Top 10 Myths Keeping Hillary in the Race

By Chip Collis (Courtesy of The Huffington Post)

I have noted a number of myths amongst the comments here as to why Hillary should stay in the race. Here are ten enduring, kudzu-like myths, with the debunking they sorely need.

Myth: This race is tied.

No, actually, it's not. Obama has the lead in number of states won, in pledged delegates and in overall delegates. Nothing will happen in the remaining primaries to substantially change that. As to the one thing Hillary does lead in, superdelegates, her quickly shrinking margin is among DNC personnel only. When you look at the elected superdelegates, Congressman, Senators and Governors (i.e. people who actually work with both Obama and Clinton) Obama leads there, too.

Myth: Okay, the popular vote is tied.

There are people who claim that because of the 3% separation, that Obama's lead in the popular vote is a "statistical tie." This is a myth because, when you can actually count things, there's no need of statistics and no such thing as a margin of error. The popular vote is not an estimate based on a sampling, like a poll. Like the general election, there are winners and losers and, so far, Obama is the winner.

Myth: Fine, but what if we count electoral votes? NOW Hillary is ahead!

Not so much. The proportions of electoral votes to population versus delegates to population are pretty comparable. So if you allocated electors proportionally in the same manner that you allocate delegates, Obama is still ahead. If you allocate them on a winner-take-all basis, then that would be the same as allocating the delegates on a winner-take-all basis, so why bring electors into it?

Myth: But if we did do it like the Electoral College, that proves Hillary is more electable than Obama, because of states like California.

This is perhaps the saddest little myth of all. It's ridiculous to suggest that Obama will lose New York and California to McCain because Clinton won them in the primaries. No, come November, those states will join with Obama's Illinois to provide 40% of the electors necessary for him to win.

Myth: Very well, then, Mr. Smarty-Math. But if we counted Michigan and Florida, THEN Hillary would be winning!

Nooo, she wouldn't. The margin would depend on how you allocate the delegates, but Obama would still be ahead. And he'd still be about 100,000 ahead in the popular vote, too, despite not even being on the ballot in Michigan. However, it would enhance Hillary's chances of catching up in the remaining races.

Myth: Ah HA! So Dean is keeping them out just to help Obama! And Obama is keeping them out.

That's two myths, but I'll treat it like one. The only people who can come up with a solution to this problem are the states themselves, to be presented to the Rules and Regulations Committee of the DNC for ratification. It was Rules and Regs, not Howard Dean, who ruled that Florida and Michigan were breaking the rules when they presented their original primary plans. If the two states cannot come up with a plan to reselect delegates, they can try to seat whatever delegates were chosen in the discounted primaries by appealing to the Democratic Convention's Credentialing Committee, which includes many members from Rules and Bylaws.

Myth: If they don't get seated until the convention but a nominee is selected before these poor people get counted then these states are disenfranchised.

There are two ways to debunk this myth: semantically and practically. The first is based on the word "disenfranchised:" these people have not been deprived of their right to vote. Through the actions of their states, their votes don't impact the outcome. Now, you may say that that is specious semantics (Myth: I do say that!) but practically speaking, this is the usual effect of the nominating process, anyway. All of the Republican primaries since McCain clinched the nomination have been meaningless, but those voters are not disenfranchised.

Florida and Michigan tried to become more relevant in the process by breaking the rules. They risked becoming irrelevant instead.

Myth: Well, I say they are disenfranchised, and Hillary Clinton is their champion.

Only when it suits her. Last fall, when the decision was first made to flush 100% of Michigan and Florida delegates, Clinton firmly ratified it. That was because the typical punishment of only 50% representation also kept the candidates from raising money in those states. Figuring that she would wrap up the nomination handily anyway, the clear front-runner agreed with all the other candidates - including Obama - to completely "disenfranchise" those two states.

Myth: Well, never mind 2007. She's doing more now to bring them in.

Not really. Recent stories in the St. Petersburg Times political blog said that 1) the Obama camp has reached out to the Florida Democratic party about a compromise and that 2) the Clinton camp will discuss nothing else but re-votes, which are legally, practically and politically dead.

Myth: Whatever! Hillary can still win! I know she can! She and her 37% positive rating will sweep through the remaining primaries and Michigan and Florida, winning 70% of everything and superdelegates will flock to her banner and Barack Obama will personally nominate her at the Convention and John McCain will give up and George Bush will even quit early so she can take over and... and... and... can I have a glass of water?

Yes, and you should lie down, too.

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special: Barack Obama & The Hip Hop Effect On American Politics:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/02/10/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio

Mumia Gets "A Break From The Man"...

Mumia Abdul Jamal

No Death For Mumia Abu-Jamal - At Least For Now

By Emilie Lounsberry

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

A federal appeals court today refused to reinstate the death sentence of world-famous death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal, but left intact his murder conviction in the 1981 shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that Abu-Jamal must be sentenced to life in prison or get a chance with a new Philadelphia jury, which would decide only whether he should get life in prison or be sentenced - again - to death.

The judges left intact his first-degree murder conviction, rejecting Abu-Jamal's claim that he deserves an entirely new trial and a chance to prove his innocence.

Abu-Jamal, who has written books and given taped speeches from death row, was convicted in 1982 by a Philadelphia jury of killing Faulkner, who was shot to death near 13th and Locust Streets in the early morning hours of Dec. 9, 1981.

The Third Circuit upheld, in all respects, the 2001 decision by U.S. District Judge William H. Yohn Jr., who rejected all but one of Abu-Jamal's legal claims, but threw out the jury's death sentence.

Yohn ruled that the jury in Abu-Jamal's 1982 trial may have mistakenly believed it had to agree unanimously on any "mitigating" circumstances -- factors that might have persuaded jurors to decide on a life sentence instead of death.

The appeals court affirmed that decision, and said that the state has six months to hold a new sentencing hearing for Abu-Jamal, or he must be sentenced to life in prison.

"The jury instructions and the verdict form created a reasonable likelihood that the jury believed it was precluded from finding a mitigating circumstance that had not been unanimously agreed upon," wrote Chief Judge Anthony J. Scirica in the 77-page opinion.

Judge Thomas L. Ambro wrote that he would have gone further than his two colleagues, and granted a hearing on Abu-Jamal's contention that the prosecution unfairly excluded blacks from his jury in violation of a 1986 U.S. Supreme Court case, Batson v. Kentucky.

