Open letter to Omarosa Manigault Newman

Hello. I am one of many black people who live in America. I am also one of many black people who have seen you in the public eye for almost 15 years on reality television and as a top adviser in the White House. Recently, you came back into the public eye after being fired last December from the White House staff and unceremoniously booted the hell out of the building to promote a new book about your time under the current administration. In this book, you mention several times where the president has allegedly said the N-word on his television show in between takes. You now realize that the man is a racist and you want to try your best to expose him as such, stating that your eyes have been opened to his consistent racism and misogyny. There is only one problem… We already knew that shit. This book only highlights just how much of a shitty opportunistic person you are.

Let me get this straight, you had absolutely no clue that this man who you worked with for 15 years could possibly be racist, despite the fact that he has had racial incidents that he has done going back to all the way when you were in diapers. You joined his campaign, tried to shove him down black America’s throats, used your own brothers murder as a talking point to push Trumps, Anti-immigrant, anti-black agenda, then told us that at the end of the day we would have to “bow down” to President Trump. Then after getting a position as an advisor, A position that to this day nobody knows exactly what you did(aside from unsuccessfully attempting to set up a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus and erroneously calling yourself “The Honorable Omarosa Manigault Newman,” sending your wedding party through the White House for unplanned and inappropriate tour, and doing your best to ruin reporter April Ryan’s career by suggesting that she was working for Hillary Clinton’s campaign) you didn’t use your position as one of the administrations few black faces to try and “advise” your boss to knock off the racist rhetoric and try to put legislation in to change the many impoverished and underserved neighborhoods that many in the African-American community have to reside in, mainly because it didn’t directly affect you.

The truth of the matter is, you and Donald Trump are two sides of the same coin, you just come in a better package. You are both selfish greedy opportunistic narcissists Who need to be at the center of attention in order to survive. The times that you were in the most pain is when nobody is talking to you and nobody is paying attention to you. Which is probably why if you ever read this you will do it with a smile on your face, even though this is what most millennial‘s would consider “a read.” You don’t care about the black community. Hell, you literally don’t care about anybody but yourself. This is why many people in the black community don’t “check” for you, because you have proven time and time again that you will sell your own mother for fame and notoriety. And you proved it by selling out your people and the rest of the country to get this idiot hired for four years

As I’ve said before, you will probably never read this. You are too busy on this horrid book tour to notice a podcasters rarely used blog. But if you do, I will certainly answer a question for you. If you ever wondered if the black community has your back and will stand with you as you attempt to expose whoever for whatever...

Nah sis, we’ll pass...



Thanx for lettin me vent,

Lawrence J Weber Jr.

#BlackLivesMatter and the rise of the Hotep(Yeah I said it!)

Sidenote: when originally writing this, I was not aware of the term Hotep and Hotep twitter. While I have changed the title(so ppl will know what the hell I'm talking about,) the post will remain the same. Enjoy!

Sidenote to the sidenote: If you are easily offended by the word "Nigga" or any variation in between, you probably don't know me anyway #sorrynotsorry

Ok, between the #BaltimoreUprising and the shit that's been going on on social media this past week,my mad is in several different directions. So this is going to be a quick stream of consciousness so bear with me.


It's begins with this: I really can't stand 125th St Niggas. What are 125th St Niggas you might say? Well you know that hyper masculine dude who will post anything in their social media the remotely looks like a conspiracy toward the Black Man? That is a 125th St Nigga, a hypermasculine, misogynistic black guy who claims to be for the Black folks, but is really for Black straight folks Men.I call them that after the Black Israelites that stand on soapboxes and preach their crazy on Harlem's 125th St. Most of them believe that, through many weird conspiracies, that almost EVERYTHING that the mainstream has put out is a danger to the black man, being the defacto supreme ruler of the Black community(now I understand what's behind this mindset, but I'll make my point.) Examples include believing Tyler Perry and any Black comedian dressing in drag is a part of a mass conspiracy to destroy Black masculinity, the fact that more Black females are leading the charge in the #BlackLivesMatter movement will be the downfall of it(mainly because they have an issue with Black women telling them what to do,) and  the fact that Black people cannot be LGBT by nature because gay is a "white disease" and because they "cannot find any proof of Black Homosexuality in history" that means that homosexuality is strictly white and any black gay person is that way mainly because they want to "assimilate into white culture."

