Annie-Rose Strasser thinks "Bitcoin is bred from white privilege" - here is the truth

Enter Annie-Rose Strasser, the writer at "Think Progressive" who is attacking bitcoin in an effort to relate the digital currency to the notion of "white privilege" - you can feel free to take a look at her ridiculous attempt to link the revolution to what she basically describes as her people missing out, here - try not to laugh too loud if you're at work. Her problem seems to be that the community around bitcoin - the revolution in currency exchange and the baby of techies all over the globe - is somehow a whites only club. She points out that because bitcoin is "so expensive" only whites who control wealth can afford them. Perhaps she didnt know that like gold, the dollar, and just about every other currency that I know of, bitcoin can be broken down into smaller increments, so one can in fact purchase, say, a penny's worth of bitcoin - crazy, I know - it pays to do your homework, Ms. Strasser. Wait it gets better. The other basis for her claim stems from the truth that the tech sector is dominated by young white males, as to somehow imply that young white men have forced others out and kept them out by force - but I would be crazy to correlate the overwhelming demographic differences to, say, oh I don't know, the amount of work and commitment involved. Do you see how it becomes racist when I spin it? 

Honestly though, is Ms. Strasser really this dense? Now, I know I may be a bit blunt at times, I can't help it, it's the military in me, I call it as I see it - but if I may be so bold; I would venture to say that if the minority youth of this country were taught to glorify computer programming instead of hip hop artists and sports figures, she may not have much of a leg to stand on. It's hard to take this message seriously as is; can you imagine if there was a mass migration of minority and underprivileged kids toward software like ruby mine? Do any of you know what that is? How about GIT? GitHub? - Hmm. Maybe we should be reevaluating our priorities when it comes to what we teach in schools. Maybe commercials should push script editors instead of an ugly $200 pair of Jordan’s. You see, I spent my money on script editors, IDE’s and coding classes. That is why I am in the position I am in, Ms. Strasser. When some government fan-gal like Annie-Rose Strasser attacks a revolution developed by individuals who consider themselves on the side of the greater good, simply because of their skin color and sex, the only purpose it serves is to alienate an entire audience, and it turns everyone in that audience off to your message when the truth is, some may have sympathized with you. 

The hacker culture is comprised primarily of individuals who turned to tech as a means to vent the frustration acquired from being picked on, and/or being labeled "socially awkward," and other such oppression. When others rebelled, skipped school, sold drugs, did drugs, vandalized private property, and so on, these individuals studied an art - the art of creating with algorithms. We programmed and programmed and programmed, and when things weren’t going so well, we programmed some more. When we finished, you liked the product of our work, and many individuals gave you their work to use for free, simply because they love doing what they do (enter Firefox, Facebook, WatsApp, and most of the games you played in the arcade as a kid), and giving it out for others to enjoy, Ms. Strasser. And you liked our creations - oh boy did you. You were now able to buy your new shoes online, post pictures of your shoes to show all your friends who used our programs, just how cool you were with your $200 shoes. Now these individuals are acquiring wealth from their hobbies, and because her little bus missed the trip, she slams the tech industry for being racist? Here is a clue Ms. Strasser, if you want to make the field trip next time, stop promoting sports, rap and $200 shoes to your youth as a means to an end. It doesn't take a techie - or as you would describe us, "young white men" - to understand how ridiculous that message is. 

The people around this movement donate their time, energy and finances to people all over the world - yet you have the gall to claim that this currency favors the wealthy? Some of those "young white men," i.e. Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, will use their money to do more for the people of this planet than you will ever do. I suppose you would say that it's only because they are guilty in some way, though, wouldn't you? Do you envy their money and power? Why? Because a few "white geeks” saw investment potential? Maybe it's because they were looking, Ms. Strasser. Oh and also, isn’t it cool to be a geek now? Don’t you copy the style, the glasses, and just about everything else except for the one thing that you can’t copy; the brain? You can’t mimic time, dedication and commitment, Ms. Strasser. And you sure as heck can’t make the claim that because we put it in, and that the majority of us happen to be one color, that we are for some reason a racist institution because of it. All are welcome here, ma’am, but this is one industry in which you have to actually try, and if you do, you are rewarded for your efforts - I am sure you may not understand what that looks like, when you sit on the backs of your government employed peers and watch them sit back under their unions and take paychecks for nothing. This woman speaks of bitcoin as if she has any clue as to what it is, or what it represents, while demonizing anyone who doesn't feel that they need the government to guide them in order to survive. What I find most hilarious is the fact that she rides this wave of government love, as if it weren't that very same government she would just as easily slam for enslaving her people in the 18 and early 1900's, segregating her people in the mid 1900's, shoveling her people heroine in the 60's and 70's, and keeping her people suppressed as nothing more than modern day house slaves from then on (enter "The New Jim Crow"). 

