Black Seminole John Horse

The story of John Horse and the Black Seminoles of Florida has been largely untold for their accomplishments creating the largest haven in the American South for runaway slaves. In a more profound way than Nat Turner’s rebellion, Horse led the largest slave revolt in United States history. He was at the forefront to secure the only emancipation of rebellious slaves prior to the Civil War. He was a leader in what formed the largest mass exodus of slaves across the United States and, ultimately, to Mexico. I have to say this is surely a little known black history fact.

John Horse was a Black Seminole and a military adviser to Chief Osceola, and a leader of Black Seminole units fighting against United States troops during the Seminole Wars in Florida. Horse was born around 1812 in Florida as a Seminole slave. He assumed the surname of his owner, Charles Cavallo, who may also have been his father. "Horse" is the meaning of Cavallo. His mother may have been of mixed African-Indian parentage and was possibly owned by Charles Cavallo as well. However, not much is known about Charles Cavallo.

Horse was thought to be born the same year the War of 1812 broke out between the United States and the Great Britain. When General Andrew Jackson invaded the area, he scattered the tribal peoples and their black allies. The First Seminole War occurred during Horse's childhood. During the Second Seminole War of 1835 to 1842, Horse served as a sub-chief of the Seminoles and negotiated with the U.S Army.

Horse was given his freedom by General Worth for his service to the U.S. in the latter days of the Second Seminole War in Florida. Horse had taken advantage of General Thomas Jesup’s promise of freedom to escaped slaves who would surrender and accept removal to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi.

Horse's wife and children were also removed to Indian Territory but did not gain freedom by his service, so they were at risk from slave traders. With other Seminole, Horse was shipped from Tampa Bay to New Orleans and then to the Indian Territory which is now Oklahoma. There he settled with the Seminole and Black Seminole, who had accepted removal. In the Indian Territory, Horse rose as a leader of the Black Seminole.

He accepted a job as an interpreter for the US Army. They asked him to help persuade remaining insurrectionists in Florida to surrender and relocate to Indian Territory. Horse returned to Florida in 1839 to recruit people for removal. He returned to Indian Territory in 1842 along with some 120 Seminole who had been captured and deported.

Conflict arose as the Seminoles had been placed on the Creek people reservation from which the Seminole had earlier established their independence. Many Creek’s were slaveholders, and they raided the Black Seminole settlements to kidnap people for enslavement. In 1844, Horse traveled to Washington DC to seek a separate land grant for the Seminole. After failing to secure a treaty, Horse returned to Indian Territory. Horse traveled back to Washington to lobby General Jesup, for a separate reservation. Jesup granted the Fort Gibson area to the Seminole.

During Horse's time in Washington, then Attorney General John Mason ruled that, as most of the Black Seminole were descendants of fugitive slaves and thus legally still considered born into slavery, he could not protect them against slave raiders. More than 280 Black Seminoles, including Horse's family, were at risk of being captured for sale as slaves. He died en-route to Mexico City in 1882, intending to try to gain more land rights for his people in northern Mexico. Several hundred descendants of Black Seminoles, known as Mascogos, still reside in Coahuila.

The video below tells a more detailed view of the life of this “hero”. And that’s my thought provoking perspective…

Marissa Alexander Freed

For the first time in a long while there is good news out of Florida!!! Marissa Alexander the Florida woman sentenced to 20 years in prison after firing a "warning shot" during an argument with her abusive husband has been released on bond while she awaits retrial under a controversial part of the state's self-defense law. What a wonderful holiday gift!

The case of Marissa Alexander, who was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, touched off a furor when her supporters compared it to the self-defense case of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted earlier this year of murdering an unarmed black teenager. Some have compared these two cases and the law as simply “black and white. Whereas, no one was injured in Alexander's case, the court gave her a 20-year prison sentence under the state's mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines because she had fired a gun during the assault.

A state appeals court ruled in September that Alexander, who is black, deserved a new trial because the judge failed to properly instruct the Jacksonville, Fla., jury about her self-defense argument. She was convicted in May 2012. "This news is vindication for Marissa and all the women who have become criminalized for exercising their basic right to defend themselves and their children," Angie Nixon of Florida New Majority, a social justice organization, said of Alexander's release.