"To move past the prima facie case is not to throw open the jailhouse doors and overturn Abu-Jamal's conviction," wrote Ambro. "It is merely to take the next step in deciding whether race was impermissibly considered during jury selection."

Abu-Jamal's lawyer, Robert R. Bryan of San Francisco, said yesterday that he was pleased that the death sentence was not reinstated, as prosecutors had wanted. But he expressed disappointment that only Ambro had wanted to grant relief on the claim that blacks were intentionally excluded from the jury.

"I am not happy that two of the three judges turned a deaf ear to the racism that permeated this case," said Bryan, who said he was "heartened and thrilled" by Ambro's dissent on that issue.

There was no immediate response from the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. A spokeswoman said she expected District Attorney Lynne Abraham to hold a news conference later today.

Other Abu-Jamal supporters were unhappy with the ruling. They said rallies were being planned for as early as tomorrow outside federal courthouses in Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco.

"This was no victory, in any sense of the word," said Pam Africa, a member of the radical group MOVE.

"Today's decision is a travesty of justice," said Jeff Mackler, of Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal. He said he had been hoping that the Third Circuit would order an entirely new trial based on the claim about racial discrimination in jury selection.

Mackler said he anticipates worldwide reaction to the disappointing decision. "Tomorrow is just an initial reaction," he said.

An appeal is virtually certain.

Either side could ask the panel to reconsider the decision, ask the entire Third Circuit to consider the case, or eventually ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.

Contact staff writer Emilie Lounsberry at 215-854-4828 or elounsberry@phillynews.com.

Urgent -- Volunteers Still Needed -- Green For All and National Action Network (NAN)

Memphis, I am very proud of you in answering to this request for volunteers. To date I have received over 100 volunteers for the National Action Network Convention and wanted to say thank you. But as any major event, I am still in need of many more. The event will be held from April 2 - 5, 2008 in Memphis, TN. The volunteer hours are from 7 am - 7 pm each day of the convention Shifts are minimum of 4 hours and hopefully we can get those who can do 8 hour shifts. Need volunteers to be willing to start at 7 am to help out with registration. The following areas are needed:

Registration, Membership,Greeters, Runners (high school students), Gospel concert,Panel host, panel monitors,just to name a few.

Click the link below for details:

http://ctherd.blogspot.com/2008/03/volunteers-needed-for-10th-annual.html

Also, Green for All will be having "The Dream Reborn" conference from April 4th - 6th, 2008. They currently have a need for volunteers to assist with preparing packets and with clean-up. Below is a brief overview about the conference and why it will make a difference to society as a whole:

We believe that if Dr. King were with us today, he would be working to build a green economy -- strong enough to lift people out of poverty and restore hope to America. He would be standing with those communities that have been locked out of the last century's pollution-based economy. And he would indeed be working to ensure that ALL our people, the entire beloved community, is included in the emerging clean and renewable economic vision. http://www.dreamreborn.org/article.php?list=type&type=5 (click to read additional information)

If you are interested in helping to ensure that the conference can provide the best in customer service, please click the link below for volunteer opportunities. (Let us as Memphians help all that need our help, we are honored that they are coming in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

http://ctherd.blogspot.com/2008/03/green-for-day-volunteer-opportunities.html

Obama-Clinton Race Creates Security Concerns for Secret Service

Jeff Bliss http://www.bloomberg.com

March 11 (Bloomberg) -- The political passions stirred by the Democratic presidential battle between the possible first black nominee and the possible first woman are also stirring security concerns on the part of the U.S. Secret Service.

The agency began providing protection to candidates earlier this year than in any previous election in response to crowds that have sometimes topped 30,000, a record for the primary season, spokesman Darrin Blackford said.

The excitement of the race pitting Illinois Senator Barack Obama against New York Senator Hillary Clinton ``definitely adds something the Secret Service hasn't seen in a while,'' said Andrew O'Connell, a special agent in the 1990s who is now a managing director at New York-based Fortress Global Investigations and Security Corp.

Besides the fact that Obama is the first black candidate with a chance to win the party nomination, Clinton is a ``polarizing figure'' dating back to her time as first lady, O'Connell said.

Obama, 46, began receiving protection in May 2007, 18 months before the November 2008 election. That was the earliest for any candidate since the practice was instituted following the 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after claiming victory in the California primary.

Clinton and McCain

Clinton, 60, has had protection since 1992, when her husband, former President Bill Clinton, became the Democratic nominee. Arizona Senator John McCain, 71, hasn't had Secret Service coverage, though he will get it now that he has won enough delegates to clinch the Republican nomination.

The Secret Service began covering the 2004 Democratic nominee, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, seven months before the election. President George W. Bush, then the governor of Texas, received his detail eight months before the November 2000 vote.

Obama -- whose Secret Service codename is ``Renegade'' -- got his protection at the prompting of Richard Durbin, a fellow Illinois senator and supporter. Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, saw thousands of people showing up for early campaign rallies when only hundreds had been expected, said Joe Shoemaker, his spokesman.

``Roads would be choked with cars,'' blocking escape routes in the event of an incident, Shoemaker said.

`Special Concern'

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, like Durbin an Obama supporter, wrote Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Jan. 9 that ``the national and international profile of Senator Barack Obama gives rise to unique challenges that merit special concern.'' Thompson's panel oversees the Secret Service, which is part of Chertoff's department.

Another black presidential candidate, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, received Secret Service protection for his 1984 and 1988 runs a year before Election Day.

Obama's wife, Michelle -- codenamed ``Renaissance'' -- received protection at the request of the campaign on Jan 29. Jen Psaki, a campaign spokesman, declined to comment on the reasons.

While Obama has inspired comparisons with John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. among his supporters, some of them are taking the comparison too far, said former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, an Obama backer. Kirk said he has read Internet postings from blacks saying ``we shouldn't even nominate him, because if we do something bad will happen.''

`Stop Worrying'

Obama has ``the best security in the world, and people should stop worrying,'' said Robert Gibbs, the candidate's spokesman.

As Obama gave a speech in San Antonio on the night of the March 4 primaries, four sharpshooters were positioned on two towers behind him while four plainclothes agents stood near him. Three helicopters circled above, a level of security that is common for Obama and Clinton at large events.