Now lets break this down with my profesion, entertainment. There are many who believe that hollywood is trying to destroy the black man through the entertainment industry. They believe that characters like Olivia Pope are the White man's whores(oh yeah, that's actually a thing too,) and that the strong black male character in Hollywood is literally a thing of the past. When Fox's Empire premiered, one of the first dramas with a predominantly Black cast on network television in almost 15 years(I actually had to google it,) Dr. Boyce Watkins, Professor 125th himself, called the show "ghettofied coonery" and the inclusion of a gay character, played by Jussie Smollett, was a concerted effort to "emasculate the Black male." Now I'll get to that in a second. The inclusion of so many people of color on televison in recent has been so wide spread that people are calling it the "New Black Renaissance." I'll admit that not all black shows are created equal(see Tyler Perry) but many people who subscribe to Black respectability politics want every show to be The Cosby Show. And as we have learned recently the Cosby Show wasn't the Cosby Show.

And there's the homophobia(which was the reason I wrote the damn post to begin with.) With many 125ths, homosexuality=Femininity and Femininity is bad, especially for men. For example, the character of Jamal on Empire is pretty hardcore, hanging in hood studios, dangling people off roofs Suge Knight style, and basically standing firm in who he is, dispite what the world and his father say. However, the ONLY thing many 125ths think when they think of this character is one scene in the Pilot where the child version of Jamal puts on a scarf and his mom's heels(ad is subsequently thrown in a trash can.) Another example is DeRay McKesson, one of the leaders of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. While working in Baltimore, I guess somebody(@VibeHi on twitter) decides to "out" DeRay and basically has a flash of people talking shit, mainly how they can't take the movement seriously if its being lead by a gay man(google Bayard Rustin.) First of all, if you are that quick to skip out on the movement because one of the leaders is gay, yo ass aint worth shit anyway. Second, GOOGLE BAYARD RUSTIN!!! One of the main people who spearheaded the 1963 March on Washington was a gay man!! Look at Gazi on twitter, who is outspoken in the movement. Check out Netta(because women an be leaders too, scary huh) who has been outspoken in both Ferguson and Baltimore. Maybe you should be worrying about why police are killing us and less about who someone is fucking.

Now I understand where this mindset comes from. Black physical and mental abuse is a trend in American history,especially among black males. It's the reason for the uprising in Ferguson and Baltimore, and a lot of Black men have internalized this subconsiously. However turning on the people who recognize and are equally angered by it is not the way to go. There are so many people who are marginalized who need your help too and their/our time is now

#BlackLivesMatter
#BlackWomensLivesMatter
#BlackQueerLivesMatter
#BlackTransLivesMatter

Brothers...We're not the only ones.

Thanx 4 Lettin me Vent,

Lawrence J. Weber, Jr
"The Arrogant Observer"

Mike Brown and the Breaking Point of the Nation or Dammit, I'm Sick of this!

Hey folks! I am finally back and in a new demographic. I recently turned 30! Start sending me aspercreme and Cialis for daily use(j/k I dont have issues down there...and hope I never will.) But anyway, We have got more pressing matters.

This past weekend, a young man by the name of Mike Brown, a young man minding his own business was killed in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St Louis. While there are currently conflicting reports on what really happened, the outcome is similar to so many; A young, unarmed, black man is gunned down for no other solid reason than they "looked" threatening. Ferguson is up in arms, sparking massive protests in the small, predominantly Black, low income neighborhood. Some of the protests, against the heed of Mike Brown's parents, lead to riots.

