HI EVERYBODY!

I PRAY THAT ALL IS WELL WITH YOU AND YOURS…

IN THE FIRST HOUR, WE SPOKE ABOUT THE SITUATION IN IRAN: WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON? DRS. BERND KAUSSLER (JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY) AND STEPHEN ZUNES (UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO) EACH HAVE SOME INTERESTING VIEWS ABOUT THIS CRISIS WHICH HAS THE FOCUS OF THE WORLD. KAUSSLER HAS DEEP SUSPICIONS ABOUT THE AHMADINEJAD WIN; AND, WHILE ZUNES FEELS THAT RESULTS LEAVE QUESTIONS UNANSWERED, HE FEELS THAT THE IRANIAN PEOPLE SHOULD BE LEFT TO THEIR OWN DEVICES AND BE GIVEN THE ROOM TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER THEMSELVES. I AGREE: THEY ARE A SOVEREINGN PEOPLE AND IT IS THEIR RIGHT AND OBLIGATION TO DO SO. AS A SOVEREIGN PEOPLE OURSELVES, WE SHOULD EMPATHIZE WITH THEM, AND GET OUT OF THEIR WAY.

THIS NEXT STORY, IS PROFOUNDLY OFFENSIVE TO ME AS A HUMAN BEING. MARILU MORALES, A FORMER COOK COUNTY JAIL INMATE CHARGES THAT SHE WAS SHACKLED WHILE GIVING BIRTH AT STROGER HOSPITAL. SHACKLED. WHILE. GIVING. BIRTH. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! AS I DUG INTO ISSUE, I FOUND OUT SEVERAL THINGS. ONLY ILLINOIS, CALIFORNIA, AND VERMONT HAVE ENACTED LAWS WHICH RESTRICT THIS PRACTICE. THIS IS RESTRICTED, NOT BANNED. UPON FURTHER STUDY, ONE WILL FIND SOME MORE EGREGIOUS EXAMPLES. TAKE THE CASE OF WARNICE ROBINSON WHOSE FEET WERE SHACKLED TOGETHER WHILE SHE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF GIVING BIRTH!!! SHE COULD NOT EVEN PUT HER FEET IN THE STIRRUPS!!! HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN? WHERE IS A WOMAN IN LABOR GOING TO GO EXCEPT TO DELIVER HER CHILD?! THIS IS NOT TO BE BELIEVED…THIS PRACTICE AND A CULTURE IN WHICH THE SHACKLING ALLOWED TO THRIVE IS SEXIST AND MISOGYNISTIC—HOW CAN WE HATE HALF OF THE WORLD? THIS IS JUST UNACCEPTABLE…I CANNOT WAIT TO HAVE THESE LADIES ON AGAIN—ATTY. MARIAN PERKINS, THE INCOMING PRESIDENT OF THE COOK COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION, AND GAIL SMITH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CHICAGO LEGAL ADVOCACY FOR INCARCERATED MOTHERS—THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED AND RESOLVED.

AND, KEVIN GRAY, THE AUTHOR OF “WAITING FOR LIGHTNING TO STRIKE…” ALWAYS GETS EVERYBODY FIRED UP! AND TODAY WAS NO DIFFERENT! WE TALKED ABOUT FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PARTY OFFICIAL WHO SAID THAT FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA WAS A DIRECT DESCENDENT—RELATIVE, ACTUALLY—OF GORILLAS. RIDICULOUS! HOWEVER, KEVIN, WHILE NOT MAKING EXCUSES FOR HIS COMMENTS, SAID THAT HE HAD AND HAS THE RIGHT TO SAY THEM—AND, HE ALSO MUST ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES. I AGREE WITH KEVIN: WE SHOULD NOT DRIVE RACISM AND OTHER ILLS UNDERGROUND. LET THEM SAY WHAT IS ON THEIR MINDS. NOW, DO NOT TOLERATE THESE UNACCEPTABLE VIEWS: BUT THESE PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY THEM AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW WHEN THEY ARE WRONG.

…DRIVE SAFELY, UNCLE HOWARD (STATE SENATOR HOWARD BROOKINS)!