So which is it? You've despised them for a century, and now love them because they "protect you?" Ms. Strasser, I beg you and those like you to think from now on, about the implications of your messages, before you speak. In a sector dominated primarily by young white males, your pathetic message only serves to divide further, the fabric of what could be a cohesive society. Next time you attempt to open your mouth about something you know nothing about, especially when it comes to the tech industry, think about how many young black and Hispanic children you will succeed in turning off to the industry, who may have otherwise been interested in pursuing a career or degree in tech. 

All in all, you seem to me to be the sort of individual who is far more counter intuitive to your own people, than the opposite - but then, what can we expect from someone who is just another media ploy from the government, hell bent on creating a need for government. To those of you out there who read this woman’s trash and feel that for some reason you are not welcome in this industry, know this: This woman's views are those of jaded self sympathizers who would rather see individuals remain segregated than not. Do not feel that as a young person of color, you must adhere to this pathetic ideology because some of your mentors do. This is a different time in our history, and theirs is over. We should not continue the history of separation which has come full circle, on the part of both of our respective races, rather, unite as a people, not of color, but rather of the same species, in an effort to displace those like Ms. Strasser who would rather see innovation and true progress thwarted in an effort to maintain her comfy position, safely nestled under the blanket of a government that I'm am certain she would just as well despise, be it not for the free handouts she claims you need to survive. You are welcome by all of us here in the tech world. We are united under the reality that we find innovation and advancement fascinating and exciting, and some - such as Ms. Strasser - do not. Let it not be far from your mind, that you are very much welcome and that diversity is not something that can be forced, rather is something that grows from the evolution of a group of people united and focused in a common direction - all are welcome.

About Me: I am a Computer Scientist, more specifically a Database Administrator, a business man (Holding a Bachelors in Business with a focus in Enterprise Administration from Fordham University, Magna Cum Laude), a writer, a blogger, as well as a philosopher, a philanthropist (as much as one with limited finances can be..) a veteran, and in general, an all around thinker and do'er. My purpose is to point out that there is a reason for everything and an opinion for every reason. I am designed to interpret what I see and dictate what I've interpreted. My hope is that my words will not be seen as harsh, rather as liberating, and at very least, thought provoking. I enjoy everything from technology, to race relations, biology, genetics and economics..  for a start..  

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Emmet Till is to Trayvon Martin, like White is to Hispanic - according to the government

If there is any portion of your life that is in tune with current events, I'm sure the name George Zimmerman has become something of a familiarity to you. For some - as of February 26th, 2012 - Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman have all but taken a seat at your dinner table, becoming so familiar that you've found your time being equally distributed between Zimmerman, Martin and your own husbands, wives and kids. To whom do we owe thanks for introducing these two individuals into our lives? Yes, it is true that the Martin and Zimmerman were eternally tied together thanks in part to one of the most controversial murder trials since OJ Simpson saw his day in court almost two decades ago. But this was a particular situation and has become a national phenomenon due to the nature of the interaction between the two men; Martin being on the receiving end of a gun shot unleashed in self defense by Zimmerman, and Zimmerman being the veteran community watch captain who was infamously labeled a "crazy-ass cracka" by the defenses star witness, Rachel "Dee Dee" Jeantel. I will introduce you to the individuals behind these names as my comparison progresses, but for now let's continue to paint this picture so that we can compare it to the shit storm of hypocrisy that it later transformed into; lets see where we can take this. 

This story is lamented into the minds of many as a concave of mixed emotions and disappointing results, stemming from what would otherwise have been a normal drizzly night in South Florida. The world-wind of that would take place however,  I am no stranger to statistics. As a matter of fact, analysis is what I do for a living at this point in my life, and I have some years in the analytics field which saw it's start well before I started my Master of Computer Science degree. I deal mainly with the financial sector, writing scripts for a financial management firm based in Connecticut. Naturally, I began to take an interest in this case. At first, it didn't seem to me - being the incredibly grounded individual that I am; having been taught early on that lies, slanderous activity and contempt for the human individual was neither something to be look up to nor imitated - to be anything outside of the "normal" tragic death of a young man, taken to early due to unfortunate circumstances. Almost a sort of, "Where were the parents at?" kind of situation. By the way, where were the parents at? Anyway, even the notion of race, while properly defined to me early on, was not explained to be the cause of such exaggerations as it is so freely deemed to be the motive behind today. This story had the necessary components - young man from a broken home, seemingly caught in his own self destructive patterns, experimenting with narcotics, lashing out violently and becoming an all around disconnected member of society - I still don't see how this is far from the truth either, given the mountains of evidence witheld from the general public during the trial. Murders happen everyday in America; 48 per day on average to be more precise. So why now? Why this situation? Why these two individuals? The reason is, thanks in part - well in whole actually - to the overwhelming effect that our little friend "popular opinion" has on the small minds that make up the majority of our ever declining nation. 

