No Justice. No PEACE.

"An Eye For An Eye Makes The Whole World Blind" ~M. Gandhi

I'd like to think we, the occupants of the United States of America, we, the citizens and tax payers of this great country have a fair and thorough judicial system, a criminal justice system without personal prejudices but in truth and scary reality, we really don't. 

The state of Georgia's court system killed a man last night by lethal injection without having any hard evidence that he actually committed the crime that he was being accused of committing. Troy Anthony Davis, was executed last night. He is dead. He can’t get his life back and all they had on him is hearsay about said crime. This man was in prison for twenty years and maintained his innocence. Nine witnesses confessed twenty years ago that he killed a police officer and seven of the nine have since recanted their initial confession due to reasons that they were coerced by police and some stated that they were scared of the police.

I’m confused. Initially, I can't blame the Georgia courts. You are tried by your PEERS. Initially, I blame the jurors, who should have come out sooner. Who knew right from wrong. They knew his life, his blood rested in their hands. They were in the position to decide his fate.

First of all, I thought you had to be found guilty BEYOND a reasonable doubt. Meaning you as a juror have to be one hundred plus percent certain that the person accused of committing said crime is in fact guilty "beyond any reasonable doubt" possible. There cannot be a fraction of doubt in your head that he/she may be innocent. Secondly, I thought that there had to be substantial evidence to meet some standard of proof for you to even receive the death penalty? I guess not! Our criminal justice system is severely and systematically flawed.

Now, I have issues with the higher courts, because after the Pope, Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu and a host of others have said, WAIT! This is an injustice! They followed through with the execution anyway. I feel the courts should have reconsidered his case, reconsidered the death penalty and had him serve life in prison, especially if there are no hard facts and there is no hardcore evidence to support a death penalty verdict and now you have 7 wishy-washy witnesses recanting their initial statements. 

I was actually a supporter of the Death Penalty until this very moment. I wrote this for a paper once, “I consider myself a feminist and Feminist Virtue Ethics are based on care and in some acts retribution could be enough if the person can come to understand the crime they committed and the rights and wrongs of moral acts. These people can be rehabilitated enough to function in society without a relapse or can just spend the rest of their lives in prison. I am not a vengeful person, however, when I think about some things that happen around us (heinous, gruesome, sick crimes) I sometimes can’t help but think that such people are here just taking up space, they are sick and cannot be rehabilitated and in such instances, the death penalty should apply."

Please know that I am not advocating for Davis or saying he was innocent. Only he knows the truth. I’m merely asking, did we really have enough proof, substantial evidence or just cause as a collective whole, to take A life??? Think about it...

God Bless.

~A2

My $0.09 worth!

Cam Newton to start for Panthers: I have mixed feelings about this but what's the alternative? NADA! Clausen sucks!! I hope this kid is able to develop somehow though and hold his own in the league.

Other news: Jim Tressel takes a position as a "sitting/help" coach for the Colts: So you take down a Big Ten Football Program and go find a job in the pros...gotta love America!!! lol

Thuggin' On The NFL Payroll

On Tuesday, I got up and going into my normal routine, I checked my phone, looked at my Facebook and Twitter only to find the Twitter feeds blowing up about Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, James Harrison dogging out the NFL commissioner and some teammates including his quarterback. I turn to SportsCenter to listen and what he said, though out of line, didn’t bother me. A lot of NFL athletes hate Commissioner Roger Goodell, just like a lot of NBA athletes despise Commissioner David Stern. As far as I’m concerned both Goodell and Stern know that comes with the territory. I, myself kind of dislike them both very much at times and may not agree with some of their tactics but I would never come out publicly and make such crude, unprofessional, ill advised comments but still so no sweat off my back; it’s Harrison’s career and Harrison’s life…until I saw the August 2011 Men’s Journal Cover that Harrison posed for…and WTH??

Ok, you ranting and calling the commish a devil and a crook and stating if he was on fire, you would not urinate on him is one thing; you posing on a national magazine cover titled “Confessions of an NFL Hitman” with a FN Five-Seven pistol in one hand and a Smith & Wesson 460V revolver in the other is another ball game . Do these dudes know that there are kids that look up to them?? I said the same thing about Gilbert Arenas keeping guns at his work place and pulling them on a colleague. Who does that as a joke? It’s not funny or cute! And then to further show your lack of judgment and care you make a gun gesture into the camera!

I understand that it’s a parents job to parent and a lot of these guys don’t really care or see the influence they have on the youth that follow their sport, music or persona; but in a country where there is a growing amount of lost young men, looking for an out or to belong or are in need of a role model, and you are considered a “public figure” whether you like it or not, whether you take it seriously or not, this “for me” is an issue- a serious issue that’s growing out of control.

