William Philip "Phil" Gramm

My how my “Please Go Sit Down Somewhere And Close Your Mouth List” is growing. Today I’ve added Phil Gramm.

During the course of presidential campaigns we have come to expect the candidates and their supporters to do and say dumb things. And, we know that the media eagerly reports each and every misspoken word. Knowing that we live in a world addicted to gossip and/or news – whether concerning politicians, celebrities or athletes – you’d think that these same people would be discerning in choosing their words.

Now we have Phil Gramm with the microphone. On Wednesday he unapologetically called Americans who are having financial struggles “whiners”.

These are the stupid comments that give so many Americans the impression that the Republican Party is only for the elite. While Gramm may not be hurting financially or otherwise, money (or lack thereof) is a real and critical issue for many of us. Trivializing what people are feeling the way he did just widens the gulf between Republicans and Black folks.

Mr. Gramm, please take a seat in the corner next to Jesse Jackson.

I Agree With Obama On This One

There’s a group of people that I wish would just go sit down somewhere and close their mouths. I won’t name them all – but Jesse Jackson is at the top of the list.

Last Sunday Jesse Jackson was overheard on a live microphone saying that Barack Obama talks down to Black people. He also made a couple other stupid comments that I don’t care to repeat. Of course he has apologized to Obama but his comments were very telling – we were allowed yet another peek under the mask.

When Jackson was asked to explain his comments he said that "My appeal was for the moral content of his message to not only deal with the personal and moral responsibility of black males, but to deal with the collective moral responsibility of government and the public policy which would be a corrective action for the lack of good choices that often led to their irresponsibility.'' Jackson's response is truly a bunch of gibberish.

I’m with Obama on this one. In the speech that started all of this (given at a Black church) Obama said, ''There's a reason why our families are in disrepair," Obama said in a Father's Day speech at Apostolic Church of God on Chicago's South Side. "And some of it has to do with a tragic history, but we can't keep on using that as an excuse. Too many fathers are AWOL, missing from too many lives and too many homes. They've abandoned their responsibilities. They're acting like boys instead of men."

We have to stop placing the blame for all of our woes on everyone else and we have to stop looking to everyone else to help us. We have to look to ourselves for the answers. We’ve already waited far too long for solutions, answers, jobs, happiness, money and peace to come from White folks and/or the Government. Been there, done that, not happening. . .

So, Barack Obama, while you have a captive audience I hope you will continue to encourage personal responsibility.

As my grandmother used to say, “Stop him when he starts lying.”

Still A Woman

Thomas Beattie, formerly known as Tracy Lagondino, had a baby girl last month. So, in case you had any doubts, now you know for sure. It doesn’t matter how much cutting, snipping, hacking, installing, medicating or whatever else a doctor does – only God determines gender. Thomas remains a woman.

Looking at the photo of a pregnant Thomas posing as a man makes me really sad. I feel sad for her and her confusion and sad for her daughter. How unfair and selfish to add a child to the confusion. How will Thomas even begin to explain the conception and birth to the child?

“Men” having babies in 2008? What in the world will 2018 bring? Scary thought, huh?

Ugh!

The Republican Party seems to be preparing for some kind of showdown during the GOP Convention this year. John McCain's position on several key issues differs from traditional Republican Party views. Honestly, his position on several issues differs from mine as well.

I am so tired of choosing to whom to give my vote simply by deciding who is least offensive to me, my morals and values. While I sincerely question Obama's experience and qualifications to hold the most important position in the land -- McCain is nothing to jump and shout about either. I still don't understand how he won the nomination but he's the best we've got in the race -- for me.

Again, it just comes down to identifying the lesser of two evils. Man, I hate that!