The Day Innocence Died – Umbrella Man

The JFK assassination is full of mysteries, untruths and some say lies. One of the strangest elements that happened that day in Dealey Plaza was a man standing holding an umbrella on this clear sunny day just before the motorcade came into the kill zone. Kennedy assassination experts profess that it was open before the shots were fired. They say when he closed it the gun fire began. This man came to be known as the “Umbrella Man” and his curious behavior at the scene of the JFK assassination has lingered for fifty-years.

Was this fellow, standing in Dealey Plaza with an open umbrella and no rain in sight part of the conspiracy? Here are two video’s that captures umbrella man from the NOVA documentary: Here is the first one, and here is the second. It is worth mentioning that some conspiratorialists claim that the umbrellas are different, having a different number of spokes. Decide for yourself.

What was the point of an umbrella in Dealey Plaza? It is said that it was an attempt to heckle Kennedy with a reminder of the appeasement policies of British Prime Minister Nevill Chamberlain, whose weak posture toward Hitler was supported by Kennedy's father.

One of the more bizarre theories about the Umbrella Man comes from Robert Cutler. Cutler claimed that the umbrella was a weapon firing a flechette (poisoned dart) that hit Kennedy in the throat, paralyzing Kennedy to set him up for the head shot. Here is Cutler's drawing of this concept.

There was also another man with Umbrella Man that day that came to be known as the so-called “Dark Complected Man”. He was named that because his complexion was his most readily identifiable feature in photos from November 22. The Dark Complected Man is without question an extremely important character and maybe even more deserving of scrutiny than Umbrella Man.

Dark Complected Man, like Umbrella Man, was on the Grassy Knoll, and, like Umbrella Man, appears to reasonable observers to have been signaling. At the precise moment that JFK’s car passed the Umbrella Man opened and pumped his umbrella repeatedly while the Dark Complected Man shot his fist up into the air. To some, this man seemed to be calling for a halt to the presidential limo, which did in fact either come to a complete halt or slowed down to a crawl.

It’s not just their actions at the moment that Kennedy’s head is blown apart. It’s how they behave afterwards. You will see from the videos below that both acted very different than everyone else after the shooting.

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 Day The Dream Died”…

What Would Jesus Say?

Over the past week, all the buzz on social media has been about the famed gospel singer and Pastor Marvin Winans, who wouldn’t bless the baby of an unwed mother in front of the congregation of what he professes to be a church. You know they say you can tell when a church has fallen into apostasy.

Before I go further, did Jesus not bless the sick, cripple, crazy, murderous, lame, prostitutes and adulterous. I’ll answer that! It would be a yes. In fact, it is written in all of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). So the question then becomes who made this guy God? I am going to take the position that the church is a place for a sinner to be redeemed. Isn’t that the whole foundation of the CHRISTIAN principle - salvation?

LAW AND ORDER THEME! 

As you know every good Christian believes they have the power to damn you to hell. I guess the comment of damnation will come my way. So I will start by saying Negro Please! Let me first say “there is a lot of money in the name Jesus and most Christians I know use the word God to impress rather than practice their faith. My spiritual belief is that one finds God in your heart and heaven in your soul.

There are historical facts to consider when it comes to the literal interpretation of Christianity or for that matter the Bible. First, there was no word "GOD" in any African language before the appearance of Europeans! Second, not one single word was written about Jesus while he walked the earth. Last point here: only two writers of the New Testament knew Jesus and they are not sure of that. Let alone, the first book was written about a hundred years after his death and the rest about two hundred years later.

Now, this is where the plot thickens; it was the Roman oppressors who fashioned what we now know as Christianity, ordered by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 AD, at the Conference of Nasia. It was then left to the Bishops and Catholics to administer God’s law according to the will of the earthly powers. From that time, the good book has had twenty-eight versions with the latest by the diabolical King James, who made it clear that this is his versions of God’s word.