The case drew criticism from civil rights groups concerned about self-defense laws and mandatory minimum sentencing rules, but it received little attention outside north Florida until the Zimmerman case. Zimmerman was arrested for killing Trayvon Martin in 2012 and was acquitted of murder and manslaughter in July 2013.

Under the so-called "Stand Your Ground" clause added to Florida's self-defense law in 2005, people who use deadly force to defend themselves from serious injury - rather than retreating to avoid confrontation - can be immune from prosecution. Zimmerman never sought immunity under "Stand Your Ground," instead relying on a standard self-defense law. Alexander's "Stand Your Ground" claim was rejected because she left the house during the confrontation to retrieve a gun from her car, returning to fire a shot near her husband Rico Gray's head.

A slightly built woman who stands 5 feet 2 inches, Alexander said her 245-pound husband was about to attack her when she fired into a kitchen wall during the August 2010 incident. He had previously been convicted of domestic violence for attacking her. Prosecutors said the shot endangered Gray. At the time, Alexander had an active restraining order against her husband and she carried a concealed weapons permit.

Source: CBS News

He Was Who We Thought He Was…

Well Well Well! It is being reported today that the killer of Trayvon Martin has been arrested today. In the mists George's brother, Robert, tweeted after his the Z-man's detention that the public shouldn't "jump to conclusions." Wasn’t he the same guy along with his dad saying the same sort of thing leading up to the murder trial?

However, the fact is that CNN and other media outlets are reporting that George Zimmerman was taken into custody Monday after an apparent domestic altercation with his wife and her father at a home in Lake Mary, Florida. Lake Mary police spokesman Zach Hudson said,"As of right now, (George Zimmerman) has been placed in investigative detention". I can’t recall a person of color, particularly with his history, being placed in such favorable detention.

The incident comes two months after Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, was found not guilty of murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Lake May is a town near Sanford, Florida. Hudson said a gun was found in the Lake Mary home, but he added that it was not a part of the altercation. But clearly the altercation was serious enough for the wife or ex-wife to be to feel threatened by his actions.

In a 911 call released by police according to the Orlando Sentinel: Shellie Zimmerman tells a dispatcher that her husband had "his hand on his gun and he keeps saying step closer." "Step closer and what?" a dispatcher asks."And he's going to shoot us," Shellie Zimmerman replies. Shellie Zimmerman says her husband punched her father, leaving a mark on his face. 911 Dispatch Call 

Hudson said, "Anytime we have anybody suspected of doing anything, we place them in investigative detention until a complete investigation has been done.”

Let’s recap:

1. Shellie Zimmerman filed for divorce last week in Seminole County.
2. That filing came after she pleaded guilty to perjury on August 28 for lying about the state of the couple's finances during a bond hearing in April 2012. She had claimed she and her husband were broke, when in reality they had collected about $135,000 in donations.
3. George Zimmerman was acquittal of the charges of Second Degree Murder in the killing of Trayvon Martin on July 13.
4. In late July, he reportedly helped a family escape from an overturned SUV. A report from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office confirmed his involvement, which later reports say was untrue.
5. Zimmerman was given a verbal warning for a traffic violation in Texas and reportedly told officers he had a firearm in his glove compartment.
6. Last week in Florida he was issued a $256 ticket for speeding.
7. There are reports that he has been arrested for assaulting a law enforcement officer in the past.
8. There are reports that a former girl friend obtained a Restraining Order for a violent act.

Although George Zimmerman was acquitted two months ago for killing Trayvon Martin, his soon to be ex-wife is getting $4,300 a month in living expenses out of the funds raised for Zimmerman’s defense.

TMZ reports that Shellie Zimmerman separated from her husband August 13 and is collecting the monthly payment from the Zimmerman Legal Defense Fund in the divorce settlement. The solicitation on PayPal states the fund is to be used “for George Zimmerman’s ongoing living expenses, legal costs, and fees for this matter.” George Zimmerman’s official legal defense website says, “Currently George and Shellie are renting a secure residence at a reasonable rate. Their day-to-day living expenses are relatively modest as they want to preserve as many funds as possible for an aggressive defense.”

