Showing posts with label jena 6. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jena 6. Show all posts

Monday, August 25, 2008

On Not Wanting To Lose The Pen of Jen and Double Nickel Farm

For those of you who do not know it, two of my favorite blogs, Pen of Jen and Double Nickel Farm are about to go down, as explained here, if they have not already. No it is not that they have violated any Internet code, but rather that the wonderful lady who writes them has suddenly and without explanation decided to give up blogging. She does not owe us an explanation as to why she has chosen to do so; but those of us who read her stuff with a passion are concerned for her since it seems an abrupt, if not out of character, decision for her to have made. If her final decision is to discontinue blogging, so be it, and we will miss her; it is Jen's choice. Yet, I am not about to let her leave the Blogosphere all that easily, at least not without making a try at keeping her blogging, and at hopefully getting you to her site to leave similar comments in that you think she should stay with us. She has told me in the past that my replies to her blogs have made her think, so here is something else for Jen to think about:


Dear Jen,

Recently, in your blogs, The Pen of Jen and Double Nickel Farm, you asked us why we blogged. I gave a short, funny, but somewhat telling answer. I said it was because I am a blabber mouth and because I guess that means I am also a 'blabber keyboard'.

While that was my short answer, here is another more well thought out answer:

Besides being a ‘blabber keyboard’ I blog because doing so helps me accomplish many things. First of all I am able to share my knowledge about certain of my interests with others who have like interests. In addition I can often bring newcomers into those fields of interest; for example: new shooters, new hunters, new herp keepers, new voters.

I am also able to learn by way of my blog because sometimes I get very interesting and informative replies to what I have written, or I discover links to new and interesting blogs. Not only do I expand my own horizons by this learning experience, but I have also made many acquaintances because of my blogging, and because of my finding then linking to other blogs. I came across some of the folks, fellow bloggers, quite by happenstance as their interests would normally not have been sought out by me; yet somehow we were drawn together through our blogs when they stumbled across mine and left a comment, or I across theirs and I left a comment. With some of these folks, I believe I have made a bond of friendship even though I have, and likely, will never meet them in the flesh.

I blog too because it is a link to the world and to anyone who has access to a computer and the Internet. This is not so much to showboat myself, though it is partly that I suppose, but sort of to explore places that I will never visit, never get a chance to see. You see I can communicate with the people of the world through my blog. I am often amazed at some of the locations where I have regular readers. It makes me feel good to realize that folks around the world read my stuff, but it also humbles me to think there are so many bloggers out there of which I amount to a mere pixel floating in a huge computer screen.

I also blog because it is a fun hobby, a decent way to pass some time when I am not working, when I am not mending around the house, when I am not out with family. It is some down time by myself during which I am able to express myself as I have never been able before, in front of an audience of like minded individuals, or people who could not disagree with me more, or critics, curiosity seekers and other people who become friends. Surprisingly enough about that last batch, we certainly agree on many things; yet, it is strange how often we find ourselves in almost total disagreement, but we disagree knowing it will not force a wedge between us but only make our bond stronger as we discuss the issues.

So when a blogger friend of mine tells me, and the rest of the world, that she will no longer be blogging; and when she tells us that in a two sentence entry to her blog, almost completely out of the blue, it comes as a shock. It makes me, and all of your other readers, sad to hear you will no longer be keeping in touch with us on the issues as you have been doing. It is with a dismal portending sense of fatalistic realization that we conclude that you have taken, or are about to take, a turn down a road better left un-traveled. We fear that something bad in your life has taken place or is about to happen, no not just something bad, but something drastically so. If not, then why on earth under the heavens would you be giving up something through which you do so much good as your blogs.

Perhaps you have never realized how wonderful are your blogs and the good they do for the rest of us (and probably for you too). Through your words you have spread hope, joy, love of family and friends, spirituality, the word of God for those who choose to believe. You have also given advice, told us recipes, showed us the advantage of a good hard days labor, explained in detail beyond compare the value of love and all it can accomplish despite hardships (you, your husband and family the prime examples).

Furthermore you made a lot of us smile and laugh. There is a witty side of you despite the hardships and toil to survive that you and yours have faced. Not only do we see a sense of humor in your weekly caption contest, but also in things you have written, and in pics of your children. It was nice of you share that with us.

