President Johnson’s War on Poverty Fifty-Years Later

On this day fifty-years ago LBJ declared as part of his “Great Society” plan a war on poverty. As declared, this was a set of government programs designed to help poor Americans pull themselves out of poverty; such as employment, job training. and improvement of housing. Well we see how well that worked out! I think we can all agree that the war on poverty was a costly and in my view tragic mistake to declare. Particularly, when the results show there was no intent to achieve the goal.

It goes without saying that the people who’ve remained and are in poverty have known it was a failure for decades. Federal and state agencies have poured billions and billions of dollars into the so-called war on poverty and 50 years later the poverty statistics are worst than the when President Johnson declared such a war.

This is what I see; feelings of hopelessness have become so deeply entrenched with many Americans have long forsaken any expectation of a better life; mainly due to high and lasting unemployment. Then for the most part, the governments attempt to treat the despair with welfare programs: more people require and receive federal assistance, including food stamps, AFDC, and SSI disability payments, which is evidence that such a concept has not worked.

This begs the question, why did the war on poverty fail? Do we blame the politicians, activists, or the administrators who set up the welfare programs in the 1960s or do we blame those who are poor for being poor. Sargent Shriver once told Congress during his political career that the nation had “both the resources and the know-how to eliminate grinding poverty in the United States.” President Lyndon Johnson echoed the claim. “For the first time in our history,” Johnson declared, “it is possible to conquer poverty.” I personally agree with both and believe – yes we can!

To most people, these claims seem incredibly naïve. While the state of neediness, we call poverty does not lack material resources. As a result, what it has created is a systemic system of dependency. This involves psychological and moral problems, weak motivation, lack of trust in the system, ignorance, irresponsibility, self-destructiveness, short-sightedness, alcoholism, drug addiction, promiscuity, and violence. To say that all these behavioral and psychological problems can be “abolished” seems almost impossible to overcome.

I say it is the result of no serious effort or maybe a denial of the common-sense Biblical teaching that the wealthy know the poor will always be with us. Actually, according to the way the system was established there must be a permanent underclass in order for the rich to sustain what they’ve taken. Invariable this has bared a heavier burden upon the black and non-white community.

This is an outrage that in a nation with a technology that could provide every citizen with a decent life constantly marred in financial scandal should inflect such social misery.”The republican will tell you that this is not a moral imperative, which makes them seem selfish and insensitive. Particularly when most view the poor as being part of the 47% that they call “takers”. Many also say if the poor stopped engaging in the behavior that plunged them into neediness. Such, as they say, apply themselves, to work, save, stop using drugs, stop having babies they couldn’t support, or to make any other kind of effort to improve themselves.

Let me suggest that of all the wars on whatever, anytime they claim or impose a war on anything – it is doomed to fail. Let me add and be clear, this is the only war worth fight! And that’s my thought provoking perspective…

Please read: http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/webid-meynihan.htm

The Day Innocence Died – Who Done It

Today is the sad anniversary, for lack of a better word, of the assassination of President Kennedy 50 years ago in Dallas, Texas. Over the past several weeks, I have written a number of articles concerning the numerous theories, myths, and some untruths regarding what happened leading to the remembrance of this monumental tragic event that occurred November 22, 1963.

In light of the information available most reasonable thinking people could to come to the conclusion that it was the day that innocence died. This event is so mired in intellectual dishonestly that the government sealed and locked away documents for seventy-five years and here we are fifty-years later wondering why. I'll suggest that it is because the media who continues to participate in what most see as a cover-up.

The world surely would have been very different if Mr. Kennedy had lived. Of all of the many theories, evidence, and experts whose research the assassination coming to varying conclusions. Of all of the information I have seen, the conclusion put forth by Professor/Author Jerry Kroth gives a reasonable and logical theory as to what may have happened and who done it.

The video below of Professor Jerry Kroth's giving a presentation that presents the single, most plausible theory of the assassination. It is based on the admissions of grassy knoll gunman, James Files, the deathbed confession of CIA spymaster, E. Howard Hunt, and the most recent scholarship to appear in the last decade. Dr. Kroth proposes that Lyndon Johnson, the CIA, and Mafia, acting in concert, carried off one of the greatest crimes in American history.

This talk comes from his latest book, released just this September, Coup d'etat: The assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It is a concise, well-documented expose of a brazen, as he says, overthrow of the United States government on November 22, 1963.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this series is that of the presenters and does not necessarily reflect the views of the author. It is information that is in the public domain provided for the reader to form an opinion. Whereas, it is the author’s position that the most profound sin is a tragedy unremembered and the absence of truth. And that’s my thought provoking perspective…

The world changed “The Day Innocence Died” and spiraled downward from that day to this…

The Day Innocence Died – The Getaway

Conspiracy theorists have alleged when the new President left Dallas on the afternoon of November 22, 1963, it was more of a getaway than returning the body of the murdered president to Washington.