LOVE AND BLESSINGS,

SANTITA

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HI EVERYBODY…

I PRAY THAT ALL IS WELL WITH YOU AND YOURS…

EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ADDRESS TO THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION REGARDING HEALTH CARE REFORM. FOR ME THE CENTRAL QUESTION DRIVING THIS DISCUSSION WAS POSED AT THE END OF THIS DISCUSSION: IS HEALTH CARE A HUMAN RIGHT OR A QUANTIFIABLE COMMODITY? CAN WE PUT A PRICE ON A HUMAN LIFE? SADLY, THIS ENTIRE DISCUSSION IS REVOLVING AROUND THAT PREMISE. FOR IF WE FELT THAT HEALTH CARE WERE A RIGHT, WE WOULD NOT DELIVER IT AS A PRIVILEGE THAT CAN BE GRANTED TO THE FEW, OR ONLY TO THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT. BEFORE WE WILL BE ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS CRISIS, WE MUST FIRST EXAMINE OUR INDIVIDUAL CONSCIENCES AS WELL AS OUR COLLECTIVE ONE: WHAT IS OF GREATER VALUE, PEOPLE OR PURSE STRINGS?

BOY OH BOY! DID YOU GET FIRED UP ABOUT OUR “WVON DAILY POLL QUESTION” REGARDING THE POLITICAL OPTIONS OF ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL LISA MADIGAN. WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD DO NEXT? WHAT WILL SHE DO NEXT? WILL SHE BE OUR NEXT GOVERNOR, US SENATOR? OR, WILL SHE RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AS OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL?  PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN THE POLL: YOUR RESPONSE WILL BE PUBLISHED IN TOMORROW’S CHICAGO DEFENDER. AND, I PROMISE YOU THAT CHICAGO,  THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, AND ATTORNEY GENERAL MADIGAN WILL BE PAYING ATTENTION TO YOU.

BY THE WAY, I JUST HAD A “RANT”…LET ME SAY THIS: IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE POLITICIANS WE HIRE BY WAY OF ELECTION. YOUR PARTICIPATION CANNOT END AT THE BALLOT BOX. IN ORDER FOR THIS SYSTEM TO WORK, YOU MUST PARTICIPATE ALL THE WAY THROUGH YOUR PUBLIC SERVANT’S TERM. MAKE THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU! STOP COMPLAINING WHEN THEY DO NOT DO WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO. PUSH THEM TO DO WHAT YOU INSTRUCT THEM AND NEGOTIATE WITH THEM TO DO. THAT IS THE WAY THIS SYSTEM IS DESIGNED. AS REV. DR. JOHNNIE COLEMAN SAYS: “IT WORKS WHEN YOU WORK IT.”

AND, FINALLY: SHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? OR, AS ETHAN NADELMANN OF THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE SAYS: “REGULATED”. WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO PLACE MARIJUANA USERS, PURCHASERS, SELLERS, ETC., IN PRISON? I DO NOT ADVOCATE THE USE OF DRUGS, BUT THE IMPRISONMENT OF “NON-VIOLENT” OFFENDERS IS JUST TOO MUCH. PEOPLE ARE FACING IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH BECAUSE OF…MARIJUANA?! LET’S, AT LEAST, TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE PROHIBITION OF MARIJUANA.

LOVE, PEACE AND BLESSINGS,

SANTITA

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HI EVERYBODY!

