Sgt. Robert Ralston, a 21-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, shot himself in the shoulder and "cowardly" lied that an African American male did it.
Whether you're a cop getting shot, or someone getting robbed, or kidnapped, even in 2010 African American males are still targeted as the predator and scapegoat when a crime is committed. Ralston's “pathetic act” sparked an all out hunt by law enforcement to capture the fictitious assailant despite grave doubts about Sgt. Ralston's story.
Although, Ralston is suspended with intent to remove from the police force, he will not face criminal charges for his dastardly act. Sgt. Ralston is a first rate "second rate" man, and his wife should be forever ashamed of him.
Commissioner Ramsey displays the leadership, tact, and wisdom that the Philadelphia Police Department desperately needs especially at a time in which lawless, racist bigots like Ralston is given a badge, a gun, and is asked to protect and serve. Commissioner Ramsey is not playing the “behind the blue wall” ignorance. He is sending a message that “If you commit a crime as a police officer your career is over, period!”
Note to Philadelphia Police Officers: Many of you are heading down a dark path from whence you'll never be able to return. You either serve and protect law abiding Philadelphians with Honor, Courage and Integrity--or find another profession and with the utmost urgency.
Anthony P. Johnson
The “180th Watchdog Coalition.”
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Michael “Houdini” Nutter
Remember Michael Nutter, the candidate?
I remember the "candidate" for mayor with a vision to clean-up city government corruption, make Philadelphia's streets safe, be a friend and supporter to city unions, create jobs for Philadelphians, and provide social service programs that would build character and integrity in youth and adolescents that are embracing the "darker angels" of their souls.
Unfortunately, Mr. Nutter is more like Houdini, where as a candidate; he bedazzled the voters with the type of rhetoric Philadelphians needed to hear as we endured 8 years of "open corruption" and a host of other mismanagement policies and projects by the Street Administration. But as mayor, Mr. Nutter is nothing more than a noun, a verb and according him, "America is in the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression."
What a sad state of leadership our great city is enduring.
Anthony P. Johnson
I remember the "candidate" for mayor with a vision to clean-up city government corruption, make Philadelphia's streets safe, be a friend and supporter to city unions, create jobs for Philadelphians, and provide social service programs that would build character and integrity in youth and adolescents that are embracing the "darker angels" of their souls.
Unfortunately, Mr. Nutter is more like Houdini, where as a candidate; he bedazzled the voters with the type of rhetoric Philadelphians needed to hear as we endured 8 years of "open corruption" and a host of other mismanagement policies and projects by the Street Administration. But as mayor, Mr. Nutter is nothing more than a noun, a verb and according him, "America is in the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression."
What a sad state of leadership our great city is enduring.
Anthony P. Johnson
Monday, May 3, 2010
"Forgotten Heroes?"
They provide invaluable information so that the next generation of Americans and the country's future will be brighter. Every day they enter a hostile environment where injuries--both verbally and physically--are constant, and in some instances, could very well lead to murder. Some work for administrations that are so draconian, incompetent, and apathetic to the resources that they need to be effective that one could believe without question that the administrators want them to fail.
Who are those forgotten heroes? Soldiers in our military, C.I.A., FBI or NSA agents?
No, they are "Teachers."
Some teachers in this country are walking into schools that resemble war-torn Europe during WWII and still they do everything humanly possible and beyond to provide youth and adolescents with the best education possible through their own devices.
The dedicated teachers for example continue to deal with the “political chicanery” of the public school administration that provides them with little or no support at all, and yet expects the educators to produce the best and brightest students. Additionally, the teachers face parents that could care less about what their children are doing in the home, let alone how they are progressing or regressing in the classroom.
Despite all of these road blocks they do produce! Some teachers throughout America are providing the youth and adolescents with much needed guidance by teaching them that there is a world beyond the barricade, and if they are willing to seek this venture, the forgotten heroes we call teachers provide the road map and effective leadership.
Over the last two years, we have witnessed an increase in unemployed Americans resulting in thousands of individuals requiring educational credentials. In fact, some individuals that were employed are losing their jobs because they do not possess a high school diploma or a GED. According to the U.S. Department of Education, some 40 million adults, 16 years and older, do not have a high school diploma, and many of the GED programs in America have not produced a significant amount of individuals earning a general equivalency diploma.
Not Bonnie Kaye, M.Ed.
