“It’s been a struggle trying to rationalize [Donald] Trump’s strategy of addressing Black America’s issues before predominately white audiences because on the surface it makes no sense,” as one commenter has noted. “But, this [Newsvine] seed provokes some speculative thoughts about it.”
Source: NEWSVINE
The commenter said further:
The media coverage suggests that the Black community of a poor section of Milwaukee had reached such a boiling point because of poverty, joblessness, homelessness and hopelessness that when a Black criminal with a gun was shot and killed by a Black cop the conditions were prime for the riot which erupted.
This post in American Thinker got us thinking about the incident differently:
Milwaukee became the latest city to erupt in violence fueled by rage toward white people and law enforcement along with, quite likely, some usual suspects of outside agitators, when an officer (who, by the way, is black) shot and killed a black suspect this weekend. A 14-paragraph Reuter’s article notes the following:
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker activated the National Guard on Sunday to assist should further riots erupt in Milwaukee over the police killing of an armed suspect in a predominantly black neighborhood. [Snip]
Walker announced the action after a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, nationally known as a conservative voice in Republican politics, who met with Walker and Wisconsin National Guard Adjutant General Donald Dunbar. [Snip]
Clarke, who endorsed U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention last month, has in the past advised residents to arm themselves against criminals. An African American, he has publicly opposed Black Lives Matter.
Read More:
Follow us: @AmericanThinker on Twitter | AmericanThinker on Facebook
Interesting commentary.
So was the uprising instigated by some poor depressed Black folks in Milwaukee, or was it the scheme and handiwork of, as stated in the post: ‘outside agitators?’
And, why did Sheriff David Clarke enter the picture?
Our information from local media sources in Milwaukee is that the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is not the primary local law enforcement agency for the City of Milwaukee the County Seat.
It’s the Milwaukee Police Department which has no official connection to the County Sheriff’s Office.
That being the case, one would surmise that the MPD chief and the mayor would be meeting with the Governor if they felt that activation of the National Guard was needed or necessary.
Politics?
We surmise it was not a coincidence that GOP Sheriff Clarke had a public meeting with the GOP Governor, and that GOP Presidential Candidate Donald Trump, perhaps with prompting from Clarke, chose to make a major policy speech in his presidential campaign about issues affecting Black Americans in West Bend WI, a white suburb 45 minutes outside of Milwaukee, with the Milwaukee riots as a back drop for his speech.
Talk about poor campaign strategy and messaging!
If Trump was genuine about reaching out to Black voters with his campaign message about Black issues he should have addressed the recent national conventions of The N.A.A.C.P. and The National Urban League. He was invited to address both conventions but did not show up, and did not a representative.
Talking about the issues of Black Americans 82 days before the election, in a white suburb, in the context of a riot in a poor Black urban community, not only was demeaning and insulting to Black voters, but also it was dumb.
Whatever chance Trump had to get Black votes, and we think he could have garnered a good chunk of Black votes, it was squandered because of a remarkably deficient strategy for campaigning to Black voters, and poor messaging.
INTRODUCTION
A lot is said in these times about “Black Lives Matter” in the context of police excessive force incidents against unarmed black males. Those cases have inspired a national movement and have generated a lot of media coverage.
Surprisingly, very little has been said about recent scholarship suggesting that black lives didn’t matter much in the writing of biblical scriptures depicting in the negative black civilizations which pre-date by several thousand years the birth of Christ, and the ‘holy’ books such as the Bible and other ‘holy’ works.
Read More about holy works at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_text
Recent scholarship discusses Ptahhotep, an ancient Egyptian philosopher who lived in the era 2400 B.C. He is credited with writing the first work on spirituality from which many of the popular holy books including the Bible were derived.
That’s right-there was a book on spirituality written centuries before Christ was born, and before the Bible and other holy books were written.
Indeed, it has become painfully clear that many of the scriptures of the holy books may have plagiarized the maxims of Ptahhotep, and distorted them.
Furthermore, other ancient writings and symbols of the Egyptians on Pyramids, in tombs and coffins and in myths also may have been plagiarized.
While ancient Egyptians generally are credited with advances in the sciences, medicine and mathematics, the full scope of those advances for the most part has been surprised.