Bolstered by the likes of the usual race baiting and sometimes government backed self promoting entrepreneurs - Al Sharpton, Farrakhan and Oprah Winfrey - along with a few new comers to the public opinion lobbyist profession - Sean "JayZ" Carter, wife Beyonce Knowles and even the President of the United States himself, Barrack Hussein Obama (who interestingly enough was just thrown a $40,000 per head fundraising party at JayZ's 40/40 club, by none other than JayZ and Beyonce herself) and lets not forget the likes of such minds as Justin Bieber (Aren't we now kicking him out of the country?) Miley Cyrus (Yeah, her.) whose combined 36 years on this planet offer a treasure trove of knowledge on topics such as the Judicial System, Law and Public Policy. I prefer to think of them as abusers of what I refer to as "American Privilege," that is, the feeling of entitlement  that comes as part of being a citizen of the United States of America, through which all manner of truth and/or propaganda can be tainted, misrepresented and/or entirely falsified as a means of propagating a popular agenda. It must also be mentioned for general purpose that this Al Sharpton would be the same anti semite, bigot and homophobe Al Sharpton that has all but deteriorated race relations in the United States for the last 50 years, and the same Farrakhan who's ties link back to early 60's and 70's anti-white group the Black Panthers, and the anti-white religious sect the Nation of Islam or "NOI." Farrahkan is still very much on the front lines of the anti-white movement to this day, and is still very much entrenched with the Nation of Islam; the birthplace of Malcolm X. This is going on forever, but I must be allowed to introduce Malcolm X, the once NOI servant who was partially redeemed in large part by his splitting from the organization and the denunciation of it's separatist agenda. The split came after X found himself on the receiving end of the judgement of one - the all knowing Elijah Muhammad - the racist and anti semitic leader of the NOI. The controversy itself was initiated by Elijah Muhammad's condemnation of X's illicit affairs with women outside of his marriage, whose flames were only furthered fanned by X's rebuttal of Muhammad's condemnation through which X outed the NOI's leader for sleeping with and fathering children by several of his sixteen year old staffers. All 19 of Muhammad's children would eventually sue the NOI for the right to be named Muhammad's successor after his death in 1975. What a couple of gets to have as government centerpieces for race relations, huh? 

We are now a few weeks removed from the not guilty verdict and the sentiment has only strengthened. To say that there was some animosity toward the outcome would be putting it lightly; very lightly. Actually, practically invisible. I feel the need to fully destroy my description of the impact of this trial, so I will continue. It's repercussions have torn a hole in the framework of the United States the likes of which have not been seen in any capacity in at least a decade; F.E.M.A rings a bell? And even this is a very small bell in comparison. Connect the dots a bit though, if you would: A government hell bent on tearing people apart in an effort to cement their necessity as a totalitarian entity, a couple of racist chorines promoting their agenda, and an African American community grieving over what they think is violence against a poor black kid who did nothing wrong, perpetrated by a racist white guy with a full head of steam. 

If you will remember back to some of my previous articles, I've discussed the realities of the myths (because "lies" is far to strong of a word for most individuals to stomach) that made their rounds about Trayvon Martin, the young man killed by George Zimmerman. It was initially stated and later confirmed that - upon approach by Zimmerman - Martin did in fact run. Zimmerman gave chase, but to no avail. Assuming he had lost Martin, Zimmerman stopped his pursuit and confirmed that he had lost the young man. Approximately four minutes passed - which saw Zimmerman trotting back toward his vehicle - when Martin reappeared and confronted Zimmerman. It was later stated by the defense that the young man muttered the phrase, "You're going to die tonight," before assaulting Zimmerman. This assault lead to a struggle between Zimmerman and the 6ft 3inch Martin that eventually made it's way to the ground. Martin ended up on top of Zimmerman, having wrapped his legs around Zimmerman's body, and proceeded to land "haymaker style swings" onto the neck, face and forehead of the overpowered Zimmerman, who struggled to dismount the assailant. This scene was corroborated by witnesses who saw a man described as wearing the cloths Zimmerman wore, laying on his back, while a man described as wearing the same clothing Martin was wearing, straddled the man and was delivering blows to his head. Zimmerman would testify that he indeed reached for his legally owned concealed weapon, and that while on the ground - with the 6ft 3in Martin straddling him, and in the process of beating his head into the sidewalk - he produced a weapon familiar with concealed carry, a Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm pistol a manufactured by Cocoa, Fla.-based Kel-Tec CNC. Zimmerman then proceeded, by his own admission, to shoot Martin in the middle torso area, killing him. 

