Carlita Kilpatrick Should Divorce Mayor Kilpatrick

On Wednesday Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pleaded for forgiveness from his wife and constituents. The televised apology was made from their family’s church the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ.

His plea for forgiveness included: “Finally, and most important, I want to make a public apology to my wife, Carlita, who I fell in love with when I was 19 years old. We decided to build a family together and we did that. Our marriage has not been perfect, but it has been great."

Mayor Kilpatrick has a law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law. Kilpatrick, who is 37 years old and his wife met at Florida A&M University. The couple have three children.

The picture in this blog is the city owned mansion that the mayor shares with his family. The family own a vacation home in a golf course community in Tallahassee, Florida. They bought the house in June 2007 for $430,000.

His wife statement included: "Like all marriages, ours is not perfect, but through our commitment to God and each other, my husband and I will get through this. Yes, I am angry, I am hurt, and I am disappointed. But there is no question that I love my husband."

I don’t doubt that she loves her husband. I don’t question her decision to “forgive” him. What I do have an issue with is the fact that he and his mistress have work together for 10 years. In fact Beatty resigned on Monday from her position as his chief of staff.

Therefore, I question her decision to stay married to him. How does a husband justify to his wife that he has been involved with a woman for at least six years? An involvement that included a sexual and more importantly an emotional involvement. An involvement with Beatty a woman that he has known since they were both in 9th grade. Why would a wife stay with a man who has destroyed their lives financially, emotionally, and spiritually?

Both Kilpatrick and his mistress Christine Beatty lied under oath about their affair last summer in a whistleblowers suit filed against the city by two former cops. Their testimony was part of a lawsuit by the officers who claimed they lost their jobs because they investigated whether Kilpatrick used his security officers to cover up extramarital affairs.

Text messages proved that the pair had an intimate relationship. In hundreds of text messages from 2002 to 2003, Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty who were both married declared their love for each other.

They also sent text messages in order to meet in motels in Detroit and on out of town business trips. One message from Kilpatrick to Beatty “I‘ve been dreaming all day about having you all to myself for 3 days…relaxing, laughing, talking, sleeping, and making love.”

Keith Naughton of Newsweek magazine online reported that during a visit to Washington DC in 2002 for the Congressional Black Caucus's legislative conference, the mayor and his chief of staff shared a bedroom at his D.C. hotel while his bodyguards stood watch.

During the trial both denied a romantic or intimate relationship. It has been reported that Beatty lied about the affair 10 times on the witness stand in August 2007. A jury ruled against the City of Detroit and the officers were paid 8.4 million dollars. The lawsuit cost the city more than 9 million dollars.

The Detroit News and its reporting partner, WXYS reported recently that Mayor Kilpatrick was in a luxury resort hot tub and got a massage with a woman who was not his wife. The incident was reported to have occurred at a luxury resort in Asheville, NC during the 2008 Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend. Beatty legal representative is denying allegations that she was the woman with Kilpatrick.

Kym Worthy, a Wayne County prosecutor has launched a criminal investigation into whether Beatty and Kilpatrick committed perjury or other crimes. If convicted of perjury they could face up to 15 years in prison.

In his apology Kilpatrick stated, "I am the mayor. I made the mistake, I am accountable." Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick should resign immediately if he truly is accountable and has any regards for is wife, family, and the people of Detroit.

Vera Richardson is the author of “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined."
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?EAN=9780615177014&rv=1

Read excerpts from the text messages http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/NEWS05/301230008

Toni Morrison Endorses Senator Barack Obama

I have been urging people to endorse Obama since his historic victory in Iowa. I am so excited about the Kennedy’s endorsement of Senator Obama on Monday, January 28, 2008.

Listening to the speeches of Obama and all of the Kennedy clan gave me great joy and hope. Hope that we will seek God’s face and that he will heal our land. Hope that we will come together as a one nation under God. Hope that Obama will win the nomination of the Democratic Party and hope that he will become the next President of the United States of America.

In addition to getting Senator Kennedy’s endorsement Senator Barack Obama was also endorsed on Monday by Toni Morrison. Ms. Morrison is 76 years old and this is the first time that she had issued a public endorsement of a presidential candidate. The Nobel Prize winner for literature letter to Senator Obama made me proud to be called woman.

Toni Morrison’s Endorsement Letter

Dear Senator Obama,

This letter represents a first for me—a public endorsement of a Presidential candidate. I feel driven to let you know why I am writing it. One reason is it may help gather other supporters; another is that this is one of those singular moments that nations ignore at their peril. I will not rehearse the multiple crises facing us, but of one thing I am certain: this opportunity for a national evolution (even revolution) will not come again soon, and I am convinced you are the person to capture it.

May I describe to you my thoughts?

I have admired Senator Clinton for years. Her knowledge always seemed to me exhaustive; her negotiation of politics expert. However I am more compelled by the quality of mind (as far as I can measure it) of a candidate. I cared little of her gender as a source of my admiration, and the little I did care was based on the fact that no liberal woman has ever ruled in America. Only conservative or “new-centrist” ones are allowed into that realm. Nor do I care very much for your race(s). I would not support you if that was all you had to offer or because it might makes me “proud.”

In thinking carefully about the strengths of the candidates, I stunned myself when I came to the following conclusion: that in addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don’t see in other candidates. That something is a creative imagination which coupled which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom. It is too bad if we associate it only with gray hair and old age. Or if we call searing vision naivete. Or if we believe cunning is insight. Or if we settle for finessing cures tailored for each ravaged tree in the forest while ignoring the poisonous landscape that feeds and surrounds it. Wisdom is a gift; you can’t train for it, inherit it, learn it in a class, or earn it in the workplace- that access can foster the acquisition of knowledge, but not wisdom.

When, I wondered, was the last time this country was guided by such a leader? Someone whose moral center was un-embargoed? Someone with courage instead of mere ambition? Someone who truly thinks of his country’s citizens as “we”, not “they?” Someone who understands what it will take to help America realize the virtues it fancies about itself, what it desperately needs to become in the world?

Our future is ripe, outrageously rich in its possibilities. Yet unleashing the glory of that future will require a difficult labor, and some may be so frighten of its birth they will refuse to abandon their nostalgia for the womb.

There have been a few prescient leaders in our past, but you are the man for this time.

Good luck to you and to us.

Toni Morrison

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?EAN=9780615177014&rv=1

LET GO!

I am one of those people who constantly worry about things that they can't control. I can't help it. This problem has plagued me all of me life. Maybe it stems from the burden of being the oldest child--the one with all of the responsibility.

For example, I remember going to a house party and worrying about people spilling things on the carpet and IT WASN'T EVEN MY HOUSE. I can laugh about it now, but as my friend would say "Girl, you are always ON." I knew exactly what she meant.

I needed to calm down and live in the moment, but that was easier said than done for a girl who loved planning out everything.

One restless night, I sat in bed contemplating what I was going to do with my future. I had many of those nights.

Suddenly, I heard this song on the radio and it touched my heart. It gave me the peace of mind that I was searching for over the years.

I want to share this song with everyone. Listen to the words and embrace the message. Here it is....


LET GO
by Dewayne Woods

Black Love Recovery - Company Gives Sick Days for Lost Relationships

by The Love Doctor

Is there any feeling worse than the one you have after ending a long-term relationship? It seems that if anything is deserving of a sick day, this would be it.

Well, a Japanese Marketing firm agrees with you. The firm offers its employees "heartache leave" to help them get over the pain of a lost relationship.

Hime & Company says that the time off allows its workers to cry off their pain and move forward with their lives.

"Not everyone needs to take maternity leave but with heartbreak, everyone needs time off, just like when you get sick," CEO Miki Hiradate said.

If you are 24 or younger, you get one day off per year. If you are between 35 and 29 you get two days off. If you are older than that, you get 3 days.

"Women in their 20s can find their next love quickly, but it's tougher for women in their 30s, and their break-ups tend to be more serious," Hiradate said.

The company also offers women two mornings off twice a year for "sales shopping leave".

"Before, women could take half-days off to go to sales, but you'd have to hide your shopping bags in lockers by the train station," Hiradate said.

"But with paid leave, we don't have to feel guilty about bringing our shopping bags to work, and we can enjoy the best part about sales shopping -- talking about our purchases afterwards."

Taking time off for love makes sense, since there is scientific research stating that losing a relationship can be as painful as drug withdrawal. Perhaps firms in the U.S. will consider a similar policy.