So theoretically, as of now, Shellie is making a $51,600 a year just for being George Zimmerman’s ex-wife. Not a bad gig or a nice hustle. This guy just might be “who we thought he was” and with the above mentioned; it says one or two things. It speaks to “privilege” or “color”.  Either way, as the Bible says “You Reap What You Sow”. And that’s my thought provoking perspective…

We Want Justice For Trayvon Martin

We have seen justice denied many times since African Americans were dragged onto the shores of this country. It has happened in many ways from lynchings to many other forms of terror and as we see continues today.

I will pray for justice to be served in the Zimmerman Murder Case. Therefore, Thought Provoking Perspectives will show support for the Martin family who only asks for justice to not be denied as it has throughout our sorted history.

The Black image is my way of showing my support until justice is correctly served.

Not too long ago, a black person’s “place” was in the field or in the back of the bus. If a black man was found “out of his place,” he could be jailed or lynched. In Martin’s day — in our day — a black person’s “place” is in the ghetto. If he is found “out of his place,” he may be treated with suspicion, frisked, arrested — or in this case DEATH.

Rest In Peace Trayvon! And that's my Thought Provoking Perspective...

Unfairly Treated Rachel Jeantel

This post serves one purpose, which is to say SHAME on those who have been so cruel to the nineteen year-old young woman who was thrust into a world-wide media circus.

She is not a Hollywood actress, obviously has language, cultural and educational barriers. The disrespect many have demonstrated on social media reached an unbelievable low. I have about sixty thousand social media connects and most have discussed me. We expect this behavior from those of the other hue and racists but I am shocked that it has come from the African American community.

This woman did not ask to be the last person to hear the voice of her young friend who was brutally murder by, in my view, a monster. She is not well versed in the arena of a courtroom. I am sure many of you know the emotional impact of a death; have had a family member or friend to die, which should allow you to understand the emotional trauma of such an event. You should be ashamed of your comments about how this young lady looked; as if she not one of God’s children.

I think she held her own and stood her ground under very difficult circumstances. Understand that she was there as a witness to her friends murder. I, for one, found her testimony creditable. I will not go on and on about this but to say I am proud of this young woman for having the courage to come forth with the truth as she understood it to be.

I am particularly ashamed of the African American community who wore those hoodies professing their support for the murdered of Trayvon Martin, particularly black women, who claims to be strong black women. Your disrespect of this sister is reprehensible. Those who are guilty know who you are and should be ashamed!

I say to you, all of you, put yourself in her place and for those who say God or Jesus in every sentence. He or she who is without sin cast the first stone. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

WHAT IF?

We have heard for nearly a year and a half every pundit and pontificator give their opinions on the Trayvon Martin’s death and the Gorge Zimmerman second degree murder trial.

Let me be clear; everyone has a right to their point of view and by all accounts the reactions are usually split along racial lines. A Fox News anchor commented that Zimmerman has suffered enough. I suppose implying that Trayvon’s death means he suffers no more or his family. SHOCKING!

I’ve seen a half century of history and witnessed what many African Americans see as the scales of justice being unbalanced – just look at the scales held by Lady Justice. We know the system is designed to protect the system and since slavery that system has existed in one form or another. As a result, often times people of color receives what might be called justice deferred!

This place Sanford Florida has a long history of recorded racial intolerance going back to the days of Jackie Robinson and beyond. I am reasonably confident that if that police department had come to the scene of that crime there is no doubt that there would have been an immediate arrest for murder. In fact, there may well have been and additional death or a beating of the suspect, which occurs often times for lesser crimes all the time.

Let’s go back to the Rodney King situation not long ago – need I say more. We watched him beaten nearly to death and he did not kill anyone. Yet, the system found the culprits not guilty! I am very afraid, if history is any indication, the charged man in this case will be found not guilty and the consequences of that verdict will be disastrous.

Let’s look at this from a completely different perspective.

WHAT IF ZIMMERMAN HAD BEEN BLACK AND SHOT AN UNARMED WHITE CHILD? WHAT SAY YOU?

A wise-man once said, “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.” (Carter G. Woodson)

And that's my Thought Provoking Perspective...