Now, this would seem like a fairly open and closed case if you ask me. The government, the media and their fanboys however, saw it much differently. The falsities that resonated around this story were insatiable to say the least. There were hundreds of comments ranging from President Obamas infamous "If I had a son.." comment, to tweets from the black community suggesting that they were going to go "hunt whites in honor of Trayvon." Are you starting to understand what the government and media are capable of? Of all the comments made though, one in particular which was made mention of on several occasions by several proclaimed "leaders" in the black community, stuck with me. The thing that shocked me the most was that this scenario - which has been verified by forensic evidence and confirmed by forensic testing - was is in some way shape or form comparable to the story of Emmet Till; and this is where the story really starts to take some crazy turns. 

For those of you who don't know of the tragic story of Emmit Till, I will elaborate on it for you quickly. Emmit Till was a young boy born on July 25th, 1941. Emmit lived in Chicago with his mother and was largely unaware of the racism that was present in some areas of the south when he took a vacation to visit some relatives in Mooney, Mississippi. Till was "accused by 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant, the married proprietor of a small grocery store there, of winking at the grocery store owner. Several nights later, Bryant's husband Roy and his half-brother J. W. Milam arrived at Till's great-uncle's house where they took Till, transported him to a barn, beat him and gouged out one of his eyes, before shooting him through the head and disposing of his body in the Tallahatchie River, weighting it with a 70-pound (32 kg) cotton gin fan tied around his neck with barbed wire. His body was discovered and retrieved from the river three days later." Now let me explain what this means to me: To me, Emmit Tills story is one of tragedy, of unprovoked rage which led to the murder of a 13 year old little boy for a minor sign of disrespect that today would be thought of as cute. This is an American tragedy and something to be utilized in a moment of reflection to symbolize what was wrong with racism, and what we have gotten right via segregations reversal, to this point. To think that this young boys legacy would be tainted by those charged with keeping the messages learned from discrimination alive, by compering him to Trayvonn Martin, a juvenile delinquent, who instigated his own death by senselessly and brutally assaulting a man who was charged with keeping a neighborhood safe, is about as asinine an attempt by the puppets of government agenda, as I have ever encountered. It makes me mad, in all honesty. All of the other comments and situations that arose from this situation were done so out of rage, out of contempt for what people were initially led to believe was a white man - when he is no more white by heritage than Barrack Obama, both being biracial - but this was a blatant destruction of a cornerstone in the foundation of the desegregation movement in America. Can people so easily spit on this young mans memory by likening it to Martins situation? This isn't some simple a situation as merely comparing one young mans horrible encounter with men three or more times his size, who came to his front door with the intention to murder him, with that of a 6ft 3inch juvenile delinquent with a history of psychological problems and criminal behavior who instigated his death by brutally assaulting an individual smaller than himself. Have we become so desensitized and disillusioned by the media and our government that we are willing to overlook Martins criminal and psychological past in a effort to compare him to a little boy who was wrongfully and shamelessly murdered, and who later became one of the many faces of a just movement? Do you see what kind of power this machine has - this government and their media fan boys?

It is these connections, and the connections from many other powerful government players to their respective media and crony counterparts, that are slowly disintegrating this nation by dividing us in every which way possible. Such connections are only a small part of a bigger purpose, in my opinion, and are tools that the government backs in their entirety. The notion of all encompassing titles such as black, white, brown, gay, heterosexual, Christian, Muslim - or rather what I refer to as the rape of classification, as they are tools of influence used by the US government and their media fanboys to destroy what could be a unified state. The only way to enhance differences between individuals when you only have a podium to speak from, is to use words like these, as they suppress all notion of a unified identity, forcefully and without consent. These terms are inherently racist / sexist / prejudicial etc., by their very definition. Coming to see the indidvidual as a shade rather than the end result of cultural infusion and heritage not only dissolves the very message sought after to begin with - that a certain people should not overlook or oppress others because of unchangeable differences because it is counterintuitive and more importantly, simply wrong to do so - by further promoting the harrowing descent of society into an inevitable culture clash, stripping the identity of the person and replacing it with an unfamiliar title; thusly forcing what would otherwise be the passive individual into a state of being which requires a constant rebuttal of predispositions and an unequivocal sense of anxiety caused by the necessity to defend an unfamiliar, yet inescapable label - popular opinion at it's finest, and government mechanics 101, if you ask me.

