I'll Miss You Michael Steele

A few weeks ago, Maine Governor Paul LePage had a special message for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Initially he declined their invitation to attend a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration on January 17th because he is not a fan of "special interests". When further questioned about his snub, the newly elected Governor sounded more combative than conciliatory, he reportedly told the NAACP to "kiss his butt".

Do I even need to say this guy is one of those angry tea party people? Granted, no one knows exactly what the NAACP does or what they even stand for in "post-racial" America, but was it really necessary for Governor LePage to take it there? Before you start thinking he is racist and doesn't like black people, he makes it clear that he has an adopted black son (and probably one or two black friends) so this just isn't possible.

Just days after President Obama's speech in Tucson, Arizona, LePage sounded hostile, angry  and made it clear he wasn't interested in rubbing elbows with the members of NAACP or celebrating Dr. King's legacy. After attracting a boatload of unwanted attention and criticism from just about everyone and the national chapter of NAACP, LePage pulled his foot out of his mouth had a change of heart, accepted the invitation and reportedly stayed for the entire celebration.

LePage's initial snub of Maine's NAACP is nothing new. The Republican Party does not see African Americans as a valuable constituency group so they routinely ignore them. Everybody knows that the Republicans have written off the black vote, even after they elected their own magic negro, RNC Chair Michael Steele. I can't be made at LePage's rant at the NAACP, he's just following the script.

Now that Steele has rode off into the sunset, the Republican party can continue to go back to ignoring black people, questioning the President's birth place and clinging to the myths and lies about our founding fathers and our imperfect Constitution. I figure they must have paid Steele some big bucks to shut and go away quietly. He didn't achieve much but they didn't expect much either. I was embarrassed for him because he  never managed to meet his own expectations and was never shy about backing down to Rush Limbaugh or some other Republican heavyweight. Even with him gone, the Republicans and tea partiers like LePage have even less use for organizations like the NAACP and black people.

I hate to admit it but I'm going to miss Michael Steele, at least he was good for comic relief. The new RNC Chair Reince Priebus (say what?) doesn't sound like he's going to be nearly as much fun.

Mental Illness in the Cross-Hairs

Picture of Jared Loughner taken from Reuters.com

Saddened and speechless by the horrific shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the murders of six bystanders in Tuscon over the weekend, my heart goes out to the victims and their families. I cannot even imagine what they are going through as they try to make sense of  the shootings carried out by a very disturbed individual.

I've listened to the rhetoric on both sides, politicians and political pundits have gone into overdrive throwing forth various theories as to why Tucson, Arizona resident Jared Loughner, 22 allegedly committed these crimes. There is plenty of blame to go around, from Sarah Palin's cross hairs to angry, violent tea party activists but what I have yet to hear is how devastating mental illness is to our society. When tragedies like this occur, it is much easier to blame politicians and gun laws; sure gun analogies are cute (don't retreat...RELOAD) and implying that someone should be killed because of their party affiliation and politics (Harry Reid needs to be "taken out") should not be taken lightly. We should choose our words carefully.

In spite of being a full-blown disease like cancer, mental illnesses like depression, schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder are still relegated to the sidelines when a tragedy of this proportion occurs. Acquaintances and classmates of Loughner, have all commented on his inappropriate outbursts in classes at Pima Community College. After multiple visits from campus police and various Code of Conduct breeches, Loughner was eventually expelled from the college. If this wasn't a red flag, I don't know what was. It was reported that Loughner was also rejected by the Army; another red flag because I've heard the Army will take just about anyone. Still, none of this prevented him from legally buying a gun.

Loughner's fixation on the government and his far-fetched idea that they are using grammar to control people clearly had no basis in reality.  His obvious mental illness has likely been overlooked, ignored and left untreated. No surprise here, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that the majority of young people with mental illness do not receive treatment for it. Very few of these people are violent. I would imagine the lack of health care and state budget cuts like the one Arizona is implementing make it all that more difficult for someone to get help for a medical condition, let alone mental health issues.

It is unfortunate that six people had to be killed and fourteen wounded in order for Loughner to get the attention he so desperately deserves. It probably won't be in the form of an accurate diagnosis for his disturbed mental condition, talk therapy or even medication, but carried out in the harsh Federal prison system for the rest of his life.

Wish List for 2011

It always takes time to come up with a wish list for the new year and this year, is no exception. After mulling over last year's events, here's are things I'd like to see happen this year, in no specific order:

• That Sarah Palin and anyone with the last name Kardashian disappears from the radar this year.  People who are famous for nothing are generally annoying. 
• President Obama grows and keeps a backbone. Negotiating with people who have no other plan but to dismantle his is quite useless. Borrow a page from the Ronald Reagan playbook. Stand up for what you want and believe in. We voted for change and aren’t getting much of if. Negotiating with Republicans does not equal success.
• Braids, do-rags and sagging pants.  I am so over this trend. This fad has lasted much longer than I expected and needs to end immediately. Belts and pants that sit at or slightly below the waist are fine by me.
• The end of hypocrisy. From politicians to family members, talking out of both sides of your mouth needs to stop. Wrong is wrong, even if it is your best friend, child or crony; the rules don’t change because you are personally invested in the outcome. Whether you hide behind religion or politics
• That terrorists and extremists hell-bent on carrying out God's (or Glenn Beck's) will, kill themselves first and leave the rest of us alone.  God is perfectly able of taking care of himself and doesn’t need any help, not even from his staunchest believers. As for devotees of Glenn Beck, 
• May the preoccupation with gays and gay sex end. Repealing don’t ask don’t tell was one of last year’s highlights. Why are career politicians, black clergy and other religious types so preoccupied with homosexuals? Pedophiles who prey upon innocent children and deeply closeted gay men “living” the straight life are much more dangerous to our society than gay men. Check it.
• A moratorium on reality shows.  How many “Real Housewives” shows do we need? From the faux riche women of Atlanta to the vacuous, materialistic groupies of ‘Basketball Wives’, you can polish a turd all day long but it’s still a turd. 
• Beyonce goes on vacation and takes Rihanna and her Ronald McDonald hair with her. I would love to go for just a week without hearing about or seeing either one of them. I've had enough. To appreciate someone you have to miss them first, just ask Tina Turner or Diana Ross.
• That I am just imagining the decline of America. I believe we are becoming the land of haves and have-nots. Our reign as the world's superpower is coming to an end. Our economy is in decline and that capitalism has not been as triumphant for the poor as it has been for the rich. If this past year has been any indicator of what to expect, we should batten down the hatches and get ready for a very bumpy ride. Having a college degree no longer means anything when you are in hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and can only snag service industry job earning minimum wage. We are set to have a permanent underclass of highly educated, underemployed people with absolutely no job prospects. Goodbye middle class.

Just a few thoughts anyway. We'll have to see how the year shakes out.