THE SAUDA VOICE

Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum Pander to Hate by Reigniting 'Welfare Queen' Stereotype

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With almost spot-on predictability, two contenders for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination have begun using a popular conservative campaign tactic: the "Black Bogeyman" card.  Don't know what that is?  Well, let me explain. 

 

Whenever politicians, traditionally conservatives, want to obtain votes and political ground quickly (usually to prove they are true Republicans) they target the fringe element of their party by appealing to these people's intolerant and racist belief systems.  Typically, the politicians use code words and thinly-veiled "us vs. them" commentary. 

 

However, occasionally, a few of them get bold and say it how they really mean it.  This usually happens when they're in their comfort zone, a safe environment wherein most, if not all, the people surrounding them look like them, share similar life experiences and hold the same opinions.  Such was the case with Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum this week. 

 

At an Iowa campaign stop on Sunday, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum told his supporters:

 

"I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money."

 

Check out a brief news clip of the remark.

       

Okay, what?  Once again we have a politician reinforcing the grossly unfounded and forever-enduring stereotype that blacks in this country refuse to work (i.e. are lazy).  According to Mr. Santorum and others, we'd rather collect a welfare check every month (i.e. don't "earn" what we have; abuse the system).

This sentiment is a slap in the face to all the hardworking black Americans who get up each morning and earn a living.  A living that feeds, clothes, houses, and all around supports both themselves and their families.  Last time I checked, this was the vast majority of the African American community.  I know it represents my reality and that of my friends, family and loved ones.  So why the continuous lie, Mr. Santorum, if not to pander to hate? 

But, wait.  Mr. Santorum is not alone in his pandering to the lowest of the low in his party.  On Thursday, Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, told a crowd of supporters at a town hall meeting in Plymouth, New Hampshire, that if the NAACP invited him to their annual convention this year:

"I will go to the NAACP convention and tell the African American community why they should demand paychecks instead of food stamps." 

So, what are we to take away from this comment?  Yet again, it presupposes that: (1) all blacks are receiving welfare, and (2) we don't want to work.  For reasons already stated, this statement is beyond offensive.  Politicians should be working toward knocking down racist ideologies and stereotypes NOT reinforcing them. 

SHAME ON YOU RICK SANTORUM AND NEWT GINGRICH

 

STUCK ON STUPID ALERT: 15-Yr Old American Teen Wrongfully Deported to Colombia

How did this happen?

 

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After searching for her missing granddaughter since November of 2010, Lorene Turner finally discovered her whereabouts - Columbia.  Apparently, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) wrongfully deported Jakadrien Turner, 15, in April of 2011.  The question on everyone's mind is:  How did this happen?  Especially to an American teen. 

 

According to Ms. Turner, then 14-year old Jakadrien became distraught over the simultaneous death of her grandfather and parents' divorce.  She ran away from her family home in Dallas and somehow made it to Houston where she was eventually arrested for theft.  She gave a fake name.  Unfortunately, the name she provided matched the identity of a 22-year old illegal immigrant from Colombia with warrants out for her arrest. 

 

Now, here's my question: Knowing it's commonplace for people who come in contact with police to sometimes give a fake name in order to avoid more serious punishment, why didn't ICE confirm this young girl's identity before deporting her to a foreign country? 

 

ICE took Jackadrien's fingerprints, but when they were unable to confirm her identity (probably due to some bureaucratic mix-up or oversight), they deported her anyway - an African American minor who didn't even speak the language.  Red flags should have gone up all over the place.  Not to mention the fact that it should've been impermissible, even illegal, for ICE to deport this child to a foreign country by herself.  If nothing else, the child's family or guardians in her "native" land should have been identified, contacted and transported to an agreed-upon pick up location, either in the U.S., at the Colombian Embassy or at an appropriate Colombian government facility. 

 

There is absolutely no excuse for doing what ICE did.  Anything could have happened to this child.  And, for all we know, bad things did happen to her once she was dropped off on foreign soil to fend for herself.  

 

Lucky for Jakadrien, her family didn't consider her a throwaway like ICE apparently did.  Her grandmother searched for her diligently from the moment of her disappearance, combing social networks and other resources until she came across a clue on Facebook.  That clue turned into the eventual discovery of Jakadrien in Colombia where she was working as a cleaner.  It seems the Colombian government issued the teen a work card upon her arrival in the country. 

 

Check out brief news clips of story (below).

 

The Colombian government has since been informed of the "accidental" deportation and has placed Jakadrien into custody.  She has now spent over a month in detention and it was recently discovered that she is pregnant.  To make matters worse, the Colombian government refuses to release Jakadrien into the custody of her family.  In effect, Jakadrien is in limbo and it is all courtesy of the U.S. government. 

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: 

Would ICE have been so quick to deport an underage white teen under the exact same circumstances and characteristics as Jakadrien (underage, no confirmation of identity, doesn't speak language of supposed native country, etc)?

 

What Life Lessons Did YOU Learn in 2011?

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I don't know about you, but I'm glad 2011 is gone!  By far, it was one of the most emotionally difficult and challenging years of my life.  I won't go into detail, but I will say that 2011 was the year I woke up to the reality that I cared about and valued certain friends and family far more than they cared about and valued me.  This was a painful lesson, but one I needed to learn. 