Not since the shooting of Oscar Grant at Fruitvale Station has there been such a volatile response to this, one of many police killings of unarmed black people. As I type this, the Ferguson PD has completely militarized, closing off the city to outside citizens, notably the media as the mostly peaceful protests go on for the third day. While most have been peaceful, the media has followed the narrative and showed the rioting by some, looting several businesses and buring down a local QuikTrip(a convenience store  As these peaceful protests go on, many have been attack with crowd controlling agent, such as rubber bullets and tear gas and the entire city has been classified a no-fly zone by the FAA. Many on these tactics have been done in the name of safety, but many see it as a way to cover up what is truly going on in the city. In the midst of this, the "hacktivist" group Anonymus has promised to attack the City of Ferguson's web based services, going so far as to shutting the city's website late Sunday:

Not to be hyperbolic, but I honestly have never seen this before in my life. An American city is shut down, its citizens up in arms and images beam into our homes reminiscent of the Civil Rights protests of the 1960s. To be honest, it's long overdue...

Let me first say that I DO NOT advocate violence of any kind and the damage and rioting done by some of the citizen is past wrong. I do however understand the frustration of the citizens of Ferguson. According to the US Census and the Missouri attorney general's office,  Ferguson's population is 63% black, yet the number of stops, pull overs, and arrests of  Black people in Ferguson is 86%. Also keep in mind that the FPD is 94% white. Tensions have been boiling over in the area for a while and this was the final straw, not just for them, but for a lot of us as well.

To say that i'm sick of this would be the understatement of a lifetime.I am so fucking sick of this its ridiculous. I am tired of these damn shootings and the aftermath that they bring about. You remember the narrative; an unarmed young black person is gunned down and all hell breaks loose. There is angry people, numerous social media posts(sometimes going so far as showing the corpse of the victim,) moments of silence, wearing colors in solidarity, articles about the "dangers of just being black in America" (or AmeriKKKa as many have put it,) Right wing whack jobs(or Don Lemon) lamenting that its what the person wore or how the child spoke that was the reason for his grisly demise and predicting that the Negroes are gonna riot, and certain instructional videos on how to truly deal with the police, or a crazy trigger happy white person who is just itching for a chance to stand their ground. Hell its gotten so bad that most of us now gloss over it. "The police shot an unarmed black teen? Must be Tuesday!" What even more sickening is the way the victim is blamed, degraded, and insulted with no way to defend themselves

#iftheygunnedmedown This is Lexi. She (like myself) is an alum of Dillard University, a musician, and  all around goofy person. She, like many on social media, posed a question; If she was gunned down tomorrow, what picture would the media use? the college grad or the party girl? Many times it'll be Sister Patron over there. But it also poses another question: Does my life matter whether I am a party girl or a college grad?

I sit here looking at this holding my head and asking myself why. Why do we as Black Americans have to consistently go through this? Why am I once again seeing parents in pain and a community torn apart? Why must I have to remember to not wear certain clothes, keep my hands totally visible at all times, and speak in calm tones at all times, because venturing outside of these perameters makes me a target? Why are literally all my black male friends been pulled over at least once? Why are my feelings of hurt & degradation negated by telling me the statistics of Black on Black crime in Chicago? Why are we the only ones that are in the wrong? Why is Mike Brown in the morgue and not in class? Why are police firing tear gas at peaceful protesters?!

I come to you tonight standing with the people of Ferguson. Stay and peacefully protest against injustice. Stay strong, and know that so many stand with you. I can honestly say, I have never seen something in my 30 years on this earth, but if this means that a change will finally come about, so be it. Rest in peace to Mike Brown, Ezell Ford and anyone lost due to grave injustice.

Thanx for letttin me vent


Lawrence J Weber, Jr
"The Arrogant Observer"

Throwback Thursday Post: My personal view on religion AKA Thank You Grilled Chessus!

Disclaimer: I wrote this in 2010, back when I was still into Glee(RIP to Cory Montieth.) I was exploring my beliefs and  I still think that my own spiritual pratfalls are very relevant. I now loosely define myself as an agnostic, but I feel that this can still help someone on their way(if someone actually listens lol)

“I don’t believe in God.”

The words kinda hit you in the face, don’t they?

