Traveling To Negril Or Just Going Home

The feeling was always there to explore my origins. I lived in America but I was not American, as a matter of fact I came to America in the most peculiar way. A sister of my mother on a visit to Jamaica saw me and decided to take me to America—“opportunity” was the reason. They said I could get in the United States what was not available in Jamaica.

We flew American Airlines and I arrived in New York August 1977 with much anticipation. I remember the golden wings that the pilot gave me as I exited the plane, at the time it had no significant meaning they were just wings a souvenir for flying American. I can remember the luggage carousel, the drive home from the airport and being fascinated with the bright lights, tall buildings, crossing the Whitestone Bridge into the Bronx everything seemed spectacular.

I didn’t realize what I was giving up yet but it started to slip away the moment I walked in the door to my new residence. America was not all shiny and pretty. I wanted to go back home but it was very far away.  It was often used as a punishment or threat, “if you don’t behave I’m going to send you back to Jamaica", and from what was described I knew I didn’t want to go there. My own memories of Jamaica and happiness began to fade and thoughts of poverty, ugliness, and crime replaced them, it became a place I feared. It sounded dreadful, people with no shoes, living in huts.  I became ashamed. Not only did I not want to go there but I didn’t want to be from there.

Destroying America

What Cheney is doing right now is trying to create a toxic situation for the American people but a win win situation for himself. By being the mouthpiece of the Bush Administration he could have successfully made it impossible to prosecute him without creating speculation that the administration is just trying to get back at him for speaking out. What is Cheney doing, we all know that he is willing to see the country get attacked again so that he and the Republicans can say “we told you so”. It is clear that his steps during the time he and Bush were in office has made Americans less safe abroad, what he is doing now is making us less-safe at home. 

We have had several incidents since Obama has taken office and we know who their leaders and spokes people are: Glen Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, they are out there ramping up the militias, skin heads, “pro-life” , etc—all the radical groups. This is what they have in common, they are fanatics who want to create chaos and overthrow the government. They believe that America is for the white Christian people, and will do anything to see that happens including terrorist actions as we have seen in the past weeks. They are not labeled as terrorists because they are citizens, but they speak freely against the government and incite others into action. They hide behind free speech when one tries to tie their hateful rhetoric with some of these radicals. Talk about an abuse of the constitution. 

Republican Jihad

We could learn something from the Republicans on exploitation of the media. When I watch the US media I see why many countries regulate their press and sometimes censor them. I don’t think censorship should be necessary for a professional news agency, but I think I could make the case for it.

I happened to turn to Fox News this morning just in time to hear Dick Morris and Fox News promote the idea that the US, Iran, and Israel are locked in a nuclear stand off. He painted Iran as the equivalent of Nazi Germany quoting Benjamin Netanyahu (the new Israeli prime-minister) “Netanyahu put it plainly, its 1938 and they are heating up the gas ovens”. I guess this is where the problem is, these people still think they are living in 1938. Morris states Israel must respond if the US will not, chillingly Morris declares “Israel is getting set to attack, they need to and they ought to” the interviewer Brian seemed to agree with Morris throwing his two cents in saying “Iran is basically laughing at us” and egging on not Morris but the larger audience.

It is not Dick Morris’ comments because he is there to push the republican point of view, but why is Fox News promoting a nuclear war. Why is this obviously propagandist agency able to masquerade as a legitimate news organization while promoting a destructive and violent agenda? Since his election they have launched a vicious attack against President Obama by saying he is associated with fascism, and socialism, saying that his policies are threatening our democracy and freedom and wants to take their guns. They are harping on whether he should have bowed to the Saudi King, or he hasn’t been to church--what I consider another attempt to say he is a Muslim and that he thinks “Islam is more superior to any other religion” according to one Fox News commentator. Fox News is the most irresponsible news organization and are an obvious extension of the Republican Party, preying on Christians and ignorance.