At least seven agents surrounded Obama at a March 4 rodeo in Houston. At rallies, agents in T-shirts printed with Obama's likeness melt into the crowd.

While a news report that the Secret Service had stopped scanning participants at a Feb. 20 rally in Dallas's Reunion Arena sparked criticism on the Internet, Blackford, the Secret Service spokesman, said the agency never intended to put everyone through magnetometers.

``We don't rely on any one measure,'' he said. ``The plans are multilayered.''

White Supremacists

In the past month, animosity toward Obama has increased on white supremacist Web sites, said Mark Potok, director of the intelligence project at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama.

He said that while he didn't know of any specific threats, ``the tone has begun to heat up.''

Security for Clinton -- codename ``Evergreen'' -- was tightened in January, when the Secret Service began requiring people at rallies to walk through scanners. On the candidate's plane, rows of agents separate her from the press corps.

The toughest events to secure are those that are scheduled and public, O'Connell said. In assessing threats, the Secret Service monitors groups and people who have been a problem in the past, rating the risk they present, he said. Those deemed most dangerous are put under surveillance.

Agents are trained to handle a politician's interaction with the public, including handshakes and posing for pictures, he said.

Joe Russo, who was in charge of the Clintons' Secret Service detail until 2004, said presidential campaigns often create a conflict between the need for exposure and security.

The candidates ``have to be out there,'' he said. ``You can't restrict them.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeff Bliss in Washington at jbliss@bloomberg.net .

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special: Barack Obama & The Hip Hop Effect On American Politics:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/02/10/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio

This Sunday Mar. 30, 2008 @ 4PM C/ 5PM E On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio: Hip Hop Conspiracies, MSNBC's Michelle Bernard & Schlumberger 2 Update...

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio

One Full Year On The Air!!!

March 2008's Theme Is
"Our House..."

When: Sunday Mar. 30, 2008
Time: 4PM-6PM Central/ 5PM-7PM Eastern

Call In: 646-652-4593
E-mail:r2c2h2@gmail.com

Listen To The Actual Show Live Online At The Following Link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/03/30/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Featured Music By D.J. Hen Boogie

Our Distinguished Guests & Topics Are...

Topic 1: A Hip Hop Conspiracy?
Time: 4pm c/5pm e-4:40pm c/5:40pm e

Who Shot 'Pac?
Why Are Rap Record Sales Declining?
Is Hip Hop Dead?
What's Up With Nas & The Word Nigger?

Guests:

A.) D.J. Hen Boogie

http://www.djhenboogie.com/
http://www.myspace.com/djhenboogie

B.) St. Criss

St. Criss in Purple Rain Mode

http://www.myspace.com/saintcriss

~~~~~~

Topic 2: One On One With Michelle D. Bernard, President & CEO Of Independent Women's Forum

Time: 4:40pm c/5:40pm e-5:40pm c/6:40pm e

Guest: Political Analyst Michelle D. Bernard

Tha Artivist Says:

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio had the privilege of dialoguing with Sis. Michelle D. Bernard on Good Friday...It was indeed a Good Good Friday for us because we have enjoyed watching this beautiful sister for several weeks now holding her own on political news cable tv channel MSNBC with Chris Matthews & company on an almost daily basis, speaking on most noticeably the 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections & The War in Iraq...We hope you enjoy the beautiful hour long conversation which took place the same week as the 5 year anniversary and protest of the War in Iraq, the passport leak at the U.S. State Department, before the 4,000th soldier was killed in Iraq & after presidential hopeful Barack Obama gave his landmark race relations speech in response to attacks on his church and former pastor Dr. Jeremiah Wright...What a difference a week makes!!!

Sis. Michelle Bernard On MSNBC's Hardball With Chris Matthews

About Sis. Michelle D. Bernard

As a political and legal analyst, Bernard has spoken on topics as varied as faith and foreign policy, the War in Iraq, the political participation and voting trends of African Americans and women, and advancing democracy, economic liberty, and the human rights of women, ethnic and religious minorities around the world. Bernard has been featured in several publications, including: Fast Company magazine, The Legal Times, The New York Daily News, The Washington Business Journal, The Washington City Paper, The Washington Lawyer, The Washington Post, The Washington Post Sunday Magazine, and The Washington Times. Additionally, Bernard has been prominently featured in the Observer and the Gleaner, two of Jamaica 's leading national newspapers.

Media appearances include ABC News Now, ABC Radio, America's Black Forum, BBC Radio, Black Americas Web, CNBC's The Dennis Miller Show, CNN's Paula Zahn and the Situation Room, C-SPAN's Washington Journal, Court TV's Catherine Crier Live, Fox News Channel's Live Desk with Martha MacCallum, The O'Reilly Factor, Studio B with Shepard Smith, Hannity and Colmes, and Your World with Neil Cavuto, MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Verdict with Dan Abrams, MSNBC Live, and Morning Joe, Our World with Black Enterprise, PBS's Evening Exchange and To the Contrary, National Public Radio's 51%, News and Notes with Ed Gordon, and Tavis Smiley Show, Voice of America, WJLA's Capital Sunday, and various Middle Eastern radio and cable television programs.

Sis. Michelle Is Also A Proud Jamerican(American of Jamaican Ancestry)!!!

For More On Sis. Michelle D. Bernard Peruse The Following Link:
http://www.iwf.org/experts/show/384.html

~~~~~~

Topic 3:

Update

Time: 5:40pm c/6:40pm e-6:00pm c/7:00pm e

Guests :
A.) Sis. Tawanna Thierry Of The Schlumberger 2

Standing from left to right: Ms. Tawanna Thierry, Ms. Shirley Carhee, Ms.
Cassandra Rabius and Ms. LaShaunda Knight, Dr. Candi Hudson and others
were not present at the time of picture. African Americans and women of all
races are suffering within Schlumberger’s sound proof walls. The issues are not
just black and white, but “human”. Racism and sexism is woven deeply into the
culture of Schlumberger, and victims, as the ones illustrated in the above picture,
are speaking out. As the wise old phrase reads, “No one actually knows what
another goes through by being on the outside looking in.” All of these Plaintiffs

need your support during the most devastating time of their lives and careers.