It Could Be A Long Hot Summer

I wrote a post last week reminding my readers that the murder trial of George Zimmerman is finally upon us and to support the Martin family in their quest for justice. I was surprised by some of the comments and emails I received and yes, the pros and cons were split right along color lines. One guy commented that “we should pray for Zimmerman” the accused murder of this child. Another sent a message saying I was playing the race card.

I know there is freedom of speech and everyone has a right to their opinion. But most reasonable people would take umbrage to such remarks particularly in light of the defenses unethical behavior, in my view, to fabricate information about the dead child. As widely reported the defense produced what they called evidence in a brash attempt to alter the image of Martin by linking him to guns, drug use, and a propensity for violence.

The defense team, in prior press conferences and interviews, revealed images on Trayvon’s phone of him smoking marijuana and allegedly holding a gun. Being that they lied about these things should make everyone question their ethics and trustworthiness on any issue or evidence in this case. Particularly, when the court agreed that none of this is admissible.

The there were also statements made recently by Zimmerman’s brother about “voodoo forensics” is more evidence of their desperation. They want to discredit as much evidence in the public eye prior to trial regardless of foundation or truthfulness. Should we discount his statement as the man’s feeble attempt to help save his brother from prosecution of killing an unarmed teenage boy? YES!

Despite the posturing from the Zimmerman defense team and a defiant and nationally supported stance from the Martin family, the trial could play out in a variety of ways once jurors are presented with the mounds of evidence in the weeks ahead.

We have not come as far as we think and if history is any indication we might be in for a long hot summer as the Trayvon Martin murder trial proceeds to conclusion. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

 

Poll Tax Rejected in Florida

A federal judge has said he will permanently remove recently enacted voter registration restrictions in the state of Florida. According to Talking Points Memo, Judge Robert L. Hinkle has declared that he will grant a motion to permanently strike down the new rules once the state of Florida has dropped its case against the federal government in U.S. appeals court.

Voting rights activists have welcomed the decision, which makes permanent an temporary injunction that Hinkle granted in May, in which Hinkle called the restrictions forbidding third party groups from organizing to register voters “harsh and impractical” and said they would impose unnecessary burdens on organizations trying to ensure voter participation.

New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice has issued a press release calling the ruling “a decisive victory for Florida voters.”

“Florida’s anti-voter law created impassable roadblocks for our volunteers, who have been bringing fellow Floridians into our democratic process for over 72 years,” explained Deirdre MacNab, President of the League of Women Voters of Florida, one of the three groups who filed suit against the state in December of 2011. “Thanks to today’s ruling, we can finally put these roadblocks behind us and concentrate on getting Floridians registered to vote. We are grateful the court recognized that the Constitution does not tolerate these types of barriers to civic participation and voter registration.”

The League of Women Voters was joined by Rock the Vote and the Florida Public Interest Research Group Education Fund in the suit, which was filed separately from a Justice Department inquiry into the stringent new regulations, which have been revealed by a former Republican Party member to be an effort to "keep black people from voting" by conservative Republicans.

As reported by Talking Points Memo

You can read Judge Hinkle’s ruling here (.pdf).

Thankfully there is someone who agrees that what the Republicans are trying to do is no more that a "Poll Tax". And that's my Thought Provoking Perspective...

http://johntwills.com

Two of a Kind

Let me start by give Webster’s definition of perjury. It is the voluntary violation of an oath or vow either by swearing to what is untrue or by omission to do what has been promised under oath. In other words LYING!!!

Today the Seminole County Sheriff’s Department arrested Shellie Zimmerman, wife of George Zimmerman, charged with murdering Trayvon Martin, on one count of perjury after they were advised by the office of State Attorney Angela Corey that a warrant had been issued.

The crux of the case against the assassin who murdered young Trayvon Martin rest upon creditability because Zimmerman is the only one and no one else can testify to the events of that evening. The murders supporters expect us to believe that what he says is true.

Yet, from all that I have heard and read there is no truth to nothing he has said and by revoking his bond, and now this, how can anyone believe anything the murder says. Today, Shellie was booked into John E. Polk Correctional Facility and released on $1,000 bond, officials said. I suppose this means the two of them were temporary together again.