The point here is this: DO NOT take every word literally or it from every fool before you! You know as well as I know that most so-called Christians have never read the Bible and will listen to anyone who stands in the pulpit with a robe and a collar turned backwards. This guy, as well as all others, are human and interpret the good book as they see fit to suit his or her agenda. Let’s begin to open our minds and make better choices as to the worldly people we “worship”.

There are too many crooks, fakes, and dare I say “pimps in the pulpit” and you know who they are: the Catholic priest, the Eddie Wrongs, the Dollar Man, the preachers of LA and others. It is time to put your faith in that what is unseen; instead of the men/women you do see. I don’t think Jesus is going to be happy about these misrepresentations of his teaching.

Lastly, it is interesting when I think about the little boy from Perfecting Church, who was denied a blessing – his name is reported to be Joshua. “You know Jesus’ name was really Joshua”. Joshua is Jesus’ namesake, and Jesus was born to a mother just like this mother. Therefore, for those who chastise the woman instead of the hypocrite. I say to that point, he or she who is without sin cast the first stone.

To be a Christian is simple; it is to live your life in the manner in which Christ lived! And that’s my thought provoking perspective…

WHAT SAY YOU?

Our Commander In Chief

I am grateful to have lived long enough to witness what most people, living or dead, thought to never believed possible, which is to see a Black Man elected President of these United States; not once but twice. Particularly, with America’s documented history concerning race that has been as horrible as any the world has ever known. Therefore, to know that a man of color is the most powerful man in the world and lives in the White House is as significant as the resurrection of Christ in my view. 

President Obama’s victory this week was as complete and devastating as Sherman’s march through the South. But there is no early sign that the zealots of the anti-government far right have learned anything at all or desire to change their hatred rooted in the color of his skin. So we can expect more terrorism to lie ahead.

Most have forgotten the horrors of the last administration and the misdeeds of prior office holders and some will continue to buy into the ploys of the right. This is to include the Cain types and the good Doctor! I for one am proud of the work Mr. Obama has done and continue to do. Let me also say for the vial hatred constantly directed at him, if there were any dirt or skeletons in his closet – it would surely have been revealed and used against him by now.

Let me just recap some of his most recent successes and accomplishments while being CIC:

• Passed Health Care Reform: After five presidents over a century failed to create universal health insurance, signed the Affordable Care Act (2010).

• Passed the Stimulus: Signed $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 to spur economic growth amid greatest recession since the Great Depression.

• Passed Wall Street Reform: Signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010) to re-regulate the financial sector after its practices caused the Great Recession.

• Ended the War in Iraq: Ordered all U.S. military forces out of the country. Last troops left on December 18, 2011.

• Began Drawdown of War in Afghanistan: From a peak of 101,000 troops in June 2011, U.S. forces are now down to 91,000, with 23,000 slated to leave by the end of summer 2012.

• Eliminated Osama bin laden: In 2011, ordered Special Forces raid of secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan and eliminated hundreds of terrorist the world over.

• Turned around the ailing Auto Industry in 2009 to save one of the last major manufacturing industries through massive restructuring.

• Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: Ended 1990s-era restriction and formalized new policy allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military for the first time.

• Toppled Moammar Gaddafi in March 2011 ending Gaddafi’s forty-two-year. No American lives were lost.

• Provided Payment to Wronged Minority Farmers when he signed the Claims Resolution Act, which provided $4.6 billion in funding for a legal settlement with black and Native American farmers.

• Won the Nobel Peace Prize.

I've only selected a few of his significant accomplishments other than being an excellent family man, inspiration to the world, and roll model to billions of minorities, and African Americans in particular. When I look back at history, I cannot find another president who inherited as much mess and still was able to produce positive results. He has outsmarted his opponents at every turn and fought for the America people unlike no other.

Yes, Mr. President you are doing an amazing job. In fact, considering opposition before you; I’ll just call you Superman. I believe he can fly! God Bless you Sir and your beautiful family. And that’s my thought provoking perspective...  