 

I learned who I was merely an afterthought to, as in I was only thought of or cared about so long as it was "convenient," versus those persons who made it their business to stay in my life; people who checked in on me to make sure I was okay - physically and emotionally - especially as they had personal knowledge of some of the hardships I was facing.

 

See, 2011 was the year I really needed my support system.  It was the year I REALLY needed to talk with, lean on and cry on the shoulders of those I loved and who I thought loved me.  And when I wasn't ready to talk or open up because my heart wasn't emotionally ready, I just needed to know that my friends and family were there.  Simply hearing the words, "I'm here if you need me," went a long way and meant the world to me (probably because I rarely heard the words, especially in 2011 when I needed to hear them most). 

 

Funny thing.  When you're going through a tough time, you suddenly notice with acute clarity who asks how YOU are; you notice who makes it a point to text / email / call so they can personally check up on you, especially when they haven't heard from you in a while; you notice who keeps inviting you out for get togethers so they can spend time with you, regardless of how many times you may say no; you notice who makes excuses for not keeping in touch or being in your life (sometimes blaming you) versus those who simply try to make it happen whenever possible; you notice who follows through when you FINALLY ask for help, no matter how small or big that request is. 

 

In short, you discover who is THERE!!!  And let me tell you, I can count on ONE hand who was there for me in 2011 when I needed those I loved most.  Yes, the list is extremely small, smaller than I once thought it was, but I'm glad to know what names belong on that list and what names do not.  As hurtful as this lesson was for me, especially when piled on top of everything else I was dealing with in 2011, I'm thankful for having learned it nonetheless. 

 

How about you?  Was there something difficult or challenging you learned or were confronted with in 2011 that you're thankful for having experienced?

(VIDEO) GWYNETH PALTROW: Who Knew She Had Soul (and Knowledge)?

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As they say, never judge a book by its cover.  And that old adage couldn't be more true than in the case of actress Gwyneth Paltrow.  The public first became aware of the Oscar-winning beauty's musical chops on the film Country Strong where she sang the film's title song of the same name.

 

When I first heard Ms. Paltrow sing, I thought, "Hmph, not bad."  But, it wasn't until I heard her sing Cee-Lo's popular tune "F**k You" on Glee and at the 2011 Grammy's that I really took notice. 

 

Check out Gwyneth Paltrow on Glee and Grammy's here and here.

 

 

Suddenly, there was some soul there that I hadn't heard or noticed before.  I admit, it made me wonder about Ms. Paltrow.  On the outside, she appeared to be from a WASP-type pedigree.  And, fair or unfair, I don't usually expect persons from such backgrounds to have been exposed to diversity in the true and genuine sense of the word (as in exposure to different persons, cultures, environments, class levels, etc). The type of background, mind you, that typically breeds the soulful sounds routinely found in Gospel, R&B, Soul, Jazz, and some forms of Rock & Roll and Country (yes, country).

 

AKIRA WHITEWASHING STUPIDITY CONTINUES: Warner Bros Thinks Japanese Actors Good Enough to Play Villains, Just Not the Leads

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Two weeks ago, I brought you the story of Akira, a popular Japanese anime series that was being brought to the states by Warner Bros. in the form of a blockbuster Hollywood adaptation.  Sounds exciting, right?  It is. That is until news spread that Warner Bros planned to cast ALL lead and major roles with white actors. 

 

This fact alone would not normally cause outrage if not for the following realities: (1) In original Akira manga series and anime film, not only was the backdrop set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, but the key characters were ~ gasp ~ Japanese; and (2) Instead of honoring Akira's original diversity by hiring Japanese and/or Japanese-American actors in many of the key roles, Warner Bros. chose to disregard it and intentionally hired ONLY white actors for these roles - effectively whitewashing the film. 

 

Of course, all this was done under the guise of needing to "Americanize" the film.  You've heard this before.  It's the usual excuse Hollywood gives when it wants to get away with practicing racism. 

 

Last time I checked, the American public was comprised of a multitude of colors and ethnicities.  Thus, Warner Bros. could have easily "Americanized" the film simply by employing a multiethnic cast, with a substantial representation of Japanese/Japanese-American actors in light of the film's origins.  To do the opposite - whitewash it - makes the film anything but American as it represents an America that does not exist, especially in the urban setting where the film is set to take place (i.e. Neo-Manhattan). 

 

It seems Warner Bros. may be trying to backtrack on the mess it's made, but only a little.  Apparently, the deal with actor Gary Oldman fell through - one of the many white actors.  So Warner Bros. has now offered his part of "The Colonel" to Japanese actor Ken Watanabe (Inception, Last Samurai, Memories of a Geisha, Batman Begins).  We should be happy, right?  Not so fast. 

 

Ken Watanabe

 

"The Colonel" is the villain of the story.  Now do you see the problem?  Do you also see the offensive pattern perpetuated by Hollywood?  Once again, we have a story where ALL of the "good" characters are white and the "bad" character is a person of color. 

 

NOT GOOD ENOUGH WARNER BROS!!  SHAME ON YOU!!

 

Here's a brief snippet on what actor George Takei had to say on the matter recently.