Volume 5 Issue 15…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…April 19, 2002

A friend asked my perspective on The Wall Street Journal article by Juan Williams-- "Slavery Isn't the Issue." Expectorating half-truths, stereotypes and moralistic sound bytes, Williams is an apologist for those opposed to reparations for slavery. His flat earth logic obfuscates to minimize the just claim slave descendants have against the US government. Williams and those of his ilk ignore history to make points whites want made. Therefore, they are outside mainstream black thought on reparations. That being the case, I will state exactly what slave descendants today prosecute as their case.

The growing interest in reparations reflects a new psychology and technology developed by Dot M. Smith (1981) called the "chasm analysis." Although, our claims originated with slavery, our case is built around institutionalized racism in the US today. American racism is a systemic residual of the Great Compromise of Article 1 Section 2 of the United States Constitution. As law of the land, the US Constitution established the value of human capital as whites = 1 and blacks = 3/5. That equation became the base values of America's economy. Never having been repealed, no action by the federal government has changed this equation, including the Civil War, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments.

In 1997, Yohannes Sharriff Smith wrote UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan requesting assistance in bringing the US before the International Court of Justice at The Hague for violating slave descendants' human rights. Massacres, such as Greenwood, OK (1921) and Rosewood, FL (1923), and thousands of murders, lynchings, and terrorist acts against blacks illustrated in James Allen's book Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photograph in America prove US genocide.

The UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) (8-31/9-8-01) recognized slave descendants in the Diaspora as victims of racism. Smith's "chasm analysis" scientifically documents disparities between American blacks relative to whites as a direct result of the law (3/5 Compromise). It identified the stable income gap along the interval of .5 to .65, mirroring Article 1 Section 2 of the US Constitution. The relative 2/5 income residual or wealth historically accrues to whites. Consequently, Smith's work established unequivocally that the 3/5 Compromise or slavery created the wealth of this nation and still controls for outcomes in its marketplace for goods and services.

Intelligent blacks dismiss the flat earth logic espoused by people like Juan Williams, Condoleezza Rice, Clarence Thomas and most black preachers as efforts to make blacks appear stupid for even talking about reparations. Without question, Dot M. Smith's "chasm analysis" identifies how constitutional law maintains racism in America. Moreover, her analysis provides a scientific means of measuring existing levels of racism. But most importantly, "chasm analysis" is an effective paradigm for equitably compensating victims of institutionalized racism in America!

As at WCAR, Israelis will come to recognize about Palestinians what America will eventually realize about slave descendants, and that is, neither will accept anything less than self-determination and reparations. John 2002

The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro is a good guy. On his birthday (4-16), he was treated to a visit to the toy store. He chose two toys for himself and one for his little brother. Asked to explain, he stated, "Well on TyChi's birthday, he gets two toys, and I can have one."

by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

What lies behind a face?

What truth is hidden beneath the mask?

We walk through the world

with a protected guise.

We never allow others

to see beyond our outer shells.

We desperately want to share our souls!

But to bring them inside

would risk pain,

a pain that just might shatter our world.

So, in each expression,

we hide a wealth of emotion.

Our sadness is hidden in a wrinkled smile.

A farmer and Methodist preacher, my great-grandfather, the Circuit Rider, Burl Lee taught a lesson on bearing fruit. He said, "If you use good seeds, work the ground well, plant only the best, monitor growth conditions and respond accordingly, the harvest will be abundant. It is better to cultivate one field with good seeds, than to broadcast ten and hope for the best." His logic guides renewed interest and demand for self-determination and reparations in the Diaspora today.

Picking up the challenge of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X), slave descendants developed a case against American genocide and requested UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's assistance in pressing our case before the International Court of Justice at the Hague. El Hajj also facilitated bonds between slave descendants in America and the Muslim world. Those bonds were strengthened at the UN World Conference Against Racism (WCAR).

For the first time, the Diaspora stood together against racism and Zionism. They demanded compensation for victims of both. Gaining recognition at WCAR, slave descendants and Muslims must now make their case at the World Court. At The Hague, slave descendants and Palestinians will be able to present evidence of genocide. Current claims of Israeli war atrocities against civilians and police murders of blacks in America can be adjudicated. Israel and America have sown seeds of woe, death and destruction, and for the fruits of their harvests, they must pay reparations! El Hajj taught us that at the International Court of Justice our just claims become legal and economic matters. John 2002

Historically, as blacks develop a competitive edge or increase their skill level, whites become concerned about the prospect of black domination. Their interest turns from just winning, as America loves winners, to a heretofore nonexistent need for greater competition and emphasis on particular skills. They redesign courses and/or restructure rules to favor less skilled white players. Examples of this duplicity abound.