About Me: I am a Computer Scientist, more specifically a Database Administrator, a business man (Holding a Bachelors in Business with a focus in Enterprise Administration from Fordham University, Magna Cum Laude), a writer, a blogger, as well as a philosopher, a philanthropist (as much as one with limited finances can be..) a veteran, and in general, an all around thinker and do'er. My purpose is to point out that there is a reason for everything and an opinion for every reason. I am designed to interpret what I see and dictate what I've interpreted. My hope is that my words will not be seen as harsh, rather as liberating, and at very least, thought provoking. I enjoy everything from technology, to race relations, biology, genetics and economics..  for a start.. 

WhoisJamesRoberts.com

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Let’s try not to navigate away from the facts: Your government at work

It amazes me just how simple the human being is becoming. I’ve stumbled across yet another firestorm of media influenced hype in the form of race baiting, and you guessed it, the slums are up in arms again, and yet again they're riding the wave of the “stand your ground laws” of Florida. This time the problem has to do with the laws as they apply directly to the logic behind – what is now – yet another high profile race war brewing in the same state that saw liberals and spinsters attempt to wildly skew the facts of the George Zimmerman case. This is your government and it's media fanboys at work yet again folks. 

If you’ve followed the media at all over the past couple of months, I am sure you’ve heard the story of the incident involving a man and a vehicle of young boys, all of who were involved in an argument while parked at a stop light in front of a convenient store somewhere in Jacksonville FL. Michael Dunn, a 47-year-old software developer, could face 60 years in prison following his conviction Saturday on multiple counts of attempted murder for shooting into a carful of teenagers outside of a Jacksonville convenience store in 2012. Jordan Davis was killed in the shooting, but the jury couldn't reach a verdict on the first-degree murder charge against Dunn. A mistrial was declared on that count.

Now that you have the back-story, I'll get to the point. My point of contention with the aftermath of this trial comes in the form of my disbelief of certain statements made and opinions shared about the situation, and the spinning of what would otherwise be meaningless and/or completely arbitrary points, by groups of individuals whose job it seems to be, to paint pictures of individuals such as Travon Martin and Jordan Davis and the situations surrounding their cases, that are not entirely honest. This is what I like to call, "The Great Divide" - the attempt on the the part of a government influenced media, to tear apart the social fabric by presenting obscure versions of actual stories. This agenda serves to pit individuals against each other, therefore strengthening the mission of the government - to promote the need for a big government - by tearing citizens apart based on strategically placed, and previously unknown prejudices put in place by the media. Disgust aside, I can’t help but feel a certain amount of pity for the human species – or at least those who seem to be functioning at a lower level than others – and the idea that these are the types of individuals who tend to make up the majority masses of this country is terrifying. Is this what we are coming to America? Is this the greatest nation on earth, who wallows in its own pity, disparages its producers and supports those who remain mentally incapable and completely inadequate by choice with programs that keep them addicted to government programs? This was Obamas base, was it not? And what was the offer he made them? Free this and free that. Well, the problem is, someone has to come up with the money to support those who produce nothing, and take everything expectantly.

Enter the Travon Martin case, during this public debacle we were borated by the government agenda drive media and it’s co conspirators, with images which portrayed Martin as a soft, youthful child, skittles and sprite in hand, harmlessly sporting a hoodie – this coupled with all matter of propaganda that would attempt to make us believe that Martin was far from the actual individual he was – imposing, 6 ft 3 inches, mentally disturbed, and the documented trouble maker and lawbreaker that he was. Neglected were the facts that he had in his possession, the ingredients for making “sizzurp,” a drink popularized by hip hop artists who utilize the ingredients as parts of a concoction which includes prescription cough syrup, and whose end result sees the individual who consumes the mixture, experience a high which is likened to that of an acid trip, complete with hallucinations (I’m sure there are skeptics, so don’t just take my word for it, read it for yourself here) – a drink that Martin had stated on many occasions that he intended to make and consume. No one seemed to care that Martin was in fact the one who initiated the confrontation with Zimmerman and who then proceeded to assault and pummel the man instead of just going home – like any normal teenager would have; this amazes me. Have we fallen this far as a species? Honestly? Are we so blinded by our own ignorance’s that we neglect proven fact in an attempt to paint an unassuming portrait of a man who was violent, ruthless, manically aggressive, a civil disturbance, a criminal and so much more, for the simple fact that he was a black kid under the age of 18. I’m astonished that for some reason this fact allows us to eliminate all other past transgressions in the consideration of the outcome of this case? Please tell me we are not this dense as a society. Oh wait; Zimmerman initially appeared to be white – that changes everything – never mind that he wasn’t. But that’s another blog entirely. This is your government at work, folks.