Fired Up and ready to go with Oprah Winfrey in Manchester S

"Get fired up and ready to go”

This is a historic time for our people and nation. Record numbers of Americans are participating in the 2008 election. Quoting one of Obama’s campaign slogans it is time for black voters to "get fired up and ready to go.” We can do this by actively engaging in the entire 2008 election process. If you aren't register to vote please register ASAP.

All registered Black Americans should make a conscious effort to vote in the primary election in your state.

While working at my polling place in Newport News, VA during the 2004 presidential election I discovered that many minority voters were not allowed to vote. To my dismay and surprise the poll workers required a state issued identification card from voters attempting to vote. Some of the voters returned with the necessary identification while others did not come back to cast their ballots.

I would encourage everyone to call your local Division of Motor Vehicle Department to inquire about getting a driver's license or a state identification card. Therefore, you will be prepared if you are required to present an identification card in order to exercise your right to vote.

Take Time Out to Smell the Roses

If you are like me then some times you get so caught up in life that you forget to focus on the bigger picture. Bills, grades and relationships can take a toll on us. It doesn't matter how hard you try

Trust GOD and Believe

Numbers 13:1-3, 13:17-20, and 13:25-28; 13:30-34 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men [were] heads of the children of Israel.

And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this [way] southward, and go up into the mountain:And see the land, what it [is]; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they [be] strong or weak, few or many;

And what the land [is], whether it [be] fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time [was] the time of the firstripe grapes.

And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this [is] the fruit of it.

Nevertheless the people [be] strong that dwell in the land, and the cities [are] walled, [and] very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they [are] stronger than we.

And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, [is] a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it [are] men of a great stature.

And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, [which come] of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Numbers 14:1-5 and 14:11-12

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. BLB (KJV)

Toni Morrison’s statement that Bill Clinton was our first black President has been quoted and debated during the 2008 election campaign. Part of the quote from the October 1998 “New Yorker” article that isn’t getting the attention that it deserves includes: “Years ago, in the middle of the Whitewater investigation, one heard the first murmurs: white skin notwithstanding, this is our first black President. Blacker than any actual black person who could ever be elected in our children's lifetime.”

I believe that Morrison like many of us could not imagine that this country could or would elect a black man as President during our children’s lifetime.

We could not imagine or dream of a black person serving in the White House because of hundreds of years of racism and oppression. “America can no longer deny or ignore the living legacy of racism. Today, a strong racial divide still exists in the United States because racism is alive and well in this country.

Recent events in America that support the fact that racism has once again raised it’s ugly head includes: the Jena 6 case as well as the September 20, 2007, march in Jena, LA, the appearance of nooses around the country, police brutality based on racial discrimination still runs rampant in 2007, and black women are called ‘nappy headed hoes’ on national television.”

Additionally, we must not forget Hurricane Katrina and the hundreds of black lives lost after we were abandoned by our President and our government.

Black people are one of the most religious people on the face of the earth. For hundreds of years we have cried and prayed, prayed and cried to GOD concerning unfair treatment based solely on race. Black people truly believed that if it was GOD’S will that He would intervene on our behalf and correct discrimination and racism in America.

GOD has given us the perfect time and opportunity to trust in him and vote for a man that looks like us and who will be a President for all Americans including us.

Because of GOD'S grace we have the opportunity to witness the manifestations of the promises made by God to Martin Luther King and to our forefathers. Promises of fairness, racial equality, justice, due process, and equal protection under the law are just over the horizon.

During the Civil Rights Movement all ages and all classes of black people fought for a common goal. We can change this country and the world because our GOD is an Awesome GOD who can do all things.

Trust and believe that GOD did not bring us this far to leave us. Let us not act or talk like the Israelites. It is time for us to believe, unite, endorse, and vote for Senator Barack Obama in his historic quest to become “our” first Black President..

Vera Richardson is the author of “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined.”
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&EAN=9780615177014

http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200610/20061018/slide_20061018_284_110.jhtml

Justice For All Americans

The 2008 election is about so much more than the Presidency. It is about fairness, due process, and equal protection under the law for all Americans including Black Americans.

We have all seen the headlines that are direct evidence that justice isn't fair in this country. Those stories making headlines includes the Jena 6 case and reports that many of our people have served years in prison for crimes that they did not commit.

We as a race of people are not only victims of injustice in criminal court cases but also victims of an unjust civil court system. I like many of you have been victimized by employment discrimination and retaliation.

As an underdog born into poverty I managed to achieve my dream of graduating from college and having what should have been a great career with New York State Department of Corrections. My dream and my life were shattered by employment discrimination.

Eliot Spitzer a Democrat is currently the governor of New York State. Governor Spitzer was the Attorney General of the State of New York when a member of his staff, Mike Russo, Assistant New York State Attorney General, filed seven perjured declarations in federal court during my pro-se lawsuit. The perjured declarations were filed to prevent a jury from ruling that the NYS Department of Corrections violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended.

During the course of my quest for justice in my discrimination (Title VII)case, I contacted many people and news media outlets. Two of the people that I contacted were Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

I sent e-mails to Senator Clinton on numerous occasions. I sent the e-mails before and after the unjust dismissal of my Title VII case. Although my concerns and issues all occurred in the State of New York. Hillary Clinton did not respond to my pleas for assistance and/or justice.

It is my belief that Senator Clinton didn’t respond to my e-mails because of her ambition to become President Hillary Clinton. She did not want to upset the "establishment” of New York State that included Governor Spitzer.

Senator Barack Obama’s office responded to my e-mail. In fact of all the law professors, senators, and news media outlets that I contacted prior to 2007 Obama was the only one that responded to my emails. His staff called me on the telephone.

It was proper for Obama’s staff to respond to my email because for a period of time I lived in Rockford, Illinois. I leased an apartment and moved to Rockford to be near Jeremiah, my now four-year-old grand son. My precious grand boy has had three open-heart surgeries at Children’s Hospital outside of Chicago.

A 2008 presidential victory for Obama will generally increase Democratic majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Thereby giving the new President more leverage not only in subsequent appointment of federal judges but also in any Supreme Court appointments he may make to the courts.

This year we have the opportunity to make this election a civil / equal rights victory for all Americans. If we elect President Barack Obama he will have the power to nominate federal judges and possibly Supreme Court Justices for lifetime appointments.

After the President nominates the federal judges and/or Supreme Court Justices for appointment Congress must confirm the nominees. Once confirmed by Congress the federal judges and/or Supreme Court Justices remain on the bench for life.

An increase in the Democratic majority in Congress will also help Obama on his domestic legislative agenda that includes issues of civil rights, health care, education, and improving the economy.

I believe that Senator Barack Obama can and will win the general election for president. He can win if we as a people trust God and vote for him in all of the upcoming primaries and in the general election.

Vera Richardson is the author of “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined."
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&EAN=9780615177014

Oprah Winfrey's New Deal

Oprah Winfrey already has a top-rated talk show, Web site, magazine, XM satellite radio network and a number of TV movies, now she is stamping her name on a TV network.

It was announced Tuesday, that The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) will debute next year as part of a deal with Discovery Communications, according to The Associated Press.

The new network will replace the Discovery Health Network which has been declining in popularity over the years.

The deal states that OWN will be a 50-50 partnership between Discovery Communications and Winfrey's Harpo Productions Inc.

Winfrey will be chairwoman of the new network, which will reach 70 million cabel accesssible homes.

"This is an evolution of what I've been able to do every day," Winfrey said.

Furthermore, Winfrey plans to show programs that deal with issues such as health, raising children, wealth and relationships.

Oprah is Getting Her "OWN" Network

Oprah Winfrey already has a top-rated talk show, Web site, magazine, XM satellite radio network and a number of TV movies, now she is stamping her name on a TV network. It was announced Tuesday, that The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) will debute next year as part of a deal with Discovery Communications, according to The Associated Press.

The new network will replace the Discovery Health Network which has been declining in popularity over the years.

The deal states that OWN will be a 50-50 partnership between Discovery Communications and Winfrey's Harpo Productions Inc.
Winfrey will be chairwoman of the new network, which will reach about 70 million cabel accesssible homes.

"This is an evolution of what I've been able to do every day," Winfrey said.

Furthermore, Winfrey plans to show programs that deal with issues such as health, raising children, wealth and relationships.