To see more accomplishments

A Columbus Experience

I suppose you are wondering about the title I’ve chosen for this article because we know for sure Columbus did not discover anything. Let alone America! With that said, it is the perfect metaphor for what so many uppity Negroes are witnessing today; meaning the days long past have returned revealing that it never left with respect to injustice and overt racism in America. At a time when the people who live in the wealthiest and the mightiest nation on this little rock called earth; its many citizens of color continue to endure an apartheid like system.

Maybe it’s just me, but I find phrases like “keep America American” kind of creepy. I mean creepy in the sense that the president has been called everything but the N word. Well, not openly yet! But you can bet he is surely being called that often by many who have a problem with his color. I am old enough to remember the likes of David Duke, George Wallace, Bull Connor’s and others who viewed segregation and voter suppression as the American way. They operated under and use Jim Crow as a tool to maintain their privileged like many of the good old racist – Jim Crow, as it was known then – is dead.

More troubling, however, is the new Jim Crow, which is the grownup more sinister version we see today. They use the same dog whistles – something that only a dog hears – as coded language that is understood by those who long for this fantasy of what they say America was like in a time of legally sectioned racism. Frankly, it was not all that wonderful for African Americans or the poor in this time they want to return to when open racism was the law of the land.

There are many blacks who have believed or felt that they have been accepted like the fools you see on Fixed News who “step and fetch” for the right are little more the what Malcolm X called “House Negroes”. What is the difference in the killing of unarmed child and black people then a lynching? Yet, we saw many who look like use defend the murders and a law that indiscriminately search innocent citizens simply because of their complexion.

Here is another example, the last guy hoping to be the next president used a phrase: “We have on one side a president who wants to transform America into a European-style nation and you have on other hand someone like myself that wants to turn around America and keep America American….” In that context, it sounds innocent – right. Well in the 1920s that phrase “keep America American” was use as a slogan by KKK. The Washington Post reported that the "keep America American" line was used even before the 1920s by members of the anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic group called 'Know Nothing Party" in the 1850s.

It is also worth noting that the Tea Party’s continued preoccupation with the code word “take back our country” is ominous because we hear what they are not saying. Coupled with “Stand Your Ground” and the call for “States Rights” clearly indicate a movement that wants to return the Jim Crow era and what they call the American way of life.

So wake up people, we are about to discover America, the real America, which I call a Columbus Experience. The shameful ghost’s of the past is ever present. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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Descendants Of Africa

The so-called Negro that was created has had only one desire since being removed from Africa and that was to obtain equality. African Americans simply asked America to honor the promise of freedom that it claims comes with liberty.

I’ll quote Dr. King who said, “We were given a blank check” and we would like to cash it – paid in full. Let’s be very clear, people of African descent are the only immigrates to come to this country against their will - then to be forced into a life of bondage was then and is now amoral.

It is also worth mentioning, for the record, that “A Negro” was created by the wretched souls who arrived in America to lay claim to land that wasn’t even theirs. When I say, created I mean there was no such culture or nationality anywhere on earth before Europeans took the captives from Africa and brought them to America. The result was creating a nation of people placed in a strange land to live without a nationality. This was done specifically through the constitution and legislative laws sanctioned by the government.

From the very beginning the Africans resisted their captivity and bondage which was to include during the ungodly trip across the Atlantic that history calls the Mid-Passage. Once the captives arrived on land, be it in America or the Caribbean, there was rebellion. There were many movements to obtain the promise of freedom like the Abolitionist Movement and Civil Rights Movements in varying forms. 

Lest we forget the many-many great leader born to affect change but killed by the wretched system of slavery and segregation. I won’t say they all failed but I will say they did not succeed because equal treatment, particularly under the law, and freedom is still absent today.

