I haven’t had a good rant in awhile. Last year I went off on people who thought it was their mission to tell me about myself and what I should blog about. In response, I wrote Totally Gratuitous, Self-centered, Blowing-Off-Steam-On-A-Friday Post. It’s time for another one.
I turn off commenting at night because that’s when trolls do their worst damage. I usually get the errant and bored adolescent boy or someone itching to tell me off. Sometimes I don’t mind being told off, but unless the person is very skilled with words and clever in hiding intent, those posts don’t make it.
I thought twice before deleting the comments below. The first is typical of what I get from very opinionated black women or teenage girls. My guess is that this commenter is in her late teens to early 20s:
Taminka Jenkins: I would like to say that i googled and came to this site. i am totally offended by MRS. Barber’s comments ( i assume u are married).Gurl did the massa pay you to put down your own race so effectively?Since i see this is a conservative site i will assume you are another hypocritical repub…with that being said the only thing i have to say in regards to your judgemental opinion of a fellow human being is … MURDER AND A LIE ARE BOTH EQUAL IN GOD’S EYE…….if you have ever told lie which im quite sure you have you are no better than Mr.Nichols or any other person who does a heinous crime………
From what I gather, Taminka is angry because I called Brian Nichols a murdering rapist thug. I made a judgment, calling a thing what it is. She insinuates that as a Christian, I’m not supposed to judge fellow human beings. That’s always a tip-off that the writer doesn’t read the Bible with regularity. On the other, she makes a judgment, admonishing me for judging murderer Brian Nichols. But her assessment of me is good, and my assessment of Nichols is bad.
I’ve gotten several e-mails like this from blacks. Nichols gets a complete pass, but I, someone merely writing about the murderer, gets the angry rebuke. In Taminka’s opinion, I’m doing my “massa’s” bidding. By expressing my opinion. E-mails similar to this comment don’t get a response unless I’m in a sarcastic mood.
Taminka arrived on my blog through a search on Brian Nichols. I’ve gotten a lot of visitors looking for information on Nichols, but as far as I know, she’s the first to comment. I call such Googlers drive-by commenters. They land on my site, read that one post and decide I’m a Republican Negress doing Massa’s bidding, all the while preachifying to me about judging people.
This next commenter is more clever. But for the name-calling, the comment might be passable:
Mac Diva: Aiding and abetting the racists and sexists of the blogosphere as usual, eh, La Shawn? (Why aren’t I surprised?) Where is your entry referring to the white man who killed seven people during church services in Wisconsin? And, why is there no mention of the two armed male law enforcement personnel who were apparently killed by Brian Nichols in your attack on the female guard for being a woman? If two armed men were no match for him, why would an unarmed person of either gender be? I’ll answer these questions. The omissions are present because the truth does not serve your role as Uncle Tom to the blogosphere’s far Right. Nichols appears to be a serial killer, but he is no worst than others of his ilk. Your pandering to racism and misogyny proves you have no ethics.
Black liberals love going off on me! If I mention any evil-doing by a black person, I must offer a similar example of a white evil-doer, or else I hate blacks, including myself.
If you’ve never heard of Mac Diva, I’ll give you the short version. “She” is apparently a black woman who goes around the blogosphere calling white bloggers racists if they say anything critical of blacks. And I mean anything. Her fellow liberals have banned her, but she pops up again with a new alias. The ones I know of so far are JadeGold, Guy Cabot, Truth Teller, and I believe at one point she was using Akefa, an anagram for “A fake.” Her writing style is distinct, so only someone classified as an imbecile wouldn’t know it was the same person. She also uses a proxy changer of some sort, so if you ban her current IP, she returns under a different one.
I hadn’t heard much from or about her lately. She’s either toned it down or trolling under a new alias. My first encounter with this person was through a typical “Uncle Tom” comment left on my old blog. To my dismay, she’s still around and still calling me an “Uncle Tom” who’s “pandering to racism and misogyny.” I am unethical, says someone commenting on blogs under fake names and popping up again even after she’s banned. And because I care about the public’s safety and don’t want anyone, man or woman, to be overpowered and killed by a murderous thug, I am a woman-hater.
I posted these two comments just to give you an idea of the kind of people on my back. Black liberals seem to think blacks are playing into “massa’s” hands when they criticize blacks, especially black thugs. We are no longer bound with physical chains, but mental bondage is alive and well. They think they’re entitled to say whatever they want to and about me, a fellow black, but I’m supposed to clam up and/or spend my days admonishing you racist whites.