I Am/ Am Not My Hair by Donisha Adams

Hair texture and hairstyles have been complex issues in the African American community. Some of us prefer to straighten our hair, while others prefer to “go natural.” No one is right or wrong, but the causes for these modifications may be deeply rooted in American society and socialization theories.

American society is driven by white standards of beauty—that blond hair, blue eyed and model-thin look. Media perpetuates this ideology in movies, television shows and books. They teach us that there is only one way to look, well if you want to be successful anyway.

Braids, cornrows and dreadlocks symbolize our culture—where we have come from and where we have yet to go. They are a link to our ancestors and they pay honor to creativity and originality.

I wear long, flowing braids because they are beautiful and they allow me to pay homage to tradition. I cherish my badge of individuality, knowing that my braids may look odd to some people. However, I know that people judge me by my braids.

Growing up in Washington, DC, most of the girls that I knew had braids of all different shapes, sizes and colors. If I had some nice braids, people in my community would be sure to let me know. On the other hand, if I had too much “new growth” I would be told to get a “touchup” immediately. This is how things are. This was how things were—that is until I decided to go to predominantly white college in Pennsylvania.

“How do you get your hair like that?” “Does it hurt?” I heard all of these comments and more, on the day-to-day basis. While some comments were positive, some of them hurt.

The hair debate is very heated when it comes to the professional world, especially a career in journalism. For instance, I have been told many times that I should not wear braids to an interview, because it is not professional. People tell me: “It is better to straighten your hair and tie it back.” What is really being said is that white employers (and some black employers) will be less likely to hire me if I have braids.

Why is this? Do braids symbolize how smart I am? People might look at my braids and see all of the ethnic stereotypes—loud, uneducated ghetto girl, because that is what they see on television.

However, I am ME-the smart, funny, beautiful and polite young woman who likes to wear her hair in braids. I am just as qualified as the next person so check my resume before you look at my braids.

I Am/ Am Not My Hair

Hair texture and hairstyles have been complex issues in the African American community. Some of us prefer to straighten our hair, while others prefer to “go natural.” No one is right or wrong, but the causes for these modifications may be deeply rooted in American society and socialization theories.

American society is driven by white standards of beauty—that blond hair, blue eyed and model thin look. Media perpetuates this ideology in movies, television shows and books. They teach us that there is only one way to look, well if you want to be successful anyway.

Braids, cornrows and dreadlocks symbolize our culture—where we have come from and where we have yet to go. They are a link to our ancestors and they pay honor to creativity and originality.

I wear long, flowing braids because they are beautiful and they allow me to pay homage to tradition. I cherish my badge of individuality, knowing that my braids may look odd to some people. However, I know that people judge me by my braids.

Growing up in Washington, DC, most of the girls that I knew had braids of all different shapes, sizes and colors. If I had some nice braids, people in my community would be sure to let me know. On the other hand, if I had too much “new growth” I would be told to get a “touchup” immediately. This is how things are. This was how things were—that is until I decided to go to predominantly white college in Pennsylvania.

“How do you get your hair like that?” “Does it hurt?” I heard all of these comments and more, on the day-to-day basis. While some comments were positive, some of them hurt.

The hair debate is very heated when it comes to the professional world, especially a career in journalism. For instance, I have been told many times that I should not wear braids to an interview, because it is not professional. People tell me: “It is better to straighten your hair and tie it back.” What is really being said is that white employers (and some black employers) will be less likely to hire me if I have braids.

Why is this? Do braids symbolize how smart I am? People might look at my braids and see all of the ethnic stereotypes—loud, uneducated ghetto girl, because that is what they see on television.

However, I am ME-the smart, funny, beautiful and polite young woman who likes to wear her hair in braids. I am just as qualified as the next person so check my resume before you look at my braids.

Black Women, Black Men and HIV

By Dwan Abrams - YourBlackWorld.com

I learned a long time ago that when death comes knocking, there’s nowhere to hide. When the AIDS epidemic hit and spread faster than a prostitute’s legs, I remember feeling a sense of panic and urgency. Panic, because the disease affected anyone and everyone. And urgency due to an overwhelming desire to know. Like most people, I was scared…more like horrified at the thought of possibly having contracted a deadly disease due to something I had done.

I’ll never forget the day that Ervin “Magic” Johnson announced on national television that he was HIV positive. My heart sank, and I cried so hard my tear ducts became dry. Although I was devastated by the news, I couldn’t help but think about my uncle. My uncle was an openly gay male. I became physically ill thinking that he could be infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

A few years later, my fear became a reality. Not for me, but for my uncle. I remember that he had quit his job and moved to the same city as me. When I saw him, there was something different about him. Not only did he physically look different, he started behaving with a true sense of urgency. Although he never confided in me about his condition, I believe he knew that he was terminally ill. The truth was he was in denial. It wasn’t until he began to experience flu-like symptoms that he went to the hospital. That’s when the doctor confirmed that he had full-blown AIDS. Even then, he was ashamed and full of remorse. He didn’t want the family to know, especially his nieces.

Not long after my uncle turned thirty-two, the virus began to take over his body. An MRI revealed that he had a mass on his brain, which impacted his speech and ability to walk. After being confined to a wheelchair and requiring the constant care of a nurse, he was placed in hospice.

“Your uncle died today,” were the words my mother left on my voicemail.
I felt as if someone had sucker-punched me in the gut and left me winded. An invisible vacuum must have sucked the air out of the room, because I thought I was going to suffocate. It didn’t matter that his chances for survival were bleak. I refused to accept his prognosis. I fasted, prayed and pleaded with God for a miracle. There was no miracle, and I was grief-stricken.

The same morning that I received the news about my uncle’s demise, I got dressed, crying all the while, and went to work. After running a red light, I nearly joined my uncle. Because of my tears flowing like a river, my vision was blurred. I arrived at the office, eyes red and puffy, and went to my desk. I couldn’t stop crying. Unable to concentrate, I went back home.

Admittedly, I was having a difficult time. Later that evening, while sobbing in my pillow, I felt my hair being lifted off my shoulders and plop back down. Immediately, I stopped balling and looked around the room. No one was there. I didn’t feel afraid. Rather, there was a comforting presence. Suddenly, I heard my uncle’s voice as clearly as if he were standing in the same room as me.
“Little niece, don’t cry for me,” he said. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Now stop crying and go put some ice on your eyes.”

Although I missed him terribly, the grief became more bearable. Having that encounter helped me to understand that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience. Energy doesn’t die, it transcends. At his funeral, I shared my experience. Later, I found out that lots of people were comforted by my testimony.
For a while, I had vivid dreams about my uncle. I even participated in AIDS Walk Atlanta. I didn’t want other people to go through what my uncle went through.
Ten years has passed since my uncle died, and AIDS is still an epidemic. Recently, I visited his gravesite for the first time since his burial. I introduced him to my four-year old daughter, his great-niece. I realized that I really did introduce them because a few months later, my daughter came to me with her notebook in hand. She had drawn a picture of her uncle. She didn’t know his name, or at least she didn’t tell me. In her artwork, the man had long hair and wore a crown. She proceeded to tell me that he was no longer with us and that he wanted to be a girl. My jaw dropped. I was shocked and skeptical at first. Then she informed me that while he was in high school, he wore a dress. After high school, he got married to a boy.
Everything she said was true, but she had no way of knowing any of it, unless he had told her. My daughter is young, and I’ve never had a discussion with her, or around her, about same-sex relationships. Thankfully, she wasn’t afraid and neither was I, especially when she told me that he hugged her.

Hearing about my daughter’s encounter with our deceased uncle reminded me that there is still so much work to do regarding combating HIV/AIDS. It amazes me that although the media has done a good job bringing awareness to the disease, so many people are still getting infected. I feel as though I have been personally commissioned to help eradicate this pandemic. Each and every life lost to AIDS related complications is too many. We need to do everything we can to stop the spread of this horrific disease. If anyone thinks that HIV/AIDS is limited to homosexuals, intravenous drug users or morally corrupt individuals, think again.

