Last night I found myself on the outside of a conversation, the kind I love. There’s a man, a hard working blue collar kinda guy, and he expressed his concerns/displeasure with the fact that his child is being exposed to “Black history month.” On some levels, I kind of agree with his sentiment, but for different reasons. His concern is there’s no German History Month, or White History Month (I know, isn’t that every other month?) and that generally, things just aren’t fair. He’s all for equality, but feels there’s a strong portion of society that is looking more to take advantage of the system, rather than assure an even playing field.
I know he isn’t alone in his thinking, and to be honest, I’m not really a big fan of “Black History Month.” I prefer that we just incorporate what we now call “Black History” into American history. I don’t see that it makes them special, to have their own month, rather I think it serves more to clearly draw a line in the sand.
We have an African-American President now, and that’s a sign of great progress. But I don’t think the idea should be to discontinue progress when we hit a certain milestone, this isn’t a marathon, and we don’t have a finish line. The road to equality stops when the lines that clearly separate us are no longer around the track. When women are paid the same wage, for doing the same work, as a man. When my daughter receives a great education in our little Agrestic as the black boy receives in KCMO and the Hispanic girl receives in KCK. When the life expectancy of our neighbors isn’t altered by their color. When our religious, or lack thereof, beliefs are given the same respect. When every adult man and woman is allowed to marry whomever they choose. When paper is designed so our left handed friends can write without their hand being covered in ink.
The man I’m referring to has a little girl, and I think the best way to prove the lack of equality is to simply state one statistical fact, that is most relevant to him. According to the US Census, on average, women earn 76.7% of what men earn. So his little girl will earn almost 25 cents less per dollar, than the little boys in her class. These times are far from being equal.
We are not there, and we may (probably) never get there. The fact that there’s a “Black History Month” isn’t shifting the playing field so that it benefits one race over another. The playing field is already so heavily titled, so much so that we call someone who is equal parts black and white, “black.” I understand the frustration when it seems as if someone is being given a hand out, and the minority who is less qualified for a job, ends up with the job. Of course that isn’t how we want things to be, not in a perfect world. But we’re not in a perfect world.
The great equalizer is among us now, being our current economic conditions. We can all be equally unemployed, be equally behind on our payments and get a nice close look at how things look from the other side.
February 17, 2009
February 10, 2009
HgHirp
If I was going under the knife, and there was a pill that the doctor could take to make him better at his job, wouldn’t I want him to take it?
If the Kyd’s teacher could inject something we give to cancer patients, and he’d be a better teacher for it, wouldn’t I want him to take it?
We’re okay when a baseball player shreds his shoulder, heads down to Alabama and has a tendon from his knee placed in his shoulder, and comes back throwing harder. That’s some how natural, and okay. But drugs make for an uneven playing field. That makes sense.
Our government is spending millions of dollars to prosecute Barry Bonds, and is going to do the same to Roger Clemens, because these guys lied about using banned substance. Yet when a US Senator has to with drawl from a cabinet post because he forgot to pay some taxes, we give him a pass. Oh, and we’re in a bit of a recession right now, maybe spending millions of dollars to catch a drug user in a lie.
What’s the deal with these steroid stories coming to light just in time to maximize the black eye it gives baseball? I read a great book, by Mike Lupica, in 1999. He documented how a great home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa helped to save baseball after the work stoppage in the mid ‘90s. He’s supposed to be a reporter, yet he never thought to dig around, even though we all knew Mac was taking Andro that year? Now I read his columns where he’s bashing Alex Rodriguez and all other steroid users, now he’s taking the high road. The accomplishments we’ve seen in the past 15 years or so are tainted, and were obtained under false pretense, but what about the checks he cashes from benefiting from both sides of this story?
In 2003 baseball ran conducted some random drug testing, with the agreed upon plan that if more than 5% tested positive, baseball would implement baseball drug testing. It was all supposed to be confidential, and by all accounts, the results were kept separate from anything that could identify who they belong to. Allegedly, 104 tested positive, and only one name has been released. This should outrage us more than anything. With Bonds, we’ve seen leaked grand jury testimony, and now we have confidential drug tests leaked.
If the Kyd’s teacher could inject something we give to cancer patients, and he’d be a better teacher for it, wouldn’t I want him to take it?
