“Jovan, Jason and Jumping to Conclusions” by Derryck Green

Note: photo and link to Jason Whitlock article was added by administrator.

Op-ed submission by Project 21

Jason Whitlock started it, and Jason Whitlock can end it.

On December 1, the Fox Sports columnist penned a column about what happened earlier that morning when Jovan Belcher — the starting linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs — murdered his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins (the mother of his three-month-old daughter), and then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and killed himself.

In his piece, Whitlock questioned and lamented how the NFL and the Chiefs decided to play their scheduled game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. He argued the appropriate thing to do was cancel the game.

So far, no harm no foul.

But, instead of questioning the unjustified reasons why Jovan Belcher would kill the mother of his daughter and then turn the gun on himself (or sticking just to the sporting angle), Whitlock took the opportunity to lament gun violence — as if the gun was used independently and without cooperation of Jovan Belcher’s hands and mind.

Whitlock also lamented America’s “gun culture” — a culture he never thoroughly explained yet passively blamed them for “more and more domestic disputes [ending] in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead.” Again, Whitlock acted as if guns kill people independently of their owners.

On December 3, Whitlock doubled-down on his politically correct, logically-deficient and morally-deficient position and further exposed his lack of intellectual credibility for all to see. During CNN-contributor Roland Martin’s podcast, Whitlock likened the National Rifle Association to… the KKK.

That’s right, the Ku Klux Klan. Telling Martin “I did not go as far as I’d like to go” with his column, Whitlock unload — implying the NRA is responsible for arming black youths with guns used to kill other black youths. He also seemed to blame the NRA for not only gifting black kids with guns, but also supplying them with drugs.

Aside from the embarrassing and unadulterated stupidity of Whitlock’s comments, he proceeded to take illogical leaps with absolutely no connected dots to verify his recklessness. He unjustly made racist and conspiratorial accusations about an organization that advocates gun safety and responsible use as well as protects gun rights.

What Whitlock claimed about the NRA was morally indefensible. It stripped him of any remaining credibility after an already-shaky opening salvo. The irony is that Whitlock is the one thinking in racial terms when he assumed only whites are, or can be, members of the NRA.

That said, where’s his proof the NRA is arming black youths? Has he read it? If so, where and when did he read it? Are these incidents in the police reports of gun crimes committed by black youth? If so, publish these police reports.

I’m willing to bet that the black youths on Chicago’s South Side, who are doing their best at contributing to the city’s sky-high black murder rate, aren’t card-carrying members of the NRA. How can they be? They’re black!

Furthermore, as he did in his original piece, Whitlock turns those who would use guns to settle disputes into victims as opposed to willing participants who chose guns over knives, clubs or bare hands in their acts of violence, terror and destruction.

Once again, guns don’t kill people without human participation. Belcher wasn’t a victim. He intentionally used his gun to kill his girlfriend and himself. And, as much as Whitlock would try and paint the picture, the drug-addled and armed black youths he laments aren’t victims of racist white gun-club members bent on destroying black communities.

Criminals consciously make decisions to use guns illegally, and — as a result — are responsible for their own actions.

Jason Whitlock should apologize to the families of Kasandra Perkins and Jovan Belcher — in that order — for using them as political pawns to advocate more gun control. He should then apologize to the NRA for his baseless, deliberate and absurd smear of the NRA’s credibility.

The consequence of Jason Whitlock’s thinking inevitably disarms law-abiding citizens, ensuring more gun violence. This is the exact opposite of what Whitlock claims he wants, and would ensure there will be more victims like Kasandra Perkins.

Derryck Green, a member of the national advisory council of the Project 21 black leadership network, received a M.A. in Theological Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing his doctorate in ministry at Azusa Pacific University.