With this new case, here again do we see an attempt to sabotage the image of what would be a normal man, a software engineer, who claimed to be threatened by a car full of young punks who – according to Davis’s statement – threatened him with a shotgun after he asked them to lower their music. Is this due process? This doesn’t seem like due process to me. What’s going on here? Oh, that’s right, Dunn is white and Jordan Davis was black. Due process? Scrap that; let the media race frenzy ensue! All thanks to the agenda driven influence of the media, backed by it's big brother cohorts who are loping for job security by tearing apart the citizens of America.

This is what we have come to. Can you believe it? Here we have what would otherwise be a simple case of self defense – a man defending himself when threatened by a group of young punks, who were allegedly brandishing a shotgun, and instead of letting the system work how it was designed to work, we have groups of ignorants – that’s what I call them now, “ignorants” – tossing the judicial system out the window for the hopes of influencing the outcome of a case based solely on a circumstantial scenario that has been so completely contorted, so to make it seem as though this was yet another instance of a white power hungry, racist old man out gunning down innocent black kids. We have thrown forethought and reality to the wind. Statistics do not lie, nor does common sense.

Let’s pretend for a second that the youth of America isn’t a trove of undereducated, mindless sociopaths with little to no empathy or care for other individuals or themselves. Let’s pretend it is common for the average black youth, and most any youth for that matter, to act contradictory to authority in just about every given scenario; let’s pretend that this kid probably did threaten the man when asked to turn the music down. Let’s pretend they could have been and probably were carrying a shotgun – let’s pretend they did indeed threated Dunn with said shotgun. Let’s pretend that he is innocent until proven guilty; let’s pretend that there isn’t much else to go on besides the account given. Let’s pretend this would leave us inclined to not throw the book at a man who otherwise would seem to have no issues with the law. Let’s pretend we live in reality – If only this were true. It may as well could be, if we didn’t allow the truths in these truths to be over shadowed by propaganda that would have us believe that this was all about loud music and skin color.

About Me: I am a Computer Scientist, more specifically a Database Administrator, a business man (Holding a Bachelors in Business with a focus in Enterprise Administration from Fordham University, Magna Cum Laude), a writer, a blogger, as well as a philosopher, a philanthropist (as much as one with limited finances can be..) a veteran, and in general, an all around thinker and do'er. My purpose is to point out that there is a reason for everything and an opinion for every reason. I am designed to interpret what I see and dictate what I've interpreted. My hope is that my words will not be seen as harsh, rather as liberating, and at very least, thought provoking. I enjoy everything from technology, to race relations, biology, genetics and economics..  for a start.. 

WhoisJamesRoberts.com

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Law enforcement, exactly who do they "Protect and Serve?"

I'm not much in the way of one who ventures outside of the realm of human issues, but then I stop and think about Mr. Smith, my 4lb Yorkshire Terrier, and I begin to realize that this one isn't as far outside of that norm as I had originally assumed. My dog is my best friend. He is human to me, and in some ways more so than any human being ever could be. This thought was in my mind as I read a Facebook post yesterday evening, about an incident that occurred a few days ago during which an innocent family pet was shot in the leg by two police officers poking their noses around private property. Apparently -- and rather conveniently -- the officers found themselves on the property in response to a noise complaint. Upon the officers approach, Pepper -- the loyal friend and canine victim of this mess -- did as any loyal, faithful companion would and positioned herself between the officers and her owner who was outside smoking a cigarette after a long nights work -- as he had done hundreds of nights before that.

Guns drawn and shouting at Peppers owner to silence the dog -- who was obviously inclined, as anyone would be who was not privy to the ways of human law enforcement, to bark as a result of this disgusting display that was taking place at the hands of, what were to her, combative, threatening and argumentative predators in dark clothing -- these fine officers of the law decided against taking a rational approach to deescalate the situation, and proceeded instead to fire a round into Peppers left front leg. Apparently, it would seem, for no reason other than to prove a point. (As cops are inclined to do when abusing power.) The bullet shattered Peppers left front leg joint at the "elbow," causing what I am sure was excruciating pain to the poor girl.

Pepper was taken immediately to a veterinary center where the poor thing waited hours before finally receiving some sort of anesthetic and was eventually sedated. Could you imagine the outcry, had this been a human being? Pepper underwent surgery to amputate her leg to the shoulder, during which time it was found that she still had the lead bullet logged in her joint. The operation was a success, but sadly Pepper passed away shortly after the surgery due to "severe lead poisoning." This, of course, is just a very brief synopsis and does not due justice to the pain and suffering that has gripped Peppers family and friends. To that end, I urge you to make your way over to the website that was erected for Pepper. There is much more to read, including official documentation of the incident, eye witness testimony and ongoing updates, which can be found here, and you can contribute your support to help see that this injustice is not gone unheard, by signing the petition found here; again, I urge you to do so.