I guess this really isn’t a rant. The little anger I had has since dissipated. The act of writing tends to do that. You know what? Regardless of what I’m called or who trolls my blog, I’m going to keep writing. 
Update: A conservative blogger who’s also been harrassed by Mac Diva suspects that she is also “Taminka Jenkins.”
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 58 comments }
I support what you are doing and saying 110%. Keep doing what you are doing. Not to turn this into a discussion on theology (
), but you are so right to point out when people say “Don’t judge” they have no clue what the scriptures say regarding that at what the responsibility of a “true” Christian really is.
To stay on topic, your responsibility is to tell the truth and you are doing a very good job of it.
For those who have ears, let them hear.
(Thanks)
Well I sure like reading LBC. It resonates with me and my readers.
Keep on “telling it” like it is. The truth will set you free.
We need more people like you.
Ms. Barber, what is happening to you is symptomatic of what happens to anyone who opposes an entrenched ideology. Palestinians who want peace with Israel are murdered in the streets as traitors for doing the same thing you are doing. You are a voice of sanity that is sorely needed in the US today. Looking at the decline of the MSM, I’m glad to see people on the forefront of the next media wave have a more reasoned point of view. These attacks on you, and bloggers in general, as a “conservative white male” surrogate are simple race baiting, as I’ve written about on my http://www.nextleav.blogspot.com site. I have to be honest, and admit that I haven’t published any of my more controversial pieces on race on my main political blog, http://www.leavworld.blogspot.com. You give me courage not to be ashamed to be called a racist when expressing an opinion informed by facts or personal experience. I have a comic art blog, http://www.leavart.blogspot.com, where I am going to post an awesome piece of art that says: I’M A REPUBLICAN, NOT A RACIST! Though I’ve emailed it to a few friends in the past, I wasn’t sure I would ever post it. I know this sounds like a pitch for readers on my websites, but look at them yourself, and decide if they’re worth posting. You are one of my favorite writers since I first read you on the JWR website. I’m new to blogging, and hope you like what I’m doing, too.
Keep on keepin’ on La Shawn… this kind of behavior is proof positive that you’re effective…
I usually refrain from commenting on your site because I usually agree with everything you say. Perhaps I should comment just to let you know there are plenty of people who support you.
Keep up the brave work.
You’re an Uncle Tom? Hmm. I had the distinct idea that you were more of an Aunt Jemima (kidding La Shawn) I love you. My theory is that once someone has effectively categorized themselves into belonging to a group, in this case black females, anyone thinking outside group mentality has to be a race traitor or group traitor. It doesn’t work that way. In fact, as the Big Guy, God, gave us each free will, he gave us the will not to move with the crowd and to express ourselves. La Shawn, you express yourself exquisitely. I am proud to share the blogosphere with you, and proud to share an alma mater with you! Trudge on, my friend.
I really disagreed with a couple of post of yours LaShawn (Chris Rock issue). And you fired me up. But I don’t hate you. I respect how opinionated you are (I’m a sucker for opinionated black women). I may get upset at what you may say sometimes but I’ll defend you to the end on your right to say it.
LaShawn, we have had are differences before, both from our respective perspectives on Christian faith, and our perspectives on race. I understand why you would be critical for the knee jerk reactionism of the first post, but the second post seemed to raise valid points or at least rational points for discussion….
Was your frusteration with her because you have dealt with her before, or is your frusteration with her because of the nature of her post.
My personal perspective on Mr. Nichols is that he is a murderer and should be liquified ASAP. There is never any excuse for what he did whether he was white black or other.
But individuals who critique your use of THUG which is primarily an urban black idiomatic expression for individuals who live an urban gangster lifestyle, in my opinion have some validity.
Do weu call the murdering Al Quada individuals thugs, as Mac Diva alluded to, the church slayer a thug, do we refer to the world com ceo as a thug? If not we fall dangerously close into slight of hand hypocrisy, where on one hand from many of the perspectives on this board race categorization and evaluation is wrong and yet we seem to fall into this same trap by categorizing through idiomatic expression a term that is commonly and well know to be used to identify young black urban gangsters, which this man was not even close to being.