After reading some of the article, I felt that Harrison is one of those athletes who feels he has something to prove. A real, live, explosive thug on an NFL payroll and his main focus is to take dudes out of the game, permanently or not! I really don’t think he cares or would be fazed if he crippled a dude or broke a neck where the dude could never play again, that doesn’t seem to register with him. He clearly wants to be known as a badass and that’s what he’s being treated as and now he has a problem with it? I don't get it. So why should I expect him to care if a magazine cover that portrays and utilizes him promoting violence to sell issues can play a relevant role in today’s youth psyche?? I probably shouldn't!!!

Personally, I’m disturbed! It sickens me that he can't see the damage of his actions or words for that matter and I hope that once this lockout is over, that he gets dealt with by his “owner” and the commish. Though sad to admit, the one thing we have been learning through these guys lately is they clearly can’t see past themselves and what’s around them to take responsibility for their own actions let alone consider the ramifications of the actions of anyone else around them or not. It is who they are and that's a character flaw that has been embodied in them since the beginning. No one told them it was wrong then, no one questioned their character along the way, and no one now can effectively make them understand that this is just not what you do.

To check out some of the The August 2011 Men's Journal article on James Harrison go to: http://www.mensjournal.com/jamesharrison or http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22475988/30611573 and tell me how you feel about this cover or his statements.

~A2

Field of Drama

When I watched the MLB All Star Game and looked at Prince Fielder, without even thinking twice, I thought about Cecil Fielder. I don’t watch baseball too often and really don’t like watching it on TV but I will watch an All Star Game now and then. I do enjoy the game at the park and preferably not in a box. I like being amidst all the action, seeing that baseball is so slow. Being from Detroit, I remember Cecil. Cecil Fielder spent 7 years in Detroit playing with the Tigers. I attended some of those Tigers games and when watching him in action I would always chuckle when he had a designated runner. I didn’t understand the game of baseball and thought that for him to have a designated runner was kind of cheating. I joked about it all the time. Although Cecil was great at his positions as First Baseman and Designated Hitter, it appears that his off-spring, Prince Fielder, is said to be an even better player.

Cecil hit 245 homeruns and had an RBI of 758 in his 7 years with the Tigers and had a total of 319 homeruns and 1008 RBI’s with a .255 steady batting average in his 17 year career. His son, Prince Fielder, a First Baseman, has been in the league for 7 years playing for the Milwaukee Brewers and currently has 214 total homeruns, a 608 RBI and a batting average of .281 in his 7 year run with the Brewers. One would think that this is a beautiful thing; father and son sharing the passion of the American dream and sport, but not so much. It truly hurt me to have a friend tell me that Cecil and Prince were estranged…so I dug in to figure out why??...

Well, it seems that 1) Cecil and Prince have had issues since Cecil divorced Prince’s mom, Stacy. Stacy brought the kids into the drama of her and Cecil’s relationship and the kids of course took sides. Both Cecil and his wife were very frivolous with their spending and Cecil’s fortune dwindled. 2) Cecil has a gambling problem and gambled Prince’s signing bonus. And 3) each has their own story and Prince clearly has no respect for his father who by the way drug his son to practices and thought him the game.

So who’s right here?? The National League defeated the American League 5-1 and Prince was named the MVP of the 2011 All Star Game and his father was nowhere in sight. Is it me? Or is this absurd? So your father gambled your money…so what! I can see if you couldn’t make it back or didn’t have any more. Clearly both parents were dysfunctional and Prince is a byproduct of that dysfunction. You have kids dude…set an example and get over it! Life is short. If it weren’t for Cecil Fielder, would there even be a Prince Fielder?? This is so sad.

~A2

Ain’t No Sunshine When He’s Gone…

Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone, it’s not warm when he’s away, ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone, and he’s always gone too long anytime he goes away….Bill Withers sang this classic about a woman that left him or somebody…I’m citing it because Tiger Woods has left us, again! Tiger, who has never missed a US Open had missed this year’s tournament. Tiger, is also about to miss his own tournament, The AT&T National due to knee and Achilles injuries and has folks questioning whether or not he’ll even be ready for The British Open which is around the corner, is still struggling emotionally and physically. But Tiger hasn’t been Tiger since November 2009 when his personal issues hit the media. So everyone wants to talk about this young kid, Rory Mcllroy that won The US Open. Golf is not an easy sport. It’s more of the chess compared to the checkers of sports but give me a break folks; let this kid make his own mark- his own name. I really don’t care for the comparisons- there’s only one Michael Jordan, one Muhammad Ali (I never saw Sugar Ray Robinson), one Joe Montana, one Babe Ruth (old footage), one Roger Federer, and only ONE Tiger Woods!!