I PRAY THAT ALL IS WELL WITH YOU…

TODAY, IN THE FIRST HOUR, WE TALKED ABOUT THE EMERGING ”MULTI-RACIAL AMERICA” WITH THE BRILLIANT DR. MARC LAMONT HILL, FOX COMMENTATOR AND AUTHOR OF “BEATS, RHYMES AND CLASSROOM LIFE…”. JUST WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? HE CONCLUDES THAT THIS DOES NOT MEAN THE END OF RACE OR RACISM; BUT, IT DOES CHANGE THE DYNAMICS OF SOME OF OUR POLITICS. INDEED, HE POINTS OUT THAT THERE IS STILL A “SOCIAL DEMERIT” TO BEING BLACK OR BROWN IN AMERICA. AS REV. JESSE JACKSON SAID MANY YEARS AGO, AS HE AND OTHERS WERE CONSTRUCTING THE RAINBOW COALITION DURING THE ‘84 AND ‘88 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS, OUR ISSUES ARE ALL IMPORTANT, BUT SEPARATE AND APART, THEY ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH: WE HAVE TO PATCH THEM ALL TOGETHER, MUCH LIKE WE DO WHEN PUTTING TOGETHER A QUILT, IN ORDER TO EFFECT TRUE CHANGE. MOVING FORWARD, SOME ISSUES WILL REMAIN DISTINCT, OTHER ISSUES, HOWEVER, WE WILL SEE ARE SHARED PROBLEMS. AND, MAYBE, WE WILL TAKE A SPIRITUAL LEAP AND BEGIN TO EMPATHIZE WITH EACH OTHER AND SEE THAT ANYONE PERSON OR GROUPS’ PAIN BELONGS TO AND SHOULD BE RESOLVED BY US ALL.

IN THE SECOND HOUR, , WE SPOKE WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE WASHINGTON BUREAU OF THE NAACP, THEIR VICE-PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY, HILARY SHELTON ABOUT THE REVELATION BY FORMER WELLS FARGO LOAN OFFICERS THAT THEY STEERED “MINORITIES”-BLACKS AND BROWNS-TOWARD HIGH-RATE MORTGAGES, JOKING THAT THIS ROUTINE PRACTICE HAD THEM “RIDING THE STAGECOACH TO HELL.” THE NAACP AND OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS FILED A LAWSUIT SOME TIME AGO USING EVIDENCE BASED UPON THESE ALLEGATIONS: SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE A WINNER. BUT, I MUST SAY, I AM ALWAYS TAKEN ABACK BY THIS CONVERSATION. SO MANY OF US ARE INCLINED TO BLAME INDIVIDUALS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ALLOWING AND ENABLING INSTITUTIONS TO ESCAPE RESPONSIBILITY. ALL, INCLUDING THEY, SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. AND, COME ON EVERYBODY, IF THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE, THEY ARE GUILTY OF FRAUD!

AND. LASTLY, CONGRESSMAN NATHAN DEAL (R-GA), A CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, WANTS TO END “BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP” A POLICY ENACTED TO GRANT FORMERLY ENSLAVED BLACKS THEIR US CITIZENSHIP. IRA MEHLMAN OF FAIR, A GROUP WHICH PROPOSES IMMIGRATION REFORM, FEELS THAT THIS POLICY SHOULD BE REVIEWED, IF NOT ABOLISHED. HE AND FAIR FEEL THAT AMERICANS’ RESOURCES ARE BEING SIPHONED AWAY FROM AMERICANS. ATTY. JANICE MATHIS, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY AND DIRECTOR OF THE RAINBOW/PUSH ATLANTA BUREAU, ARGUED THAT WE SHOULD EMBRACE THESE NEWLY-MINTED AMERICANS. SHE POINTED OUT THAT EUROPE IS STRUGGLING, IN PART, AS A RESULT OF DECLINING POPULATION RATES. I AGREE WITH HASSAN FROM THE WEST SIDE: WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REVILED BECAUSE OF IMMIGRATION—NAMELY OUR MEXICAN NEIGHBORS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS—ARE FROM THE UNITED STATES; OUR POLICIES AND WARS KICKED THEM OUT. THEY SEE THE US AS “EL NORTE”, THEIR NORTHERN TERRITORY, THEIR HOME. AND, LET US NOT FORGET THE STARK DIFFERENCES IN HOW WE TREAT HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS AS OPPOSED TO OUR TREAMENT OF CUBANS. WE PULL CUBANS ONTO OUR SHORES, AND PUSH HAITIANS BACK INTO THE SHARK-INFESTED WATERS…LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS. NO ONE IS FROM THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT THE NATIVE AMERICANS, WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT OF THIS CONVERSATION—COMPLETELY…THAT IS MOST TRAGIC.

LOVE AND BLESSINGS,

SANTITA

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