I am not criticizing, nor ever have anyones right to post there opinions and philosophy, this is what makes America great. In this particular blog, I agree with 80% of many peoples perspectives on conservativism…
But one always has to be aware of the danger of considering their personal perspective as perfect…alliteration not intended…without recognizing that in many ways we all have myopic tendencies…
Anyone who defends the likes of Mac Diva is no friend of mine. Perhaps the name-calling had something to do with why I can’t fully appreciate her profound post. You think? Whatever. People can say whatever they want to me however they want to say it. But me? Totally different (and higher) standard. I’m honored to be consider so far above the peons. Really.
I suggest you go back through the months you’ve missed, HiRez, and you’ll see where I always refer to Islamofacists as thugs. You people are more sensitive about the word “thug” THAN THE ACTIONS OF THE THUGS THEMSELVES!
Unbelievable.
This is symptomatic of the hypocrisy I am talking about…
Posted by the guy advertising his blog…CHRIS LEVIT…
“Ms. Barber, what is happening to you is symptomatic of what happens to anyone who opposes an entrenched ideology.”
Could being a conservative be an entrenched ideology?
“Palestinians who want peace with Israel are murdered in the streets as traitors for doing the same thing you are doing.”
As are Israeli’s who oppose the persecution of Palestinians…
What occurs if we reframe…and say…CONSERVATIVES are slain in Republican Circles for saying publicly they believe in reperations (Alan Keyes) or that they strongly believe in Affirmative Action (Colin Powell)…
“(these attacks) As a “conservative white male†surrogate are simple race baiting,”
The biggest logical fallacy in argumentation I have seen EVER by people who want to minimize or chastising dialogue and discussion on race is this one…either some is “playing the race card” or they are “race baiting”…which is every much an ad hominem attack on the person presenting the discussion as if the argument is invalidated as illogical because the person presenting it is using it for what you deam as a perverse purpose…
And this further illustrates my disgust with partisan politics and ideological crusaders…maybe I will go back to being an independent…
Speaking as someone who is not and has never been a member of any political party, I think that’s a good idea. And about this:
This is symptomatic of the hypocrisy I am talking about…Could being a conservative be an entrenched ideology?
This is man’s condition, HiRez. You’re not above it and I’m not above it. Whatever you want to call it, you have an entrenched ideology, too, and if you say you don’t you’re being disingenuous. The important point is what is true, not how many ways we can attack labels.
LaShawn:
From your E-mail:
“if you have ever told lie which im quite sure you have you are no better than Mr.Nichols or any other person who does a heinous crime???” from your E-Mail of Taminka Jenksins.
So now lying is at the same level as murder, Then how come Clinton isn’t in jail.
All this hate from the party of compassion, understanding and group hugs. It seems to me and according to Taminka and the Diva, I am the enemy, but here goes anyway.
I see these attacks on Blacks, who choose a different direction to achieve their goals,rather than the standard , “I am a victim democrat” therefore I must be moved to the head of the class, as their standard line. So much for the pro-choice party .
In words, you choose not to be led but rather to lead and achieve your goals the old fashioned way , you want to work for them..
This is not the democrat way, the democrat way is power to the elite of their party , the kennedys, the kerrys and now, of late, the clintons and if you work with them, i.e., they will throw a bone to anyone they think is deserving. They claim to be the party of the poor and the disadvantaged but they do NOTHING to change the situation that created the plight in the first, they can’t because they are the ones who created this mess and if they fix it then their will be no need for them.
They cry about the Education system(not enough money) and welfare and they want to increase the minimum wage, all for the benefit of the aformentioned ‘Poor and disadvantaged’ but they send their kids to private school,G-d forbid they give set-up a voucher system for families that need them for a decent Education, they have all the money they need, and are in no way disadvantaged,
But when You try to succeed on your own without their help, then you are admonished, discredited and slammed for not following their direction.
This is the same thing that they have done to Secretary of State Rice, and Powell,(we all know the General’s record) amazing isn’t it she has a Resume, and I have read it, that would embarassment all of them , a skater, an accomplished Pianist, she speaks many languages, but because she chose to do it on her own terms without the help of Jesse Jackson, or any other bleeding-heart, she is admonished and criticized for her accomplishments and it has gone beyond that, with the disgusting political cartoons, from holier than thou ‘white libreals’ .
The bottom line here I think is the Liberals are loosing control of ‘Blacks’ in America and this scares them to death. The Blacks as I see it have been following the democrat line for all these years and nothing changes, as promised by the elites, but the same old situation.