EricVoc New Media will begin presenting a series of contributed articles on this topic to stimulate thinking and discussion about whether blacks have been misguided in adopting and following Christianity and other faiths which have minimized and trivialized the greatness of the ancient Egyptian people.
Today we present an article on “Isaiah-The Prophecy Against Egypt,” in the Bible, Book of Isiah 19: 1-25.
Our comments are framed from the text of biblestudycourses.org:
TEXT
Below are some preliminary questions to help in the study of this passage. For a comprehensive study of the passage, download the Study Guide (PDF download)
The oracle concerning Egypt. Look! Jehovah rides upon a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble at his presence, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them. (Isaiah 19:1)
In verse 1 the announcement is made that the Lord is about to visit Egypt and the effect of His coming is stated as follows: “The idols of Egypt tremble at his presence, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.” Every unholy spirit flees and all human strength is dissolved when men have a direct encounter with the Lord God, the Almighty.
I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—everyone shall fight against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. (3) The spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them. I will confound the counsel of the nation, so they will resort to the idols and the spirits of the dead and the mediums and the spiritists. (Isaiah 19:2-3)
The Lord declares that He will create a situation of internal strife, even civil war: “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—everyone shall fight against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom” (verse 2).
Here is a reference to the political and social upheaval that characterized Egypt at this particular time in history (approximately 745-712 B.C.).
The effect of this internal strife on the national life is now described (verse 3): the national spirit of unity, self-confidence and optimism will be drained and disappear (“the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them.”).
The Lord further declares that He will “confound the counsel of the nation.” That is to say, the political efforts to bring unity, stability, and re-vitalization to the nation will be thwarted and come to nothing.
When mere human endeavor proves to be futile, the nation will turn to its idols and to the occult: “so they will resort to the idols and the spirits of the dead and the mediums and the spiritists.”
OUR COMMENT
In these few passages of Isaiah the writer reviews a period of political and social upheaval in ancient Egypt and undertakes to explain the causes remarkably in spiritual terms while at the same time demeaning the people of Egypt, their spiritual beliefs and practices.
* * * The waters of the River will dry up, and the riverbed will become parched and dry. (6) The canals will stink. The streams of Egypt will dwindle away and dry up. The reeds and rushes will wither. (7) The bulrushes along the Nile, by the edge of the Nile, and all the sown fields beside the Nile, will become parched, the topsoil will be blown away and vanish. (8) The fishermen will lament, and all those who cast their hooks into the Nile will mourn—those who spread their fishing nets upon the waters will pine away. (9) Furthermore, the manufacturers of linen made from combed flax and the weavers of white cloth will despair. (10) The economic pillars of Egypt will be broken in pieces; all the wage earners will be grieved in their souls. (Isaiah 19:5-10
In verses 5-10 Isaiah describes the natural and economic calamities that, at the command of God, befell the nation of Egypt.
Verses 5-6 are describing a severe drought: as the Nile River recedes, its tributaries dry up, becoming foul-smelling swamps. Verse 7 describes the effects of the drought on the countryside: the meadows and all the cultivated fields become dry and barren. Verses 8-9 describe the effects of the drought upon the economy at large: the fishermen lament the fact that they have no catch of fish, while the textile workers are thrown out of work owing to the lack of flax from which to make textile products. Verse 10 describes the final effects of the drought.
The “pillars of Egypt” being broken is a reference to the total collapse of the economy; while the reference to the grief stricken laborers points to the massive amount of unemployment—what is described here is a great depression.
OUR COMMENT
Of course, those conditions also could be explained as being the results of a cycle of climate change.
The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the counsel given by Pharaoh’s wisest counselors has become brutish. How can you say to Pharaoh, I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings? (12) Now where are your wise men? Let them tell you and make known what Jehovah of hosts has planned with regard to Egypt. (13) The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deluded—those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have led Egypt astray. (14) Jehovah has mixed within her a spirit of confusion; they have caused Egypt to go astray in everything she does. She is like a drunken man staggering around in his vomit. (15) There will be no help for Egypt, no help that head or tail, palm branch or reed can provide. (Isaiah 19:11-15)
In this time of intense strife and economic crisis, the wisdom of Egypt totally fails (verses 11-15). Not only are the leaders dumbfounded to find solutions (verse 11a); their mismanagement is responsible for much of the suffering (as verse 13 indicates).