Yes, the eternal question of religion. From atheism to finding the shape of Jesus Christ on a grilled cheese sandwich and aptly naming it “Grilled Cheesus,” America and the world as a whole have questioned this part of daily life. The previous is from a current episode of the Fox Musical-dramedy Glee, also named the aforementioned goofy word combination. This episode diverts from its normal fun fest of musical numbers and horny teens to go deeper and explore the characters spirituality and they didn’t disappoint. You see, they live in a world of universal acceptance, where they respect each other’s personal beliefs. Where even the two atheists non-beliefs were respected as “to each his own.” Where else will see this universal belief. Being raised in the south, it almost seemed like the sole mention of non belief in God almost led to sheer bedlam and the flinging of holy water. It seems like that has given way to more religious browbeating.

Let me be clear, I am NOT an atheist. Honestly, that would be easier than what I have endured for quite a while. My relationship with religion is long and difficult. I was raised Catholic: First Communion, Confirmation, Rosaries, candles, novenas(I could go on, but this blog is long enough.) At the tender age of 13, while preparing for my Confirmation, I knew I didn’t want to be a Catholic anymore. To admonish the class for not going to church, my religion teacher told us the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. Now I’ve heard the story of Jesus’ death before, but NEVER like the way she had told it and never that way again. Her story was dark, graphic and gruesome. She told it explicit detail, clanging two rusty railroad spikes together to symbolize Jesus being nailed to the cross. She ended the story telling us that every time that we didn’t go to church, we jammed the nails deeper into Jesus. Needless to say, she scared the bejeezus out of the class and I never saw the Catholic church the same again. Shortly after, my family got involved in what I now believe was a cult. Though Christian and almost Baptist in tone(Catching the Holy Ghost, Bible study, etc,) as time went on, the “Elders” got more controlling and wanted to know every bit of our lives, tried to persuade us to sell our house and move closer to the church, and wanted us to cut off anyone and anything that was of “the world.” Meaning no music that wasn’t sung at the church, no friends that weren’t saved, and no contact with family that wasn’t saved, stating that contact with them would endanger your very soul. We stayed in the church for a little over 2 years and one day we stopped going. I didn’t ask why we stopped, I hated every minute of it. I believe my parents stopped and took a look at what was really going on.

Shortly after Katrina, I began to explore other religions, Buddhism, Judaism, I even researched Wicca (though that movie The Craft gets a few things right, it is nothing like you would think, it’s a worship of nature.) Finally tired, I just stopped. I stopped looking for a label and looked to my relationship with God. I remember the talks I’d have with him as a kid, the comforting thought that no matter where I’d go, I would never be truly alone. And I knew.

Fast forward to the present day. If you were to ask me what is my religion, you really couldn’t get a one word answer. I believe in God in the Christian sense, but I don’t believe in religion. According to wikipedia, that makes me a cross between a Theist, a Christian, and a Deist. I learned that what I believe cannot be singularly labeled. I still have my talks with God. I ask him for understanding for not only myself but for so many others.

At the end of the episode, the cast joined to sing Joan Osboure’s One of Us. The song touched me in that moment. I ended up getting the full song and while listening it moved me to tears at the sheer beauty of the concept and performance. Even now, while writing this blog, I am listening to the song and getting a little teary. Earlier I posted a tweet quoting the song “What if God was one of us?” I believe he is. A little bit of God is in each of us. His unconditional love, His understanding, His forgiveness. My  beliefs are based on the fact that there is God in us all.

“What if God was one of us?”

He was. He is. He always will be…

Thanx 4 lettin me vent,

Lawrence J. Weber, Jr

The Rise of the Black Web Series or "Brought to you In Living Color"

"I'll explain this in a second for those who don't know me"

Hey folks!! Yes I took a week off and it must've been hard to the nonexistant folks who wait with bated breath for my next blogpost but I'm back in the saddle with a whole new issue to talk about. This time it is close to my heart...The wonderful world of the internet and "New Media."

Now I was raised in the 1990's, home to big hair, bad catchphrases and something that has become so few and far inbetween these days, Black TV shows and Movies. There was an abundance of them: Martin, Living Single, Cosby Show, In Living Color, City Of Angels, Family Matters, Soul Food(TV and Movie) and so many more it its literally too many to name on this blog. But somewhere between 2000 and present day, African American content on both the big and the small screen has been whittled down to almost nothing that doesn't include the words "Tyler Perry's" behind the title. Now as much as I'd love to go in on Tyler Perry, that is a subject for another blog entirely.