As a result of the fifty-year mark of the assassination of John F. Kennedy many different views and theories have been provided, over the past few weeks, to insert knowledge of the event to add to the discussion. With most of living America either too young or told an official story that was suspect, at best.

One such view comes from the son of a former Pentagon Counter Intelligence officer who tells the story of how his father, a Military agency insider Col. Christensen, reveals to his family what actually happened in Dallas on 11/22/63 and why it happened.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this series is that of the presenters and does not necessarily reflect the views of the author. It is information that is in the public domain provided for the reader to form an opinion. Whereas, it is the author’s position that the most profound sin is a tragedy unremembered and the absence of truth. And that’s my thought provoking perspective…

Follow the series “The Day Innocence Died”…

The Day Innocence Died – The Colonel

Everyone remembers where they were on the day JFK died. Here is an account from military security analyst Colonel L. Fletcher Prouty, like almost everyone else alive at the time, remembers exactly where he was when he first heard news. He was the inspiration for the character "Mr. X" in Oliver Stone’s movie JFK. Concluding an assignment to Antarctica, he was in Christchurch, New Zealand where he was sent on government business when read newspaper reports of the tragedy.

According to Prouty, people within the intelligence and military communities of the United States government conspired to assassinate Kennedy. He maintained that their actions were a coup d'état to stop the President from taking control of the CIA after the Bay of Pigs. Prouty stated that the assassination was orchestrated by Edward Lansdale (Gen. Y" in Oliver Stone's JFK) and that Landsdale appeared in photographs of the "three tramps.

In 1975, Prouty appeared with Richard Sparague at a news conference in New York to present what they believed was photographic evidence of a conspiracy. According to Prouty, the movement of Kennedy after a bullet struck his head was consistent with a shot from the grassy knoll. He also suggested that the actions of a man with an umbrella, the "Umbrella Man", were suspicious.

Prouty provides a very interesting perspective. He said, based on his experience he is convinced that there is more to the initial news accounts than meets the eye. Let us remember that Oswald was arrest for the murder and in less than seventy minutes after the president was shot. He was in custody – case closed!

Most view this as the most remarkable capture of the suspect, considering having in this short period of time, an entire account of his whereabouts and history. It is important to remember this was at a time when there were draconian communication resources and the most important murder case of the century was supposedly solved in an hour, which leads some to wonder if the suspect was known before the “The Big Event” occurred. And that’s my thought provoking perspective…

Disclaimer: The information contained in this series is that of the presenters and does not necessarily reflect the views of the author. It is information that is in the public domain provided for the reader to form an opinion. Whereas, it is the author’s position that the most profound sin is a tragedy unremembered and the absence of truth. And that’s my thought provoking perspective…

More to come as the series “The Day The Dream Died”…

My Reflection November 22, 1963

It was around 1960, when I began to hear the family talk about this guy Kennedy the newly elected President of the United States. What I thought significant about the man was that he spoke of the Negro situation in terms of positive support, which naturally made him the choice for most Negroes at the time.

What was interesting and different about the time was this thing called television, although not new, it was becoming widely accepted as a source of news and information. We did not have one but I can recall what seemed to be an urgency to get one for obvious reasons.

News by its very nature wasn’t always positive. It is designed to distribute the negative, which is a nice way of saying bad things. Most often we would get the news brought by others about dreadful atrocities, particularly issues involving race relations. It was horrifying to actually see the dogs attacking peaceful Negroes serenely marching on southern streets. Not to mention seeing police spitefully spraying fire hoses or on horseback trampling peaceful protesters, who were marching for the most basic of human rights. The visual impact of this was powerful, driving the point home that we were always in grave danger as a people.

I can remember a particular day in late November 1963 that I will never forget. Our class had just returned from what we called a recess period. My teacher Mrs. Marshall, a beautiful old lady about seventy or so, was called out of the classroom into the hallway. I noticed all of the teachers started crying and screaming. We had no idea what was happening at first. It seemed as if they were trying to find a way to tell us something. When Mrs. Marshall returned to the classroom, she said, “Class, something bad has happened. The president was killed.” This was very bad news because I knew enough to know what she said meant: assassination.

Mrs. Marshall was a tough old battle-ax who was hard as nails, but as she gave us the bad news she showed a never before seen compassion that communicated the magnitude of this horrible incident. I could not believe she was crying and visibly upset because of what had happened. She went on to say that nothing this bad had happened to Negroes since Lincoln was killed. Ironically, this president was killed because he took a stand in support of our cause as well. It was not until that day that I understood there was a system in place designed to protect the system - in other words to keep us down.

Mrs. Marshall so eloquently explained to us that America had a long-standing system in place to ensure there will always be a permanent underclass. She went on to say that we were it. She gave us the sense that our last hope for justice had died.  This was something I never forgot.