More Schlumberger 2 News On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/search?q=schlumberger

B.) Sis. Sandra Massey Hines, Houston, Tx Activist & The Mayor of Sunnyside Houston,Texas

MA Woman of Substance. Mayor of Sunnyside Houston. Super Mom. Super Woman. Humanitarian . Evangelist. Super Friend. Executive Director, Junior Achievers a non-profit organization focuses her skills and talents to enhance the lives of those disenfranchised and forgotten. This champion of human rights has created and implemented some of the following...Community Drug Program, Crime and Alcohol Prevention and Intervention, Health and Job Fairs, Town Hall meetings focusing on HIV/AIDS, Violence Prevention and worked beside Houston Works, Les Caves and John Garvey to promote jobs for more than 20,000 teens at the George R Brown Convention Center until funding was terminated.

In 1992, Sandra Massie Hines received Congratulations for being nominated recipient of the President's Annual Point of Light Award from President George Bush Sr. She has worked and walked with local, national and international figures.With each step she is defending the poor, the elderly, children, disenfranchised, homeless, those shunned by society, and persons of diverse culture. The City of Houston in 2003 was facing a crisis between the Chief of Police and City Council Members. Sandra Massie Hines armed with her courage, ability to articulate and her group of protesters defended Houston 's second Black Police Chief C.O. Bradford.

In 2006, Ms. Sandra Massie Hines received recognition from President George W. Bush for her community service and acknowledgment from Governor Rick Perry. Sandra Massie Hines has assisted many in her days, Former Mayors Dr. Lee P. Brown, Bob Lanier and our present Mayor Bill White, City Council Member At Large Peter Brown, State Representatives and others.

During the term of our 42nd President of the United States William Jefferson Clinton, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee contacted Sandra Massie Hines to pray for the president as he faced impeachment, and she did.

Sandra was one of twenty Black American Women in Houston , chosen to meet with 100 women from various African countries, Nigeria , Togo and others to share information concerning the "similarities and differences" as they develop into womanhood.

On September 9 2006, Sandra Massie Hines armed with her faith and many Christian women and men, walked the streets of Sunnyside Community to encourage and send a message to the people afflicted with addictions, that "their Supreme Father GOD and Friend Jesus Christ are helping to heal their afflictions now." "As I walk thru the shadows of death, I will fear no evil." has been the mantra of this dynamic woman of Houston, Ms. Sandra Massie Hines.

Life In Jesus International Foundation
http://www.lijif.us

****
Get Involved
As Always You Can Catch Tha Artivist Presents…W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Live Every Sunday @ 4PM Central/5PM Eastern By Clicking On The Following Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe

Please Be Our Invited Guest By Calling Us Live @ 646-652-4593 Or E-mailing Us Your Questions And Comments @ r2c2h2@gmail.com

As Always Please Spread The Good News!!!

~~~~~~

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Reps Black History 365 Days A Year!!!
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/02/we-all-be-news-radio-reps-black-history_29.html

Celebrate Black History And Love All Day Every Day With Works By Tha Artivist:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/02/celebrate-black-history-and-love-all.html

Check Out The 2007 R2C2H2 Winter Newsletter:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/11/2007-r2c2h2-winter-newsletter.html

~~~~~~

$ Millions Of Dollars In Scholarships, Internships & Job Offers $
Please Visit

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~~~~~~

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~~~~~~

Check Out "The Empowerment Hour" Hosted By Bro. Kermit Eady Every Saturday @ 6 PM EST/ 5PM CST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/EadyAssociates

~~~~~~

Support Akeru Radio

http://www.akeruradio.com/

~~~~~~

Visit

DR. MAURICE TUCKER, Owner And Doctor In Residence
OPTIMAL HEALTH CHIROPRACTIC, PLLC
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MEMPHIS, TN 38111

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This Can't Be Life...This Can't Be Us!!!

Chicago Battles Rise In Teen Deaths

Copyright By R2C2H2

By KAREN HAWKINS, Associated Press

The morning trip to school for dozens of teenagers here had all the normal signs: bleary eyes, oversized jackets zipped up against the chill, the seemingly endless wait for the bus. But there was tension underlying the routine: The trip was under the watchful eyes of parents, an alderman, a principal and police.

The escort to and from Crane Tech High School this week, dubbed "Operation Safe Passage" is just one of the ways Chicago is dealing with a wave of violence that has stunned the city.

Since September, 20 Chicago Public Schools students have been killed, 18 by gunfire. Last school year, 24 of the more than 30 students killed were shot to death, compared with between 10 and 15 fatal shootings in the years before.

"The loss of life that we've seen among our young people is ... devastating," said school district spokesman Michael Vaughn. "This gun nonsense has reached a crisis level."

The number of violent deaths involving students in the nation's third-largest school district has increased so dramatically in the last two years that police are increasing school patrols and soon will be the first department in the country with live access to thousands of security cameras mounted outside — and inside — schools.

Chicago Public Schools is one of the only urban districts to track how many students are killed by guns — though none of the slayings have occurred on school property.

Nationally, homicide was the second-leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24 in 2004, and of those killed, 81 percent were killed with a firearm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chicago's overall homicide rate, like that in other major cities, dropped to a record low in 2007. But the murders that do occur are hitting young people hard, frightening students and parents, and prompting everyone from Mayor Richard M. Daley to activists to call for action.

Operation Safe Passage began this week. It provides escorts for students from the ABLA Homes public housing development to Crane Tech High School. Many of the 120 students from the housing project have not been to school since March 7 because they fear retaliation after a reputed gang member from ABLA shot and killed another student who lived on a rival gang's turf.

Three of Michelle Johnson's children attend Crane, and she says the escorts help — somewhat.

"For right now, I feel it's kinda safe," said Johnson, who added that she is willing to take her children to school every day until the situation improves.

Daley recently announced a new resource for police — access to the 4,500 security cameras mounted inside and outside about 200 elementary and high schools.

The real-time video from the cameras once was available only to school officials, but now police and the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications will be able to see it as well. Daley said indoor cameras will be used only in emergencies.

Daley also has rolled back the curfew times for minors by half an hour, to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends.

Many observers insist the issue isn't a school problem but a symptom of overall violence in the city. In fact, students in some of the city's most violent neighborhoods say school — with metal detectors, private security guards and uniformed police officers — is the one place they feel safe.

Antigun activists and officials say the violence highlights a dangerous reality: Arguments among young people that used to be resolved with fistfights now end in gunfire.