I did try and watch the 2011 US Open but for me, a Tiger fan, it was bland and seemed more like a US Closed. People look to see what Tiger is doing on the links, they look forward to those amazing swings, good or bad, and it’s just no fun to watch without him. So if I felt that way, how many others out there felt the same? It’s a trickling effect because without Tiger the ratings drop and the advertisers can’t reach their max consumer potential. Tiger can make or break a tournament, even now. So Tiger is very much needed in the game for fan viewership and revenue potential.

Say what you want, but Tiger Woods is a brand and even with all his baggage, bad games and injuries, he is still the highest grossing athlete in sports worldwide, grossing an estimated $75 million between May 2010 and May 2011 and I know why…everyone wants to be Tiger Woods! Grown men imitate him, kids try to be him and women have been introduced to the game because of him. It’s because of Tiger that I started watching and “attempting” to play golf. I have always been a fan of the Nike brand but I probably wouldn’t own a TW hat; a Frank, his driver cover (I call mine Frankie) and a Nike golf rain suit that I will probably never wear in my life because I just can’t see myself golfing in the rain if it weren’t for Tiger Woods, and not to mention my Tiger Wii game that I do play regularly. Tiger SELLS! Tiger has marketability and Tiger is taking it to the bank. Even if Tiger is retired, his name is so well branded, that he will continue to go to the bank with no problems.

But what about my “Tigger”?? The man I enjoy watching make those complicated swings look too easy until I attempt them, lol? Where has he gone? Is he ever coming back in full force??? Or have his sexcapades drained his game? Personally I want Tiger to get his old game back. Go get a bunch of broads and get his swing back, literally! Am I wrong? No! I can care less about his personal life, that’s HIS business. I just want to see him play again at his full potential and I will continue to keep my hopes up that that Tiger Woods eventually returns to quiet all this mad chatter at least so I can catch him once up close and in person to witness the game of the man that has made me a fan of the game of Golf.

~A2

A King After His Own Ego

There’s nothing that will turn someone like me and some people off quick than a person with an inflated ego. No, not confidence but straight up ego. There’s a big difference between one exuding confidence and one ego tripping and it’s just not sexy! As I watched LeBron and heard his comments post the Dallas Championship, I thought he was overtly arrogant and rude in his responses. As I listened to him over and over state that people can now go back to their seemingly menial lives and that he’s going to basically do what he’s been doing, living his larger than large life, a huge part of me was disappointed and disgruntled at the arrogance oozing out of him through my TV. It wasn’t what he said, it was HOW he said it that bothered me. It took me to another player, whose arrogance and demeanor literally makes me nauseous now, Kobe Bryant. Don’t get me wrong, both are incredibly talented on the court and great athletes but is the inflated ego necessary? Some have argued that Michael Jordan had an ego that was out of this world but the kicker is I never felt his ego. Maybe I was too young to pay that much attention but MJ never made me stop and question his demeanor.

I know that some women don’t care for Kobe because of the Colorado incident. I’m not that chick. I can’t for the life of me understand why a woman would go to a man’s hotel room that she has no rapport or relationship with--what exactly are you looking for to happen? I was on Mike Tyson’s side and I was on Kobe’s side there as well. I honestly get offended when women scream rape due to bs. Yes, no means no, but maybe the woman should have said no, “NO, I don’t know you to be coming to your room”, how about that? And before you ladies get your Vickie’s in a bunch let me say that I take the rape issue quite seriously, so don’t go screaming it if it didn’t really happen in the form of a rape and diminish and make a mockery of the seriousness of an issue happening to girls and women everywhere. But the thing that just irks me about Kobe is the arrogance that he exudes through the TV in such a high, sickening dose. When I say I get nauseous, I literally get nauseous at the sight of him. It’s such a turn-off. Though I’ve never liked Kobe due to his arrogance and the fact I don’t particularly care for West Coast teams anyway only added to my dislike, I started feeling the nausea thing after a 2008 playoff game where he said to a reporter and I quote, “I can turn it on anytime I want” with such cockiness that made me want to puke. Kobe actually couldn’t “turn it on” for the remainder of the series and Boston won the 2008 Finals. Ego gets you nowhere.