We’re okay when a baseball player shreds his shoulder, heads down to Alabama and has a tendon from his knee placed in his shoulder, and comes back throwing harder. That’s some how natural, and okay. But drugs make for an uneven playing field. That makes sense.
Our government is spending millions of dollars to prosecute Barry Bonds, and is going to do the same to Roger Clemens, because these guys lied about using banned substance. Yet when a US Senator has to with drawl from a cabinet post because he forgot to pay some taxes, we give him a pass. Oh, and we’re in a bit of a recession right now, maybe spending millions of dollars to catch a drug user in a lie.
What’s the deal with these steroid stories coming to light just in time to maximize the black eye it gives baseball? I read a great book, by Mike Lupica, in 1999. He documented how a great home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa helped to save baseball after the work stoppage in the mid ‘90s. He’s supposed to be a reporter, yet he never thought to dig around, even though we all knew Mac was taking Andro that year? Now I read his columns where he’s bashing Alex Rodriguez and all other steroid users, now he’s taking the high road. The accomplishments we’ve seen in the past 15 years or so are tainted, and were obtained under false pretense, but what about the checks he cashes from benefiting from both sides of this story?
In 2003 baseball ran conducted some random drug testing, with the agreed upon plan that if more than 5% tested positive, baseball would implement baseball drug testing. It was all supposed to be confidential, and by all accounts, the results were kept separate from anything that could identify who they belong to. Allegedly, 104 tested positive, and only one name has been released. This should outrage us more than anything. With Bonds, we’ve seen leaked grand jury testimony, and now we have confidential drug tests leaked.
February 02, 2009
Super Bowl Re-hirp
Some random, and not so random, thoughts on last night’s Super Bowl:
Jennifer Hudson was fantastic. I thought about saying she killed it, but that’s just insensitive. She may be Idol alum, but I like her anyway. Can’t imagine how hard that was for her.
Two great finishes in a row, I remember a time when the Super Bowl always ended up being a huge let down with a huge blow out.
Bruce was great at half time, and I’ve never been much of a fan. Watching Bruce and Silvio, lead my cousin and I to discuss who may possibly play half time next year. I see a trend of mostly big acts from the 70’s and 80’s getting the stage to themselves. They’ve had Bruce, Tom Petty, Prince, Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney since 2005. 2004 was Nipple Gate, and the end of their multi-act half time shows. So who could we see in 2010? Bon Jovi and Billy Joel come to mind, if we stick with the current trend. But I have three more current acts to suggest: Beyonce and Jay Z, Kanye West or Justin Timberlake.
I don’t think the good ol’ boys would allow a rapper, such as Eminem (suggested by my cousin) to have the stage to himself. Plus, it’s almost a guarantee that he’d try to piss off the FCC. Beyonce and Jay are pop royalty, and would totally kill. Kanye is the one rapper who is showmen enough and clean enough to consider. Justin would be fantastic, but Nipple Gate would be front and center and distract from the game and show, so I don’t see that happening, unfortunately.
Best ads: Hulu, Pepsi, Cash4Gold.com, E*trade and Pepsi Max.
Jennifer Hudson was fantastic. I thought about saying she killed it, but that’s just insensitive. She may be Idol alum, but I like her anyway. Can’t imagine how hard that was for her.
Two great finishes in a row, I remember a time when the Super Bowl always ended up being a huge let down with a huge blow out.
Bruce was great at half time, and I’ve never been much of a fan. Watching Bruce and Silvio, lead my cousin and I to discuss who may possibly play half time next year. I see a trend of mostly big acts from the 70’s and 80’s getting the stage to themselves. They’ve had Bruce, Tom Petty, Prince, Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney since 2005. 2004 was Nipple Gate, and the end of their multi-act half time shows. So who could we see in 2010? Bon Jovi and Billy Joel come to mind, if we stick with the current trend. But I have three more current acts to suggest: Beyonce and Jay Z, Kanye West or Justin Timberlake.
I don’t think the good ol’ boys would allow a rapper, such as Eminem (suggested by my cousin) to have the stage to himself. Plus, it’s almost a guarantee that he’d try to piss off the FCC. Beyonce and Jay are pop royalty, and would totally kill. Kanye is the one rapper who is showmen enough and clean enough to consider. Justin would be fantastic, but Nipple Gate would be front and center and distract from the game and show, so I don’t see that happening, unfortunately.
Best ads: Hulu, Pepsi, Cash4Gold.com, E*trade and Pepsi Max.
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