"They're just shooting out of rage," said the Rev. Michael Pfleger, an outspoken priest on the city's South Side whose church is putting up a $2,500 reward for information each time a CPS student is killed. The Chicago Board of Education has promised to match with its own $2,500 reward.

Tio Hardiman, executive director of the anti-violence group CeaseFire, said many young people consider a firearm their only protection. The way to reduce violence is to stop petty arguments among young people before they escalate into gunfire, Hardiman said.

"A lot of young guys in the community, first of all, would rather get caught with a gun than without a gun," Hardiman said. "There's a need a dire need for more conflict resolution training."

___

On the Net:

Chicago Public Schools: http://www.cps.k12.il.us

A Schlumberger 2 Update From Sis. Tawanna Thierry...

Update

Standing from left to right: Ms. Tawanna Thierry, Ms. Shirley Carhee, Ms.
Cassandra Rabius and Ms. LaShaunda Knight, Dr. Candi Hudson and others
were not present at the time of picture. African Americans and women of all
races are suffering within Schlumberger’s sound proof walls. The issues are not
just black and white, but “human”. Racism and sexism is woven deeply into the
culture of Schlumberger, and victims, as the ones illustrated in the above picture,
are speaking out. As the wise old phrase reads, “No one actually knows what
another goes through by being on the outside looking in.” All of these Plaintiffs

need your support during the most devastating time of their lives and careers.

List Intentionally Suppressed Due To Confidentiality

Good Afternoon,

Due to Schlumberger's adverse action related to my discrimination lawsuit that incorporates retaliation, my family and I continue to be placed within a harmful situation. For example, I have previously reported incidents at my son’s school. He has been approached by a female impostor pretending to be a student. After several approaches, he felt safe in speaking with her, but after investigation this “impostor” was not a student, as others who continue to call within my home. The objective of “befriending” my son was to solicit information, set him up for failure and/or intent to harm. Most of these conversations were information driven, obviously directed at my character. This female impostor would encourage him to remain after school, but likely he is a wise kid. Fortunately, I have sought a continual watch on all events. Recently my computer hard drive died, as stated by a professional, my computer shows strong possibility of being “hacked”. In support of this, I also have previously assigned a hackers alert. This will give me a print out of all suspects.

On August 03, 2007, I was suspended with pay from the campus of Schlumberger without signing paperwork that instructs or define my unsolicited suspension. The only reference that Human Resource Manager Steve Diana made was that I would receive payment for over a year, but there was no date of return. (Audio submitted as evidence)

Schlumberger is listed among the President’s Corporate Fraud Task Force, where as, Schlumberger Technology Corporation was found Guilty of Fraudulent Applications and Making False Statements to U.S. Consular Officers for Foreign workers Assigned as Crewman. Schlumberger is capable of anything, and most of the plaintiffs are in direct fear of the safety of family and selves. This is my reason for continuing to update the FBI and other governmental agencies. My family and I are undergoing a number of illegal surveillance practices, and continue to be followed and tracked via GPS via cell and vehicle. Most recently, I was met by a stranger of Italian decent on the grounds of my attorney’s office. This is the same stranger that followed me into KinKo’s on a different day. Dr. Candi Hudson and I terminated representation of Attorney Mark Lazarz of Shellist and Lazarz for his suspicion of compromise with Schlumberger. Schlumberger hired the firm of Bracewell and Giuliani LLP. Amy Karff Halevy and Travis Gill are the attorneys for the defendants. Please note that I have been followed by males of Italian decent the majority of the time. However this does not exclude other heritages and/or genders. I find this most interesting of the Italian association between counsels. Investigation is necessary.

A deposition date was scheduled on April 3, 2008, but this was arranged without my knowledge. Since then, I have requested to re-schedule for a time after April 8, 2008. Unfortunately, the date of April 2, 2008 conflicts with previous plans. Although I immediately notified my attorney, I was able to speak with him today, March 25, 2008. My attorney called the defendant’s attorney, Amy Halevy, but as commented in confusion by my attorney, she wanted him to outline the details of my arrangements. (i.e. where I was going, when I was going and why I was going?...) He also noted that she reminded him that I worked for them, “them” I assume Schlumberger. When has it become the personal business of an organization to know the private affairs of an employee? This is absurd, but not surprising based on the noted “criminal creditability” of Schlumberger and all participating associates. If I am an employee, I still could have requested time. (i.e. vacation time, personal days, sick days…) This is to be considered unethical on the part of opposing counsel in support of “modern day slavery”.

This type of treatment must be stopped within Schlumberger, as all people were created equal. Racism and sexism only breeds destruction. Please help me to stop Schlumberger, as well as, any associates to respect my 1^st amendment and “right to privacy”. I continue to be violated based on my constitutional rights as a U.S. citizen. Schlumberger and all associates attempts have been “EXPOSED”, but this does not prevent them from many other attempts to cover up the “truth”. I have been subjected to the following forms of criminal activities:

- Trespassing on my property with the intent to harm (wiring discovered around my home, job postings placed on my front door on a number of occasions, recent attempt to pry open back door, strangers within my garage, suspicious neighbors located on each side with an intent to surveillance, phone wires tapered with, listening devices within my home…)

- GPS Tracking (GPS tracking of vehicle and cell, followed by strangers, located suspicious vehicle in drive way while returning home…)

- Intent to Deceive (Strange men approaching me for dates, strange men imposing as friends, attempts to record, approach at son and daughter’s schools…)

- All I-9 information missing from Schlumberger’s HR (i.e. social security number, driver’s license, passport, date of birth, employee files, address, contact information…)

- Phone calls (Threats against my life and children, intent to fraud calls, hang up calls…)

I am a law abiding U.S. citizen, and based on this fact, I should not be “subjected” to any adverse action and/or unethical surveillance with the intent to destroy character or do harm. The lives of family and me are therefore considered to be compromised. Police and governmental agencies have all been notified, and other plaintiffs share the similar experiences, therefore action is required. These activities are to be considered “Criminal” and therefore subject to “Prosecution”. The lives of my children and me continue to be disrupted, and I am forever scared as a result of Schlumberger, as well as, their acting associates. Please read my entire FBI reports for additional information related to Schlumberger. Enough is enough.

How long will these oil giants be allowed to play God? Schlumberger is already listed as Guilty among the Presidential Corporate Fraud Task Force, justice has to prevail. Just look among the number of EEOC claims and increase of discrimination lawsuits in each of the states. The plaintiffs against Schlumberger are certainly not within a vacuum.