In verse 14 the Egyptian nation is described as a drunken man staggering about aimlessly—and it is the Lord who has mixed the strong, intoxicating drink that the nation has imbibed through the counsel of its befuddled leaders.
As a form of judgment, God gave them up to the foolishness of their own sinful hearts and allowed them to reap the fruit of their own ungodly devices.
Verse 15 describes the outcome of this pitiable state of affairs: no one can accomplish anything; no one can offer the solution to the dilemma of the nation.
OUR COMMENT
It would not be a simple matter for the political leaders of Egypt to deal with a calamity of the size described in the scriptures if they had never dealt with such a calamity in their lives. That kind of calamity could be something which occurred every 1000 years.
So on what basis does Isaiah purport to question their judgment other than to assert, with no foundation or support, that God commanded it?
On that day five of Egypt’s cities will speak the language of Canaan and swear their vows by Jehovah of hosts—one of them will be called The City of Destruction. (19) On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to Jehovah at its border. (20) It will be a sign and a witness to Jehovah of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry out to Jehovah because of their oppressors, and he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. (21) So Jehovah will make himself known to the Egyptians, and on that day the Egyptians will acknowledge Jehovah—indeed, they will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings, they will make vows to Jehovah and they will keep them. (Isaiah 19:18-21)
According to verse 18, “On that day five of Egypt’s cities will speak the language of Canaan and swear their vows by Jehovah of hosts.”
A relatively small proportion of the population is genuinely converted (five cities), but in the midst of this great pagan land of Egypt it is a real and substantial work of grace.
Verses 19-20a describe the evidence and effects of this work of grace among the people of the land. In the very heart of this pagan land there will be those who are converted to the Lord and who openly profess His great name and the religion of His people Israel (verse 19a).
Verses 19b-20a describe their allegiance to the Lord and their oneness with His people Israel.
A further result of this work of grace throughout the land is the preservation and restoration of the Egyptian nation: “Jehovah … will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them” (verse 20c).
This is a reference to the Egyptian leader, Psamtik (663-610 B.C.), who delivered his people from the oppression of the Assyrians.
As verse 20b indicates, this national deliverance was granted by the Lord in answer to the prayers of the newly converted on behalf of their country.
OUR COMMENT
Not to take anything away from the accomplishments of Psamtik or what may have guided his spirit, it is a leap for the Isaiah to assume, with no foundation or support, that it was because of the conversion of the people in 5 cities of Egypt that the Lord inspired Psamtik to intervene and save the people of Egypt.
OUR CONCLUSION
As this discussion should show, it is not a simple matter to take scriptures at face value in their depiction of historical events occurring in ancient Egypt in the context of the spiritual and religious bias and spin of the writer Isaiah.
Isaiah was not an eye witness to the events written about.
The suggestion that Isaiah must be credible because he was “inspired by God” without more is sheer rhetoric.
Isaiah is a book of the Old Testament which along with the New Testament make up the Bible. The Bible consists of 66 books written over 1600 years. Isaiah was a prophet who purportedly was inspired to see the causes of events.
Biblical theology counsels that the writings of the prophets cannot be questioned. Why not?
Who can prove the truth of Isaiah’s prophecies?
The Bible was published in the 14th Century A.D. Ptahhotep’s Maxims were published in the era 2400 B.C. So what was the spiritual guidance for humanity in the intervening 3800 years?
Was Ptahhotep inspired by God?
If so, then is it the case that anything in the Bible or other holy books inconsistent with his Maxims is not legitimate?
Those are legitimate questions for which there are no simple answers.
_________________________________________________________
TO BE CONTINUED
Your comments are welcomed.
Nick Maslow, ew.com wrote: “Shonda Rhimes slammed Bill O’Reilly on Wednesday after the Fox News host made controversial comments about First Lady Michelle Obama’s widely-praised speech at the Democratic National Convention this week.”