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“Why is MRC taking Kenya back to colonial past?” by Nkwazi Mhango

Although there have been much brouhahas and rumpus from Mombasa Republic Council (MRC), agitating for cessation from Kenya, the truth is what MRC is trying to do is treason. For nobody can declare a republic within a republic and fall short of committing treason. Therefore, legally speaking, MRC needs to be told to its face that what it is trying to do is treason and it is heavily punishable under any law of any land. This does not need to consult philosophies, philosophers and gurus in law. Thus, “Pwani si Kenya” or “Coastal is not Kenya”, suffices to land people in big troubles. If Coastal is not Kenya, what is it?

History is a good witness even though history repeats itself as it is this case, it does not favour MRC. MRC is not the first to try this even in Kenya itself. There were uprisings in Kenya which was known as Shifta Uprising in 1963-1967, in the then National Frontier District, whereby ethnic Somalis wanted to secede from Kenya. Despite its infancy then, the government of Kenya did not allow such a sacrilegious thing to happen.

Outside Kenya, Africa has witnessed such claims of seceding. Good news is that all secessionist groups ended up being thwarted except South Sudan and Eritrea whose cases are quite different from MRC’s. Even more so, after Shifta Uprising, Biafra secessionist movement under Chuku Emeka Ojukwu followed. It had the same slogan of the Republic of Biafra. This movement lived for a while before the government of Nigeria descended on it. Likewise, Cassamance in Senegal tried the same to no avail. Movement of Democratic Force of Cassamance (MDFC), just like Biafra and now MRC came with the same idea. Again, the government of Senegal did not fail to thwart and neutralize it. This is what Kenya should do with MRC if they cling unto their treasonous demands.

Verily, there can nary be Kenya without even an inch of Coastal or any province. More so Coastal Province cannot exist outside Kenya. Surprisingly though is the way Kenyan authorities are dealing with this treason. If they can revisit the law of the country, they will find that the only thing they can do with MRC is to charge its ringleaders forthwith. In essence, what is going on in Kenya reminds me what happened in Britain when King Charles I was beheaded for treason. If the king was beheaded, who are these roundheads and their retinues behind MRC? Charles said these words before his death, “For I do avow that it is as great a sin to withstand (he means resist) lawful authority as it is to submit to a tyrannical or any otherwise unlawful authority.”

Let’s look at what is giving MRC a big head. They are saying that Mombasa was not part of Kenya before independence. Well and good, Mombasa, just like Lamu, Malindi, Mogadishu, Pate, Pemba, Kilwa Sofala and Zanzibar were city states. This being the reality, it must be stated and understood that there was no the so-called Pwani, as we know it today under which MRC is basing its legitimacy. If we can follow this line of thinking, we can say that the Pwani, MRC is agitating for, surely does not exist outside Kenya. Pwani as a province was formed by the government of Kenya. If they use colonial legacy asserting that the City State of Mombasa was independent, it was not. For it was under the sultan of Zanzibar. Again, for the sake of enjoying what MRC wants and aspires to enjoy, Lamu and Malindi will claim the same in the near future. This is to say, suppose just suppose MRC succeeds, it should know that this is not the end of the game. After they are done with Kenya, they will turn to other people saying you are a Mkamba or Jaluo or whatnot. After that they will go for other people saying you are from Taveta, which is far from the Coast and what not.

Astonishingly, MRC does not get it that Kenya has had more than enough on its table. There is war against Al Shabaab and elections next year, not to mention the burden of Post Election Violence and ever surging tribalism. All these undertakings need a lot of money. Why doesn’t MRC see this? Does it think it can use this weakness to weaken Kenya? Of all said undertakings, Kenya can abort all of them to see to it that nobody is breaking the nation. If MRC wrongly thinks that Kenya will go bankrupt therefore give away its sovereign shall it flex its muscles, this is next to none.

If I could advice president Mwai Kibaki and MRC, I would strongly advise them to embark on legal procedures for MRC and upholding the constitution for Kibaki. What does Kenya’s new constitution stipulate about treason and secession? Let us use our reason well. The logic is simple. United we stand and divided we fall.