Thank you in advance for your time and efforts.

God bless,

Tawanna Thierry
Tthierry@sbcglobal.net

To learn more about the Schlumberger 2 and other incidences of corporate misconduct by Schlumberger please peruse the following links and pass them on to your contacts:

http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/01/learn-about-schlumberger-twospread.html
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/02/schlumberger-2-multipliesplaintiffs.html
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/02/sun-feb-24-4pm-central5pm-easternwe-all.html
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/01/we-all-be-radio-exclusive-schlumberger.html
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/01/oil-giant-schlumberger-had-numerous.html
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/01/oil-giant-schlumberger-forced-to-pay.html

More Schlumberger 2 News On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/search?q=schlumberger

LA TIMES SAY THEY DON'T KNOW WHO SHOT PAC...

LA Times Apologizes For Shakur Story

Associated Press
The Los Angeles Times apologized for using documents that were apparently fabricated in a story implicating associates of Sean "Diddy" Combs in a 1994 assault on rapper Tupac Shakur.

"The bottom line is that the documents we relied on should not have been used," Editor Russ Stanton said in a story posted Wednesday night on the newspaper's Web site. "We apologize both to our readers and to those referenced in the documents ... and in the story."

Pulitzer-prize winning reporter Chuck Philips, who wrote the story, and his supervisor, Deputy Managing Editor Marc Duvoisin, also apologized.

The apologies followed an investigation launched by Stanton after The Smoking Gun Web site reported earlier in the day that the paper was conned by a prisoner who doctored the documents.

Combs denied that he had any prior knowledge of or involvement in the robbery and shooting of Shakur at a New York recording studio. He and other subjects of the story claimed they had been defamed by the newspaper.

The Smoking Gun said the documents seemed phony because they appeared to be written on a typewriter instead of a computer and included blacked-out sections not typically found in such documents, among other problems.

The Web site claimed the documents were fabricated by a prison inmate with a history of exaggerating his place in the rap music world.

The Times said its March 17 story was based on FBI records, interviews with people at the scene of the 1994 shooting, and statements to the FBI by an informant.

None of the sources was named.

Philips said Wednesday that a former FBI agent examined the documents in question for him and said they appeared to be legitimate.

But Philips said he wished he had done more to investigate their authenticity.

"I now believe the truth here is I got duped," he said.

Marc Lichtman, an attorney representing rap manager James Rosemond, one of two men the story linked to the Shakur attack, had earlier demanded an apology.

"I would suggest to Mr. Philips and his editors that they immediately print an apology and take out their checkbooks — or brace themselves for an epic lawsuit," Lichtman said Wednesday.

The shooting triggered a feud between East and West Coast rappers that led to the killings of Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.

The story said associates hoping to curry favor with Combs — who was overseeing B.I.G.'s white-hot career at the time — lured Shakur to the studio because of his disrespect toward them.

The story and related features on latimes.com attracted nearly 1 million hits — more viewers than any other story on latimes.com this year, the newspaper said.

View The Complete L.A. Times Story On The '94 Shakur Attack @ The Following Link:
http://thaartivist.blogspot.com/2008/03/blood-feud-attack-on-tupac-shakur.html

Baptized When The Levees Broke...

By Sis. Dana Racine
dhall107@desu.edu

How do you define racism? If asked that question I would ask myself if white supremacy is still institutionalized? Do black people continue to suffer as a result of white supremacy? And do white people continue to exploit and control black people – mentally and physically?

The answers to all of these questions are yes, therefore, I would ultimately define racism through the continuous growth and efforts of white supremacy. Aside from simple acts that some white people do to prove their supremacy- such as calling us nigger and hanging nooses everywhere- the overall condition of black people are shaped and controlled by white people.

New Orleans is a perfect example of this. I, along with every other person I have discussed the flood with in New Orleans, believe that our government blew up the levees to preserve the white neighborhoods and to also move the black property owners out so that they would be able to extract oil from the lower 9th. Some may staunchly believe that the government would not do that and that we have moved on from the racism from the past but I would argue that the faults of the past have manifested into the 21st century. Just like a mire amendment did not truly free the slaves, mire laws that are suppose to grant us equality are all illusions. I whole-heartedly believe that the same way that they sold us on the auction block, hung us, burned us, buried us alive, cut off our limbs, raped our women, castrated our men, left our babies empty bellied, broke up our families, deprived us of adequate education and living conditions, deprived us of our history, murdered our leaders, implemented Jim Crow and COINTELPRO, burned down black wall street in Tulsa, have also in fact flooded New Orleans. Blacks are still not considered human beings in Amerikkka! The “founding fathers” documented that we were 3/5 a citizen and the state of New Orleans is a perfect example of this belief. What is most upsetting is when you step back and look past the abandoned homes, overcrowded schools, and oppressive living conditions; you can see the look of hopelessness in the people’s eyes. Every man, woman, and child outside of the French quarters have this look in their face. Three years later and many haven’t even received a simple apology. But maybe the truth is that Amerikkka really isn’t sorry. Every now and then they offer some silly apology for slavery but we continue to suffer. Bush and his crime partners, the dirty cops, crocket politicians, ex cetera- they don’t give a damn.

Badu said we were baptized when the levees broke- we were. Only problem is, is that many are still in the water. Some of us are floating around while others are still fully submerged. Mentally, we haven’t regain the sense of consciousness and rebirth that we need in our communities in order to confront this issue of racism. We are drowning in this submission of the acceptance of racism but we really need to look at this for what it is. Racism. My hope is that we can get ourselves together to dissolve the continuous efforts of the controlling forces around us before it’s too late.

4,000 Is The Loneliest Number...

"Don't let anybody make you think God chose America as his divine messianic force to be a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with justice and it seems I can hear God saying to America "you are too arrogant, and if you don't change your ways, I will rise up and break the backbone of your power, and I will place it in the hands of a nation that doesn't even know my name. Be still and know that I'm God. Men will beat their swords into plowshafts and their spears into pruning hooks, and nations shall not rise up against nations, neither shall they study war anymore." I don't know about you, I ain't going to study war anymore."
---Dr. King

Pic: "War" by Douglas Ljungkvist to see more of his work please click here

The Real Meaning of 4,000 Dead

By LIEUT. SEAN WALSH

The passing of the 4,000th service member in Iraq is a tragic milestone and a testament to the cost of this war, but for those of us who live and fight in Iraq, we measure that cost in smaller, but much more personal numbers. For me those numbers are 8, the number of friends and classmates killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 3, the number of soldiers from my unit killed in this deployment. I'm 25, yet I've received more notifications for funerals than invitations to weddings.