This story leads me to my thought for today. This scenario unfolded much in the way that I personally feel far to may stories involving law enforcement are these days. During the course of what would otherwise be a normal day, any one of us can find ourselves staring down a barrel belonging to an untrained, uneducated "officer of the law." I only have so many hands available to me, to count the stories that have come out of such situations, whose end result sees some innocent bystander shot and killed at the hands of a half witted common Joe with a pistol and badge. I read storied of physical abuse and cover ups conducted by these so called brothers of the shield whereby innocent individuals are beaten senselessly by out of control vigilante officers who fear no recourse from their actions. I have been victim to these situations myself. One would not see it as a shock then, that I begin to ask myself, when is enough, enough? One of the truths that I am coming to terms with, is that I honestly no longer fear being mugged more than I fear being grazed by an officers bullet. Sincerely. I find myself fearing more, the potential onslaught of random abuses by officers who, with the power of a badge to protect and conceal, conduct any and all varieties of senseless acts against the innocent citizens of this country on a regular basis.

Where has our leadership gone? Have we truly become a police state to this extent? It is no secret that police officers no longer hold the prestige and respect they once did, and it is with good reason. I know that I will personally only ever truly feel comfortable, when I live in a world -- or a state at very least -- which does not hand over supreme authority to an average Joe or Jane Blow who push-upped his or her way through the "Police Academy" at the local community college. The fact is quite simple to recognize, that we are empowering these individuals with the the enormous responsibility to give, take and destroy lives. Should it not be the requirement then, that these individuals who are held in such high regard, who possess such unrelenting power, be fully psychologically capable of handling such power? And to be frank, I don't mean the standard governmental BS sanity test. I'm talking about full aptitude of the inner workings of the brain and it's functions, how it responds to stimuli, and how to manage difficult interactions. Should officers not possess the ability to understand what it is they are feeling as they point a weapon at a mentally ill man and begin to fire? Could they possibly understand what it is that triggers them to beat arrested individuals or subject innocent people to their power trips? Is it to much to ask of our nation that I not hold a higher degree than the individuals who monitor and suppress me with such unyielding force in such overbearing ways?

I understand fully that this scenario does not in any way apply to each and every officer in the United States. There is and will always be that select few who fulfill their duties successfully and without incident. This said though, there are far to many situations, such as the story told above, which are to the contrary. I put it to those responsible for enacting the standards, which must be met on the way to the badge, to think about the realities of the types and depths of power you place in the hands of these individuals. Are they truly capable? Mentally capable? Can they handle pressure and power? Is there a measure in place which allows us as citizens to not fear the mechanism that is the brotherhood of the shield? For the truth is, what recourse do we have? I fear the day when the citizens of this country realize by how fine a thread their lives do hang. For it is when this realization takes hold that we may have seen ourselves come along to far for such peaceful resolutions. These things are not to much to ask, and I feel it is the duty of the regulators of these individuals to ensure that they are fully and rationally capable of preforming the duties they are given, and can manage their emotions and the emotions of others in the ways that such an empowering position would require. I am sorry to say, one does not obtain this type of enlightenment and true understanding from a GED and community college boot camp.

About Me: I am a Computer Scientist, more specifically a Database Administrator, a business man (Holding a Bachelors in Business with a focus in Enterprise Administration from Fordham University, Magna Cum Laude), a writer, a blogger, as well as a philosopher, a philanthropist (as much as one with limited finances can be..) a veteran, and in general, an all around thinker and do'er. My purpose is to point out that there is a reason for everything and an opinion for every reason. I am designed to interpret what I see and dictate what I've interpreted. My hope is that my words will not be seen as harsh, rather as liberating, and at very least, thought provoking. I enjoy everything from technology, to race relations, biology, genetics and economics..  for a start.. 

WhoisJamesRoberts.com

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Observations From The Real World

If I had to write down 10 truths that summed up the hypocrisy that is race relations in America, they would probably be a lot longer than these..

1) Liberals aren't held to the same standards as Republicans: When liberals convey racist sentiment, it is more often than not excused out of hand as if it were no big deal. This holds true not only for racism, but also for reverse racism as well -- Jeremiah Wright, Farrakhan and Al Sharpton being the "pioneers" of that category.