George Zimmerman, 28, was charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin. He pleaded not guilty. Police say that he claimed on the night of the shooting that he acted in self-defense. The murder’s $150,000 bond was revoked after allegations that during an April 20 bail hearing that he and Shellie Zimmerman misled the court about their finances, neglecting to disclose they had raised at least $135,000 in a PayPal account.

The order issued Tuesday by Assistant State Attorney John Guy charged Shellie Zimmerman with knowingly making false statements during the April hearing. Also today, the court released Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester’s order revoking George Zimmerman’s bond. "There are several factors that weigh against his release ... Most importantly, though, is the fact that he has now demonstrated that he does not properly respect the law or the integrity of the judicial process."

 I can only suggest that justice be served and we as citizens lift our voices to repeal the “Stand Your Ground Laws” because, as this shows, next time it could be your child to which justice is deferred. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

VOTE!!!

http://johntwills.com

Bail Revoked!!!

So it is, justice I mean, a Florida judge did the responsible thing by revoking bond for the assassin George Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin. Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. ordered Zimmerman to surrender to the county sheriff within 48 hours.

Most observer in the case or I should speak for myself believed Zimmerman misrepresented himself from the very beginning, particularly how much money he had when his bond was originally set in April when he claimed to be indigent. I will go further and say about everything!

The murderer according to the prosecution cited as evidence recorded telephone conversations that Zimmerman had with his wife prior to the hearing. The conversations were recorded while Zimmerman was being held in the Seminole County Jail after being charged with second-degree murder on April 11. Now, everyone knows when you call someone from jail or receive mail the jailers are listening or will read the correspondence.

This, in my mind, gives reason to question anything that Zimmerman has said throughout this ordeal. Is charged with fatally shooting Martin, 17, on February 26 while he walked in a Sanford, Florida, neighborhood where he was staying during a visit with his father. Zimmerman, 28, a neighborhood watch volunteer claimed he shot the teenager in self-defense.

The trial prosecutor stated accurately that "The defense, through Mrs. Zimmerman, lied to this court about the amount of money that they had… I don't know what words to use other than it was a blatant lie." Outside the courthouse, the lawyer for the family of Martin said Friday's decision is significant. "Judge Lester's finding that George Zimmerman was dishonest is very important because his credibility is the most important thing in this entire case," said Benjamin Crump.

"Remember, this is only George Zimmerman's testimony that says Trayvon Martin attacked him. All of the evidence suggests that George Zimmerman pursued and confronted Trayvon Martin. Therefore, that's why this is such an important ruling today." In court documents, State Attorney Angela B. Corey acknowledged she was making the strongly worded assertions in describing how Zimmerman's wife represented his finances.

Zimmerman's defense team stated during an April court hearing that Zimmerman's "family members misinformed the court (the state would use a much stronger and accurate word to describe what occurred -- defendant's wife lied to the court) about defendant and his family's finances," Corey wrote in court papers.

She went on to say that Zimmerman had two passports, and the passport that he surrendered to the court at the April hearing was one that Zimmerman had reported stolen on March 8, 2004, court papers said. That passport was valid until May 2012, Corey said. Zimmerman was issued a second passport on March 26, 2004, and that one is valid until 2014, she said. The prosecutor asked the court that Zimmerman be ordered to surrender the second passport to authorities.

Prosecutors have informed federal authorities about Zimmerman's second passport in case he attempts to use it "to flee the country," Corey said. Regarding Zimmerman's finances, Corey alleged that recorded phone calls in April between Zimmerman, while he was in Seminole County Jail, and his wife showed that the couple "spoke in code to hide what they were doing" regarding more than $135,000 in a credit union account belonging to the couple.

The money was apparently donated by members of the public to Zimmerman's website that Zimmerman "fully controlled and participated in the transfer of money from the PayPal account to defendant and his wife's credit union accounts," Corey said in court records. "This occurred prior to the time defendant was arguing to the court that he was indigent and his wife had no money." But Corey stated in court documents Friday: "The money still belongs to defendant and he can demand it at any time."