The number 4,000 is too great to grasp even for us that are here in Iraq. When we soldiers read the newspaper, the latest AP casualty figures are glanced over with the same casual interest as a box score for a sport you don't follow. I am certain that I am not alone when I open up the Stars and Stripes, the military's daily paper, and immediately search for the section with the names of the fallen to see if they include anyone I know. While in a combat outpost in southwest Baghdad, it was in that distinctive bold Ariel print in a two-week-old copy of the Stars and Stripes that I read that my best friend had been killed in Afghanistan. No phone call from a mutual friend or a visit to his family. All that had come and gone by the time I had learned about his death. I sometimes wonder, if I hadn't picked up that paper, how much longer I would have gone by without knowing - perhaps another day, perhaps a week or longer until I could find the time and the means to check my e-mail to find my messages unanswered and a death notification from a West Point distro list in my inbox. The dead in Afghanistan don't seem to inspire the keeping of lists the same way that those in Iraq do, but even if they did it wouldn't matter; he could only be number 7 to me.

I'm not asking for pity, only understanding for the cost of this war. We did, after all, volunteer for the Army and that is the key distinction between this army and the army of the Vietnam War. But even as I ask for that understanding I'm almost certain that you won't be able to obtain it. Even Shakespeare, with his now overused notion of soldiers as a "band of brothers" fails to capture the bonds, the sense of responsibility to each other, among soldiers. In many ways, Iraq has become my home (by the time my deployment ends I will have spent more time here than anywhere else in the army) and the soldiers I share that home with have become my family. Between working, eating and sleeping within a few feet of the same soldiers every single day, I doubt I am away from them for more than two hours a day. I'm engaged to the love of my life, but it will take several years of marriage before I've spent as much time with her as I have with the men I serve with today.

For the vast majority of American's who don't have a loved one overseas, the only number they have to attempt to grasp the Iraq War is 4,000. I would ask that when you see that number, try to remember that it is made up of over 1 million smaller numbers; that every one of the 1 million service members who have fought in Iraq has his or her own personal numbers. Over 1 million 8's and 3's. When you are evaluating the price of the war, weighing potential rewards versus cost in blood and treasure, I would ask you to consider what is worth the lives of three of your loved ones? Or eight? Or more? It would be a tragedy for my 8 and 3 to have died without us being able to complete our mission, but it maybe even more tragic for 8 and 3 to become anything higher. View this article on Time.com

Who Really Shot RFK???

RFK image copyrighted property of Mike Strong

• James Randerson, Washington DC
• guardian.co.uk

The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications column, Monday March 3 2008

In the report below (regarding new interpretations of forensic evidence relating to the assassination of Robert Kennedy) we stated that he was hit by four shots. However, only three bullets entered his body; the fourth was lodged in a shoulder pad. One of the pistols referred to was a Harrington & Richardson and not, as we had it, a Harrison & Richardson. This has been corrected.

---

The official record states that senator Robert F Kennedy, like his brother before him, was killed by a crazed lone gunman. But the assassination of a man who seemed to embody so much hope for a bitterly divided country embroiled in an unpopular war still troubles this nation.

Little about the official explanation of the events at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5 1968 makes sense. Now a new forensic analysis of the only audio recording of the fatal shots has given new weight to a controversial theory that there were in fact two shooters, and that the man convicted of Kennedy's killing — Sirhan Sirhan - did not fire the fatal shots.

Following his victory speech to supporters after clinching a tight democratic primary victory in California, Kennedy left the podium in the Embassy ballroom to address a press conference.

Bloody mayhem

But the shortcut he and his entourage took through the hotel's pantry quickly descended into bloody mayhem. As Kennedy turned from shaking hands with two of the kitchen staff, a gunman stepped forward and began firing. Kennedy was hit by four shots including one which lodged in the vertebrae in his neck and another which entered his brain from below his right ear. He died in hospital the following day. Five other people were injured but survived.

Sirhan - a Palestinian refugee who said he wanted to "sacrifice" Kennedy "for the cause of the poor exploited people" - was quickly apprehended. He was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment.

"Sirhan was apprehended at the scene with literally a smoking gun," said acoustic forensic expert Philip Van Praag of PVP Designs, who has carried out the new analysis. "At the beginning many people looked upon this as an open-and-shut case. It was one man, Sirhan Sirhan, who was observed by a number of people, who aimed and fired a gun in the direction of Kennedy's entourage."

Close range

But the lone gunman explanation has always looked shaky. The autopsy of Kennedy's body suggested that all four shots that hit him came from behind, and powder marks on his skin showed they must have been from close range.

But Sirhan was in front of Kennedy when he fired, and after shooting two shots was overcome by hotel staff, who pinned him to a table. Also, Sirhan fired eight shots in total, yet 14 were found lodged around the room and in the victims.

"There is no doubt in our minds that no fewer than 14 shots were fired in the pantry on that evening and that Sirhan did not in fact kill Senator Kennedy," said Robert Joling, a forensic scientist who has been involved with the Kennedy case for nearly 40 years. He and Van Praag have published a book on the killing this week entitled "An Open and Shut Case".

The inconsistencies in the case have bred numerous conspiracy theories, including the involvement of the CIA and the idea that Sirhan - who claims not to remember the shooting and pleaded insanity at his trial - was a "Manchurian Candidate" assassin who was hypnotically programmed to kill the senator.

Audio recording

Now Van Praag has added new weight to the 'two shooters' theory. He reanalysed the only audio recording of the shooting, which was made by an independent journalist, Stanislaw Pruszynski. "At the time Pruszynski was not even aware that his recorder was still on," said Van Praag.

The recording quality is poor, but it is possible to make out 13 shots over the course of just over 5 seconds, before what Van Praag describes as "blood-curdling screams" obscure the sound. That is more than the eight rounds that Sirhan's cheap Iver Johnson Cadet 55 revolver carried.