“Rhimes called out O’Reilly for his remarks on the portion of the first lady’s speech that mentioned slavery and how far the nation has come”
“The idiocy never ceases to amaze me,” Rhimes said. “Try slavery, Bill. Let us know how good the food is while you wear chains.”
‘Historian’ O’Reilly purportedly was putting a spin on this remark by the First Lady:
“I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves,” Obama said Monday while endorsing Hillary Clinton. “And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.”
O’Reilly’s spin:
On his Fox News show Tuesday, O’Reilly explained that he wanted to review the “fascinating” history noted in the speech, which he said referred to the “evolution of America in a positive way.”
“Slaves that worked there were well-fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government, which stopped hiring slave labor in 1802,” O’Reilly said.
OUR COMMENT
Bill:
The slaves were not paid for their labor.
The federal government paid their masters, but the slaves did not get paid.
But the descendants of those slaves certainly can benefit from your talents as a historian, and the vast financial resources of your employer Fox News:
Find out who they are, and petition the federal government to pay them reparations.
Do some good for a change.
____________________
That’s the question raised by Danny Cevallos, a criminal defense attorney who is a contributing CNN analyst.
Link: http://www.kitv.com/story/32558340/was-the-freddie-gray-case-a-political-prosecution
The simple answer is: No.
The prosecutions were justified.
There is no such notion that a suspect can be loaded into a paddy wagon apparently healthy (he ran from the cops and leaped over a fence before being caught), and, according to police reports-combative, and then when he arrives at the precinct station his neck is nearly severed and later dies, but none of the 6 officers who encountered him during that period while he was in police custody have a clue about what happened.
That’s utter nonsense.
Of course they are accountable for what happened to Gray while in their custody, and presumably were liable for misconduct in not assuring that he was belted on his seat, and in not getting him medical care immediately when he asked for it.
Cevallos has done what many arm-chair commentators have done and worked backwards from the 3 acquittals and 3 dismissals to conclude that the cases should not have been prosecuted in the first place.
The core job of a prosecutor is to act in the public interest and prosecute a defendant for which a finding of probable cause has been made that the defendant committed a crime. In these cases, the return of indictments by a grand jury satisfies that requirement.
The notion that a prosecutor should move forward with a prosecution only if she is convinced that she will win a conviction also is absurd.
While conviction is desirable, there is no guarantee of it.
Of course, the conflicting conclusions of the State medical experts as to cause and time of death are troubling; but, that does not mean that there was no misconduct by the officers, or that the cases should not have been prosecuted.
With respect to misconduct, there certainly was enough evidence to suggest that there was misconduct.
The candid admission by some of the officers that they had not read the new policy requiring that suspects being transported for booking be belted in their seats in the paddy wagon without more is per se misconduct.
Unless contravened by a statute or ordinance, that policy, known as a General Order, has the effect of law.
Violating the General Order, whether the officer knows about it or not, is a violation of law no different from any other intentional or unintentional violation of law especially in these cases where the violation was the proximate cause of the death of a suspect in custody.
In addition, the candid admission by one of the officers that he lied to internal affairs investigators when he stated that when Gray asked for medical help Gray also said he could not breathe, is misconduct.
Moreover, the candid admission by one of the officers that Gray asked for medical help, but the officer decided to ignore the plea because he thought Gray was probably faking an injury, also is misconduct.
The BPD is a federally funded local agency.
As such, its officers in their role as first responders must either give medical help or seek it when a citizen asks for medical help.
There is no room in federal regulations for an officer to make a judgment call about a suspect’s need for medical help when the suspect calls out for such help.
Other points could be set forth but suffice it to say that there was enough evidence for the prosecutions to move forward although it is debatable what charges should have been prosecuted.
With respect to the dismissal of charges against 3 of the officers, that was no more than similar discretionary judgment calls made by prosecutors nearly every day of the week to dismiss criminal charges.
There is nothing, in our view, improper or troubling about the prosecutions of the officers, or the dismissal of charges.
Now that the cases have been concluded, it’s time to move on.
__________________________________________________
Election 1968 was tumultuous.
There was a riot at the DNC. Richard Nixon was elected President. And, his VP was GOP Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland who rose to national prominence by forcefully suppressing riots associated with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Election 2016 is showing early seeds of great turmoil.