Nichols is from a middle-class family, he is not disadvantaged , of course this is never mentioned.
His parents certainly chose a different direction but again this is not mentioned.
He also shot a Black deputy and killed another Black deputy again this is not made clear. Taminka or the Diva do NOT point this out,(and would rather go with the theme the he is a Black Man therefore, he is a Victim), but relate to a story that happened the day Nichols was captured and it was covered on the networks but did not get the same weight becasue it did not happen in a Courthouse.
Mark
You’re site is an oasis of sanity and clarity on the WWW. Thank you.
La Shawn. Once again you hit the nail on the head! If I may expand on your theme……
Who are the most inconsistant, logically impaired folks today? LIBERALS. And (get ready) what SEX makes up the majority of libs? Women! (there, I said it!) And I’m not singling out black women, Although as a blonde, blue eyed “cracker” most black women I meet today are less than friendly at first meeting. No, my issue is with “American women” in general.
If you would really like to see an “ugly American” just go overseas to any tourist destination today. You will quickly find many drunk, loud, and promiscuous American women.
If you probe their world-view you will quickly note their arrogance. American women are “Liberated!” The rest of the women in the world are “old fashioned” or even ignorant! Their right to behave like males sexually SHALL NOT be questioned. If it is the questionor shall be attacked and branded sexist! People in the rest of the world don’t like that. If you need to look down on others for your self esteem so be it, but soon those “others” will begin to resent it. This is the real Ugly American.
Of course I’m not condemning all American women. Many showed enough wisdom to ignore all the propaganda and help elect our President. That showed real character! But if we want to begin to correct the dammage the left has inflicted upon our country, we must begin with our women. They have been sold a bill of goods for over two decades. It’s time they got a refund.
I expect the usual responses to a comment like this. “You are threatened by modern women” and the like. To me, this is all part of the drill. I have nothing against female sexuality. My issue is with the people who use it as a tool of manipulation.
Let’s not even get on women
…
I can go for “Day” on that topic
(I agree pajamazon)…LOL
I meant “days” (and I do mean days)
Lashawn…this was a rhetorical question – This is symptomatic of the hypocrisy I am talking about…Could being a conservative be an entrenched ideology?
“This is man’s condition, HiRez. You’re not above it and I’m not above it. Whatever you want to call it, you have an entrenched ideology, too, and if you say you don’t you’re being disingenuous. The important point is what is true, not how many ways we can attack labels.”
You are making my point LaShawn…what is true…we all come from a perspective, an incomplete perspective in which (outside of realms of faith) we all must admit to the fact that there is a very real possibility that we might be wrong and bound by the limitations of that perspective…that is the definition of humility in the bible, the considering of God as the only one who truly has all the facts and therefore it is only through and by his Word can we be dogmatic…
But when it comes to personal opinion and political perspective we have to cede the fact that WE ARE MYOPIC…therefore those who believe in humility work towards making the best decision in light of incomplete perspectives through real discussion, argumentation and soul searching…
And those who aren’t humble but arrogant, polarize perspectives, pigeonhole and create straw man arguments of others opinions, and cop out intellectually by misappropriately labeling individuals…
HiRez, you use so many words but say so little. None of what you write is a revelation or new information, but it’s a clever way of criticizing those with solid opinions and who choose to call a thing what it is. People who do so, like me, are not ceding the truth of what we ourselves are. We can know we are vile sinners and call out other sinners at the same time. What you do is typical of people who like to go round and round in circles while pointing out the flaws in someone’s argumentation, never stopping to consider whether their argument is closer to the truth than the other guy’s. No one is claiming to be God, and it is not necessary to point that out. Being dogmatic has absolutely nothing to do with it. Facts can be discerned and judgments will be made, at least on this blog.
La Shawn, I confess that I didn’t read all of the comments, but it seems to me that while “Taminka” correctly recalled the most famous verse known by non-Christians, she apparently doesn’t know another famous one, well-known by Christians: “Judgment begins with the House of God.” I Peter 4:17.
And yes, thank God He was good enough to give us language
Now “thug” is a racist term? I need someone to keep me up on this, lest my thoughts be incorrect.
Ms. Barber
First time post, long time reader of your blog and loving it.
I agree with you I use the word “THUG” when someone action is consistent with the meaning of the word and I don’t care what they look like.
