Unfiltered Opinion

Jesse Jackson Is Talking Baseball

Poor Jesse Jackson and his massive ego needs to be stroked - again.  No one is listening to him as much and he no longer has a captivated audience.  I guess this is why he felt compelled to offer his assessment of the controversy involving Major League Baseball (MLB) and its umpires.  Am I missing something here?  Surely, as a civil rights activist, he has more important things to worry about than meddling in MLB affairs.  Jackson should go to Houston and try helping their citizens remove the crackpot Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal from office.

However, I do understand that the MLB story was controversial and a national story in the sports world. There is no other reason Jackson would try and get involved in it.

In Fairness To Obama

In light of my comments regarding Senator Barack Obama, his church, Trinity United Church of Christ and its issuance of an award to Louis Farrakhan, I was told of a "fact check" page on Obama's campaign web site.  The site addresses inaccurate statements and emails that have been increasingly appearing over time.  I may not agree with all of the explanations, but I think people should at least read them and form their own opinions.

Why Is Obama Getting A Free Pass?

What do you think the national media would do if there was a presidential candidate who attended a church that describes itself as "unashamedly White" with a "non-negotiable commitment to Europe".  The church goes on to say it has a White worship service and ministries that address the White community.  The magazine of the church also gave an award to the leader of a White separatist organization because of his influence in the White community.  If the above scenario was true, the media would be all over this story until it had run its course.

Well, it is true and the candidate is Senator Barack Obama.  He is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ located in Chicago, Illinois.  The church says it is "unashamedly Black" and it has a "Black worship service and ministries which address the Black community". 

The church's magazine, Trumpet News Magazine, also gave its Lifetime Achievement Award to the Minister Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the controversial Nation of Islam.  The church gave him the award because he "truly epitomized greatness".

Please note the following:

1) I do not have a problem with Obama being a member of Trinity United Church of Christ.  He has the freedom to worship where ever he feels comfortable and there is nothing wrong with that

2) Trinity United Church of Christ has every right to establish and believe in their tenets of belief and worship.  It is not against the law to have a "unashamedly Black congregation" just as it is okay to have a "unashamedly White congregation".  I believe it's tacky and wrong, but it is not against the law.

3) The church has every right to give their award to Farrakhan if that is what they want to do.  I respect their right to choose their honorees, but I do not have to agree with their selections.

What I have a problem with is the national media coverage of this issue.  If Obama was White, this issue would have been a front page story.  Obama would have been forced to disassociate himself with his church and make a public denouncement of Farrakhan and his beliefs.  Obama would have had to do more than issue a press release addressing the issue.  It seems that the majority of the mainstream press does not want to press Obama on certain subjects because they do not want to be seen as racist. 

It is not racist to ask Obama tough questions on racial issues or ideology.  I don't care what some civil rights activists would have you believe.  What is wrong with asking him questions regarding where he attends church?  Republican candidate Mitt Romney is almost questioned daily regarding his being a Mormon.  For example, I would like to know why is Obama's church asking its members to boycott Wal-Mart and Sam's Club?  I would like to know the answer to that question?  Maybe there is a reason I should not shop at those stores.

I just want to see unbiased press coverage of the candidates.  Every day, I read about Senator Hillary Clinton's negative issues, which are well documented.  However, I want to know about Obama's problems also.  I will say this much - Obama and his campaign staff are running a smooth campaign.  They have done a good job controlling when he is the "Black candidate" and the "American candidate".  Obama does not want a debate about race during the primary campaign because he does not want to scare off some of his racially sensitive White supporters.  However, it's okay if he brings up the subject of race to recruit the Black vote, but no one else can do it.  These are the "Obama Rules".

Why Is This Man Still In Office?

Can some one please tell me why the mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kirkpatrick, has not resigned his position after his latest controversy?  I am not saying he should resign because he cheated on his wife with his chief of staff.  That is a personal issue between Kirkpatrick and his wife.  He should resign because he has repeatedly abused the power of his office.  Kirkpatrick, a licensed attorney, should also be disbarred by the State Bar of Michigan for lying under oath in a police-whistle blower's trial last summer.  Kirkpatrick is an immature person and an irresponsible public servant who does not have the decency to resign his position as mayor. 

The sad part of the story is that a large reason Kirkpatrick is allowed to remain in office is because of the environment and the community he serves.  For some reason, minority groups, Blacks in particular, have a tendency to look the other way when public servants of their own race have violated the trust of the office.  I am sure there are people out there who believe "the man" is trying to bring down Kirkpatrick's regime.  However, there is only one man responsible for this mess and that is Kirkpatrick.

Bill Takes A Nap

Why is every one trying to make a big deal about Bill Clinton falling asleep at the church service celebrating the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday?  Have you ever been to a service at a predominantly black church?  I have and they are too long.  Most of the times, you have to sit there for 3 - 4 hours.  Then you have to listen to some long winded minister preaching to you how you should live your life the "right way".  The worst part is when you find out that the minister is not even living his life the "right way".  It's enough to put any body to sleep. 

Welcome

This blog has been a long time in the making and it has a long way to go before it is a finished product.  I am no where near the computer geek I need to make this blog look and function the way it should.  Hopefully, with time and patience, I can learn to make it better.

I began this blog, in part, because of my frustration with national media coverage of the presidential primaries.  This is why I decided to name the blog Unfiltered Opinion. 

For the most part, the media is reporting to you their version of events. They are giving you a "filtered opinion" of what happened. I do not believe in the sugar coating of any issue. I give my opinion and let the chips fall where they may. Now you may disagree with me and that's fine, but please back it up with facts.

For example, if I criticize Al Sharpton, don't just call me a racist. Give me an intelligent argument on why my opinion is wrong. I always listen and respect another person's opinion - as long as it is made in an intelligent manner.

My blog provides a forum for me to express my opinion on a variety of subjects, in particular politics. There is no subject that I am afraid to discuss. Thanks again for taking the time to visit my blog. I hope you will continue to visit the site.

Remember - it's just my opinion.