The United States vital statistics found on the “Until There’s a Cure” Web site suggest otherwise. The following stats are disturbing.
 An estimated one million people are currently living with HIV in the United States, with approximately 40,000 new infections occurring each year.
 70 percent of these new infections occur in men and 30 percent occur in women.
 By race, 54 percent of the new infections in the United States occur among African Americans, and 64 percent of the new infections in women occur in African American women.
 75 percent of the new infections in women are heterosexually transmitted.
 Half of all new infections in the United States occur in people 25 years of age or younger.
The worldwide statics are even more alarming.
 Over 22 million people have died from AIDS.
 Over 42 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, and 74 percent of these infected people live in sub-Saharan Africa.
 Over 19 million women are living with HIV/AIDS.
 By the year 2010, five countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, China, India, and Russia) with 40 percent of the world's population will add 50 to 75 million infected people to the worldwide pool of HIV disease.
 There are 14,000 new infections every day (95 percent in developing countries). HIV/AIDS is a "disease of young people" with half of the 5 million new infections each year occurring among people ages 15 to 24.
 The UN estimates that, currently, there are 14 million AIDS orphans and that by 2010 there will be 25 million.

No one deserves to contract HIV/AIDS, regardless of their lifestyle. When death comes knocking, it doesn’t care about age, race, nationality, religion, sexual preference, gender or social status. What will you do to make a change?

Political Reflection - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

During an interview on Fox News Network, Hillary Clinton appeared to diminish the role Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. played in the civil rights movement. She said it was not hope inspired by King that made the difference but President Lyndon Johnson’s decision to fight for and sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law.

In a comment responding to the entire context of Senator Clinton’s response to the role of Martin Luther King in the Civil Rights Movement Greg Gaylord wrote: “Hillary wants us to believe that LBJ would have signed the Civil Right Act without a popular mandate? Hillary wants us to believe that LBJ was more inspirational than Martin Luther King , Jr. Did LBJ have a dream? Other than POWER and the thirst to achieve power? President Johnson signing the Civil Right Act was momentous. But the blood, sweat, and tears of the movement was represented by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hillary is not deserving of the power we entrust to a President. She seeks the office believing that it is power and not the hopes, desires and philosophies of civil leaders amongst us that truly changes our lives.”

Senator Clinton argued on "Meet the Press" that a president was needed in addition to the dream. I will give Hillary the benefit of the doubt and accept her explanation of what she meant. Her point was that President Lyndon Baines Johnson was the one who "actually” passed the civil rights legislation.

Hillary has given Black America a reason to unite and vote for Obama. We have in Senator Obama the chance to elect a president that has the dream, hope, and vision to unite this country.

As president, Barack Obama will have the same opportunities and resources that were available to President Johnson when he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He will also have the "dream" and the office of The Presidency to make real changes in our lives.

We have the chance of a life time, to witness the manifestations of the promises made by God to Martin Luther King and to our forefathers. Senator Obama must win in South Carolina. We don’t have the luxury of time therefore, we need to unite as a people. I believe that God has given us this moment in time to use the vote to save ourselves.

Vera Richardson is the author of “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined.”

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615177018/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

Why I Cheat on My Beautiful Black Wife

I am a black man and a cheater. Not all the time, just every now and then. The itch comes to me, and no matter what my wife does, I still can't help but want another woman. At least for a night, or two, or three.

I love my wife very much. No woman I've ever met or will meet will hold a more important place in my life. I also love my kids, our house, my job and the fish in my daughter's room. I love everything about my life at home, even though my relationship has become dull and rocky. But while I love having a strong black family, I also love being a man, and there is a part of me that just can't handle monogamy.

I see alot of misinformation in Essence and other black women's magazines about men and what we want. It's silly to me, because women don't know a thing about us. At the same time, they spend all their time talking about us. They always think they have us figured out, that we can be changed, and that they can come up with some magic formula that will control us and make us want to give them all the blissful matrimony they are seeking.

They couldn't be more wrong.

Here's the deal on cheating. Not from every man's point of view, just mine. You would never know I was a cheater, because I don't act like one. I don't think my penis is made of candy, and I don't want to have sex with every woman I see. I just want one sexy black woman, every now and then, as long as she is not my wife.

I have four confessions to make, please hear me out before you attack.

1) Love usually has nothing to do with cheating.

Women have this silly belief that if a man cheats on you, he must not love you. That's like saying that if you really love God, you won't scratch your toes. One has nothing to do with the other. I could be faithful to a woman I hate and cheat on a woman I love. Whether I love a woman is communicated by whether I continue coming home to her, or whether I visit her if she is sick, help her pay a bill or take care of her aging, yet annoying parents. The woman you love is the one that you want to see when you are NOT horny.

2) I didn't care much about being married, and many men can do without it.

I don't need the emotional security that women crave, I never wanted the ceremony or the legal commitments that come with matrimony. Personally, I would rather NOT have the state involved in my relatonship. I got married because my wife was a good black woman and she wanted to get married. That's it. If I could have had my way, I would have continued to date her forever, without ever getting married. It's not because I am a dog, but I would have been considered a dog for not marrying the woman I love.

I recall seeing all my friends who were married, bored and miserable. On top of that, they had to answer to someone every single day, take out the trash and deal with some irritable woman on her period, who feels that she can hold sex over their heads. I never wanted to be that guy.

But it was love that made me willing to be that guy. I have been that guy alot, especially when my wife was pregnant. I also support the African American family, so I do what I can to keep us together. But even though I have experienced the ups and downs of marriage, I still don't see what's so great about it.

3) You can't control us with sex.

I have heard women say things like "If you don't do this or that, then I'm not giving you any." Some men may be affected by this kind of thing, but I'm not. If my wife withholds sex, I give her 2 weeks. If she is not having sex with me within two weeks, I find someone else to have sex with. It's not her right to decide if I get to have sex, and she can't use sex as a weapon.

What she doesn't realize is a couple of things. First, men NEED sex. Again, it has nothing to do with love. We need sex the same way that a woman needs to socialize or a good daughter needs to hear from her mother. It's a purely physical urge, like when you have to go to the bathroom, but not bad enough that you're going to burst. The discomfort from the unfulfilled need is just strong enough that you sigh when you are finally relieved.

Second of all, as a black man in my early forties, there are always at least 5 other beautiful black women willing to drop their pants for me in a second. It's just a numbers game, since a black man with a job and all his teeth is considered a good prospect. So, whether she knows it or not, my wife has competition. But then again, maybe I have competition too and don't know it, I accept that. In fact, if she is tempted to cheat, then that supports my argument that we should never have gotten married in the first place. Women ask us to do something that we don't want to do, then get mad because we don't do it right. It reminds me of when my older sisters used to force me to play house with them, and then get angry because I put playdough in the teapot out of boredom.

Because I love my beautiful ebony wife, I am willing to wait for sex. But only two weeks. After that, I get resentful and start to think bout exercising my options. It's at that point that one of my many unmarried ex-girlfriends gets invited to lunch. They are always happy to meet me.

I am not trying to be conceited, but it's the honest to God truth. I hope that the truth is appreciated, but I suspect that some of you reading this might feel more comfortable with the same old lies. Perhaps if I weren't so committed to telling the truth, I could become more comfortable living the big marital lie that exists in America. It's that same lie that makes Internet Pornography the largest industry on the web, with most of the content being purchased by married men.

4) If we want another woman, there usually isn't much else you can do about it.

I truly believe in the theories which state that men are genetically wired to want more than one woman. We don't choose to be that way, we just are. We are also trained to lie about it, since there is nothing that turns a woman off more than saying that you want more than one woman. But get a bunch of guys together and ask them to describe their sexual fantasies (with no women in the room, of course), and most of them would describe something that involved at least 2 or 3 women. I have shared these thoughts with my wife and I find that she is only interested in killing the messenger. So, that throws honesty out the window.

I am not sure if I will continue to cheat, but I know that my male friends do it all the time. I envy the single guys, who can do what they want, with whom they want, and no one calls them a bad person. I share my life, my space, and my time with a woman, deal with her moods and am continuously there for her, yet, if I fulfill one fundamental need that I have as a man, I become a villain.

It just doesn't seem fair.

"Get Low" (Our Song) ~by Donisha Adams

Get low, get low, get reaaaal low until you touch the floor/

Those that spread their hate/ Those that kill your spirit leaving carnage in their wake/

They make you get low, get low, get reaaal low/

Those that want your body without taking the time.../the time to wonder about the inner trappings of your mind/Those that say they love-like love was a brand new pair of Jordans that can be bought/I know that love is blind/

Yahhh, they make you FEEL low, FEEL low, FEEL reaaaal low until you feel this____big.