HiRez sort of makes my point.
LaShawn,
How dare you “dis” the brother by calling him a thug. You should have kept it to “alleged murdering” “alleged raping” sadistic madman an you’d of been ok.
Dave, “Nice Touch”
Dave you are funny
Is it “alleged” or “allegen” ?
A man who rapes a woman, then tries to hide a potential weapon(metal strip) in his pant leg on the way to court, can be rightly called a thug.
It’s the behavior, not the race(duh), that earns one this label.
I admit it, I just don’t get how this label could be considered a racist comment, unless the person who thinks it is in reality the racist themselves.
It’s only a racist term when a white person, or someone who doesn’t tow the party line uses it (almost similar to the “N” word these days.
If used in a rap song or by “someone in the know” (whatever that is)… it’s perfectly ok.
“HiRez, you use so many words but say so little. None of what you write is a revelation or new information, but it’s a clever way of criticizing those with solid opinions and who choose to call a thing what it is. People who do so, like me, are not ceding the truth of what we ourselves are. We can know we are vile sinners and call out other sinners at the same time. What you do is typical of people who like to go round and round in circles while pointing out the flaws in someone’s argumentation, never stopping to consider whether their argument is closer to the truth than the other guy’s. No one is claiming to be God, and it is not necessary to point that out. Being dogmatic has absolutely nothing to do with it. Facts can be discerned and judgments will be made, at least on this blog. ”
No Lashawn…I am being polite because it is your blog and as you put it you are the “queen” and therefore tend to avoid truly discussing your statements in rational way an instead imperialistically hide behind statements of “STRONG OPINION”…
That is why you intentionally avoided directly addressing Ms Diva’s critique…and instead pointed to her “behavior” ala proxy switching, and banning ad hominem slight of hand…
And you know why you can do it…because you are the queen…it is your site…you can do what you want…and I respect that, and therefore I don’t challenge you directly on issues and statements you make that I feel are unfair or incomplete, but instead approach it from larger philosophical stand points…
OR SHOULD I JUST SAY
Like so many other folks on this site…
Right on sister, you are a breath of fresh air, an oasis of sanity in a desert of the insane hahaha…
Oh…and to the rest of you…
I never said THUG was racist terminology, I addressed its usage and what it alluded to in a social context…
Big difference…
“larger philosophical stand points…”
The philosophy of HiRez…
how refreshing!!
Aaahh, I always need my shot of relativism for the day.
Whatever, HiRez. Mac Diva doesn’t offer a critique. She’s outright attacking me. If a year-and-a-half worth of posts don’t address her “critique,” I’m certainly not wasting my time today.
That Nichols is a murdering thug seems to be a given…Everyone in the courtroom witnessed it. Heck, it’s one of the few things I do agree with you on. I don’t know about rapist cause I haven’t seen any of the evidence from that part.
Pardon me: Brian Nichols, the murdering thug and alleged rapist.
What a big difference that makes.
I feel so much better now that you corrected yourself La Shawn (making puking motion)
Ahhhh
Reading through all of this, I can only say ‘Lord have mercy!’ Keep on keeping on, LaShawn. Our folks really do need that ‘rock in the shoe’.
LaShawn: I’m at least an 88 on the whiteness scale and a few years past 60. I love your work and words most of the time and especially when you rant. Please don’t let the trolls wear you down.
HiRez Comment:
You guys remember when the mention of a “thug” brought to mind an Italian gangster during the 1920s with a tommy gun executing mob hits? I wonder if law abiding Italians in those days got offended when those guys were called thugs?
It is very important to understand the context in which a word is used especially when it has several meanings. I know that LaShawn meant “thug” as in lawbreaker who uses violence in the course of commiting crimes, not “thugged out” music industry created, gangster wannabes in hip-hop. Let me give you an example, Brian Nichols, thug (widely accepted definition), Ja Rule, pretend music industry thug (urban slang). Even worse than the music industry created “thug” is the “thug” created by the music from the music industry created “thug”…but, I digress. HiRez, do you see the difference? The urban slang term may be the most accepted definition in your social circles, but not society as a whole. Remember, most of America still refers to much of hip-hop as “gangsta rap”, the term “gangsta rap” hasn’t been used in the hip-hop community since NWA and Easy E back in the 80s.