For instance, during the 1950s when Willie Mays pounded pitchers and threatened to break Ted Williams' single season batting average, National League managers agreed to walk Willie until his bat cooled off. Typically, fans remember, the basketball world teamed up to play defense on Lou Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) by outlawing the "slam dunk" and widening the free throw lanes. Whites felt the black player's height and jumping ability gave Jabbar and other blacks an unfair advantage.

After Tiger won two green jackets, managers of the Masters Golf Tournament felt the pressure of Tiger's prowess. The Masters, golf's most prestigious contest waged in the bastion of elitism and segregation, has now been Tiger-proofed. Like the conspiratorial collusion that prevented Willie Mays from overtaking Williams' record or the rules that hamstrung Jabbar, whining whites redesigned the Augusta National golf course with hopes of netting Tiger Woods to prevent his feasting on greens and azaleas. When Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus dominated the Masters, no one dared suggest changing anything, let alone equalizing opportunities for other golfers. Back then, it was all about talent, skill, intelligence, and handling the pressure. Now, those running the Masters are concerned about the accuracy of drives for those who do not drive the ball like Tiger.

Asked about "Tiger-proofing," flicking his tail and licking his paws, Woods dismissed it all saying, "I believe the changes were meant to test all areas of a golfer's skills. So, everyone has to elevate their game." On Sunday, the field faded fast in the wake of a tamed Tiger Woods on the prowl. With ease, Tiger took the Masters' trophy, winning his third green jacket, with a 12 under par; so much for Tiger-proofing!

Under Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Supreme Court's civil rights decisions angered Southern conservatives. "Law and order" advocates resented its rulings on personal liberty cases, especially in Escobedo (1964) and Miranda (1966) which limited local police power in extracting confessions from accused persons.

As Warren neared retirement, President Lyndon Johnson tried to replace him with Abe Fortas, but Republicans blocked his appointment, giving Richard M. Nixon a chance to appoint the chief justice. Insisting "the job of the courts is to interpret, not make the law," Nixon chose Warren Burger, a strict constructionist.

When the Senate rejected Nixon's Southern nominees, C. F. Haynsworth and G. H. Carswell, but accepted Harry Blackmun, he vowed, "I shall continue to appoint judges who share my philosophy." Two more vacancies arose; the American Bar Association refused to endorse his first choices. The Senate approved Lewis F. Powell, Jr. and William Rehnquist.

To some extent, Nixon's appointments changed the Court's philosophical bent. They voted together, often joined by Justice Byron White to form a five-man majority, which put new restrictions on the legal rights of criminal defendants, even holding that a jury's unanimous verdict was not necessary for conviction.

In Furman v. Georgia (1972), White departed from Nixon's appointees. Furman asked the Court to rule on four separate arguments: (1) The death penalty was imposed in a discriminatory manner; statistics showed black and poor people died, while middle-class whites hired lawyers to get them off, (2) With no clear criteria for deciding who died, it was arbitrarily imposed, (3) It was not a deterrent, and (4) Society's standards had evolved such that the death penalty, like branding and cutting off hands, is cruel and unusual punishment.

Within three years of ruling that the arbitrary and capriciously applied death penalty was unconstitutional, thirty-five states redesigned their laws. Public-opinion polls showed Americans favored it, disproving the argument that society had evolved. The Court ruled (1975) on death penalty laws in five states and found only North Carolina's unconstitutional. While the Court reversed its stand a year later (1976), no one was put to death until Gary Gilmore (1977) insisted Utah stand him in front of a firing squad. The first involuntary execution occurred in 1979. Since then, more than 700 people have been executed. (Sources: An Incomplete Education, J. Jones and W. Wilson; American History: A Survey, Current, Williams and Freidel)

Because of flaws in its death penalty system, Illinois Governor George Ryan called a moratorium on executions and commissioned a study. Other studies questioned the death penalty, and predictably so does Illinois' study, which was released on Monday (4-15-02).

As long as there is capital punishment, there exists the possibility of wrongful death sentences. The Constitution Project in Washington created a bipartisan death penalty initiative, which consists of supporters and opponents of the death penalty, to reduce the likelihood that innocent people will be put to death.

At www.constitutionproject.org, their list of suggested reforms include: Engaging better lawyers for the poor, requiring prosecutors to turn over all evidence, ending the executions of juveniles and the mentally challenged, providing DNA testing and eliminating legal technicalities that prevent the freeing of innocent inmates. Whether you support or oppose capital punishment, visit the Constitution Project website to learn more about what you can do to fix its problems.

