of Illinois is near bankruptcy and a huge burden of that cost is the 5.4 billion slated for next years pensions cost to pay members of those unions.   Barack Obama is for Green Jobs.  The Unemployment rate in Chicago is 11.3% and rising.  Are any of these statistics worthy of praise, never mind the Presidency.  These results are lack luster and destructive and the people of Chicago have to deal with its effect.

They are organizing a revolution.  They are creating division, separation, anger, dashed hopes and unobtainable financial security.  If Chicago is the template for what’s to come in America, then we need not look toward Greece for inspiration to save our country.  We should look right in our own backyards. We should look at our Presidents stomping grounds. 

But let’s change our perspective along the way and this time look at the people.  It’s black kids that are dying.   The same group that comes out and roots for Barack Obama as a savior are the same ones that fear walking the street after dark.  They have Barack Obama bumper stickers on their cars as they drive along funeral processions.  They answer the Democratic call to organize when Acorn funding is at risk but angry mobs of teenagers creating damage to life and property goes unchecked.  They are organizing the first wave towards the destruction of the United States of America as a Democratic Republic.

If you are a black American, or African American if you prefer, and you truly believe America is a racist country then you should be afraid that I’m right.  If you believe with all your heart and soul that the white man doesn’t want you to have anything andwe are on our way to a Revolution, then are you really in a position to dispute what I’m saying?   Black segments of the population will be the first to go.  What we need to understand is the color of your skin means nothing, it’s more about your stature and net worth.  The POOR will be the first to go.  This will mean black, white, brown, and any other classification we use to separate ourselves from the truth of Big Government. 

An all powerful Government will protect itself first and foremost, always.  People be damned.  So just imagine a population that fears no response for their actions because the Government not only doesn’t step in, they encourage rage and anger at the very situations they created.  Take into account we as a black people are predisposed to burning down our own communities, what will happened when Government can no longer provide food stamps, unemployment checks, or social security benefits?  We will be the first group to take to the streets and we will be made into an example and I can assure you there will be no black groups standing up for the atrocities.  Just like they are vying for their place at the table now, they will show their true colors then as well.

We need to wake up and realize Obama’s efforts in Chicago were a success.  The corrupt state and local government has choked the life and spirit out of the city to the point they would actually consider allowing armed Military Forces take over their streets.  If you fear the local police, just imagine Federal Soldiers with the ability to shot to kill.  This wouldn’t scare me so much if most poor Black and Latino men and women weren’t  also brought up with a shot to kill philosophy.  Both entities believing power comes from the barrel of a gun.

Summertime is coming but we haven’t yet began to feel the heat.  When state workers get IOU’s instead of paychecks, beaurcratic jobs start to disappear, and the people realize Hope and Change really meant the distruction of their current way of life then we will see the fruits of Obama’s labor.