Although Kenyan authorities have been lenient, lax and polite enough to even think about holding talks with MRC, before this is done, MRC must recant its slogan of “Pwani si Kenya” and other injurious rhetorics. Failure to do this, MRC is facing a very bad start. Even though Kenya has more democratic rights than the then Jomo Kenyatta regime when it was faced with Shifta, still the government has the responsibility of keeping Kenya united, intact and one. This is the venue and sacred responsibility of any government. Therefore, existing democratic rights Kenyans enjoy in the New Constitution must be invoked through MRC filing its complaints to the court. This is the only and the surest way of addressing MRC’s grievances. Again, MRC must exist legally by being registered under the law of the land. Thus, up to this point, MRC is operating illegally and this is detrimental to its status and demands. Suffices to say: “Ya kale hayanuki.”

Why is MRC taking Kenya back to colonial past?

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

Alem Dechassa & the modern slavery of Ethiopian women

Read article here: Modern slavery of Ethiopian women

“Will Wade make it this time?” by Nkwazi Mhango

Some people are lucky, others are not. Senegalese strong man, Abdulaye Wade is among the luckiest old men even though he behaves like an adolescent. Had it been not for divided and ever-greedy opposition, Wade would have been history now. Voters gave him a very heavy blow in the first round. He secured a leading of 34.8%, ahead of his former protégé and PM, Macky Sall who garnered 26.5%. Other former PMs took third and fourth place: Moustapha Niasse with 13.2% and Idrissa Seck with 7.8%.

Such low votes speak volume and signify defeat. This translates into the fact that had the opposition backed one candidate, the results would have been Sall 47% and Wade 34.8%. Again, there wouldn’t have been any run-off that Wade can use to rig votes to fulfil his power-hunger to remain in power.

In other words, Senegalese were able to get rid of Wade in the first round had it not been for the opposition to help him secure a second chance of survival. Will Wade let it go easily without applying traditional African science of survival-rigging and cheating? Shall this happen. Will the people and their weak opposition bite the bullet or give him a hard time once again?

One thing though is obvious that Wade showed maturity for not rigging in the first round. Is it because of being cornered, his belief in democracy or the result of over confidence that he’d have won in the first round? If he allowed justice to take its course, will he keep this maturity or cascaed back to his dreams of dying in power?

Although Abdulaye Wade, managed to tamper with the constitution to be able to run for a third time aimed at remaining in office, will he manage to manipulate the votes and get away with it? Results conclusively indicated he did not make it outrightly in the first round. This of course dented him badly. Sall gave him a spirited fight so as to change Wade’s tone from braggadacios to conciliatory one. Will this become Wade’s Waterloo?

The ballot box can still boot Wade out if not to tame him. Senegalese should maintain the momentum they displayed in the first round whereby Wade lost outrightly. For those who remember his braggadacios that there won’t be any run-off, what happened is victory phase one. If voters fulfil their responsibility for the sake of their nation and democracy, Wade can still lose comfortably so as to be forced to lose in this-game-changer-like run-off.

Voters ought to deny Wade the votes he’s going to use to abuse them and their country. He’s been in power for twelve years. What can he do he did not do in these twelve years? Why should Senegalese voters prefer a centurion to a half ager Sall? If anything, Wade’s plight is squarely in the hands of voters who must punish him for ignoring them and abusing their office and constitution altogether.

Many people wonder where Wade got the guts and wits to tell former Libya strongman, Muamar Gaddafi and Ivorien one, Laurent Gbagbo to relinquish power last year while he cannot do the same now.

Due to the science of aging, we understand: Wade’s brain if wearing off. This contributes to the controversy he’s created apart from his greed to cling unto power. From what he does and says one can surely assert that this old man deserves to retire shall he deserve to be remembered honourably and favourably. Wade’s confusion can be noted in many things. He’s recently quoted saying, “I am president and father of the nation. This is what the Europeans do not understand,” he told French weekly Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. He added, “My majority is so overwhelming that I think I will be elected with a strong percentage in the first round.” Ask him where is hallucinatory majority went in the first round. He started changing the tone and tune altogether.