Who helps the little girls who are caught up in deception?/ Who can't love themselves unless they look like VIDEO GIRLS/

They feel low, feel low, feel reaaaal low-trapped/

Their wings have been cut/No one taught them how to fly/ Above it all/ And eventhough you are 5 feet tall u can still carry yourself like you are a GIANT/But, here you are in the club EVERY NIGHT trying to be seen/ Feeling good because you are looking like that VIDEO GIRL/Letting some man treat you like dirt...because "atleast you got a man."/ And sometimes love hurts/

Gettin low, gettin low, gettin real low until u hit the floor.

One day, you will see/ You create your own self-image/ You create your destiny/ You demand respect./

When all is said and done you give yourself the wings to...Get high, get high. Get reeeaaal high until...you...reach...THE SKY!

Oprah Winfrey Leaving Stedman Graham Out of Her Will

The National Enquire, MSNBC and other media outlets are reporting that mega mogul Oprah Winfrey is not leaving any of her $2 billion dollar fortune to long-time boyfriend Stedman Graham. Instead, Winfrey has left the funds to the three adopted children, whom she has yet to adopt. She also mentions several charities that are set to recieve donations upon her passing.

Winfrey mentions that she wants to adopt the children and raise them on her own, and doesn't mention Stedman helping her to do that. Some question Winfrey's age and whether or not a woman in her 50s should adopt 3 young children and try to raise them alone.

Stedman has amassed a small fortune of his own from writing and speaking. Oprah leaving Stedman out of her will has fueled speculation that their long relationship may be in jeopardy.

Hillary Clinton and the Crying Game

What's with all the crying Hillary? I am not sure when the last time was that I saw Hillary Clinton crying over anything, especially not losing a primary in a meaningless state where less than 5% of the voters even show up.

Yes, crying was a political tactic and yes it worked. But this is a serious setback for women trying to get into the Whitehouse.

If we get attacked by another country, is she going to cry then? Maybe if our enemies see our President in tears, they won't bomb us to death.

What if Obama had cried, what would we think of him? We would probably send him a box of kleenex and tampons and tell him to go back to Chicago.

Hillary, this stuff has got to stop. You have to win the election fairly like everyone else. By playing the gender card in such a sad and desperate fashion, you set women back 100 years. You should have been crying when your husband was screwing around, then maybe we would believe you.

Don't Give Up, You Are Loved

Sisters you are all beautiful. I hope that this song reminds you that you are indeed loved. Loved by God, you, and all the wonderful friends and family that God has placed in your life. As an added bonus the black female in this video is Julieannah who is one of my wonderful daughters. Celebrate with me as she pursues her dreams.

Vera Richardson is the author of “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined.”

http://www.lulu.com/content/1362173

Volunteering In the 2008 Election

According to their website People for the American Way is an energetic advocate for the values and institutions that sustain a diverse democratic society. The above-mentioned organization published an article titled The New Face of Jim Crow: Voter Suppressions in America. The author of the article argues that long lines and inequality in resource distribution has caused voter suppression in America.

The article states in part: “Long lines at the polls constitute a form of voter suppression because they can compel eligible voters to give up on waiting or discourage people from even showing up at the polls. The problem is usually caused by an inadequate number of voting booths, faulty voting equipment, a lack of poll workers, or poorly trained poll workers who are not able to move voters through the process efficiently.

While long lines can suppress the vote in any precinct, evidence indicates that such lines often form at polling places that are frequented by students, people of color, and low-income voters who often do not have the time or the resources to wait many hours. Some work more than one job, have trouble obtaining permission to vote from employers, or must meet child-care deadlines. These are often the precincts, which receive the fewest resources for voting equipment, poll workers and poll worker training.

In the 2004 election, many voters waited in lines for well over an hour before casting their ballots.[33] And in some places, the lines were much longer—for example, there were reports of five- and even ten-hour long lines at some precincts in Ohio.[34] Even the most dedicated citizens cannot typically spend five or ten hours to cast a vote. People For the American Way Foundation worked with a number of other civil rights and public interest organizations to implement the Election Protection (EP) program in 17 states during the 2004 election. EP poll monitors received numerous complaints of long lines at polling places around the country.

In its post-election report titled “Shattering the Myth,”[35] the Election Protection coalition summarized the numerous complaints it had received.

The solution to the problem of unequal resource allocation is obvious, requiring a fundamental commitment to democracy. To be fair, and to ensure that some groups of voters aren’t given preference over others, states should implement uniform poll worker training, adequate poll worker recruitment, and sufficient numbers of voting machines and voting booths in each precinct where voting will take place.”

During the 2004 election, I worked at my polling place in the Newport News, VA. I volunteered to work on election day because I felt the urgency to take action. We all know that once again the Democrats came up short.

I like many of you watched in disbelief as our people waited in long lines that stretched around the block in many polling places in Florida and Ohio during the 2004 elections. Was it just a coincidence that vote count in Ohio was the deciding factor in the 2004 election?

If the two primary elections in Iowa and New Hampshire are an indication of future voter turnouts we may face major problems in the remaining primaries and in the general election. According to Keith Olbermann of MSNBC voter turnout for the Iowa Caucuses was ninety-seven percent higher than the turnout in 2004. Polling workers in New Hampshire had to requested additional ballots because of the unprecedented voter participation.

As a people we have worked very hard and have voted in record numbers in the last two presidential elections. We should commend ourselves for our great efforts. During both of those elections television broadcasts showed us waiting in long lines in order to vote.

It is my belief that we should seek out ways to prevent a repeat of the long lines in the prior presidential elections. One of the things we can do right now is to call our cities or towns Registrant's offices to inquire about volunteering at local polling area for the 2008 election.

As a country we need to address the issue of unequal resource allocation during the voting process. We should investigate and correct this issue now in order that every American wishing to exercise his or her right to vote will indeed have that opportunity.

We have seen the recent political unrest in Pakistan and Kenya. We do not want the same type of election turmoil, confusion and strife that is currently the reality of those two countries.

It is my hope and prayer that Americans will have the heart, mind, and courage to expect and demand an orderly, fair, and impartial political process during this historic election year. As a country we need to address and correct voting problems and issues to insure the integrity of the election process.

Addressing the problem of unequal resource allocation and implementing the solutions offered by the People for The American Way would be a great place to start.

Vera Richardson is the author of “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined."

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615177018/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

Michelle Obama: Now or Never for Obama

Michelle Obama, the wife of the 2008 presidential candidate, Barack Obama, proudly speaks her mind. As time progresses in the campaign, Michelle Obama has been increasingly revealing her own opinion of sarcasm and earnestness. Michelle has stepped up her sense of urgency by announcing an ultimatum.

During her Vanity Magazine interview, Michelle quoted, “ It’s now or never” regarding her husbands’ presidency. Michelle stated that if Barack does not win the 2008 presidential election, then he will not run again in the future. As she continued in her interview, Michelle also mentioned, “We’re not going to keep running and running and running, because at some point you do get the life beaten out of you. It hasn’t been beaten out of us yet. We need to be in there now, while we’re still fresh and open and fearless and bold. You lose some of that over time. Barack is not cautious yet; he’s ready to change the world, and we need that.”

According to CNN News, Obama expressed at the Iowa Rally that they would not be doing this again. Obama stated, "My wife and I were talking the other day. And she said 'We're not doing this again'. And those of you who met her know she doesn't mince words. She meant that in eight years, I'm not sure we'll be the same people we are now." He said that he and his wife had only recently finished paying off their own student loans and started saving for their kids' college education. He also said that, until recently, he would do the family's grocery shopping himself. He said Michele told him, "eight years from now we will have lost touch with what ordinary Americans are going through" and that "we'll be in a different orbit."

Michelle Obama: Now or Never for Obama

Michelle Obama, the wife of the 2008 presidential candidate, Barack Obama, proudly speaks her mind. As time progresses in the campaign, Michelle Obama has been increasingly revealing her own opinion of sarcasm and earnestness. Michelle has stepped up her sense of urgency by announcing an ultimatum.

During her Vanity Magazine interview, Michelle quoted, “ It’s now or never” regarding her husbands’ presidency. Michelle stated that if Barack does not win the 2008 presidential election, then he will not run again in the future. As she continued in her interview, Michelle also mentioned, “We’re not going to keep running and running and running, because at some point you do get the life beaten out of you. It hasn’t been beaten out of us yet. We need to be in there now, while we’re still fresh and open and fearless and bold. You lose some of that over time. Barack is not cautious yet; he’s ready to change the world, and we need that.”