Attacks bordering on mob violence at rallies for Donald Trump. Protestors interfering with the free speech and association rights of Trump supporters. Searing rhetoric of anger, hate, racism, bigotry, sexism and threats of violence.
In that setting, 48 years after a Maryland politician rose to prominence to become VP, Marylanders again may become pivotal in the primary elections of both parties.
Ben Carson, a GOP rival of Trump who survived the early rounds of the GOP 2016 Debates, eventually had to suspend his Presidential campaign.
Carson has since endorsed Trump for the GOP nomination.
Carson was a nationally renowned pediatric surgeon who was chief of pediatric surgery at The Johns Hopkins University Medical System in Maryland before he retired and ran for President.
Should Carson raise his profile in the upcoming Maryland primary and influence a significant turnout and vote for Trump, he may, should he get good coverage in Maryland media, be on the short list for VP on the GOP General Election ticket with Trump.
Martin O’Malley, a Democrat and rival of Hillary Clinton, who survived the early rounds of the DEMS 2016 Debates, eventually had to suspend his Presidential campaign.
O’Malley was a successful Mayor of Baltimore and two term Governor of Maryland who became nationally renowned as a sharp tonged critic of the GOP and GOP policies during the 2012 reelection of President Barack Obama.
O’Malley’s term as Governor ended before he launched his 2016 election bid for President.
While it seems clear that Clinton will clinch the DEMS 2016 Primary nomination, it is not equally clear that her campaign will inspire, excite and motivate the Democrat base to turn out in the record numbers which may be needed to defeat the rising tide of a growing GOP base.
O’Malley may decide to raise his profile in the upcoming Maryland primary and influence a significant and spirited turnout and vote for Clinton especially among union workers, blacks, blue collar workers and professionals.
For that effort, O’Malley would get good coverage in Maryland media, and could be on the short list for VP on the DEMS General Election ticket with Clinton.
Maryland political media is strong.
It has a strong bench of A-List writers, commentators, editors, publishers, talk hosts and broadcasters along with legacy media organizations such as The Baltimore Sun, WBAL TV and Radio, The Afro American Newspapers, WOLB Radio, WEAA Radio, WYPR Radio and network affiliate TV and radio broadcasting stations for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.
So the stories will get prime time media coverage and national attention.
Maryland could hold the keys for the outcomes of the GOP and DEMS 2016 Primaries which in turn will influence the outcome of Election 2016.
___________________________________________
Team EricVoc
Politics 2016 Commentary
SUNDAY: 03/13/2016
_____________________________
End Notes
Please feel free to comment or ask questions.
We will try to respond to all comments and questions in due course.
The Sweepstakes
Now that President Barack Obama delivered his last State of the Union address, he is no longer significant for prime time political media coverage. PM can turn devote full attention and coverage to the Presidential Election 2016 Sweepstakes, the candidates running for President and the issues for voters who will be at the ballot box in the primary and general elections.
______________________________
Bloomberg Insurgency
As reported by CNNPolitics.com: “Michael Bloomberg, [former three term Mayor of New York], has indicated to friends and allies that he would be willing to spend $1 billion of his own money on a White House bid, and would seriously consider entering the race by March if it appeared Donald Trump or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would face Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the general election, a source close to the former mayor has previously told CNN.”
Read More: http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/23/politics/michael-bloomberg-president-2016/index.html
________________________________________________
Sunday Talk TV News Shows Guests
For 01/24/2016 via The AP
Morning Lineups
ABC: “This Week”
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
—
NBC: “Meet the Press”
Bernie Sanders
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
—
CBS: “Face the Nation”
Bernie Sanders
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
—
CNN: “State of the Union”
Jeb Bush.
Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NEWS_SHOWS?SITE=AP
MSNBC: “PoliticsNation”
Evening Lineup
CBS: “60 Minutes”
___________________________________________
Team EricVoc
Politics 2016 Commentary
SUNDAY: 01/24/2016
_____________________________
End Notes
Please feel free to comment or ask questions.
We will try to respond to all comments and questions in due course.
McPherson Media & Politics Blob
Quite an observation which merits some serious thinking and discussion.