Ms. Kaye has tirelessly worked 23 years in the field of Education, Training, and Employment. Combined with those skills, she owns and operates a GED Center where she teaches an accelerated version of GED preparation that students have excelled in, and in the process, has a very successful student completion and test pass rate.
Ms. Kaye brings an “academic holistic approach” to her program that students have embraced emphatically. She is an educator that is producing effective leaders for communities that are in short supply.
Dedicated educators and Bonnie Kaye are heroes, but they would chaff at such plaudits, sonnets, and poems lauded on their personage. They believe they are doing what anyone of us would be willing to do.
Would we?
Sure, there are hundreds of thousands of educators in the Republic, but how many have been effective in getting children and adults to learn under the “worst” circumstances and conditions? No. They're heroes. Unfortunately, we take them for granted only acknowledging their works after they left the room.
I will not. Many thanks to those teachers that give a damn about the youth and adolescents that could possibly someday be tomorrow’s leader for our country. Thank you, Ms. Kaye. Heroes? Yes. Forgotten heroes? Never.
Anthony P. Johnson
Who are those forgotten heroes? Soldiers in our military, C.I.A., FBI or NSA agents?
No, they are "Teachers."
Some teachers in this country are walking into schools that resemble war-torn Europe during WWII and still they do everything humanly possible and beyond to provide youth and adolescents with the best education possible through their own devices.
The dedicated teachers for example continue to deal with the “political chicanery” of the public school administration that provides them with little or no support at all, and yet expects the educators to produce the best and brightest students. Additionally, the teachers face parents that could care less about what their children are doing in the home, let alone how they are progressing or regressing in the classroom.
Despite all of these road blocks they do produce! Some teachers throughout America are providing the youth and adolescents with much needed guidance by teaching them that there is a world beyond the barricade, and if they are willing to seek this venture, the forgotten heroes we call teachers provide the road map and effective leadership.
Over the last two years, we have witnessed an increase in unemployed Americans resulting in thousands of individuals requiring educational credentials. In fact, some individuals that were employed are losing their jobs because they do not possess a high school diploma or a GED. According to the U.S. Department of Education, some 40 million adults, 16 years and older, do not have a high school diploma, and many of the GED programs in America have not produced a significant amount of individuals earning a general equivalency diploma.
Not Bonnie Kaye, M.Ed.
Ms. Kaye has tirelessly worked 23 years in the field of Education, Training, and Employment. Combined with those skills, she owns and operates a GED Center where she teaches an accelerated version of GED preparation that students have excelled in, and in the process, has a very successful student completion and test pass rate.
Ms. Kaye brings an “academic holistic approach” to her program that students have embraced emphatically. She is an educator that is producing effective leaders for communities that are in short supply.
Dedicated educators and Bonnie Kaye are heroes, but they would chaff at such plaudits, sonnets, and poems lauded on their personage. They believe they are doing what anyone of us would be willing to do.
Would we?
Sure, there are hundreds of thousands of educators in the Republic, but how many have been effective in getting children and adults to learn under the “worst” circumstances and conditions? No. They're heroes. Unfortunately, we take them for granted only acknowledging their works after they left the room.
I will not. Many thanks to those teachers that give a damn about the youth and adolescents that could possibly someday be tomorrow’s leader for our country. Thank you, Ms. Kaye. Heroes? Yes. Forgotten heroes? Never.
Anthony P. Johnson
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
What Happened to the Republican Party of Old?
In the 1990’s as a student at Cheyney State University, several friends and I were contemplating on becoming members of the Republican Party.
As a political science/history major, we believed that with recruiting other African Americans, Latino Americans and Asian Americans we could turn the clock back to when the Republican Party was united in serving “all” Americans.
Some of us know of the weird “warping” political structure in the great Republic that saw the Dixiecrats, members of the States' Rights Democratic Party, split into two in which our grandparents saw a sneak preview of the formation of the Democratic Party in 1948. Some members of the Dixiecrats did not approve of civil rights; the reversal of Jim Crow introduced by such progressives as Hubert Humphrey, and with President Truman’s executive order to desegregate the armed forces in the same year, the “schism” was complete. The Democratic Party morphed and became the progressive party for “every” American.