According to CNN News, Obama expressed at the Iowa Rally that they would not be doing this again. Obama stated, "My wife and I were talking the other day. And she said 'We're not doing this again'. And those of you who met her know she doesn't mince words. She meant that in eight years, I'm not sure we'll be the same people we are now." He said that he and his wife had only recently finished paying off their own student loans and started saving for their kids' college education. He also said that, until recently, he would do the family's grocery shopping himself. He said Michele told him, "eight years from now we will have lost touch with what ordinary Americans are going through" and that "we'll be in a different orbit."

Michelle Obama, the wife of the 2008 presidential candidate, Barack Obama, proudly speaks her mind. As time progresses in the campaign, Michelle Obama has been increasingly revealing her own opinion of sarcasm and earnestness. Michelle has stepped up her sense of urgency by announcing an ultimatum.
During her Vanity Magazine interview, Michelle quoted, “ It’s now or never” regarding her husbands’ presidency. Michelle stated that if Barack does not win the 2008 presidential election, then he will not run again in the future. As she continued in her interview, Michelle also mentioned, “We’re not going to keep running and running and running, because at some point you do get the life beaten out of you. It hasn’t been beaten out of us yet. We need to be in there now, while we’re still fresh and open and fearless and bold. You lose some of that over time. Barack is not cautious yet; he’s ready to change the world, and we need that.”
According to CNN News, Obama expressed at the Iowa Rally that they would not be doing this again. Obama stated, "My wife and I were talking the other day. And she said 'We're not doing this again'. And those of you who met her know she doesn't mince words,” said Obama. “She meant that in eight years, I'm not sure we'll be the same people we are now." He said that he and his wife had only recently finished paying off their own student loans and started saving for their kids' college education. He also said that, until recently, he would do the family's grocery shopping himself. He said Michele told him, "eight years from now we will have lost touch with what ordinary Americans are going through" and that "we'll be in a different orbit."

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama, the wife of the 2008 presidential candidate, Barack Obama, proudly speaks her mind. As time progresses in the campaign, Michelle Obama has been increasingly revealing her own opinion of sarcasm and earnestness. Michelle has stepped up her sense of urgency by announcing an ultimatum.
During her Vanity Magazine interview, Michelle quoted, “ It’s now or never” regarding her husbands’ presidency. Michelle stated that if Barack does not win the 2008 presidential election, then he will not run again in the future. As she continued in her interview, Michelle also mentioned, “We’re not going to keep running and running and running, because at some point you do get the life beaten out of you. It hasn’t been beaten out of us yet. We need to be in there now, while we’re still fresh and open and fearless and bold. You lose some of that over time. Barack is not cautious yet; he’s ready to change the world, and we need that.”
According to CNN News, Obama expressed at the Iowa Rally that they would not be doing this again. Obama stated, "My wife and I were talking the other day. And she said 'We're not doing this again'. And those of you who met her know she doesn't mince words,” said Obama. “She meant that in eight years, I'm not sure we'll be the same people we are now." He said that he and his wife had only recently finished paying off their own student loans and started saving for their kids' college education. He also said that, until recently, he would do the family's grocery shopping himself. He said Michele told him, "eight years from now we will have lost touch with what ordinary Americans are going through" and that "we'll be in a different orbit."

Why Does Hillary Clinton Feel So Entitled?

I listen to the news every morning before I leave for work. Listening to the doom and gloom and the occasional happy story seems to energize me for the day ahead. The last few mornings I have been surprised by Senator Clinton's statements about herself and her opponents. I live in Central NY, and we are used to her haughty, uppity disposition, and the "I will run my campaign the way I see fit" attitude from the steely calculating ice queen who cries for votes.

But we also wait for Bill to come and visit us every year at the New York State Fair and have his Gianelli at the Dinosaur BBQ stand and be the rock star he is. Oh yeah and if he has to, he can bring his wife. It just wasn't as exciting last year when she came alone, while Bill was with Oprah. I love Bill, I tolerate Hillary. I don't think I am alone here. But despite her lack of charisma she is smart and very strong and I would think that she would think before she opened her mouth. But maybe because she is trailing in the polls, her frustration over not being the favorite is coming out and showing her entitlement mentality.

Yesterday I was reading some clips from Senator Clinton's latest speech and in the speech, she was talking about change. Clinton mentioned that having a woman president would definitely be change. Well yes it would Hill, but it would also be a big change having an African American of any gender in the White House considering the legacy of institutionalized racism in our country. Hon, you aren't the only one with the potential to make history here so simma down. I am both Black and a woman and I know I have had more issues in my life because of the color of my skin than I have because I have a uterus. It would be nice to think that she considers herself the only woman up against all these men. Instead it appears to be her against the guys and the Black one over there. Does she think that because she is a woman she should get some extra points? Once she gets a personality, I will give her some points.

In her interview with Diane Sawyer this morning, Senator Clinton said that Obama and Edwards have gotten a "free ride", in the campaign arena. She said she doesn't mind taking all the scrutiny. Oh really? Hillary, she who is running on the popularity of her husband? She who no one would know if she hadn't been the First Lady? She who would not be where she is if it weren't for some of us that might have voted for her because we liked her husband? If anyone is getting a free ride it is her clinging with both hands to her husband's coat tails.

John Edwards is running while his wife is fighting to stay alive. Barack Obama is Black, he has a Muslim name, and he doesn't have a lot of experience. In addition, The Clinton campaign has tried to discredit him at every turn. Does she want to talk scrutiny? Edwards is being criticized for running while his wife is dealing with breast cancer, and Obama has has been hammered about everything in his life from drug use to religion, most of this coming from the Clinton campaign machine. Let's top it off with some nut job threatening Obama's children! Doesn't sound like much of a free ride to me.

Sounds like Hillary is doing her classic lashing out because she thought she was entitled to walk into the White House again unimpeded. Hillary: newsflash....you are not entitled to be our next president simply because you slept with Bill. If that were the case we might have a couple more Presidential hopefuls out there somewhere that have yet to come forward!

Do me a favor Hillary: why don't you stop bashing your competitors and tell us in detail about some of those changes you have made in the last 35 years? I really can't think of any, even though I live in your state. Maybe she is talking about her hair color or her clothes. Give me substance and not barbs. At the NY State Fair just stay home, but please send your husband. He's kinda cute for a chubby good ole boy. I'll buy him a Wine Slushie.

When Black Love Gets Stale: Perking Up Your Love Life

by Gina Streaty - Your Black World

Romantic relationships get stale. Sexual interest wanes. The Midas touch can mislay its golden stroke, and that magical feeling that once made you levitate can lose its conjuring power. It happens. But just because those fireworks that used to light up a room whenever you and your Boo connected have fizzled to a puff of smoke doesn't mean the passion is dead and can't be resurrected. It simply means you have to work a little harder to get those fires going again.

What happens is we get all wrapped up in the romance initially. We start out so excited to be with that special someone that it's the thrill of being together that makes the relationship hot. The way he looks at us, touches us, and talks to us sends those butterflies in our tummy into frenzy. Then over time, as we begin to take our "togetherness" for granted, romance is relegated to the backseat of our relationship and what's left becomes a boring, yawn-inducing routine. We start doing the same things over and over again or cease doing them altogether. For example, dining out is replaced with leftovers in front of the TV, and the TV remote control unit becomes our partner's preferred companion. Spontaneity peters out. Cuddling and talking with each other falls by the way side. Bedroom activities are toned down or abandoned. Even something as intimate and intensely erotic as passionate kissing is swapped for a quick peck on the cheek, lips or forehead. Togetherness becomes less than exhilarating, losing much of its magic. And we're left wondering when and how the romance in our relationship crashed and burned.

Many women (and men!) say it is these kinds of disenchanted feelings that give way to infidelity or, at the least, thoughts of playing dangerously close to temptation. As a friend of mine once said, "If a man is boring and doesn't excite me, it makes me want to have an affair." She described her MIA romance as the result of her boyfriend's lackluster boudoir performance and general inattentiveness. However, if our men are romantically handicapped, a great deal of the blame could fall on us. These totems of truth can be substantiated, if we take the time to be honest with ourselves. First, if you're one of those women going around complaining about how mundane your love or sex life has become, ask yourself why that is. What changed? Second, if you're in a committed relationship with a man you love, there is no reason for you not to be turned on by him. If your man really loves you and you can articulate your needs and desires to him, you should be getting romance and sizzling satisfaction in every aspect of your relationship. I have yet to meet a man "in love" who doesn't want to rock his woman's world.