It has become very clear that TV has become a bit whitewashed lately. 15 short years ago, every channel on network television had at least 1-3 black shows on their primetime schedule. Now you're lucky if you can find 5 black regulars on the network period. And while things have slowly gotten better (Taraji Henson on Person Of Interest and Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope on Scandal) gone are the days of the predominantly black series on network TV. Now as a black actor and writer myself who was raised with your Fresh Prince's and Living Single's, you would think that I would've given up on my dreams of a lead role on a 10/9pm central drama that doesn't involve me in handcuffs or in a body bag with a Durag (with the flap out, mind you) on my head, but I have found the future...and it can be shared through Twitter and Facebook.

If you were to ask young Black twentysomethings (especially the ones I know) what shows they watch, you might get a shock when they say shows like The Unwritten Rules, Orange is the New Black, RoomieLoverFriends, and The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. You'd be surprised at how many know a Poussey or a Taystee, have been in the same situation as Jayson and Tamiko or had to share an office with the kinda fools that Racey has. The future of the black sitcom and drama series has found new life: on the Internet. With more and more of our demographic leaving their sets behind and catching up on their favorite shows on their smartphones, laptops, and tablets, a new world has opened up for people who go against the grain of the mainstream. Folks like Black and Sexy TV, Issa Rae, Tracy Edmonds' Alright TV and the dudes at Dormtainment (seriously #GetThemBoysAShow) are carving a new niche out for themselves and are taking the traditional industry by storm. There are many ups and downs to saying "Screw TV for right now, I'm working on my YouTube channel." I should know, I am one of these folks.

(l to r) Ian Lawrence, Canae White, Me in the blue, and 

Christopher Robinson holding the gun

It was 2010 and I was trying to find a way to make myself useful after graduating from Dillard University. What came about was headaches, heartaches, and a whole HELL of a lot of drama that was the first webseries I had ever created, a soap opera styled drama called Windsor Hill. It was basically about my time in college, but the stories were as twisted as a pretzel handmade by Stevie Wonder. It had drama, it had a predominantly black cast, it was everything that I wanted to see and it was NOWHERE NEAR EASY and it still didn't come out like I wanted it to.

Like most webseries, I had NO BUDGET. Borrowing equipment from my job/alma mater, paying for most stuff with my own money and being actor, director, producer, editor, promoter and anything else that nobody else couldn't/Didn't want to do. I was the one who wrote the episodes, distributed them, scheduled the shoots, and chased behind the actors to make sure they showed up. No one was a star. Hell, no one got paid. We did it because we wanted to see our work put together and shown to the world. And I was blessed to realize that I wasn't really alone, because most web series have the same issues. Many go to Kickstarter and GoFundMe, some work side gigs like I did, but cash(unless you are filthy rich) will never be the true motivator in the web series game, at least not at first. But if you keep at it and you are noticed, you could go far.

The Dormtainment Crew. Chaz, Mike, Cam,

 Rome, Amanuel, and Tay. (Not pictured, Tay's Juice)

Take In Living Color, throw it in a pot with Chappelle's Show, add a dash of 106 & Park and stir and you've got the fellas at Dormtainment. Meeting each other while going to school in Atlanta, Tay, Rome, Mike, Amanuel and brothers Chaz and Cam have put together some of the funniest vids on the internet. With wild characters like the Jamacian Leaning Leon, the Boot fearing Americans, Cam's silent but increasingly hostile Smiley, and Tay's odd taste for large quantities of pancakes and juice, they had gained a fanbase. The fan base grew when they released their mixtapes: We're Not Rappers, But We Rap and Broke And Famous(Both Produced by Tay.) They now frequently tour college campuses, and have begun working with Tracey Edmonds' faith oriented Youtube Channel Alright TV, while still putting out new skits every Sunday.