At its founding, the Republican Party was not racist, bigoted, and was far from “conservative.” Abraham Lincoln spearheaded a party that destroyed the institution of slavery, waged an all-out civil war to keep the Union intact, suspended and re-shaped parts of the U.S. Constitution, launched a hugely ambitious social program known as Reconstruction forerunner of the New Deal, imposed a short-lived progressive income tax, as well as created a national banking system, a Department of Agriculture, and a system of land-grants and college education for all Americans. Theodore Roosevelt was a “Trust Buster,” who broke up corporate monopolies, supported the coal miners union during the 1902 strike, and believed that the government should provide quality healthcare for every American. Later Republican U.S. Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover thought of themselves as progressives, and Hoover once remarked "We are a nation of progressives," while President Eisenhower would refer to himself as a "New Republican."
So what happened to the “that” Republican Party?
The Republican Party of today is anything but “progressive.” This Republican Party has expressed its views consistently by “grotesque” rhetoric. The Republican Party now has a very strong racist, bigot, xenophobia backdrop which has frightened and prevented many Democrats to speak out against this vulgarity that is tearing the Republic to shreds. Many in the party take a stance that big government is a bad thing, but when they have the democratic majority, it is in fact the Republican Party that has huge governments and even bigger deficits.
The party that once aided the middle class and poor alike now solely supports the wealthy and fabricates lies to tell an ever decreasing middle class population that the government is over-taxing you in order to waste money on chaotic and foolish progressive legislation to help African Americans and other minorities. The “new” Republican motto should be, "Vote for us, and we will give the money to you instead of in the pockets of big, bad government and lazy minorities."
The Republican Party today resembles nothing of the Republican Party of old. Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt were giants and visionaries of a party that was once boasted what seemed like an endless stream of vibrant and brilliant members open to different philosophies dedicated to creating a thriving Republic that the once mighty Roman Empire would have envied. The Republican Party members today are toxic, angry, bitter, resentful, hateful, and narrow-minded. Their philosophy is not only incendiary--it’s un-American and many in the party, including elected officials, publically support the dissolution of America.
Conversely, the 1990’s look like 100 years ago when I considered joining the Republican Party as a college senior. A political party founded on the principals of fairness, equality, justice, and integrity. Unfortunately, the aforementioned characteristics no longer exist in that party in the 21st century that was once mentioned more than 100 years ago as a “truly remarkable entity.”
Anthony P. Johnson
As a political science/history major, we believed that with recruiting other African Americans, Latino Americans and Asian Americans we could turn the clock back to when the Republican Party was united in serving “all” Americans.
Some of us know of the weird “warping” political structure in the great Republic that saw the Dixiecrats, members of the States' Rights Democratic Party, split into two in which our grandparents saw a sneak preview of the formation of the Democratic Party in 1948. Some members of the Dixiecrats did not approve of civil rights; the reversal of Jim Crow introduced by such progressives as Hubert Humphrey, and with President Truman’s executive order to desegregate the armed forces in the same year, the “schism” was complete. The Democratic Party morphed and became the progressive party for “every” American.
At its founding, the Republican Party was not racist, bigoted, and was far from “conservative.” Abraham Lincoln spearheaded a party that destroyed the institution of slavery, waged an all-out civil war to keep the Union intact, suspended and re-shaped parts of the U.S. Constitution, launched a hugely ambitious social program known as Reconstruction forerunner of the New Deal, imposed a short-lived progressive income tax, as well as created a national banking system, a Department of Agriculture, and a system of land-grants and college education for all Americans. Theodore Roosevelt was a “Trust Buster,” who broke up corporate monopolies, supported the coal miners union during the 1902 strike, and believed that the government should provide quality healthcare for every American. Later Republican U.S. Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover thought of themselves as progressives, and Hoover once remarked "We are a nation of progressives," while President Eisenhower would refer to himself as a "New Republican."
So what happened to the “that” Republican Party?
The Republican Party of today is anything but “progressive.” This Republican Party has expressed its views consistently by “grotesque” rhetoric. The Republican Party now has a very strong racist, bigot, xenophobia backdrop which has frightened and prevented many Democrats to speak out against this vulgarity that is tearing the Republic to shreds. Many in the party take a stance that big government is a bad thing, but when they have the democratic majority, it is in fact the Republican Party that has huge governments and even bigger deficits.
The party that once aided the middle class and poor alike now solely supports the wealthy and fabricates lies to tell an ever decreasing middle class population that the government is over-taxing you in order to waste money on chaotic and foolish progressive legislation to help African Americans and other minorities. The “new” Republican motto should be, "Vote for us, and we will give the money to you instead of in the pockets of big, bad government and lazy minorities."