The prosecutor said the judge "relied on false representations and statements" by Zimmerman and his wife when the court set his bond at $150,000. He was required to post only 10% of that. Corey argued that the court should revoke the bond or increase it "substantially." Lester appeared angry that the court had not been told about the money. "Does your client get to sit there like a potted palm and let you lead me down the primrose path?" he asked Zimmerman's lawyer. "That's the issue."

The facts for this writing are attributed to news reported by CNN. I wanted to make sure my readers around the world were informed and know that we stand for justice, we will not relent until justice is served. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

http://johntwills.com

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

SUPPORT – SIGN THE PETITION

As we continue to move further into the preposterous I am shocked and saddened at the judicial system in Florida. Now, I know these unfair situations do not only occur in Florida but it does hold the distinction of two of the most outrageous legal events - that we know of - in modern times. African Americans all to well, and have always decried the justice system, that has been blatantly unfair to us.

If ever the “Stand Your Ground” law in Florida had a chance of being applied fairly, this case shows that it has gone out the window as of last Friday. A court sentenced a black woman; Marissa Alexander a 31-year-old mother of three to 20 years for firing a warning shot at her abusive husband. I thought the law was supposed to have been passed for a persons to protect themselves, if they feared that their life was in danger. That’s what was represented on behalf of George Zimmerman.

In light of the aftermath of the long-delayed arrest of Trayvon Martin’s assassin, it is incomprehensible that Alexander, who neither killed nor injured anyone, has been convicted of aggravated assault with a firearm and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Let me just remind you that just about a month ago the system did not want to arrest the murder of a child who only had candy and a drink. Moreover, he posed no threat. Unbelievable!!!

Marissa’s husband, Rico Gray, a man with a documented history of abuse including an assault on her while she was pregnant, threatened to kill her nine days after the birth of their daughter. This time, Marissa wasn’t going to put up with another beating. When threatened, she fired a warning shot into the ceiling to let Gray know that the abuse was over and he’d better think twice before coming after her again. He then ran into the street and claimed that she had threatened to kill him and his boys. On his word alone, she was arrested.

State Attorney Angela Corey, the same prosecutor who is prosecuting the Trayvon Martin case, offered a three-year sentence plea bargain but Alexander refused on the grounds that she had done nothing wrong. Alexander tried to invoke Florida’s Stand Your Ground law but the judge refused.

Even though Gray recanted and even though Alexander’s 11-year-old daughter took the stand and made a plea on her mother’s behalf, the judge said that he had no choice but to sentence Alexander for at least 20 years.

This verdict poses serious questions about an already questionable law that is applied unevenly. Jacksonville Congresswoman Corrine Brown has stated that Alexander’s case is a product of “institutionalized racism” and that she had been unable to locate a Stand Your Ground case where a black person is the beneficiary of the law. In the meantime, Marissa Alexander faces a long time in prison with little hope of getting out.

There is an online petition to Florida Governor Rick Scott to grant a pardon to Marissa Alexander. You can sign it here: Pardon Marissa Alexander – show your support and sign the petition!

I want to thank author Ann Werner where much of this article was gleaned. I hope you don’t mind Ann but I was compelled to share and show my support. Thank you and that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

http://johntwills.com

Where Do They Come From

I never use the “N-word”. You know that word that has been reduced to a letter but sometimes it is necessary to make a point. Every so often, they find some Negro who has gone beyond anything rational when it comes to the African American Diaspora. Their latest wing-nut is none other than Congressman Allen West a black Republican and one from Florida - that should say it all - but I digress. Maybe the more appropriate question should be “what is going on down in Florida?”

One of the big-time Republican donors said that President Obama was “the most dangerous man in America.” I beg to differ. I think, from my perspective, that designation is directed toward the wrong person and from my vantage point it should be the Florida Congressman - who I hope will have a short lived political career. He is the person Dr. Carter G. Woodson wrote about in the “Mis-Education of the Negro” where he so eloquently said, “If there is “no back door,” he will make one”.

Can I say West is ignorant of history (I will) because “those who forget the past are bound to repeat its mistakes”. I will remind Mr. West, and I use that loosely, of the fate of a few Republicans that came before him like the ghosts of Herman Cain, Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele or J.C. Watts who were dismissed when they were no longer useful.