She was telling us that anyone who fought for our rights would be destroyed. It appeared to be true because this was the second time in a year that I would know that word – assassination. Not to mention all of the other indignities our people endured continuously adding credence to her remarks.

The next several days were like there had been a death in our family. Everyone was affected by this tragedy. I think we were more affected emotionally because of all the hopes residing in this man. My family was devastated and watched everything about the tragic event for a week. And of course, we were made to watch also as this sad commentary unfolded right in front of our eyes.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, a few days later we were shocked as we watched the person accused of killing the president killed on live television. This was something no one could believe, and inside a police station no less.

We would be witness to the funeral of a murdered president. Albeit via television, something few living people had witnessed and the world stopped for it. The most powerful and emotional moment occurred when the president’s little boy, who was about three years old, was standing along the funeral procession route as his father’s casket passed the family. I imagined this little boy had no idea what had happened to his father, but he stood at attention and saluted his fallen dad. And the horse with no rider who wouldn’t follow the marching soldier trying to lead him – these two incidents made this somber event even more emotional.

I remember hearing my Granddaddy say this was a setup - from day one. Kennedy’s body was not cold before the new president was sworn in. The guy arrested for shooting him was killed before Kennedy’s body was in the ground. To put this in Granddaddy’s words, from the shooting to the new president’s get-away to silencing the culprit, “This dog just don’t hunt.”  I knew even then that this day would affect the entire world and all of our lives in a big way.

Follow the series "The Day Innocence Died" each day this month because the most profound sin is a tragedy unremembered. And that’s my thought provoking perspective…

This film was not seen for ten-years after the fact. Could the shot have come from the rear?

A Day of Thanks and Giving

Thanksgiving is a season of reflection on successes, challenges and life's many blessings. As I reflect on the year 2010, I am thankful that I woke up this morning but I am puzzled. I cannot understand, and dare I say, believe, that we live in a country once known as the bread basket of the world that is capably of witnessing so much hunger in the land. Our government in an attempt to camouflage the impact of this suffering has created a new phrase – “Food Insecurity”. SHOCKING!!!

I am one who firmly believes that giving of yourself to the benefit of others is humanities greatest gift. Being a benevolent spirit I have experienced my share of mountains, milestones, and valleys. In addition, my generosity has sometime been viewed as a weakness, which I am pleased to say that it has not turned my heart into stone. To that point, my heart requires the blessings and the reward of giving. However, what I have learned is that you don’t give to those who want your help, rather to those who need your help!

Now, that brings me to my Thought Provoking Perspective – Thanksgiving!

In the supposed richest nation in the world we live in a nation of rampant hunger, homelessness, and despair. The Bible tells us that when Jesus faced such challenges, in one case, he took two fish and a loaf of bread and feed his legion of follower. There are many churches, community group, and non-profits that are desperately modeled on the tradition of giving trying to meet the needs of many, and I applauded them for their compassion. But our government would rather support the greedy than the needy. We have enough bombs to destroy the entire universe, yet most of the planet is starving or as they might say suffer from “Food Insecurity”.

It was all most fifty years ago, when then President Johnson, declared a “War on Poverty” and today there is more poverty than ever. Why? I think it’s important to note that you don’t have to be on the streets to be struggling with hunger and yes, despair. If the rich who have all the advantages are struggling with this crisis; how do you think the least of thee is fairing? I must ask, where is the mercy and compassion for humanity?

Let’s forget about the notion that America really cares because we witnessed just a few years ago as a major city drowned and the country consciously watched. Of course, our government will find and send billion to “help” any other nation on the planet. But my question is; if you opened your heart to help another soul during this so called special day, what will you do Friday and thereafter. Does it, make you feel good, to do this good deed on the holiday or is it like Sunday when you go to church and leave the message there until next week?

The whole concept of Thanksgiving is a misnomer – it is a commercial event. The origins began in 1621, when the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

Some Native Americans and others take issue with how the Thanksgiving story is presented to the American public, especially to schoolchildren. In their view, the traditional narrative paints a deceptively sunny portrait of relations between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people, masking the long and bloody history of conflict between Native Americans and European settlers that resulted in the deaths of millions.

Since 1970, protesters have gathered on the day designated as Thanksgiving at the top of Cole’s Hill, which overlooks Plymouth Rock, to commemorate a “National Day of Mourning.” Similar events are held in other parts of the country. Historians have noted that Native Americans had a rich tradition of commemorating the fall harvest with feasting and merrymaking long before Europeans set foot on their shores.

So, like I said, let’s forget about those views and look at your neighbors, community, or in the mirror and realize that it is an issue, crisis, that affects mankind, real people, human beings, and yes, children. Thanksgiving should not be a day created for parades, football, and self. You might also want to consider that next year it might be you facing homelessness and hunger.

Lastly, an individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. So les make this day one of being thankful and giving. Just remember that you were born to become a blessing: BE ONE!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

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