The Republican Party today resembles nothing of the Republican Party of old. Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt were giants and visionaries of a party that was once boasted what seemed like an endless stream of vibrant and brilliant members open to different philosophies dedicated to creating a thriving Republic that the once mighty Roman Empire would have envied. The Republican Party members today are toxic, angry, bitter, resentful, hateful, and narrow-minded. Their philosophy is not only incendiary--it’s un-American and many in the party, including elected officials, publically support the dissolution of America.
Conversely, the 1990’s look like 100 years ago when I considered joining the Republican Party as a college senior. A political party founded on the principals of fairness, equality, justice, and integrity. Unfortunately, the aforementioned characteristics no longer exist in that party in the 21st century that was once mentioned more than 100 years ago as a “truly remarkable entity.”
Anthony P. Johnson
Saturday, April 24, 2010
"Illegal Immigration…Arizona Style."
According to one elected official in Arizona you can tell who is an illegal immigrant by his:
* Hair
* Clothes
* Shoes
And with that depth of intelligence, the governor of Arizona signed into law an immigration policy that gives law enforcement the right to profile individuals they "suspect" may be an illegal immigrant.
At anytime, police in Arizona can stop even a "citizen" and ask to see proof of his/her citizenship, and if the former objects, the latter will arrest them.
For 20 years, America's elected officials have wrestled with how to stem the increase of illegal immigration in our cities such as Arizona. However, more than $3 billion in tax dollars have been spent to build a wall across the border that is so flawed that the senior citizens from Mexico have climbed over it in record time.
As one can see, intelligence has eluded Arizona public servants, and in the process, they've crafted and implemented a law that will make even citizens of Arizona and the Republic feel like they reside in a Fascist country.
It would be fanciful to place complete blame on Arizona politicians for this Machiavellian venture, but we would be in error because in fact, some voters in the state are just as guilty. You see, once the drug wars, kidnappings, and murders in Mexico spilled over into Arizona, people demanded solutions at "all cost." Their anger and hatred over illegal immigration reached a boiling point, and in that blind fury, they now have legislation in place that they never realized would ask them to provide documents that prove they are Americans.
Consequently, suspicion, lack of intelligence, and anger has been a part of our lives for the last two millenniums and has warped the human psyche in the process. The legislation passed in Arizona speaks of bigotry, racism, and is unconstitutional. Arizona's legislators' "misguided" attempt to address the illegal immigration issue has resulted in a law that in wreaking in fear, racism, and anger as the result of 20 years of addressing illegal immigration.
Sad. Very sad.
Anthony P. Johnson
* Hair
* Clothes
* Shoes
And with that depth of intelligence, the governor of Arizona signed into law an immigration policy that gives law enforcement the right to profile individuals they "suspect" may be an illegal immigrant.
At anytime, police in Arizona can stop even a "citizen" and ask to see proof of his/her citizenship, and if the former objects, the latter will arrest them.
For 20 years, America's elected officials have wrestled with how to stem the increase of illegal immigration in our cities such as Arizona. However, more than $3 billion in tax dollars have been spent to build a wall across the border that is so flawed that the senior citizens from Mexico have climbed over it in record time.
As one can see, intelligence has eluded Arizona public servants, and in the process, they've crafted and implemented a law that will make even citizens of Arizona and the Republic feel like they reside in a Fascist country.
It would be fanciful to place complete blame on Arizona politicians for this Machiavellian venture, but we would be in error because in fact, some voters in the state are just as guilty. You see, once the drug wars, kidnappings, and murders in Mexico spilled over into Arizona, people demanded solutions at "all cost." Their anger and hatred over illegal immigration reached a boiling point, and in that blind fury, they now have legislation in place that they never realized would ask them to provide documents that prove they are Americans.
Consequently, suspicion, lack of intelligence, and anger has been a part of our lives for the last two millenniums and has warped the human psyche in the process. The legislation passed in Arizona speaks of bigotry, racism, and is unconstitutional. Arizona's legislators' "misguided" attempt to address the illegal immigration issue has resulted in a law that in wreaking in fear, racism, and anger as the result of 20 years of addressing illegal immigration.
Sad. Very sad.
Anthony P. Johnson
Thursday, April 22, 2010
"Remember Where You Were."
As the lay-offs and pink slips continue to be handed out to teachers, and as public schools close faster than the breaking of the sound barrier, one thing seems crystal clear, education for every American youth and adolescent is nearing extinction.
Did you ever think you would live to see the demise of education in the great Republic? Did you ever think that in 2010 you’d see quality and effective education provided to only a select few in America?
