Seven-Year Old Child Thinks His KKK Halloween Costume Was 'Cool'

Racism is a taught behavior. The sad thing is that it is still being taught in America. Case in point? A young 7-year old child wore the white sheets and hooded mask of the Ku Klux Klan as he went trick or treating on Halloween night in Craigsville, Virginia. The young child thinks it was "cool" to wear the uniform of a racist terrorist group. You can listen to the child and his mother in the following news report:



What do you think? We all understood that “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line" ... but, does it have to be the problem of the 21st century as well?

GOP Carpetbagger Artur Davis Considers Bid for Virginia State Senate

Artur Davis is truly a lost soul. In 2008 he was a Democratic congressman from Alabama who fully supported the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama. Davis tried to parlay his political publicity at the time into a campaign to become the governor of Alabama. He was beaten in the Democratic primary. That pissed him off ... so he decided to switch parties and move to Virginia. As a Virginia republican he became one of the few African Americans to support the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney.

It seems that Davis is now lost and confused. He must not have the will to hold down a job in the private sector. Instead he is exploring another run for political office. This time he wants to be a Republican in either the Virginia state legislature or a republican candidate for congress from some community in Virginia. He currently lives in a heavily-Democratic district ... so he is willing to move his family to another district that is gerrymandered in favor of Republicans.

Isn't that the description of a Civil War carpetbagger? Artur Davis has not shown himself to be a good politician. He is simply a publicity-whore and I can't believe that the voters of Virginia would reward his carpetbagging ways. What is your take on the Artur Davis story?

OURstory: Slave Rebellions and Nat Turner (1800-1831)

Soulclap to Ori-Piankhi for pointing us to PBS story on Nat Turner and his 1831 slave revolt:

Nat Turner was born on October 2, 1800, in Southampton County, Virginia, the week before Gabriel Prosser was hanged. While still a young child, Nat was overheard describing events that had happened before he was born. This, along with his keen intelligence, and other signs marked him in the eyes of his people as a prophet "intended for some great purpose." A deeply religious man, he "therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped [him]self in mystery, devoting [his] time to fasting and praying."

In 1821, Turner ran away from his overseer, returning after thirty days because of a vision in which the Spirit had told him to "return to the service of my earthly master."

The next year, following the death of his master, Samuel Turner, Nat was sold to Thomas Moore. Three years later, Nat Turner had another vision. He saw lights in the sky and prayed to find out what they meant. Then "... while laboring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on the corn, as though it were dew from heaven, and I communicated it to many, both white and Black, in the neighborhood; and then I found on the leaves in the woods hieroglyphic characters and numbers, with the forms of men in different attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the figures I had seen before in the heavens."

On May 12, 1828, Turner had his third vision: "I heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first... And by signs in the heavens that it would make known to me when I should commence the great work, and until the first sign appeared I should conceal it from the knowledge of men; and on the appearance of the sign... I should arise and prepare myself and slay my enemies with their own weapons."

At the beginning of the year 1830, Turner was moved to the home of Joseph Travis, the new husband of Thomas Moore's widow. His official owner was Putnum Moore, still a young child. Turner described Travis as a kind master, against whom he had no complaints.

Then, in February, 1831, there was an eclipse of the sun. Turner took this to be the sign he had been promised and confided his plan to the four men he trusted the most, Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam. They decided to hold the insurrection on the 4th of July and began planning a strategy. However, they had to postpone action because Turner became ill.

On August 13, there was an atmospheric disturbance in which the sun appeared bluish-green. This was the final sign, and a week later, on August 21, Turner and six of his men met in the woods to eat a dinner and make their plans. At 2:00 that morning, they set out to the Travis household, where they killed the entire family as they lay sleeping. They continued on, from house to house, killing all of the white people they encountered. Turner's force eventually consisted of more than 40 slaves, most on horseback.

By about mid-day on August 22, Turner decided to march toward Jerusalem, the closest town. By then word of the rebellion had gotten out to the whites; confronted by a group of militia, the rebels scattered, and Turner's force became disorganized. After spending the night near some slave cabins, Turner and his men attempted to attack another house, but were repulsed. Several of the rebels were captured. The remaining force then met the state and federal troops in final skirmish, in which one slave was killed and many escaped, including Turner.

Nat Turner hid in several different places near the Travis farm, but on October 30 was discovered and captured. His "Confession," dictated to physician Thomas R. Gray, was taken while he was imprisoned in the County Jail. On November 5, Nat Turner was tried in the Southampton County Court and sentenced to execution. He was hanged, and then skinned, on November 11.

In total, the state executed 55 people, banished many more, and acquitted a few. The state reimbursed the slaveholders for their slaves. But in the hysterical climate that followed the rebellion, close to 200 black people, many of whom had nothing to do with the rebellion, were murdered by white mobs. In addition, slaves as far away as North Carolina were accused of having a connection with the insurrection, and were subsequently tried and executed.

The state legislature of Virginia considered abolishing slavery, but in a close vote decided to retain slavery and to support a repressive policy against black people, slave and free.

The story of Nat Turner isn't told in our public school system. Sometimes the impression is given that Black people approved of being enslaved because they were given food, shelter and such. Of course, that is nonsense. There were many slave rebellions ... Nobody wants to be enslaved. Nat Turner is proof.

America's Finest: Gabby Douglas

My lasting memories of the 2012 London Olympics include gold medalist Gabby Douglas. There were other members of Team USA women's gymnastics team who went into the process hoping to become the toast of the town ... but, Gabby Douglas had other plans. Gabby earned herself 2 gold medals, in the individual all-around and team competitions, and now she is back in America.

They love her in her hometown of Virginia Beach, VA. In fact, a huge mural in her honor has already been created.

They love her in her adopted hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, where she lived with a host family while training for the Olympics. I understand that Oprah Winfrey will interview Gabby about her family's decision to let her train away from home, her mother's support and her experiences in London. That interview will air on Oprah's Next Chapter on Sunday, August 26 at 8:30pm.

They love her in Hollywood. Gabby will join First Lady Michelle Obama later tonight as guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Let's be honest ... all of America loves this 16-year old 4'11" dynamo! You go Gabby!

Still Waiting on Taser Reports to Show Police Officer R.L. Wray Killed 17-Year Old Derrick Jones

Derrick Jones is a 17-year old Black youth killed by police tasers in January 2009. He was fooling around with his white buddies on that day. His buddies were arrested. He was killed. The taser was deployed as Jones came out of the kitchen and “moved rapidly toward” Martinsville police officer R.L. Wray “in an offensive stance,” according to a police account of the incident.

The penalty for goofing around or being "in an offensive stance" should not be death. The facts seem clear to villagers that read this blog. Not so clear to the powers that be in Virginia.

“We’re still waiting on reports” from various sources, including the medical examiner, said Botetourt County Commonwealth’s Attorney Joel Branscom.

After Martinsville Commonwealth’s Attorney Joan Ziglar excused herself from the investigation, Branscom was asked to review findings of the investigation that is being handled by special agents in the Bureau of Criminal Investigations office of the Virginia State Police in Salem.

Branscom does not know when results of various tests may be completed.

Tasers are electronic devices that are considered to be nonlethal law enforcement tools used for compliance. Yet, Derrick Jones is one of 19 people killed in America by taser-wielding police officers so far this year.

How long will we allow these extra-judicial electrocutions to take place in America? Isn't it time to have congressional hearings on taser torture?