SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-07-31

• New post at The SuperSpade: Revisiting the #
• New post at The SuperSpade: John McCain talks Black? – Black on Black Thought ( http://tinyurl.com/5cvzpv ) #

John McCain talks Black? – Black on Black Thought

This is part of the bi-weekly Black on Black Thought feature.

I’m excited to do The SuperSpade’s first author interview today. Cliff Schecter, a friend and former Brave New Films colleague, is the author of The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don’t Trust Him, Why Independents Shouldn’t, which was released this past May. The book is an insightful look into the political psyche of the Republican Presidential candidate.

I asked Cliff to talk with me about John McCain’s record on issues of relevance to Black voters. With all of the talk in the news over the past couple of days about race in this election, his answers are interesting to say the least.

The Interview

The SuperSpade: In your view, what’s been the most instructive example of John McCain’s ideology to civil rights?

Cliff Schecter: First Garlin, thanks so much for providing these questions. And now onto business.

When it comes to Civil Rights, it’s an easy one. While he has hired a white supremacist to work on his campaign, employed the man who created the racist ads against Harold Ford Jr. in 2006 and voted against MLK day, the one that sticks out is the Confederate Flag. And here is why: McCain has even admitted himself that he threw African Americans under the bus for political reasons in South Carolina in 2000. McCain blatantly changed his position on the Confederate Flag when he thought it would help get him votes–to appear more racist.

In January 2000, McCain said that “The Confederate flag is offensive in many, many ways, as we all know. It’s a symbol of racism and slavery.” Yet, three days later, after talking to consultants and deciding that winning was more important than civil rights, he changed his tune to “personally, I see the flag as a symbol of heritage.” When the campaign was over, he admitted that if he had “answered honestly” he feared that he “could not win the South Carolina primary.” So winning is what mattered. Not as important an issue in this country as the ongoing inequality and racism that African Americans are forced to endure.

Revisiting the ‘I’ in Individuality – Black on Black Thought

This is part of the bi-weekly Black on Black Thought feature.

Today we look again at the concept of individuality. James wrote a piece today called Am I destroying the black community? that is a response to something I wrote last November called How the myth of individualism is destroying the Black community. In it, he refutes many of my points, but I think at the core he misses some fundamental truths that are necessary for individual success and collective advancement.

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-07-30

• New post at The SuperSpade: A Day of Blogging for Justice – Against – Extra – Judicial Electrocution – Tasers ( http://tinyurl.com/57wm9f ) #
• Barack Obama is not arrogant. Why is it that every time a Black man shows the slightest bit of self confidence, he is labeled as arrogant? #
• @baratunde The connotation of arrogance is negative narcissism. Obama would just be cool & confident if he wasn’t Black. That’s the problem. #
• @baratunde exactly, don’t get it twisted. #

A Day of Blogging for Justice – Against – Extra – Judicial Electrocution – Tasers

What’s up fam,

Today, The SuperSpade is teaming up with Black bloggers across the country for “A Day of Blogging for Justice – Against – Extra – Judicial Electrocution – Tasers.” This project is being headed up by African American Political Pundit and Francis Holland, who have created Electrocuted While Black for “tracking and reporting on pre-trial, extra-judicial death penalty, because it’s 21st century lynching, by another name.”

More from the website, “We are blogging today against police and other security entities across America, Canada and around the world involved in Extra-Judicial Electrocution by Tasers. African American political Pundit has called it a campaign against “on the spot pre-trial electrocution” of members of the public (many who are of African descent).”

The sick thing about the use of tasers is that it is often portrayed as a less severe form of punishment because proponents say, “Well, at least I am not using a gun.” This belies the fact that you can die from being tasered such as how “17-year-old Darryl Wayne Turner died: He had cardiac arrest after a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer shot him with a Taser gun.

And I know that it is very strategic for blogs to insert pictures or use videos to help illustrate their points. However, the downside of this strategy is that things are not “real” unless someone can supply visual evidence. So when I think about tasers, I automatically revert to one of my favorite books, “The Invisible Man.” In the opening scene, our nameless protagonist gives a speech in front of the city’s leading White men accepting a scholarship and after the speech, he is pressured to fight with other Black boys in a ring blindfolded. After being pummeled, the White men put a couple coins and dollars on a rug and force the boys to fight over the money. Little to the boy’s knowledge, there is an electric current running through the rug and in excruciating detail, the protagonist describes the pain of being electrocuted.

Again, being tasered is a small but significant part of being Black in America. Our stories must be told by us because according to an African Proverb, “Until the Lions have Their Historians, Tales of the Hunted will Always Glorify the Hunter.”

For more on this topic, visit the site, Electrocuted While Black.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-07-27

• Why are there so many oil company commercials shown during the Sunday morning talk shows? #

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-07-26

• @AdamGreenOnline hit me up next time you come to Seattle. I see you were there with my friend Goldy. #

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-07-25

• New post at The SuperSpade: Being a Black Man in America is like having a felony record… ( http://tinyurl.com/5zrn6r ) #
• I’ve never seen as many Black people in commercials as I’ve seen during CNN’s Black in America tonight. How ironic… #
• I know Blogging While Brown will be groundbreaking. I’m sorry I can’t attend in person, by I’ll be there in heart, mind, and solidarity. #

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-07-24

• New post at The SuperSpade: McCain feels disrespected by NYT – Black on Black Thought ( http://tinyurl.com/6dknft ) #
• New post at The SuperSpade: Over 600,000 Petitioners Call for an End Fox News Racism ( http://tinyurl.com/6amtcr ) #

Being a Black Man in America is like having a felony record…

I think CNN did a better job tonight.  They showed the challenges both sides face. They showed the average black man and his struggle.  Although I think they still did not focus on answers, and it was more of the same as yesterday, this was more powerful and effective.  Here are my quick hit thoughts…