It is sad to note that Wade does not know that the father of Senegal is none other than Leopord Sedar Senghor. For Wade to equate himself with Senghor, who became the first African leader to voluntarily retire when he was ten years younger than Wade, connotes mischief to the nation and Africa in general. Senghor relinquished power in December 1980, retiring in favour of the Prime Minister, Abdou Diouf. After his retirement, Senghor did not involve himself in politics till his death on 20 December 2001.

As banned candidate, Youssou N’Dour put it, “The Senegalese are not stupid.” This will be justified by the votes they will cast in the favour of Sall. Shall Wade rig their votes, they still have the chance to prove that they are not stupid by seeing to it that he is not getting away with it.

Wade is an educated man by all standards. Again, as William Feather put it, “An education is not how much you have committed to memory or how much you know. It is being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don’t know. It is finding out what you need to know and using the knowledge once you get it.” I doubt if Wade knows where to go if he cannot willingly retire. I wonder if Wade knows where to go and get what he deserves, retirement instead of daydreaming going for a third time at such eleventh hour.

Wade, a cliffhanger, who promised crushing first round victory ended up saying this as the results were trickling in, “To all of my supporters, my allies, my sympathisers, I ask that you remain mobilised,” Wade was quoted by BBC. He added “At this very hour… everything is still possible,  victory or a run-off,” Let Senegalese make it possible for Wade to pack and hit the road to oblivion. Will the opposition goof again to let Wade win?

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

The Negro Pseudo-intellectual and Social Media Activism

“That Kony2012 video is one of the most effective pro-imperialism, pro-militarism pieces of propaganda ever produced.” Anson Asaka

“It’s a sad commentary on affairs when white people are the ones constantly and consistently advocating for the safety and security of African children and all “Negroes” can do is criticize their efforts. Instead of having and sprouting pseudo-intellectual and hyper-moralistic political rhetoric, why don’t Black people take the lead, especially African-Americans, and do the leg work to take on this challenge themselves? You do have an African-American” president in the White House don’t you? You could have also utilized social media to bring attention to this issue in an “anti-imperialist” and “anti-militaristic” way. I know, I know… that would mean that you wouldn’t be able to use your time and attention on the latest Chris Brown and Rihanna saga, the Kardashians, the Real Housewives of Atlanta, NCAA March Madness, as well as spend your money on jewelry, booze, drugs, ipads, clothes and other materialistic trinkets. SMH!” Asabagna Alatentou

Above is a conversation I had on the Facebook page of Anson Asaka today, regarding the Kony 2012 social media campaigned by the organization Invisible Children.

First let me define the term “Negro Pseudo-intellectual” as I see it. These are primarily African-Americans who use their time and energy to talk about (i.e. criticize) what other people are doing, especially “White” people, but do nothing themselves. They have no alternate plan. They cannot and do not offer involvement in an alternate campaign. They talk a big game, use big words and sprout the usual rhetoric to appear enlightened. However, they deliver nothing concrete of substantial value. They are talkers, not doers of the word!

When I first heard of the Kony 2012 social media campaign, I was not surprised that it was being spearheaded by someone “white”. I also was not surprised by the fierce backlash from the Negro Pseudo-intellectual. In fact, I was expecting it. Social media is their playfield. This is the arena they dominate because it’s where they can easily find an audience of like-minded arrogant ideologues, who views social media as a vehicle to be critical of what others are doing. They would never think of utilizing it as a springboard to social activism. The primary objective of social media for the Negro Pseudo-intellectual is to sprout pseudo-intellectual and hyper-moralistic political rhetoric, as well regurgitate their played out 60’s Black revolutionary conspiracy theories, so as to appear intelligent and enlightened. It’s not to utilize social media as a tool to ushering in social change today for the benefit of others, especially African children.