Many African Americans continue to suffer from the untreated wounds of America’s forefathers and their asymptomatic behaviors. These behaviors were never unlearned and have been passed down from generation to generation. Over my relatively short lifetime, I have been referred to as Colored, Negro, Afro-American, Black, and an African American, which were all polite terms assigned to make known that people of African descent were not American citizens.

This legacy of dependency, apathy, and entrenchment of the American social order from the beginning provides clear evidence of those with a diabolical intent to bankrupt the souls of a people based on an ideology of supremacy. These stolen souls that exist today are people who bear the burden of a system that perpetrated, in the name of God, the greatest crime known to man.

The concept of African Americans being slaves, physically or mentally, is as old as the nation itself, designed to deprive a people of its culture and knowledge through sustained policies of control. To overcome these indignities we must realize that education is the single most important ingredient necessary to neutralize the forces that breed poverty and despair.

Regardless of how much we are held down, it is our responsibility to find a way to get up, even if the system is designed to protect the system. The great Bob Marley reminded us to “Stand-up – Stand-up for your rights”. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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Prayers For Madiba World Prophet

Nelson Mandela was our generations and the world’s largest icon. Mr. Mandela is the face of freedom and the embodiment of courage as the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary. Know as an amazing politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 after serving twenty-seven years in prison. He was the first black South African to hold the office of president in the most reprehensible government on the planet.

Madiba as he is called by the people of his homeland was first elected in a fully representative, multiracial election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalized racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically Madiba was an African Nationalist and democratic socialist who served as the President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was the Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999.

His story is the greatest story of our time. Mandela served 27 years in prison, first on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. An international campaign lobbied for his release, which was granted in 1990 amid escalating civil strife. Mandela published led negotiations with President F.W. de Klerk to abolish apartheid in which he led the ANC to victory.

Controversial for much of his life, right-wing critics denounced Mandela as a terrorist and communist sympathizer. He nevertheless received international acclaim for his anti-colonial and anti-apartheid stance, having received 250 awards, including the 1993Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Soviet Order of Lenin. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name of Madiba or as tata; he is often described as "the father of the nation".

I am proud to say I have been in his presence and posed with his Ex-wife Winnie Mandela which was the most cherished moment of my life. Few people come into the world unselfishly for the benefit of others. Mr. Mandela you suffering and struggle changed and uplifted the lives of millions. In your words “Amandla” – All power to the people.

Where you go, you will be judged by the work you have done. You have done your work and the results of you toil will be an inspiration to the world for all eternity. Job well done; it is time to take your rest. You are my hero and the world is thankful for your spirit. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

The Negro Dilemma

In many places throughout America there is the belief that "black male teens" are inherently more likely to be criminals. What is dangerous about this thinking is that it’s ingrained in our society and actually applies to all people of color; whereas, the facts and statistic don’t prove this true. The result is that people of African descent are over represented in the prison system. Then there are the millions trapped in the cycle of probation and other legal aspects of the justice system that makes it look like “Just Us”.

It has been seeped into our institutions from the beginning. This means it is still with us today in the form of racial profiling, stop and frisk, and all too often unfair judgment by those who are supposed to protect us. There have been thousands of cases that have involved African Americans whether rightly or wrongly administered by the system. This brings me to the most significant case of our time – the George Zimmerman second degree murder case. This is a pivotal moment because the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about is RACE.

Let me quote something Elijah Anderson, Professor of Sociology at Yale University, said:

In Till's day, 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 worse.

We know the facts should state the obvious. Either Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin in cold blood or he didn't. For all the unethical, in my view, tactics it was no accident that Zimmerman's defense attorneys did not want this highly charged, racially tinged cases to leave “Mayberry”. I say this because there were no black people in the town of Mayberry, which I compare to the few in Sanford or in that conservative area.