These Negro’s and I meant to use that term, who chooses to place great emphasis on being a “conservative.” Must remember that there were and are very influential members of the Ku Klux Klan, and other terror groups like the Red Shirts, Knights of the White Camelia and White Citizens Council, many of which wore white sheets and did dreadful things to our people.

Let’s take Cain for example. One of Cain’s shortcomings was that he came on the scene swinging with statement like Blacks who voted Democratic were “brainwashed” and that thirty-five percent of Blacks were ready to vote for him. Then he boldly proclaimed the Koch brothers were his “brothers by another mother.” How did that workout for him. He now resides in the forgotten piles of useless Black Republicans.

Let’s look at another example, Michael Steele former Chairman of the Republican National Committee. When the Republican Party could not settle on a leader after several rounds of voting the GOP tried the Ol’ Willie Lynch strategy that was to pit him against President Obama. What better way to bring down the Black man from the lofty position of leadership than to sic another Black man against him.
Again, this Negro came out swing; “I will engage the Black Community”. The shame in this is; when some of the most vile criticisms and racist characterizations were leveled against President Obama, Steele did not have the guts to say, “Wait a minute this is out of bounds!” See where his treason got him.

Then there is Ol Uncle Thomas who was nominated to the Supreme Court replacing the only Black man to sit on the Court. As a Republican, many people believed Thomas was not really a replacement of the Liberal Thurgood Marshall, who was instrumental in the historic 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case in which the Supreme Court ruled segregation was illegal and unconstitutional. Let me remind you this is the guy who appears to be sleeping on the bench and said during his confirmation hearing it was a “high tech lynching.” He went to work; siding with some of the most Conservative rulings imaginable.

How about J.C. Watts who, and I will only admit this once, I liked. He was young, articulate and good looking; presumably with a great future in the Republican Party. Didn’t seem to work out or let me just say he was soon “retired” and only trucked out now and then to make a comment about some on an insignificant issue? Do these guys sound like Allen Keys, Ward Connelly, or any number of others used by the GOP? Ray Charles who was blind and dead can see this. Maybe thirty pieces of silver is worth more to them than it is to me.

This brings me back to West who came to town to fight Republican battles with the same “Gung Ho” spirit as presumably he did when he was in Afghanistan. The only problem is he wants to fight anyone who is not Republican or more specifically Democrats whose ranks comprise Blacks, Whites, Latinos, Asians, Handicapped, women and especially immigrants.

The darling of the Tea Party Movement born in the cauldron spewing racial venom toward Obama, needed to attract Black members. They needed a sort of Spook who sat by the Door. Well, they got one because West spoke their language and they bankrolled his candidacy.

West seems to view himself as some kind of supreme patriot! With that said, let me end with this pitiful act. He sent an e-mail message to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, calling her “vile, unprofessional, and despicable,” “a coward,” “characterless,” and “not a Lady,” and demanded that she “shut the heck up.” Let me suggest that he read it to himself and take his own advice.

And that is my Thought Provoking Perspective…

http:johntwills.com

A Recreation of the Murder

This video is intended to extend the conversation about the tragic death of Trayvon Martin and what it says about societal stereotypes. We do not claim to have the answers. We are starting with the questions hoping to find new ways to keep the dialog going until we, as a nation can find the answers together.

Please share with your email and social media contacts, then follow up with a dialog. Talk to your friends and family, co-workers and acquaintances, search for answers then share those answers with others. We must begin to educate each other and challenge our own deep seeded beliefs, in an effort to end bigotry, racial profiling and stereotyping.

http://johntwills.com

Shock and Awe!

I think the trepidation of the title is appropriate in light of the circumstances of today, particularly as it relates to African Americans. Since the Trayvon Martin case has, unbearably, consumed our consciousness they are now calling racism "bias".

Admittedly, we all know there is a long history of African American suffering from injustice in the state of Florida. Does anyone remember the incident in “Rosewood”? By the way, Malcolm X famously said, “anywhere south of Canada is south” which means injustice is embedded in the culture of America.

The Rosewood incident is not withstanding to the countless events where African Americans, and others, have come up on the short end of the long arm of the law in Florida. This police department where the Martin murder occurred has an unconsciously notorious history of abuse at the hands of the law. Before I go any further, let me state clearly that my interpretation of the Martin murder has changed. It was an ASSASSINATION!