I reiterate, hands down I think Kobe and LeBron are great athletes and I won’t take that from them but can we tone down the ego guys? Though I haven’t been a Kobe fan, I have been a fan of LeBron’s since the first time I saw him play. However, when a friend tagged me on a YouTube video of LeBron disrespecting a Chicago Bulls ball boy (www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjXQCT47EAc), I was pissed but eventually I let it go due to his immaturity. When he made a spectacle of “The Decision”, again, I let it go to immaturity and this time, I gave him a pass and said he’s building the hype, but when his latest comments translated so cold and superior on TV, they just broke this camelette’s back.

Maybe that’s what these guys want? Maybe they’ve been so coddled and told they were the best thing since slice bread for so long that they really think they ARE kings and ARE superior.
As long as I live, I will never forget the t-shirt that Dwayne Wade wore after LeBron made The Decision to go to Miami; I will NEVER, EVER forget that shirt! It was a bold statement that read “D-WADE County”- referring to Miami’s Dade County. Clearly Dwayne was sending a message to everyone coming into his territory, like a dog marking his area. That image will forever be embedded in my and many heads probably forever. What was he subliminally saying, "Yo, this is my world and you're just a squirrel trying to get a ring? He was ego tripping on himself and then to go and say that he, LeBron and Bosh are the 3 best players to have EVER played the game… come on son, seriously? How do you fix your top lip to meet with your bottom lip to even utter crap like that?? Do you live on Earth or are you and your buddies that far detached? These guys are so beyond themselves that they can’t even begin to comprehend the stuff they say or do on and off the court…filter anyone?

So at what point do we stop making excuses for such deficiencies in character? Clearly, Miami as a whole, LeBron, nor the coach were ready for a win at this time. Dallas was the better team that outplayed and outsmarted them. Is it fair to take your frustrations out on the fans that support you or have supported you because you may be emotional or upset at the outcome or maybe upset with the attacks of those who were hurt by you? Again, it’s not what you do but how you go about doing it that sets the tone. This is what you signed up for you know, it all comes with the territory LJ and DW. Maybe like one of my friends pointed out, LeBron not going to college to develop his game is catching up to him and he was a dear in headlights, frustrated, angry that he came so close and couldn’t close the deal. Maybe these guys feel so scrutinized for every little thing by the media and by the fans that stuff just flies out of their mouth without proper thought? Whatever it may be, I feel that the ego is running the show.

To my Dallas peeps, I’m an East Coast fan but I do congratulate you for a well played series and a well deserved win. As for my Miami peeps, it just wasn’t in the cards this year…maybe next year…


Side note: When I think of ego or someone “ego-tripping”, I think you must be greater than great, larger than life, a higher being, to be damn near untouchable, flat out supernatural; which brings me to think of a poem by one of my favorite authors: “Ego-Tripping” by Nikki Giovanni…if you can’t move mountains or part a sea, you shouldn’t be a man or king after your own ego…enjoy peeps!

Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)

I was born in the congo
I walked to the fertile crescent and built
the sphinx
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
that only glows every one hundred years falls
into the center giving divine perfect light
I am bad

I sat on the throne
drinking nectar with allah
I got hot and sent an ice age to europe
to cool my thirst
My oldest daughter is nefertiti
the tears from my birth pains
created the nile
I am a beautiful woman

I gazed on the forest and burned
out the sahara desert
with a packet of goat's meat
and a change of clothes
I crossed it in two hours
I am a gazelle so swift
so swift you can't catch me

For a birthday present when he was three
I gave my son hannibal an elephant
He gave me rome for mother's day
My strength flows ever on

My son noah built new/ark and
I stood proudly at the helm
as we sailed on a soft summer day
I turned myself into myself and was
jesus
men intone my loving name
All praises All praises
I am the one who would save

I sowed diamonds in my back yard
My bowels deliver uranium
the filings from my fingernails are
semi-precious jewels
On a trip north
I caught a cold and blew
My nose giving oil to the arab world
I am so hip even my errors are correct
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off
the earth as I went
The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
across three continents

I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission

I mean...I...can fly
like a bird in the sky...


And only now can you Ego-Trip…
~A2

M.I.A. in Dallas

I had already heard the talk about the larger than life kid athlete who was still in high school but I didn’t become intrigued until I spotted a few folks with these green and gold, seemingly pewter jerseys while I was at a Pistons game one night; on the front- IRISH 23, on the back- JAMES 23. What in the world? Who wears high-school jerseys? This kid was making noise, LOUD noise, in my neighboring state of Ohio and the noise carried over…nationwide. As my curiosity grew, I researched his stats, I asked my sport fiend friends and everyone about him, everyone knew this kid was something special. I wanted to see for myself and my boyfriend at the time worked with athletes, so he got us two tickets to witness history- The 2003 McDonald’s All-American Game held at Gund arena in Cleveland, OH.