Also, there are two pairs of double shots that occurred so close together it is inconceivable that Sirhan could have fired them all. The third and fourth shots and the seventh and eighth were separated by 122 and 149 milliseconds respectively. In tests, a trained firearms expert firing under ideal conditions could only manage 366 milliseconds between shots using the same weapon. And he was not being pinned to a table at the time.

Frequency anomalies

Lastly, five of the shots - 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 in the sequence - were found to have odd acoustic characteristics when specific frequencies were analysed separately. Van Praag thinks this is because they came from a different gun pointing away from Pruszynski's microphone.

To recreate this he recorded the sounds made by firing the Iver Johnson and another revolver, a Harrington and Richardson 922. At least one member of Kennedy's entourage was carrying this weapon when the killing happened. In the acoustic tests it produced the same frequency anomalies Van Praag had seen in the original recording but only when fired away from the microphone.

He presented his results on Thursday at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting in Washington DC.

Paul Schrade, a close associate of Kennedy's who was director of the United Auto Workers union, was at the senator's side in the pantry and was shot in the head. He told the meeting that America lost an outstanding leader and potentially great president that day.

Lost hope

"I think we were in a position of really changing this country," he said. "What we lost was a real hope and possibility of having a better country and having better relations around the world."

He wants to see the case reopened and properly investigated. "We're going to go ahead and do our best to find out who the second gunman was and that's going to take a lot of work," he said.

Van Praag also wants the case reexamined. "We would hope that the evidence that we have uncovered ... would make a strong enough case to get serious consideration once again by the authorities," he said.

© Guardian News and Media Limited 2008

King's Last Fight...

Where Do We Go from Here?

http://www.slepton.com/slepton/article3.pl?id=1599&page=1

Prison Is Big Business In The U.S....

Lock In Some Dollars With Corrections Corp Of America
http://seekingalpha.com/article/68782-lock-in-some-dollars-with-corrections-corp-of-america

King James As King Kong...

If you've ever seen photos of LeBron James away from the basketball court, it's obvious he takes great pride in his appearance.

In fact, he's widely considered one of the best-dressed guys in the NBA -- perhaps even in all of sports. LeBron's mentor is Jay-Z, the rapper-turned-mogul who dropped throwbacks for Armani suits years ago.

Vogue

LeBron making the cover is a good thing. But the pose, not so much.

LeBron's image clearly means a lot to him, maybe even as much as pursuing a championship. And that's why I can't understand why he would allow Vogue to feature him with supermodel Gisele Bundchen in such a distasteful manner.

In case you haven't seen the cover, LeBron has Gisele in one hand and a basketball in the other. LeBron is dressed in basketball gear, with his muscles flexing, tattoos showing and bared teeth. Gisele, on the other hand, is wearing a gorgeous slim-fitting dress, and smiling.

She looks like she's on her way to something fashionable and exciting. He looks like he's on his way to a pickup game for serial killers.

Now, maybe the point was to show the contrast between brawn and beauty, masculinity versus femininity, strength versus grace. But Vogue's quest to highlight the differences between superstar athletes and supermodels only successfully reinforces the animalistic stereotypes frequently associated with black athletes.

A black athlete being reduced to a savage is, sadly, nothing new. But this cover gave you the double-bonus of having LeBron and Gisele strike poses that others in the blogosphere have noted draw a striking resemblance to the racially charged image of King Kong enveloping his very fair-skinned lady love interest.

LeBron is just the third male ever to appear on Vogue's cover, but it's hard to believe Vogue would have made Brett Favre, Steve Nash or even David Beckham strike his best beast pose. And even if Vogue had, it wouldn't carry the same racial undertones as having a fear-inducing black man paired with a dainty damsel.

Too often, black athletes are presented as angry, overly aggressive and overly sexual. Or sometimes, they're just plain emasculated.

The examples of this are endless. The 2002 Sports Illustrated cover that featured Charles Barkley chained like a slave. Ricky Williams wearing a wedding dress on an ESPN The Magazine cover in 1999. And while it didn't appear in a magazine, the Terrell Owens-Nicolette Sheridan intimate-encounter tease for "Monday Night Football" gave viewers a sexualized image of a black man.

In fact, the shirtless black male athlete cover is pretty much a staple, reinforcing the idea that black athletes were blessed with physical characteristics, not mental ones.

"Society has become more civilized, more humane over 150 years or so, and that's all fine and good," said Dr. John Hoberman, a University of Texas professor and author of the controversial book "Darwin's Athletes: How Sports Has Damaged Black America and Preserved the Myth of Race." "But what happens to these fundamentally racist ideas over a period of time? Do they simply disappear?"

Having studied the images of black athletes for years, Hoberman contends that the images of black athletes presented today are no better than the ones offered centuries ago. And if it matters to you, Hoberman is white.

AllPosters.com

See any similarities with the Vogue cover above?

"One of the 19th-century themes was the savage versus the civilized," Hoberman said. "The practice of stripping black males above the waist and displaying him is as American as apple pie."

But we don't even have to dip back to the 19th century to see how images of black athletes have affected how we think and thus how we view sports. In 1994, Jack Nicklaus said there weren't more African-Americans in golf because "blacks have different muscles that react in different ways."

And that backward thinking isn't limited to whites, either. Former ESPN NFL analyst Michael Irvin channeled his inner Jimmy the Greek when attempting to explain Tony Romo's abilities. Irvin surmised that Romo was good because his "great, great, great, great grandma pulled one of them studs up outta the barn [and said], 'Come here for a second.'"

It's like Barack Obama said in his much-talked about speech on race Tuesday. We know so little about one another. Even scarier, we know even less about the fallout of racist history.

"It's a great, great issue that Vogue has made trivial," Hoberman said. "It's exploitative. It's going for the primitive, racial emotion as opposed to something tasteful and edifying."

Vogue deserves criticism, but more blame should go to LeBron and other black athletes, who need to exercise stricter control of their images. If LeBron is brave enough to wear a Yankees cap at an Indians playoff game, picking up a history book and educating himself shouldn't cause a strain.

This isn't to say Vogue's cover deserves to be in the same category as Golfweek magazine, which featured a noose on its front during the Kelly Tilghman-Tiger Woods flap. But as always, it's important to question who was in the room when the cover decisions were made.

As it is, LeBron was the first African-American male to grace Vogue's cover. Too bad it will be memorable for the wrong reasons.

Jemele Hill can be reached at jemeleespn@gmail.com.