I do acknowledge that social media can be used to educate and enlighten… and that’s a good thing. Furthermore it can be an effective tool to scrutinize any social campaign and vigorously probe the integrity of any organization, especially those which purport to be for our benefit. Particularly when it’s being organized and led by someone from the dominant culture.

I don’t intimately know the people behind the organization Invisible Children and I can’t speak to the sincerity of their effort or the integrity of their intentions. However, I applaud their idea to utilize social media for this campaign. I may not agree that further militarization of Africa by the U.S. military via  AFRICOM is the ideal method to deal with Joseph Kony and the LRA. However unless I can present an alternate plan, I don’t support putting all my efforts into criticizing those who are trying to deal with this issue in their own way. I’m also not going to advocate the various ridiculous conspiracy theories about the origins of the campaign.

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt

Interestingly, after I posted my above response to Anson’s post, his reply was to remove it. Another aspect of Negro Pseudo-intellectualism is to censure any opposing viewpoints and opinions. Sounds familiar?

“Africa needs to sign a new social contract‏” by Nkwazi Mhango

Jean Russeau wrote in Social Contract, “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.” To free himself, Russeau suggests that man must gain security and a measure of freedom from action, in exchange for surrender of rights and property to the general will. This is not the language of compliance or cowardice but of rebellion. This means, if you want me to pay my tax as my obligation, you must meet my rights as your obligation. As a leader, you are nothing if you cannot deliver. Your right to spend my tax corresponds with your duty to fulfill your duties.

It is no exaggeration to assert that Africa, politically, socially and economically is in the 14th century. Many African countries are sitting on the vast resources which are abused by a cabal of people in power. While this is happening, the big population is dying in abject destitution.

When philosophers Thomas Donaldson and Thomas W. Dunfee coined a phrase, “Intergrated Social Contract Theory” (ISCT), they stated categorically that every right an individual enjoys also has corresponding duty. In business they call this sharing risk and reward. The upshot of this is: whenever there is a risk, change, calamity or needs, the corporate as a big entity benefitting more from the business must help employees- who also benefit from the business but at a less magnitude comparably- in this period of transition.

Running a country is like running a corporation. This is the rationale we are going to use in this argument. The difference though is that when somebody is employed by the corporation, does so because for having some qualities or qualifications the corporation needs to use to make profit and sustain it. When it comes to be a citizen in the corporate known as a state, the citizen qualifies by the right of birth or application for those who apply for citizenship of other countries.

When it comes to men and women manning Africa, they enjoy rights of spending poor taxpayers’ money as they deem fit without the corresponding duty of delivering service. The corporate-government is duty bound to deliver so as to enjoy the right of being a government. Failure to do this, the said government is in power illegally. Hither is whether the situation in African countries worsens more than even under colonialism in 1960s. If anything, African needs a jumping-off point from the 14th century style of management next to Caesars’, to the 21st century of responsible presidents or managers of the corporation known as state. It is high time for Africa to have responsible and accountable leadership championed by our academics.

We need advocates of new social contract who can decisively interpret and champion ISCT. This is possible only and only when our academics will stand and take on dirty regimes instead of joining them to plunder the hoi polloi as it currently is in many countries. It is no longer shocking to see African ignorant rulers using academics in their governments to destroy their country, as it once happened in the Gambia where President Yahya Jammeh used the minister of health, who is a doctor professionally, to claim he had discovered cure for HIV/AIDS. Under new social contract this wouldn’t be possible given that president would be accountable and responsible for whatever he does or says. But under current king-like presidency, Jammeh was able to get away with it. Is this the way academics are supposed to use their knowledge?