Being that I live in Atlanta a little more than a mile from the courthouse, I wanted that desperate, violent, THUG killed or captured, period. He IS a lawbreaker that uses violence in the commission of crimes. Let’s make sure that we have not lost our grasp on reality when it comes to facts.
Mac Diva Comment:
Maybe LaShawn didn’t bring up the shootings in Wisconsin, but those shootings also weren’t plastered all over the TV every minute for 36 hours straight. Where are the complaints about the even handedness of the news coverage? And I am not a big “media bias” person, but where is the outrage on Ms. “Mac Diva’s” part for the TV broadcasts not giving that story equal time?
People do not have to be even handed in their opinions. An opinion, although it may contain facts, is not a statement of fact and is NOT required to be even handed! If you disagree, state your case, but don’t attack someone personally for having an opinion you disagree with. When I disagree with LaShawn’s position on a given subject, I state the points in her opinion that I disagree with and then allow her to defend her position, I do not start calling her names. Debating the merits of someone’s opinion is far different than a personal attack against the person expressing the opinion.
It sounds like HiRez must have a degree from an American University.
LaShawn, not to be accused of being a cheerleader, (although yours is a worthy cause to cheer) your thought-provoking commentary is a lightening rod to some people, and you are perfectly capable of countering logic when it is offered. In the case of these comments, I give you the same advice I give my children: The only thing crazier than a crazy person, is a person who argues with one. As Jane Austen wrote: “I will not dignify you with rational opposition.” Yours is the appropriate response. Overall, I only have one complaint. I need more advanced notice when you are on TV. I hate that I missed your last MSNBC appearance!
Thanks, Kathy. There are links to the videos in the post “LB Returns to MSNBC.”
LaShawn,
I’m still thinking that Bill Cosby’s legacy was groped by Jesse Jackson’s legacy. Love this stuff!
Onward . . .
–T
LaShawn, keep up the good work and be wary of Mac Diva and her tiny loony posse. They are very sick people.
best wishes.
La Shawn, I’m sorry I missed your appearance on TV. I’m sure you did fine.
In reading blogs that allow comments it seems to me that many people who see their political philosophy losing out are so angry they are irrational and are trying to incite angry reactions by bloggers who disagree with them. In spite of the high-toned rhetoric by HiRez, notice the anger revealed at the end of the last of those loonngg comments. My heart goes out to these people in a way. The MSM lulled them into believing they had the most popular, enlightened political positions but the voters repudiated them. All of that self-congratulation went down the drain. Now instead of offering solid criticism they call names and mock conservatives–a method sure to drive people away rather than persuade anyone. This will guarantee that their influence will decrease even more and they will become even angrier. I predict that things will get worse before they get better.
Conservatives who complain about the obvious liberal tilt of the MSM might reflect on how this causes them to fully develop their arguments and deal maturely with criticism.
Good work, La Shawn, you truly are a breath of fresh air.
LaShawn, I am a huge fan of yours! You are a rarity in today’s society and your perspective is very refreshing!
I think the problem is that if you have a strong liberal viewpoint or even a strong conservative viewpoint, you will tend to read a site with views in opposition to your own through a warped perspective. (i.e., if you are a staunch liberal, you will read LaShawn Barber’s website with a predetermined conclusion already drawn and will be ready to sharpen your talons in any comments that you leave.) That’s just what it is. It’s all about perspective. I consciously force myself to objectively read criteria from blogs even if the viewpoints are opposite of my own… but it is very difficult. Often times, not much real thought or knowledge is behind the personal opinions on some blogs (not yours) and you just want to pounce. (However, unlike the nasty comments you have received, I try to keep my comments full of facts and information to back them up… not full of nastiness and offensiveness that leaves me looking like a fool more than the person I am rebutting.) Your posts are always full of knowledge, information, and truth to back them up. You tell it like it is. I can see why it peeves liberals but who cares? You know your posts are brutally honest and they reflect your opinions. No need to be politically correct… this is your blog that you pay for. Thanks for keeping up the great work! You will always draw attention from those who do not want you to have a voice… but freedom of speech is for everyone… including those who go against the grain and preach it!
Keep on preachin’!
You people obsessed with whether his girlfriend is lying about the rape are sick!!! Let’s pretend the rape accusation is a lie. We KNOW he killed at least four people!!! Relativism and the inability to perceive EVIL and call it by its name have warped your brains!!!