You have made us think - heck you know at least that has been true with me. We have had some pretty intense discussion of issues. If you made us think, that means you made yourself think too. Thinking about oneself, and one’s interests and beliefs, often makes one question herself. You always came up with the same answer on core issues; they were: God, family, country, right over wrong, work hard and live well. You shared that with us.

Furthermore more, throughout it all you have given us something to which we can look forward just about each and every day of your blogging. You see we look forward to seeing the penned words of our friend Jen. We look forward to reading about life, love, family, spirituality, politics, God, hard work, friendship when written by the pen of Jen. We look forward to your wonderful blogs The Pen of Jen and Double Nickel Farm.

Yes as I said in above, I am shocked to learn of your decision to quit blogging. If it is what you choose to do, then so be it, it is your decision to make. Yet as usual I can disagree with you. No matter what your reason for wanting to cease blogging, I have mentioned above many why you should not. I can only hope that in some small way, I am making you think about your decision to leave blogging behind, to reconsider it, to change it because you see when you leave it behind, you leave all of us behind too. That will truly be a sad day for us all.

For some reason, and maybe it is just intuition, I get the feeling that you think blogging conflicts with something else in your life. I have to wonder if you think it makes you less of a mom, less of a wife, less of a good person to share your ups and downs, your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes, your passion for life, your pondering the great questions of life, your questioning of the rest of us, your questioning of your own beliefs, your rock solid determination to be a good person, your rock solid faith in God and goodness with the rest of us. I think that you may believe that blogging in some way has been a detriment to your faith or to your family. I hope that is not what you think because while blogging may not be the answer to your prayers, and while it may not have accomplished whatever you thought you had set out to accomplish when you started, it has accomplished something greater than you probably ever expected. It has given the rest of us a view of the world, of life, of family, of toil, of wit, of charity, of goodness, of strength of character, of faith, of God through your eyes. For that we are grateful, and for that
we beg more of you. Please don't leave us.

Your friend,
Glenn B


If any of my readers agree with the above, please go here, and ask her not to give up blogging.

All the best,
Glenn B

Thursday, September 20, 2007

The Jena 6, and Crys of racism...

...have gotten me to the point where I must ask something, but first let me make a few observations:

6 black youths allegedly beat a white youth.

The white youth allegedly is beaten unconscious, and from what I understand the beating allegedly continues, after the white youth is unconscious, with stomping on his head with, I believe, a shod foot, by at least one of the black youths if not more.

The white youth is hospitalized with badly bruised and swollen face. He remains unconscious for three hours or more. Yes unconscious due to the beating for over 3 hours!

That night, partially recovered, he attends some sort of festive affair.

The black youths are charged as adults with attempted murder or other crimes of violence.

One black youth was convicted, but charges were overturned by the state's highest court in his case because he was tried as an adult and was 16 (I believe) at the time of his arrest. (I firmly believe a kid is a kid and should never be tried as an adult, bit I do not agree that a child should only be forced to remain in jail until the young 20's, so I understand this decision, but now what?)


On CNN yesterday, two black commentators talk about this. One says, in essence, how can this be attempted murder if it was only a fight? He also says that how can a court in Louisiana charge them with attempted murder, when a court in Virginia (a completely different state with different state laws) did not charge a group of whites with attempted murder of a black woman when they allegedly poured boiling water on her. It was another state, after all, with different laws, but could he see that? He also says it was unfair for the 6 in Jena to be charged as adults, and to be charged with attempted murder, apparently because it was all based on white against black racism. The other commentator seemingly agrees. The one doing all the accusing of the BIG R as they called it (N word meet the BIG R) also asks, isn't there any outrage in the white community, isn't at least one white person outraged that this has happened.

I will answer his last question. There are at least 2 outraged whites, one being Hillary Clinton, but as I see it for all the wrong reasons. She is on the BIG R (racism by whites against blacks) as a seemingly politically rallying cry to get the black vote. As for the other person, he is not running, and is unlikely to ever run, for political office. Yes, I am that other person, and I am outraged but not for the same reasons as Hillary Rodham (middle initial BIG R) Clinton.