Currently, there are more than 50 million Americans that are functioning illiterates, and in 2015 the number will increase to more than 60 million. By 2025, it is estimated that there will be 90 million illiterate Americans, mostly youth and adolescents that will become one of the fastest growing populations in U.S. history.
Remember where you were because one day you'll tell your great grandchildren you were present during the "education genocide" of youth and adolescents in America.
How did we get to this chapter of an American tragedy?
Well it began with:
Chapter 1:
"How Parents and Caregivers Effectively Failed their Children."
Followed by...
Chapter 2:
"The Failure of the Community to Assists the Parents and Caregivers to Raise Our Youth and Adolescents."
Then there was...
Chapter 3:
"The Complete Failure and Betrayal of the Public Schools System."
Finally...
Chapter 4:
"The Rise of the American Penal System and the Need to Feed the Machine.”
We are all guilty because we fell way too short of supporting the children who looked to us--the adults--for nurturing, love, and guidance to become well-rounded beings with high morals and to be productive citizens in the universe. We are guilty!
Remember where you were. Remember the day, hour, minute and second because one day, you’ll tell your great grandchildren of the day you saw the great Republic’s citizens revert back to ignorance, and barbarism.
Anthony P. Johnson
Did you ever think you would live to see the demise of education in the great Republic? Did you ever think that in 2010 you’d see quality and effective education provided to only a select few in America?
Currently, there are more than 50 million Americans that are functioning illiterates, and in 2015 the number will increase to more than 60 million. By 2025, it is estimated that there will be 90 million illiterate Americans, mostly youth and adolescents that will become one of the fastest growing populations in U.S. history.
Remember where you were because one day you'll tell your great grandchildren you were present during the "education genocide" of youth and adolescents in America.
How did we get to this chapter of an American tragedy?
Well it began with:
Chapter 1:
"How Parents and Caregivers Effectively Failed their Children."
Followed by...
Chapter 2:
"The Failure of the Community to Assists the Parents and Caregivers to Raise Our Youth and Adolescents."
Then there was...
Chapter 3:
"The Complete Failure and Betrayal of the Public Schools System."
Finally...
Chapter 4:
"The Rise of the American Penal System and the Need to Feed the Machine.”
We are all guilty because we fell way too short of supporting the children who looked to us--the adults--for nurturing, love, and guidance to become well-rounded beings with high morals and to be productive citizens in the universe. We are guilty!
Remember where you were. Remember the day, hour, minute and second because one day, you’ll tell your great grandchildren of the day you saw the great Republic’s citizens revert back to ignorance, and barbarism.
Anthony P. Johnson
Monday, April 19, 2010
"Just Suppose."
Just suppose Muslims marched on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the deaths and inhumane treatment of family members in America and Europe. Would they be considered Terrorists?
Just suppose African Americans, and Latino Americans marched together on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the rising disparity of youth and adolescents of the same ethnicity being incarcerated. Would they be considered Thugs?
Just suppose Asian Americans marched on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the constant bullying inflicted on their children in schools around the country. Are they Agents of Chaos?
Just suppose Native Americans marched on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the terrible "genocidal" living conditions they endure because state governments provide very little or none of the basic, fundamental services that they require for sustainability. Would they be considered un-American?
Just suppose women of all nationalities marched on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the lack of local, state and federal funding to address the increase deaths to women due to domestic violence. Would they be considered Anarchist?
Consequently, just suppose members of the Tea Bag movement marched on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the federal government because they believe President Obama is going to take their guns, even though they were told carrying fire arms in Washington is illegal, but still they carry them. What are they guilty of?
Anthony P. Johnson
Just suppose African Americans, and Latino Americans marched together on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the rising disparity of youth and adolescents of the same ethnicity being incarcerated. Would they be considered Thugs?
Just suppose Asian Americans marched on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the constant bullying inflicted on their children in schools around the country. Are they Agents of Chaos?
Just suppose Native Americans marched on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the terrible "genocidal" living conditions they endure because state governments provide very little or none of the basic, fundamental services that they require for sustainability. Would they be considered un-American?
Just suppose women of all nationalities marched on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the lack of local, state and federal funding to address the increase deaths to women due to domestic violence. Would they be considered Anarchist?
Consequently, just suppose members of the Tea Bag movement marched on Washington with guns to "peacefully" protest the federal government because they believe President Obama is going to take their guns, even though they were told carrying fire arms in Washington is illegal, but still they carry them. What are they guilty of?
Anthony P. Johnson
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