If he's not able to accomplish the mission, then you need to help him. Go back to elementary school, ladies: Show & Tell! Teach him. Buy a book or video, if you have to, to help him get it right. Quit pretending it's copasetic when you know you're discontented. We’ve got some pitiful, risible men strutting around like peacocks thinking they're God's gift when it comes to romance and sex, and the reality of it is they are sorely misinformed. Why? Because some woman (or women!) has lied through her teeth about his abilities. We have a tendency to stroke a man's ego with hyperbole to spare his feelings or shroud his shortcomings. And we end up frustrated and dissatisfied. That's not our man's fault. He can't improve if he isn't aware that he needs to. Furthermore, we get lazy in our relationships. We expect the man to do all the work. Cater to us. Buy us gifts. Take us out to eat. Rub our feet. Massage our shoulders and back. Initiate sex—every time. Ladies, men like to be catered to too! They have sore feet and aching backs. They like to be taken out to dinner. Let's turn the tables once in a while and spice things up for our man.

I have a friend who constantly complains about her man's lack of interest in her. She "loves [him] to death," as she puts it, but finds him mind-numbing. "All he wants to do is sit at home and watch sports. I've got all of this luscious play equipment"—she gestures to her bosom—"and he acts like he doesn't even know it's there. It makes me want to find someone else who does." I know for a fact that home girl never communicates her feelings or needs to her man without harshly criticizing him. I also know that she's never tried gussying up her "play equipment." She will be the first to confess that she's all about comfort when it comes to clothing: warm-up suits, baggy sweats, oversized T-shirts, and granny drawers. Forget sexy lingerie, enticing, form-fitting outfits, and plunging necklines. In the beginning, when she was trying to snare him, her style would have given Beyonce a run for her money. But now that she has him, no need for extra effort. That's backward thinking and it's no wonder she's bitching. Ladies, we can be the best cook in the world, but if we used to fix our man steak and now we're giving him the same soup warmed over, he’s eventually going to get tired of it. Sometimes we have to “kick it up a notch” for him, add a few more ingredients, or serve it with a side dish, ladle it in a fancy bowl, throw a steak in there for old time’s sake. And instead of waiting for him to "come and get it," take it to him! In other words, be creative and initiate. Men LOVE that. Make him feel like he's the sexiest, most romantic man in the world; and tell him exactly what he has to do to keep you feeling that way about him. He'll be so excited to think he's doing something right for a change; he’ll hang on to your every word.

Remember, men are visual creatures. So always offer him an eyeful. Give him a vision he'll commit to memory and will want to replay again and again. Once when I was in Victoria's Secrets, a man walked inside the store and right up to me and said, "There's something so sexy about a woman buying herself lingerie." His woman was two steps behind him and shot out, "You have to excuse my friend. He's ignorant! I told him you must be in a new relationship." I informed both of them that I wasn't in a relationship at all, but rather, I love lingerie. He seemed surprised. She looked at me as if she thought I was lying, as if I couldn't possibly be interested in lace bras and red velvet thongs just for myself. When he suggested that she pick something out for herself as a gift from him, she quickly rebuffed the offer and declared, as she walked toward the door, "Boy, please! I don't need anything riding up my butt making me feel uncomfortable. Let's go!" Before I could respond, they were outside the store and he was licking his lips and winking at me through the window, his eyeballs walking all over my backside. I never forgot that incident. I made a vow that day that I would never be THAT woman; that if I was fortunate enough to find a good man, my lingerie drawer would stay filled to the brim with mind-blowing whatnots—no matter how much they rode up my butt—and scintillating romance would epitomize our relationship.

We have to try harder, if we want to add zing to our relationships. We also have to stop being so critical of our bodies and our men. Men love it when we're confident and comfortable with our sexuality. They get high off of it. One of the happiest couples I know is an attractive, successful man in a long-term relationship with someone many would describe as a less than average-looking “big girl” who makes him feel like Adonis. He says all the time, "She's the sexiest woman I've ever been with in my life." She dresses sexy. She walks around like she's Halle Berry on the red carpet and no one had better tell her otherwise. He buys her gifts, gives her flowers, and takes her on romantic weekend getaways—things he says he rarely did in previous relationships. He is madly in love with how she makes him feel. She won't hesitate to call him on the job and tell him what she wants and to "come home and take care of my needs." That's a happy man—and a smart and satisfied woman!
We were just like Big Girl once upon a time. We were a virtual buffet of sexy, romantic offerings and our man was catering to our every whim. Before his first plate of us was licked clean we were slinging another in front of him. We need to think back to those times and how we interacted with our man. We need to remember what it was about us that knocked him to his knees, made him salivate and grin from ear to ear, and had him treating us like a queen. We can still give our man the equivalent of a drug induced high, if we want. Greet him at the door and wear nothing more than gauze and 4" heels. Call him up and invite him out to his favorite restaurant, and show up looking like dessert. Set the mood at home: candles, music, mirrors, sex toys, massage oils, a pole for dancing, whatever! If we put our mind into it, our body and our man will follow. And he WILL return the favor, believe me!

The key is to keep it fresh, exciting, honest and reciprocal. If it doesn't feel like the 4th of July in our world after that, then we need to check his pulse. Bottom line, we can resuscitate our love life. Just remember that, when it comes to love, romance and sex, sometimes the more we give the better we receive.

When Black Love Gets Stale: Perking Up Your Love Life

by Gina Streaty - Your Black World

Romantic relationships get stale. Sexual interest wanes. The Midas touch can mislay its golden stroke, and that magical feeling that once made you levitate can lose its conjuring power. It happens. But just because those fireworks that used to light up a room whenever you and your Boo connected have fizzled to a puff of smoke doesn't mean the passion is dead and can't be resurrected. It simply means you have to work a little harder to get those fires going again.

What happens is we get all wrapped up in the romance initially. We start out so excited to be with that special someone that it's the thrill of being together that makes the relationship hot. The way he looks at us, touches us, and talks to us sends those butterflies in our tummy into frenzy. Then over time, as we begin to take our "togetherness" for granted, romance is relegated to the backseat of our relationship and what's left becomes a boring, yawn-inducing routine. We start doing the same things over and over again or cease doing them altogether. For example, dining out is replaced with leftovers in front of the TV, and the TV remote control unit becomes our partner's preferred companion. Spontaneity peters out. Cuddling and talking with each other falls by the way side. Bedroom activities are toned down or abandoned. Even something as intimate and intensely erotic as passionate kissing is swapped for a quick peck on the cheek, lips or forehead. Togetherness becomes less than exhilarating, losing much of its magic. And we're left wondering when and how the romance in our relationship crashed and burned.

Many women (and men!) say it is these kinds of disenchanted feelings that give way to infidelity or, at the least, thoughts of playing dangerously close to temptation. As a friend of mine once said, "If a man is boring and doesn't excite me, it makes me want to have an affair." She described her MIA romance as the result of her boyfriend's lackluster boudoir performance and general inattentiveness. However, if our men are romantically handicapped, a great deal of the blame could fall on us. These totems of truth can be substantiated, if we take the time to be honest with ourselves. First, if you're one of those women going around complaining about how mundane your love or sex life has become, ask yourself why that is. What changed? Second, if you're in a committed relationship with a man you love, there is no reason for you not to be turned on by him. If your man really loves you and you can articulate your needs and desires to him, you should be getting romance and sizzling satisfaction in every aspect of your relationship. I have yet to meet a man "in love" who doesn't want to rock his woman's world.

If he's not able to accomplish the mission, then you need to help him. Go back to elementary school, ladies: Show & Tell! Teach him. Buy a book or video, if you have to, to help him get it right. Quit pretending it's copasetic when you know you're discontented. We’ve got some pitiful, risible men strutting around like peacocks thinking they're God's gift when it comes to romance and sex, and the reality of it is they are sorely misinformed. Why? Because some woman (or women!) has lied through her teeth about his abilities. We have a tendency to stroke a man's ego with hyperbole to spare his feelings or shroud his shortcomings. And we end up frustrated and dissatisfied. That's not our man's fault. He can't improve if he isn't aware that he needs to. Furthermore, we get lazy in our relationships. We expect the man to do all the work. Cater to us. Buy us gifts. Take us out to eat. Rub our feet. Massage our shoulders and back. Initiate sex—every time. Ladies, men like to be catered to too! They have sore feet and aching backs. They like to be taken out to dinner. Let's turn the tables once in a while and spice things up for our man.