Too right, LB.
to the earlier poster, asking if lies and murder are on the same level, why isn’t former President Clinton in jail (and I will add, a large portion of Congress)?
It’s not that the moral relativists have elevated lies to the level of murder… they’ve downgraded murder to be the equal of a lie.
Whether Nichols is a rapist or not is moot in the context of his thugery and murder. We know, beyond doubt, that he has kidnapped, robbed and murdered all in a few days.
And for the folks that are harping on Nichols color and LB’s coverage of the story (and I mean this to include a few like a certain hate-blogger that devotes to much time to La Shawn’s writings)… how do you explain the sheer amount of space spent discussing Scott Peterson and Terry Schaivo’s SOB of a husband?
High five to Janna!!
Some people (regardless of politcal persuasion) take commenting and or blogging WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY to seriously. If you find that you want to physically harm someone (or just wished you could…LOL) behind a comment on a blog, then you need to back away from the computer for a while.
Hello,
I’m a first time poster here, and this excerpt from HiRez’s first post struck me:
“But individuals who critique your use of THUG which is primarily an urban black idiomatic expression for individuals who live an urban gangster lifestyle, in my opinion have some validity.”
I think a review of the dictionary definition of the word, “thug” is appropriate, because it reveals that the use of the term is scarcely racist OR an urban idiomatic. The American Heritage Dictionary tells us that “thug” means, “a cutthroat or ruffian; a hoodlum”. The term originated from the “Thugs,” who were assassin petitioners of the goddess Kali in India.
Someone who coldly murders four people in a courthouse, then holds another human being hostage for twenty-four hours is scarcely an upstanding individual: the term “thug”, in my opinion, may be applied accurately to Brian Nichols.
Moreover, the fact that Nichols responded to the proceedings attempting to prove his guilt or uphold his (legally presumed) innocence by murdering the judge and three others could lead people to think that perhaps he really is guilty of the original charge.
Facts are facts. Moral equivalency is a weak argument, especially when there are so many witnesses to the reality of his actions: he committed murder. He’s a thug by definition.
“Do we call the murdering Al Quada individuals thugs, as Mac Diva alluded to, the church slayer a thug, do we refer to the world com ceo as a thug?”
This commenter appears to have almost no contact with terra firma, morally speaking. The terrorists certainly ARE thugs, as LaShawn has often said. The church slayer wasn’t technically a thug– he was a good citizen and neighbour, not in the habit of raping and shooting and stealing as a lifestyle. He snapped and went nuts, and that is a mentally ill person, responsible nonetheless for his actions but not a “thug” in the street-criminal sense of the word.
The world com CEO hasn’t, to my knowledge, raped or killed or shot ANYBODY!! His crimes were nonviolent. A different paradigm.
oh, and btw, the “thug” word was originally the name of a cult in India (the Thuggees) which was famous for its brutality. It became the normative word for anyone who has violent antisocial habits, and mainly those who worked at a low level of organized crime and carried out the violent assignments. (perhaps the ‘cult’ of the Mafia was the inspiration for the redefining of that word.) At any rate, the hiphop culture is very late to the party in their commandeering of that word. I’m 44 years old, and I remember not so long ago when thug simply meant violent criminal. Most people who use the word today (who are not themselves either young black people or those in the music/movie/media business who make a living selling the word to young black people) are using it in its previous sense. And as fast as culture moves, it will soon revert entirely to that previous sense, as the youth culture will drop it and pick up something different.
La Shawn
You are right…he is a THUG, besides alot other things.
The left is running into a “pejorative crisis,” as their pet aspersions are being challenged–instead of the expected recoil they are supposed to cause.
Robert Byrd’s “nazi” anaolgy is case in point. Instead of the republicans cowering in the corner of the ring, they came out swinging–along with the Anti-Defamation League(it was a good day for them)Byrd practically wet himself(or at least had an excuse for the mundane)
Now we get to this “thug” bit; a phrase reserved for 1st person declarations in gangsta rap, and white-collar criminals in newsprint.
Actually, ‘thug’ gets applied to any protester not in line with the left.
So why, when this Brian Nichols, heaps to himself the very embodiment of a Tupac Shakur lyric sheet, should we exclude the word “thug,” when it is the identifying moniker?
I relinquish the remainder of my time to the distinguished moonbats from wherever.