2) Minority racism should be ignored: According to Rasmussen polling, “Thirty-seven percent (37%) of American Adults think most black Americans are racist -- the reports being conducted via a national telephone survey. Equal opportunity is not so far reaching that it touches on the realities within the black community, and herein lies the problem. Foundational racism is not the answer to the fundamental issues plaguing the black communities.

3) There is no penalty for false accusation of racism: False accusations of racism can do just as much damage as actual racism. People can be ostracized for it, lose endorsement deals or even lose their jobs over being falsely accused of racism. Yet, the only reason you've heard of people like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Touré, and Melissa Harris-Perry is because they’re willing to accuse people of being racists on the flimsiest of pretexts. It’s tempting to compare these race-hustling poverty pimps to the KKK, but the more appropriate analogy is the Spanish Inquisition. The attitude is, “So what if we unjustly accuse a lot of people as long as we get a few heretics in the process?” Witch hunt much?

4) Emotion matters more than facts and causation: It doesn't matter what Bush actually did in New Orleans or that the local government failed the people of the city; it matters how people FEEL about it. It doesn't matter that Democrats have run Detroit since 1962; it matters that people FEEL Republicans are responsible. It doesn't matter that Trayvon Martin wasn't really a twelve year old kid and that he was slamming George Zimmerman’s head into the pavement; it matters that Zimmerman’s acquittal FEELS symbolic of law-abiding black Americans being profiled because so many other black Americans are criminals. Once an accusation of racism is made, facts are treated as if they’re of secondary importance to FEELINGS.

5) It’s okay to discriminate against Americans with light skin: It’s unbelievable that in 2013, we still have race-based discrimination in America and liberals are perfectly fine with it. 

6) We will never leave the 50's and 60's: Comparing the United States of 2013, when we have a black President of the United States to a time when black Americans couldn't drink from the same water fountains as whites is so ridiculous that to do so should practically be considered a sign of mental illness. Yet, it happens all the time . . .

7) Past evidence must be ignored: Ironically, saying you have “black friends” is now considered to be something that a racist would say. That says much more about the sort of witch hunt allegations of racism have become in this country than the people who say it. Judge Charles Pickering put his life on the line to prosecute the Grand Dragon of the KKK in Mississippi in the early sixties; yet liberals falsely branded him a racist to stop his nomination to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. George Zimmerman tutored black children and fought to get justice for a black homeless man beaten by police and even voted for Obama, but he was still falsely portrayed as a racist. This can happen only because determining if someone is a racist has become a political tool that is completely disconnected from whether the person in question actually dislikes people because of the color of their skin.

8) Republicans secretly want to do things Democrats used to do: Conservative, moderate, and liberal Democrats were behind slavery, the KKK, Jim Crow laws, segregation, the Tuskegee Experiment, lynchings and every other racist horror inflicted on black Americans in this country. Republicans stood against the Democrats while they were doing all of those terrible things and while we congratulate them on now agreeing with us that they were wrong, it’s disgusting to try to blame Democrat sins on the Republican Party. . 

9) Minorities shouldn't be held to the same standards as whites: If there is one general characteristic of white liberals, it’s their condescending and demeaning attitude toward blacks.” The soft bigotry of low expectations that liberals bring to the table encourages mediocrity, undercuts excellence and generally helps to hold minorities in America back.

10) When a white non-liberal disagrees with a liberal minority, there is a racist agenda behind said disagreement: Republicans absolutely detested Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; so what kind of moron would assume that their intense dislike of Barack Obama must be driven by race? Tea Partiers love black conservatives that agree with them, like Herman Cain and Allen West; so could there be a reason that they detest Barack Obama other than race? Do we really need the Scooby Gang to figure out why a group that’s all about small government, low taxes, and cutting spending would dislike a socialist who’s all about big government, higher taxes and increasing spending? . . .

Food for thought. If you can manage to muster a response to these summations based on actual fact rather than a distortion of historical facts combined with excuse mongering and race baiting, please, I beg you to leave a response. I would gladly take into consideration, any thoughts from the liberal side that actually made sense. The "politically correct" need not apply! Politics is dead.

About Me: I am a Computer Scientist, more specifically a Database Administrator, a business man (Holding a Bachelors in Business with a focus in Enterprise Administration from Fordham University, Magna Cum Laude), a writer, a blogger, as well as a philosopher, a philanthropist (as much as one with limited finances can be..) a veteran, and in general, an all around thinker and do'er. My purpose is to point out that there is a reason for everything and an opinion for every reason. I am designed to interpret what I see and dictate what I've interpreted. My hope is that my words will not be seen as harsh, rather as liberating, and at the very least thought provoking. I enjoy everything from technology, to race relations, biology, genetics and economics.. for a start.. 

                                                         WhoisJamesRoberts.com

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