“Unless we learn to live together as brothers (and sisters), we will die together like fools.” Desmond Tutu quoting Martin Luther King Jr in No Future without Forgiveness. Indeed, our rulers are prone and proud of being referred to as Excellencies, loved ones and other fake homilies. Actually, they are the opposite of this and they know this too well so as to surround themselves with guards and terror. They live in the heaven amidst the hell of miseries of their people. Who is wrong hither between them and the citizens who are in bed with such abnoxious and notorious vices?

Gandhi once remarked, “How can men feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow-beings?” In the same book by Louis Fischer: Gandhi: His Life and the Message to the World, seems to have the answer. He wrote, “Some men loom larger by lifting up others and some by kicking and humiliating others.” If anything, this is the real situation between Africa and developed world. How can for instance, DRC produce tonnes and tonnes of mineral and Nigeria oil alongside with tonnes and tonnes of poor people? West countries, despite having fewer resources, were able to attain their development, among others, thanks to signing and ratifying a new social contract that empowers people and their governments. It’s through accountability of everybody that made western countries be ahead of us for everything.

Africa cannot forge ahead with the current mediocrity whereby academcs are used abusedly without even resisting. Instead of being in bed with irresponsible rulers for the sake of personal gains, our academics should enlight the hoi polloi so that they can take on their irresponsible rulers. This must be the war between hoity toity and hoi polloi spearheaded by academics. It does not make sense to see our rulers abuse our tax and donor monies while academics scrumble to join politics so as to share the loot. Is there any rationale of dining and wining rulers using taxpayer’s money while they don’t deliver any service to them? How can they spend our hardearned taxes on travelling abroad and recruiting private armies while we are dying wantonly? This is the question our academics need to ask and give the answer, instead of being in bed with those who arrest the future of our continent and her innocent people.

For African to move forward there shall be the force to sign a new social contract that holds our ruler accountable and responsible for whatever they say and do. We can draw a lesson from academics such as Martin Luther, Conrad Grebel, Bathsar Hubmaier, Thomas Muetzer, Ulrich Zwingli and others who gave the Roman Church hard time so as to change the world despite being young guys. We need to start asking our rulers: what have they done for us as agreed in elections or constitutions. What have they done so as to deserve staying in power they wantonly abuse? We need to start enjoying the fruits of our freedom that turned out to be enjoyed by rulers and their henchmen. Academics must pull Africa from the 14th Century to 21st Century by advocvating the signing of a new social contract making our rulers accountable.

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

The Day My Heart Broke

Rest in Peace My Beautiful Diva!

Boko Haram: The New (Black) African Al-Qaeda?

I’ve been following the news events about Nigeria’s supposedly Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. However, something doesn’t sit right with me in the way the whole situation is being reported. Of course, western media as usual simplifies all conflicts into 2 opposing sides… in this case Muslims vs. Christians… with these Muslim extremists confirming all we are told to believe and expect from Islam.

The vast majority of us in North America, particularly of African descent, just shrug our shoulders, don’t seriously concern ourselves with African issues and just believe what they are told: “Africans are savages, ungovernable and tribal.” They don’t dig any deeper, to at least try to understand what is really going on in our Motherland. For example, the Obama administration’s policy of increased militarization in Africa via  AFRICOM … especially in oil rich areas… in an effort to counter the increasing Chinese colonization of the continent.

According to the CIA World Factbook, Nigeria is the largest producer of oil in Africa, as well as the 7th largest in the world (see here). What better reason ruse than to fight Islamic terrorism, can be used (by the so-called “Christian” West) as a justification for not only increasing security funding to the pro-American Nigerian government of Goodluck Jonathan, but to also send in US military advisors and special forces.

Here are 3 articles that dig a little deeper and provide a fuller perspective into the issues surrounding the recent sectarian violence in Nigeria:

1. Boko Haram: The answer to terror lies in providing more meaningful human security
2. In Nigeria, Boko Haram Is Not the Problem
3. Nigeria: The Next Front for AFRICOM

Please share any other articles you come across that will provide further insight into this topic.

The truth is out there.