-T
Dear La Shawn,
WOW! There were zero comments posted when I wrote mine! Now there are over 50! It looks like I got HiRez’ panties in a buch almost as much as you do! Thanks for defending my right to my own ideology. I hope you don’t mind if I post a few of the comments on NEXTLEAV. Yeah, I don’t want HR’s comments on my LEAVWORLD blog, but I still want to post it somewhere to show how differently, and to my mind, illogically, some people think.
Meanwhile, you keep calling ‘em as you see ‘em. I agreed with everything you said in your post and comments, and now I’m going back to read more.
Have a great day, from Chris
La Shawn, the more I read your stuff, the more I like you.
Am I able to say that, or do I have to go leave positive comments on some white person’s blog now to even things out?
Renee,
now if only whenever someone in the military is accused of war crimes, or when a cop is accused of police brutality, we could get the MSM to use the word “alleged”. Then what a wonderful world we would live in!
HiRez, maybe LaShaw didn’t argue her points because MacDiva didn’t make any. The only point was that the guy was able to kill two armed male guards besides the lone female guard. Which means nothing because by then he was already on the run, two different situations. Unless MacDiva is arguing that men accused of rape should be tied up and rolled in ala Hannibal Lecter?
Besides that, you can’t go around answering every ridiculous thing everyone says, that does not mean you are “avoiding” anything. Most of the time the people I see criticizing this site (and elsewhere) are using red herrings or straw men, both of which SHOULD be ignored in order to stay on the subject in hand.
Besides, I did not see LaShawn going on about the suspect’s “blackness” she posted a picture, and he happens to be black. so what? The point is, why does that make certain liberals so angry? Why do they automatically turn around and say “oh yeah, what about that white guy that killed someone”
And for that matter, why whenever this happens, do people like you attack LaShawn and other conservatives, but never the MacDivas posting ridiculous arguments?
Also whenever I see stuff like this I think of how Jesus never answered the Pharisees or Sagusees questions. He always turned them around or said something more important?
Why, because he knew they were just trying to trap him in legalistic doublespeak, or set him up (straw men), or argue about something not important and not the real issue (red herrings).
I bet his enemies said the same thing “he never answers the questions! He just turns them around!”
He knew how to deal with disengenuous people.
I just wanted to encourage you to keep doing what you are doing, girl.
I am an American whose heritage is Puerto Rican. I served and still serve my country in the military and in the government.
I have a conservative viewpoint that is diametrically opposed to the Latinos/Hispanics and Blacks and White liberals I have day to day contact and relationships with. I empathize with you and what you struggle with, concerning the ignorance of the ignorant. Unfortunately for those who are predisposed to think via thier emotional mentality, logic and reason is as alien to them as truth and objectivity.
People like MacDiva and Tamika Jenkins live in a morally relativistic atmosphere, oblivious to reality. It is so sad, because I was just the same way until I came to myself and realized my Father had better at His house than what my proclivities could have (as they drove me into moral and mental bankruptcy).
You keep telling the truth and continue being a light in the midst of this darkness that surrounds us. Keep it tight and keep it right!
Jesus Rules, yo!!!!
I have never blogged and stumbled upon this website during a google search. My comments are to Dave, who suggests that the killer in Wisconsin was not a thug-because he was productive in society and just “snapped.” The last I checked many of the terrorist-as well as Brian Nichols-had productive lives and contributed to society too. Therefore, based on your definition, they should not be seen as thugs-but merely as people who “snapped” as well.
Dear LaShawn,
These liberals are so sad. I teach in an inner-city high school in Long Beach, CA (Snoop Dogg’s school and we are referred to as “the LBC” obviously copied from your blog)
MacDiva and Tamika Jenkins ought to come visit “the LBC” and see the consequences of their politics. We have people murdered, in broad daylight, on the way home from school, in front of a police substation. By the way, MacDiva and Tamika Jenkins, they are all minority young people.
Your political party is the party of protecting the rights of “rapists and thugs.” LaShawn’s politics protects the law abiding, freedom loving people of all races. LaShawn doesn’t excuse rape and murder because of some “racial solidarity.” She believes in right and wrong for ALL people.
MacDiva and Tamika Jenkins, you just keep on. You will perpetuate the deaths of thousands more of your own. Perhaps you will be the last ones to figure out that there is more to life than race. That there is more to reason than racial slurs.
Sad, so sad.
JoeS
LBC
Comments on this entry are closed.