They did not want to ask for a change of venue because they wanted a biased jury – all white. They got what they wanted! Jose Baez, a Florida defense attorney who was lead defense counsel in the Casey Anthony trial said, “The jury chosen is a "slam dunk" for the defense… I think the defense clearly won the day on this one. Any way you slice and dice it, this is a defense jury." Baez is the attorney for the Florida mother who was acquitted in 2011 of killing Caylee her young daughter.

The question then becomes will the result be the same as it was 60 years ago when little Emmitt Till’s killers faced a jury. The world is watching America. We have seen this before – again and again! I only need remind you of the case not too long ago in Simi Valley, California and that is the Negro Dilemma! And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

Champion Of The People

Bob Marley was the third World’s first pop superstar. In all honesty, I don’t like the term third world because as Bob Marley said one love, which means one world. He was the man who introduced the world to the mystic power of reggae. 

He was a true rocker at heart, and as a songwriter, he brought the lyrical force of a Bob Dylan with the personal charisma of a John Lennon, and the essential vocal styling’s of Smokey Robinson into one voice. But Bob Marley was so much more and in a class by himself which is why he became a legend!

In 1999 Time Magazine chose Bob Marley & The Wailers' Exodus as the greatest album of the 20th century. This spoke to his international acclaim where his message continues to reverberate amongst people around the world. My favorite is the huge political hit “Stand-up, Stand-up for your Rights”. The true testament to greatness is volume of great artist who have recorded the many great songs he’s written.

Marley has evolved into a global symbol of freedom. Author Dave Thompson wrote in his book Reggae and Caribbean Music, laments what he perceives to be the commercialized pacification of Marley's more militant edge, stating:

“Bob Marley ranks among both the most popular and the most misunderstood figures in modern culture ... Gone from the public record is the ghetto kid who dreamed of Che Guevare and the Black Panthers, and pinned their posters up in the Wailers Soul Shack record store; who believed in freedom; and the fighting which it necessitated, and dressed the part on an early album sleeve; whose heroes were James Brown and Muhammad Ali; whose God was Ras Tafari and whose sacrament was marijuana.

Instead, the Bob Marley who surveys his kingdom today is smiling benevolence, a shining sun, a waving palm tree, and a string of hits which tumble out of polite radio like candy from a gumball machine. Of course it has assured his immortality.”

His songs and music spoke to the struggles of the least of thee and to the souls of the ordinary person trapped outside of the establishment, which has endeared him to his fans and the world. As we celebrate and pay homage to this month dedicated to Black Music; I would be remised not to include Bob Marley as one of the greatest musical legends of our time – if not all times.

I know right now Bob Marley is “Jamming”! And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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THE NERVE OF THIS MAN

Let me say from the first sentence that I in no way condone nor endorse the newly released book by Robert Zimmerman Sr., called “Florida v. Zimmerman: Uncovering the Malicious Prosecution of my Son, George”. Rather to say it is, in my view, disgrace. I am not a reviewer although I do have the right to an opinion, which is the reason for this post or maybe a rebuke of this shocking and shameful essay.

As the murder trial for George Zimmerman begins and prior to its start the defense has released prejudicial information that in no way would be admitted in court disparaging to the deceased child. Let say it more clearly – THE VICTEM WHO IS DEAD! If this guy was so innocent these tactic would not be necessary.

In an article written by Judd Legum in ThinkProgess reports the following:  

The most striking chapter in this publication is called “Who Are The True Racists,” an apparent effort to rebut claims that his son’s actions were racially motivated. Previously, Zimmerman Sr. “believed generally racism was a thing of the past.” He says that, personally, he hadn’t encountered much racism, even though his wife is Hispanic. But after his son shot and killed Trayvon Martin, however, Zimmerman learned that racism is “flourishing at the insistence of some in the African American Community.” He then goes on to list various black leaders and organizations that he believes are racist:

Congressional Black Caucus. “[A] pathetic, self-serving group of racists… advancing their purely racist agenda.” He later adds that “all members of Congress should be ashamed of the Congressional Black Caucus, as should be their constituents.” And finally: “They are truly a disgrace to all Americans.”