Disgruntled wants to know: Europeans dependent on Middle Eastern oil called on the U.S. to stand down, since it is not an "honest" peace broker. In response, wagging his finger and winking an eye, Bush told Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to pull out of the West Bank! Where is the moral clarity in giving Sharon a bye?

Disgruntled says: Tulsa, OK medical examiner ruled a 15-year-old basketball player who collapsed during a game died of heart disease; he was the second to die in three months from diseases normally associated with old age. Youth obesity, heart disease and diabetes may well be the fruits of a diet rich in hormone grown meat.

Disgruntled feels: Stupidity! In a speech at Texas A&M, Condoleezza Rice told blacks they should support those American "family values" identified in the US Constitution. Ignorantly, she said, "America is a great multiethnic democracy!" Those of average intelligence know America is a republic built on black slavery.

DISHing It Up Hot!

Early in his campaign for president, George Bush promised to use a strict construction of the Constitution litmus test for judicial appointments. On his campaign swing through South Carolina, he voiced support for Confederate heritage, its flag atop the statehouse and unwavering support of "traditional family values." An analysis of his political positions show he supports white supremacy and the human values defined in Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution. His "traditional family values" is code conservative politicians use to telegraph support for America's long-standing tradition of relegating some of its citizens to a second class status.

Enter Arkansas Senator Tim Hutchinson. When Tim "first ran for the Senate in 1996, he styled himself as a conservative, family-values Republican" (NY Times, 4/14/02). A Southern Baptist minister and vocal critic of former President and fellow Arkansan Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky sex scandal, Tim divorced his wife of 29 years and mother of his three sons, shortly thereafter he married a young office staffer. He still claims to support "traditional family-values."

Clearly, conservative Republicans, like Bush and Hutchinson, mean something other than the nucleus family. A retrospective analysis of the economic welfare loss due to recessions and unemployment shows clearly what conservatives mean when using the term "traditional family-values." Defined by the Constitution, traditional family-values refer to the fact that median incomes for black families is defined by law as 3/5 of the median incomes of white families. A politician's pledge to uphold those values is a vow to follow the rule of law and continue black economic slavery. When conservative Republicans talk about "traditional family values," they are telegraphing their support and pledge to the status quo of American institutionalized racism.

A "traditional family-values" man, Bush is rarely seen with his children, precisely because, like Tim, his commitment has nothing to do with the nucleus family.

Mailbox: Email, Faxes and Phone Calls

Email: laactivists@action-mail.org According to an anti-war organization based in America, the US government, Venezuelan reactionaries, the country's wealthy classes and an international pro-US media fomented and carried out the coup against President Hugo Chavez. Teresa Gutierrez of the International Action Center said, "The coup has all the markings of a CIA plot, much like the one carried out against Chilean President Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973. The "so-called strike leading up to the coup was really an action by the wealthy owners of the factories, aided by a corrupt sector of the trade union movement representing only the most privileged oil industry workers."

Media propaganda is blaming pro-Chavez forces for the deaths of demonstrators. Venezuela is the third largest supplier of oil to the US, which is Venezuela's biggest trading partner. The US has grown increasingly irritated with Chavez because of his ties to Fidel Castro of Cuba, and his relations with Libya, Iran and Iraq.

Email www.truthout.com According to a court ruling on Sunday, the Israeli army must hand over to the Palestinians bodies of Palestinians killed in fierce fighting in the northern West Bank refugee camp of Jenin. The Supreme Court ruling stymies Israeli plans announced last week to bury bodies in unmarked graves. The announcement prompted a Palestinian outcry and accusations Israel was trying to cover up the nature and scale of deaths inside the camp. While the Israeli army has estimated the death toll at 100 Palestinians; the Palestinians claim as many as 500 people were murdered.

Email nicholasd108@yahoo.com One of CIA Director George Tenet's most trusted subordinates, Britt Snyder was chosen by the Senate to 'investigate'9-11! Appointment of this former CIA Inspector General is guaranteed to whitewash the events of 9-11. People are risking everything to bring the truth out, and this is what we get. Give us a real investigation. The expose at http://angelfire/lycos.com/retro/malcontentx shows gross negligence by Bush/CIA, if not complicity.

Letter from Old-Age: At 89, I witnessed most of the wars of the 20^th century. Resembling Neville Chamberlain, after performing like George C. Scott in The Flim-Flam Man, Colin Powell was no "Patton" on his return from the Middle East. Most disturbingly, Powell's delay tactics legitimatized Israeli aggression. It justified Ariel Sharon committing human rights violations worse than Slobodan Milosevic committed in Bosnia and Kosovo. Sanctioning Israeli massacres in Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps, George Bush is pursuing America's Indian Treaties playbook in the Middle East. The international community needs to act!

THINC  || 2002 Issues || The DISH