The first time I saw LeBron James I was in awe. This wasn’t a kid, he was huge, very muscular and had the body and face of a grown man, he seemed like an old soul, yet reality was he was a kid and only 18 years old. He walked towards where I was sitting and dapped the man sitting directly in front of me, they shared a few words and he went back to his shoot around. I was in the second row; the man in front of me was Jay Z! I looked at my boyfriend and said, “How does he know Jay Z already?” Clearly, I was floored and the game hadn’t even started yet.

As I watched the game progress, I was impressed by his strength, dominance, athleticism, demeanor and control. There was a certain power about him, you literally felt it while watching, it was nothing short of amazing. I cheered and although there was so much talent on that court that day and there were many young guys playing their hearts out at that game like Michigan State’s Shannon Brown (Lakers), and Wake Forest’s Chris Paul (Hornets), I was focused on LeBron James, though I did make some shouts about Andrew Lavender who I thought was a hustler of a point guard but he never saw the lights of the NBA. LeBron ended the game with 27 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds and was chosen as the MVP of the game. Out of the 24 young men that played in that 2003 McDonald’s All-American game, 13 are currently in the NBA.

LeBron James elected to skip college and take his talents to the NBA, and I witnessed why. As he entered the draft the speculations were wild, will he be able to handle the pressure of the NBA? Will he fizzle out and be an ok player? Or will he be a force to be reckoned with and became the talent that a lot of folks felt he could be? He entered the 2003 NBA Draft, which personally for me, was one of the most exciting drafts ever. He was selected as the number 1 draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers over Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, yes, they were all in that draft together, how about that! LeBron didn’t just go and become a dominant force in the NBA, he became an enforcer of the game. He gave Cleveland 7 years of his hard work and dedication averaging 28 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, but after a heart wrenching 7th season and failing to achieve his goal of a championship in the 2010 playoffs, he decided to recolate his talents to South Beach. I watched LeBron check out of the 2010 Playoffs last year and heard a rumor stating that he had some personal issues that he was dealing with at that time. Regardless of what it was, I understood his stance, I may not agree in the process he chose or the way he handled it but I understood he wanted a championship and that he felt he gave Cleveland all he could and wanted a change.

LeBron went to Miami with one intention, to seek and facilitate a championship not a change in scenery. Miami struggled in the beginning of the 2010-2011 season and had people questioning whether this coming together was a good idea but eventually Miami meshed together and started playing serious ball. Miami finished the regular season 2nd (58-24) in the East behind number 1 Chicago (62-20) and above number 3 Boston (56-26). They dominated and ran over everyone in the 2011 Playoffs including Chicago and my favorite, Boston. They got their wish and made it to the 2011 NBA Finals and……….well, since he dazzled us with 24 points and 5 assists in game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks, LeBron has been Missing In Action. King James feeds off of the energy of “The Game” and The Finals has been a great series. The games have been engaging and energetic and yet, King James is M.I.A. and of all places in Dallas!
So where is LeBron? What’s really going on with him? Will he return in Miami tomorrow or just make an appearance? Has he completely checked out again? I had a conspiracy theory that the Godfather of the NBA, David Stern, wants a 7 games series. So I thought that maybe he asked LeBron to fall back, there are politics in sports folks, big time and there’s big money involved but the Mavs are now 1 game away from the championship and I just don’t think that King James will get this far just to watch it slip or throw it all away but how do we explain his scoring slump?? He scored 20 points in game 2, 17 points in game 3, 8 WHOLE POINTS in game 4 and 17 again in game 5, giving the Mavs a 3-2 lead in The Finals. What’s going on here?

LeBron James IS NOT an oh-be-why Kobe Bryant type of player. LeBron James is a consistent player and doesn’t have off or bad days. LeBron James is a force…until maybe he gets to the playoffs…hmmm??? Is he going through another “personal” issue or is the pressure so high that the King is choking? How can this be? Maybe he feels the weight is now on his shoulders. Maybe the promises he made about winning multiple championships in Miami (back to back) is getting to him. Maybe he feels this was too easy, there has to be a catch. Maybe he’s just simply afraid…afraid of not repeating what has seemed to come to quick and easy, with great young teams lurking in the shadows such as Chicago, New York and Oklahoma City. Maybe there are just too many thoughts going through his head and this has him discombobulated. Whatever it is and wherever you are LeBron, it’s now or……….

To check out some of the action from LeBron James 2003 McDonald's All-American game go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmjtL-UXajI

~A2