I have a friend who constantly complains about her man's lack of interest in her. She "loves [him] to death," as she puts it, but finds him mind-numbing. "All he wants to do is sit at home and watch sports. I've got all of this luscious play equipment"—she gestures to her bosom—"and he acts like he doesn't even know it's there. It makes me want to find someone else who does." I know for a fact that home girl never communicates her feelings or needs to her man without harshly criticizing him. I also know that she's never tried gussying up her "play equipment." She will be the first to confess that she's all about comfort when it comes to clothing: warm-up suits, baggy sweats, oversized T-shirts, and granny drawers. Forget sexy lingerie, enticing, form-fitting outfits, and plunging necklines. In the beginning, when she was trying to snare him, her style would have given Beyonce a run for her money. But now that she has him, no need for extra effort. That's backward thinking and it's no wonder she's bitching. Ladies, we can be the best cook in the world, but if we used to fix our man steak and now we're giving him the same soup warmed over, he’s eventually going to get tired of it. Sometimes we have to “kick it up a notch” for him, add a few more ingredients, or serve it with a side dish, ladle it in a fancy bowl, throw a steak in there for old time’s sake. And instead of waiting for him to "come and get it," take it to him! In other words, be creative and initiate. Men LOVE that. Make him feel like he's the sexiest, most romantic man in the world; and tell him exactly what he has to do to keep you feeling that way about him. He'll be so excited to think he's doing something right for a change; he’ll hang on to your every word.

Remember, men are visual creatures. So always offer him an eyeful. Give him a vision he'll commit to memory and will want to replay again and again. Once when I was in Victoria's Secrets, a man walked inside the store and right up to me and said, "There's something so sexy about a woman buying herself lingerie." His woman was two steps behind him and shot out, "You have to excuse my friend. He's ignorant! I told him you must be in a new relationship." I informed both of them that I wasn't in a relationship at all, but rather, I love lingerie. He seemed surprised. She looked at me as if she thought I was lying, as if I couldn't possibly be interested in lace bras and red velvet thongs just for myself. When he suggested that she pick something out for herself as a gift from him, she quickly rebuffed the offer and declared, as she walked toward the door, "Boy, please! I don't need anything riding up my butt making me feel uncomfortable. Let's go!" Before I could respond, they were outside the store and he was licking his lips and winking at me through the window, his eyeballs walking all over my backside. I never forgot that incident. I made a vow that day that I would never be THAT woman; that if I was fortunate enough to find a good man, my lingerie drawer would stay filled to the brim with mind-blowing whatnots—no matter how much they rode up my butt—and scintillating romance would epitomize our relationship.

We have to try harder, if we want to add zing to our relationships. We also have to stop being so critical of our bodies and our men. Men love it when we're confident and comfortable with our sexuality. They get high off of it. One of the happiest couples I know is an attractive, successful man in a long-term relationship with someone many would describe as a less than average-looking “big girl” who makes him feel like Adonis. He says all the time, "She's the sexiest woman I've ever been with in my life." She dresses sexy. She walks around like she's Halle Berry on the red carpet and no one had better tell her otherwise. He buys her gifts, gives her flowers, and takes her on romantic weekend getaways—things he says he rarely did in previous relationships. He is madly in love with how she makes him feel. She won't hesitate to call him on the job and tell him what she wants and to "come home and take care of my needs." That's a happy man—and a smart and satisfied woman!
We were just like Big Girl once upon a time. We were a virtual buffet of sexy, romantic offerings and our man was catering to our every whim. Before his first plate of us was licked clean we were slinging another in front of him. We need to think back to those times and how we interacted with our man. We need to remember what it was about us that knocked him to his knees, made him salivate and grin from ear to ear, and had him treating us like a queen. We can still give our man the equivalent of a drug induced high, if we want. Greet him at the door and wear nothing more than gauze and 4" heels. Call him up and invite him out to his favorite restaurant, and show up looking like dessert. Set the mood at home: candles, music, mirrors, sex toys, massage oils, a pole for dancing, whatever! If we put our mind into it, our body and our man will follow. And he WILL return the favor, believe me!

The key is to keep it fresh, exciting, honest and reciprocal. If it doesn't feel like the 4th of July in our world after that, then we need to check his pulse. Bottom line, we can resuscitate our love life. Just remember that, when it comes to love, romance and sex, sometimes the more we give the better we receive.

A Prayer for The Protection of Senator Barack Obama

My mother was a prayer warrior who went to be with the Lord when I was twenty-eight years old. Before she passed I telephoned her often requesting that she pray for me. One day she said, “Vera, I am going to pray for you but one day you are going to have to learn to pray for your self.” Holy Spirit thank you for the revelation that God placed me in my church for this very moment in time.

One of the many things that I love about my church family is the fact that we are a body of believers that actively and openly pray. For the last month ours weekly sermons have been on pray, prayer, and praying. Stated on church's website is the following: “We expect God to answer our prayers because we are committed to praying God’s Word and believing that He must answer his Word. We expect God to demonstrate His power through the Prayer Center, and we expect to see physical manifestations of His power. We have no doubt that God will answer our prayers and fulfill our expectations. We, therefore, are determined to take the world by prayer!”

My church prints thousands of Kingdom Builder’s Power Guides. The monthly guides includes a Prayer Petition Calendar and eighteen prayer petitions. The prayer petitions varies monthly. The petitions for the month of January 2008 includes praying for the Economy of the United States of America and Prayer for the Nations of the World.

As I completed my assignment from God (writing my book) He placed 2 Chronicles 7:14 in my heart:

I am to declare His words to the world: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (KJV)

It is with an open mind and an obedient and loving heart that I make the above-mentioned declaration to the world and write and post my very own personal prayer. Yes, momma I learned how to pray for not only myself but for others too.

Jesus you are so Awesome. You are all powerful God. Lord You are the ruler of the universe. You alone are God. You alone rule this world and You God controls our very lives.

Father as a people that loves and adore You we come before You this day to say thank You. LORD, I want to thank You for a praying mother God. Lord I want to thank You for this great opportunity that You have present to Linda Meadows and I. Lord we thank You for Dr. Boyce Watkins and for giving him the vision for this website.

God thank You for keeping us strong during the difficult times of slavery, segregation, and racial discrimination. Thanks to You Father we survived those unthinkable horrors of our past.

Lord we come before You this day seeking your face Lord, seeking your protection God as we venture into our new political reality. We believe that we will soon witness the manifestations of the promises that you made to Dr. Martin Luther King and our forefathers God. Thank You Lord for the fact that we are living during this time.

Lord God please protect Senator Barack Obama as he matches towards his divine destiny. Lord Father God we praise your Holy Name Jesus. God we know that the enemy comes to seek, to devour, and to destroy. Father God please protect Obama from the people of this world who do the enemy’s works on the earth.

Lord we have seen what the enemy has done in Pakistan and Kenya. Please Lord protect this country from the same type of election turmoil, confusion, and strife that is the current reality of those two countries and in other nations on the earth.

God as You know this country professes to be a God loving and God fearing nation. Father please help those that are called my your name live up to words that they so freely utter daily Lord. Please Father God spare us from the fate and the division caused during the 2000 presidential election.

Please God place it in the hearts and minds of this nation and its people the wisdom and courage to demand and respect an orderly, fair, and impartial political process during this historic election year.
Lord we pray that America will once again be a true example of democracy, love, and peace to the rest of the world.

Lord please forgive us for our sins and our past mistakes. Lord. Forgive us for greed Lord. Please give us the spirit of forgiveness Lord. Let us forgive those who have hurt, harmed, or wounded us Lord.

Please God heal this nation from the hurts and division of the last two presidential elections. Please God let Americans behave as one nation united under God. Father, help us to turn from our wicked ways God. Help us Lord to daily seek your face God.

Jesus we praise you and we glorify your Holy name. You are so Holy Lord. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the Glory. Forever Amen.

Vera Richardson is the author of “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined."

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