I am enraged because yesterday I heard that trash talk on CNN. I am enraged because today thousand marched to support the so called Jena 6, the alleged criminals who allegedly beat a white youth into unconsciousness then reportedly kept beating him. I am enraged because today, a secretary or aid in my office, a black woman, had a telephone conservation with someone, and she kept lowering her big mouthed voice (but not low enough not to be overheard) whenever she in essence said things like: 'It is about time THEY (yes the big T) started to get it back at them', 'They cannot bring us down with racism, THEY are racist, but We (the big W had to appear) are now united against them and have to get back at them", Those poor boys are innocent, and only charged because of white against black racism, and WE need to support them'. As she was near the end of her conversation, or at least just before she ended it maybe rather abruptly, I said in a loud and clear voice, 'It sounds like you are the real racist here' or something very like that. I guess he got the point, there was even lower muffled taking for a moment then a hang up. Nothing followed except the noise of the steam shooting out of my ears, and the curtain of blood rushing to obscure my sight (all figurative of course).

I also asked a question, clearly, and out loud, and proud just as the telephone conversation was seemingly ending: Do you think there was even a hint of racism in the fact that 6 blacks allegedly beat a white? Could that have been racist on the part of the blacks? Is there even one black person in America who thinks just that? Is there any black person who thinks these 6 so called black youths are evil mother fuckers who did harm to a white person because they are violent anti-white racists themselves? I sure think there is a darned rooting tootin good chance that such is exactly the case. So to all the charlatans like Al NotToSharpton, Sharpton, to and Jesse Jackassson Jackson, and to Hilary BIG R Rodham Clinton, and to the CNN mudslingers commentators who did not understand that attempted murder charges means just that they attempted murder, not that they were successful, or not that they were even good at trying to commit murder, and to all the race baiting ass wipes good intentioned but not to brainy people who marched in Jena thinking that racism is one sided only - do you guys even have the ability for once in your lifetimes to admit that racism works both ways. If not then remember this, it was the court of the same state who overturned the one black guy's conviction based upon a technicality, not upon the facts of the case as to whether or not he beat the whiter guy into unconsciousness for over 3 hours. Hmm, whom is that court racist against? I wonder if maybe that shows the state was not racist in this case! Was that racism, or was it just an injustice against a victim, the white guy, with no regard for the fact he was white and the alleged bad guys were black? By the way, to all of you black folks who are screaming racism, do you have even the least thought about the outcome for the beaten white youth, do you have sympathy for him at all, do you think that justice should be served and served harshly against anyone who is convicted of having beaten him into over a 3 hour period of unconsciousness, can even one among you realize that someone was brutalized, that someone did the brutalizing, that it was very possibly the 6 accused who did so? Can you, and if not, does that make you guilty of the BIG R (racism) yourselves?

So just what in Hades are you making complaints about? You all are only trying to stir the pot of racial unrest or so it seems to me, so long as only your own race is the victim (or so that it benefits you in some way like politically); and you seemingly are doing the only thing you know how to do - making trouble where there should be none, or at least you are only making trouble for the wrong people. The criminals are most likely the Jena 6 as I see it. They are probably, in my estimation, guilty of not only the BIG R, but of attempted murder, or at least attempted manslaughter, or at the very least of a brutal beating. Just because they did not do a good enough job of it to kill the white youth, does not mean they did not attempt to do so. They are charged with attempted murder, not with murder! Get with it, get with the facts, get with the truth of racism - anyone can exercise the BIG R, and in this case it is clear to me just who has done so. Yes at least one white person is outraged other than Hillary, and I am outraged that not all 6 of them are in jail for the next 25 years or so!

One last thing. What about those accused of killing the white couple several months ago, was that a racist act. They mutilated the white guy and killed him, and left his body lying about,. Then they tortured, brutally tortured the white woman, then had forced sex of all sorts with her, or so the allegations go. It is even alleged that they poured cleaning fluid down her throat as they raped her. Guess what, guess why you do not hear about it all over CNN, and on the television news and in the papers, and from Al Sharpton, and from Jesse Jackson, and from Hillary (Big R) Clinton - BECAUSE THE ALLEGED KILLERS WERE ALL BLACK, and these people whom I just mentioned by name will never call a black person a racist against whites. Why not, because racists usually cannot ever bad mouth there own, and political hacks like Hillary - would probably do anything for a vote.

Outraged, heck outraged is way to calm a word for what I am feeling, but I think you figured that out already. Racism is an ugly thing indeed, especially when the racists can not grasp the truth, not even for a moment, that they are being the perpetrators and are not the victims; and that racism works in all directions within all races, and even some of the members of the black race can be and are racists - especially in this particular case.

All the best,
Glenn B