The NAACP. “[S]imply promotes racism and hatred for their own, primarily finical, interests” and “without prejudice and racial divide, the NAACP would simply cease to exist.”

NAACP President Benjamin Jealous. “[W]hat I would expect of a racist.”

Trayvon Martin’s funeral director. A “racial activist and former head of the local NAACP.”

Benjamin Crump, Natialie Jackson and Darrly Parks, attorneys for Travyon Martin’s family. “The scheme team.”

The National Basketball Players Association.

Black Chamber of Commerce.

National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers.

National Black United Fund.

United Negro College Fund.

While stopping short of explicitly calling President Obama a racist, Zimmerman Sr. does say that Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have “shamelessly” sought to exploit his son’s case “to obtain great advantage in the African-American community.”

Zimmerman Sr. says that because of Holder’s decision to investigate whether Trayvon Martin’s death violated federal civil rights laws, the FBI did not have “adequate resources to investigate clearly identified potential terrorist [sic] in the Boston area.” Now, “tragically, we have suffered the consequences of Mr. Holder’s politically motivated decisions.”

It is my understanding that the elder Zimmerman was a Judge. Therefore, he should know what happens when a death occurs from the use of a handgun. If the Pop’s is so confident that his son is innocence the former judge might want to see what has been reported from the autopsy report and the DNA findings. If I can recall the EMS and his son's PA admitted in their findings that he (the son) may have injured himself to make it appear that the child he murdered give him cause.

Racism is rooted in white privilege which seems to be the arrogance of what he speaks and could be the Zimmerman family trademark ingrained, unfortunately, in the old man’s heart. It really takes a lower element to profess this kind of disrespectful thinking! Therefore, from this rant I ask who might the real racist be? And that’s my THOUGHT PROVOKING PERSPECTIVE…

The Acclaimed Author George Fraser Returns To Be In The Spotlight

The John T. Wills Book Tree Radio Show proudly welcome’s the return of the highly acclaimed Author Mr. George C. Fraser as our very special guest. On Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 8:30 PM (est), Mr. Fraser will continue the empowering conversation of last week. He has held leadership positions with Procter & Gamble, the United Way, and Ford Motor Company. 

He has written three acclaimed books: Success Runs in Our Race; The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the African American Community and Race for Success; The Ten Best Business Opportunities for Blacks in America and most recently, Click: Ten Truths to Building Extraordinary Relationships. Mr. Fraser publishes the award-winning SuccessGuide Worldwide: The Networking Guide to Black Resources. He is the founder of the annual PowerNetworking Conference, where thousands of Black professionals, business owners, and community leaders gather to discuss and do business with each other.

Anthony Reeves Esq. said of Mr. Fraser:

"If you could call certain people a "Fountain of Information", then George Fraser would be an OCEAN. In order to truly appreciate the wealth of knowledge he has to share, spend 2 minutes speaking with him and you will feel infinitely smarter."

He has appeared on CNN and in The Wall Street Journal. Over the past decade, the prestigious publication, Vital Speeches of the Day, has selected, reprinted and distributed worldwide, five of his speeches--a first for any professional speaker in America, regardless of color. Upscale magazine named him one of the "Top 50 power brokers in Black America," and Black Enterprise magazine called him "Black America’s #1 Networker" and featured him on a cover issue. Personal growth "guru" Stephen Covey called him a "masterful teacher."

THE POSITIVE PRINCIPLE "IT'S THE THOUGHTS THAT COUNT"

You are invited to join the Amazing Silver Rae Fox and I because you really don’t want to miss this broadcast!!!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/johntwills/2012/12/13/the-book-tree-radio-show

Call in and speak with our guest Call in number: (718) 506-1699

Make these books the gift that keeps on giving.

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Legacy – A New Season 

AMAZON

Just a Season