N-Visible Politricks

11.7.2012: Fundamentally WRONG

A brief timeline of my Election Night 2012 joy/pain: As the soul (sole) reporter for CNN (Campbell Negro News), at 7:07PM, CST, I projected, President Barack Obama, the winner of the 2012 Presidential Election. I know that John Sununu probably remixed, for me, the criticism he had for Colin Powell endorsing BHO: “You have to wonder whether that’s [a projection] based on [empirical polling] or that he’s got a slightly different reason… when you have somebody of your own race that you’re proud of being President of the United States — I applaud [that dumb nigga, JC] for standing with him.”

Well, John, I actually had a Negro Polling class from Black People University that taught me, 1) CP time worked for the President on election night in two of three states that I deemed critical to the election (Ohio, Virginia, and Florida). Meaning that I would call the race for the Democratic nominee for President if he was within the 90% factor of the remaining votes in Cincinnati, NOVA, Miami-Dade – these large population centers have a large contingent of Black voters and for some reason “Coloured Polls” time and time again are late in getting the numbers in to be counted. I literally started celebrating at that time.

However, my celebration was short-lived – not because the Romney Campaign and one of his biggest single person donators, Karl Rove, refused to accept the Ohio results after all other news organizations (including Fox News) called Ohio and projected President Obama would eclipse 270 Electoral Votes. I’m not gonna say, I called it almost 2 hours before they did – OH SHIT, I just did. Oh well, back to the real issue, my short-lived celebration:

I’m a proud registered voter in the 12th Ward and 14th Voting Precinct of Orleans Parish (Louisiana’s version of a county). People that I work with on my day job, kept asking me who did I vote for sic(pardon the dangle). I believe in the sanctity of the ballot, that’s why you won’t see any Instagram pics of my vote. So, I’m not going to tell you for whom I voted (hey it’s cold outside) (insider to the educated). However, for the first time in the history of this blog post, I will talk about my vote. On my ballot, there was a state Constitutional Amendment, No. 2,: The FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO TOTE GUNS.

In short the proponents of this bill want the Louisiana State Constitution to provide that the right to keep and bear arms is a FUNDAMENTAL right and any restriction of that right requires the highest standard of review by a court, strict scrutiny. The ironic part of this, the LACon provided (prior to last night) that the right of each citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be abridged. By definition, this meant that Louisiana residents had the constitutional right to carry that iron and that right couldn’t be lessened or diminished in scope or authority. But that wasn’t enough because the state law makers could at some point in the future pass a law that would limit carrying concealed weapons.

My problem is not guns or the ability to carry concealed weapons but that carrying guns are now considered a fundamental right. Why? Well let’s discuss what all Constitutional scholars agree are truly fundamental rights: 1) Human life 2) Liberty… Now when there was this little institution called slavery ended some forced citizens of this great nation did not have the right to vote, the US Constitution was amended to give all Citizens the FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT to vote… Subsequent to that Amendment, the 14TH Amendment and Supreme Court jurisprudence makes equal protection of all Citizens a Fundamental Right. Not to belabor the point, but FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS are afforded the highest level of protection, strict scrutiny.

When the Amendment that granted the right to bear arms it was for the purpose of protecting this nation’s citizens’ right to liberty against British colonial oppression. It allowed the formation of a militia. Gun rights legislation does not rise to that level.

A further irony is that many states that champion gun rights also are making laws to limit voting rights of those who belong to suspect classes (those the 14TH Amendment sought to protect) such as minorities and women. This post can be broken down into 7 words:

Hypocrisy: that’s that shit I don’t like!!!

That’s why I voted against Louisiana Constitutional Amendment #2 Act No. 874, Senate Bill No. 303, (Const. Art. I, Sec. 11)…

Keepin it Real

6.11.2010: Meet the Junior Senator(?) from South Carolina…

American politics has never surprised me and I’m somewhat of a neophyte. Who would have thought John Ashcroft, the incumbent U.S. Senator from Missouri, would lose his bid to hold his seat to a dead man? TRUE STORY! As if that weren’t enough W then appointed him Attorney General. I always wondered what was the big fuss about Harry S. Truman’s presidency. To my surprise, the headline “Dewey Defeats Truman” was only shocking upon the actual inauguration of the namesake for my elementary school. Truman was the incumbent but it seemed as if every one but Truman predicted the affable Thomas E. Dewey was the consensus landslide favorite. Surprise! He lost Truman won and I’m glad I didn’t grow up in the Dewey Projects, doesn’t have the same ring to it.

So why would a long time Member of Congress and every South Carolina Democrat (yes they exist) be shocked that Alvin Greene, no relation, would win the Democratic Nomination for U.S. Senate. Meet Al Greene:

1. Al’s Unemployed

2. Al lives with his father

3. Al has not raised one dime from contributions

4. Al’s only campaign material is the one you see in the picture to the left. Not only version. ONLY ONE COPY!

5. Al is facing a pending felony charge with a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison.

House Majority Whip Clyburn, South Carolina Democratic Chairwoman Fowler, and Vic Rawls (The Guy Who Lost to Al Greene, no relation) for the good times let’s show a little love and happiness for Alvin M. Greene who just may be the cause for the next shocking political headline: “Meet Alvin Greene the Junior Senator from South Carolina”

6.8.2010: My President’s Black

There have been times where I’ve heard some say I wish Obama (sic) would just let a “muthafucka” or “kiss my ass” fly to his critiques. I have also been a firm believer in less is more. Well here you have both:

Enough said!

6.4.2010: Get N-Volved

Cleo Fields is a former politician from Louisiana. He was a state representative and senator who I followed, looked up to, and in my dumber days aspired to be like. I remember a story about him on a fateful day that reminded me of the importance of governmental participation. An elderly lady from Baton Rouge went into his office one day in need of help for a family member who got into some stuff. I believe he really wanted to help her but his first question to her was she registered to vote. She informed him that she wasn’t. This POLITICIAN said to her that he was sorry he could not help her. What an A-Hole! Right?

Well, we often complain about what our political leaders aren’t doing but the real issue is what we aren’t doing – registering to vote. A Voteless People is a Hopeless People! Our government is our investment. If you invest into the stock market, will you check your investment, manage your investment and if something goes wrong with the investment, do something about it? I hope the answer is yes.

Did you know that the financial industry (banks, credit card companies, etc.) have close to 1,500 lobbyist who were former members of Congress, Congressional staffers, and federal employees? Lobbying is a Constitutional right and we should avail ourselves of such a resource. How? Get involved with like-minded people and move into action.

Don’t be invisible be N-Visible and indivisible.

The N-Visible Man