Let me go further and connect this to the age old theory of States Rights, which means in a society or at least the belief in a dynamic that those who feel entitled are now endangered species. The extreme elements then revert back to what is instilled in their consciousness that the promise of Manifest Destiny is dead.

America, today, where millions of white people out of work, a president of color, and some say outnumbered by a multi-cultural society has given rise to hate. This I would argue is a huge problem concerning the conversation of racism that has raised its ugly head in this continuous political environment. Maybe this is synonymous with what some call a cultural of whiteness with the feeling of entitlement being lost.

When we talk about race, the major problem that exit is that most of society believes it does not exist. For example in 1963 85% of white people surveyed said black people had as much chance of receiving a good education as white children. Now, let’s look at this statistics! Brown v Board was decided in 1954 that gave us those profound words - "With all deliberate speed" but in fact it was not for 13 years that equal education showed any semblance of reality to the ruling in the form of education.

There were many whites in 1963 in the same survey that said, most whites thought everything was fine in terms of race relation. They also said Dr. King was wrong to stir up the coloreds and they were happy with their current state at the time. I will remind you that this was the same argument that those who where ardent slaveholder and supporter of that immoral institution made at the time of slavery. Also be reminded that almost all president up to Lincoln owned slaves.

So it is my contention that if the system is designed to protect the system - how can people of color who were referred to in the constitution as being less than human expect justice for all? I’ll leave you to answer this question. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective.

http://johntwills.com

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x52xIaVPtdw]

The Peril’s Of Justice

We as African Americans understand, as Richard Pryor famously said, when it comes to justice what we find is JUST-US! This statement could not be more profound today as it relates to some of the news stories that involve African Americans, namely the recent murder of the young child Trayvon Martin.

Frankly, this case takes me back nearly sixty-years when another young black child was murdered where the culprits did not receive due justice. I wonder if the story would be different if the victim was white and the shooter was black. I think we know the answer to that!!!

But I read a piece today written by Mr. Jonathan Capehart and like him I had the same questions that he asked in this article. First, he asked, what was Zimmerman’s relationship with the Sanford, Fla., police department? Then he asked why was Zimmerman portrayed as a volunteer neighborhood watch captain when he was not part of a registered neighborhood watch program? Further he asked, did the Sanford Police Department ever warn him about his activities in this unofficial capacity?

When you consider that Zimmerman was known to have placed, as it was reported, 46 calls to that department between Jan. 1, 2011, and the Feb. 26 shooting; did the Sanford police have specific orders on how to deal with him? Did they have a file on him? Did they have him on any kind of special watch list?

To these questions, the Police Chief said, “we don’t have the grounds to arrest him.” Yet, Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense was sufficient justification to not arrest him. My next question was why did Chief Lee accept Zimmerman’s self-defense plea on its face? Did the police run a background check on Zimmerman? Did his previous arrest, for resisting arrest without violence, raise any red flags with police? Did Lee attempt to establish probable cause? How did he go about it? Was Zimmerman tested for drugs or alcohol? If not, why not? Was Zimmerman’s gun confiscated? Was it tested? Where is that gun now?

These are all valid questions that demand answers.

Now, here are a few questions that come to mind with respect to the crime scene. What did police do with Trayvon’s body at the scene? What did police do with Trayvon’s body once taken from the scene? Why was it tested for drugs and alcohol? What did police do with Trayvon’s personal effects? Where is his cell phone? Did police try to contact Trayvon’s 16-year-old girlfriend, who was talking to him during the initial moments of the confrontation with Zimmerman and who tried several times to call him back? Hmmmm!

So as you can see there are many more questions than answers and frankly a thorough investigation would have answered these questions. Thankfully, the Department of Justice has decided to review the case to ensure that some of these questions are answered – maybe. There is such a thing as right and wrong; some things are right and some things are wrong. When you look at the aforementioned questions in this case that are unanswered - it stinks of wrong. Oh, and for sure racism!!!

There are so many more questions than answers and I pray we get them answered, and justice is served. With that said, I would suggest that you compare this to little Emmitt Till and recall the Peril’s Of Justice.

And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640

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