Issa Rae, Creator and Star of "The Misadventures

Of Awkward Black Girl"

Issa Rae, known to many as J rose to fame on her web comedy "Awkward Black Girl." She shortly after that blew the hell up, producing her other projects like RoomieLoverFriends, How Men Become Dogs and the hilarous Ratchetpiece Theatre. She is currently developing a series with Scandal and Grey's creator and TV powerhouse Shonda Rhimes and just inked a deal to work with Daily Show writer Larry Wilmore to create an HBO series. She has been featured in magazines, talk shows and is widely known as the example of how far a web series can take you.

They're is a myriad of series out there for everyone be it comedy, drama, action, etc. Recently YouTuber Tactix will be releasing his action series BOOST in the very near future. I myself is working on a supernatural series and have just finished a short film called Man's Best Friend which is available through the YouTube channel GumboMonster.  It reminds me of the 90s all over again. Folks unafraid to show a side of life that the mainstream tend to ignore. To the people out there, keep writing, directing, and performing out there. You never know where it'll take you.

Thanx 4 Lettin me Vent,

Lawrence J. Weber, Jr

"The Arrogant Observer"

P.S. Here are some of the Links to enjoy some of the series that I was talking about:

Check out my new movie, Man's Best Friend, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTA6r7MFLZk

And subscribe to our channel, GumboMonster:

http://www.youtube.com/gumbomonster504

Dormtainment:

www.Dormtainment.com

Issa Rae Productions

http://www.youtube.com/issarae

Black and Sexy TV

http://www.youtube.com/blackandsexytv

Inkspot Entertainment(Home to The Unwritten Rules)

http://www.youtube.com/inkSpotEntertainment

KEEP CREATING!!!

Opening the door to the closet...Ya nasty...

Buenos Dias Folks! I am taking a break from talking about race relations in America. I know folks, breathe with me...Inhale and exhale...Don't worry about Don Lemon's simple ass, we'll deal with that later.

But speaking of Don Lemon brings up another point I'd like to discuss. This week Raven Symone, known as cute little Olivia on The Cosby Show then went on to her own stardom in Disney's That's So Raven, Inadvertently came out as a lesbian via Twitter, after longtime rumors floated about her sexuality and her dating partners.

As if this didn't shake up the Twitterverse enough, later her reps released a statement that while she is not getting married, she is happy that same sex marriage is becoming more and more accepted in the country. Dammit, I was all geared up for a That's So Wedding! Now, while this produced many "Good for Her"s and "She showed bravery"s, along with TONS of really bad That's So Raven, I was wishing for more "Who Cares, when are we gonna see you back on Broadway?" Then again, there were the religous nuts who were condemning Raven of saying pretty nasty things which I will not entertain on this blog. And of course there are the ones who "don't understand why people are called 'brave' when they come out." Oh, Snap!

This isn't the first time that we have experienced this mess, and it definitely won't be the last. Frank Ocean, Jason Collins, Zach Quinto, and a host of others have come out as members of the LGBT community in the time of the twitter and have received the same response that Raven has. And in a sense there is a sense of bravery involved. In what seems like almost forever, Coming out the closet as gay is the stake in the heart of your career. You will be ostracized, nobody will work with you and you'll be relegated to bit parts and the niche LGBT fan base. It's what kept so many people like openly hiding for years(Luther Vandross, anyone?) It was and in certain situations it still is, so Raven coming out and being who she is at the risk of her career is pretty gutsy seeing as though it might affect her roles.

At the end of the day, know this. Raven and everyone else who is in the public eye are there for a reason, to entertain with their talents, not who they are currently banging. Let's be honest, we are all guilty of entertaining that mess, myself included. But they're personal lives should be personal. So good vibes and positivity to Raven Symone. Hope you find happiness with whoever you want and I hope we strive for the day when a persons sexual orientation is no longer a news story

Thanx 4 Lettin Me Vent,

Lawrence J. Weber, Jr

"The Arrogant Observer"

A Real Talk About Race and Why Tavis Smiley is a Bitch

This past week, President Obama came out and spoke about the Trayvon Martin case. What could've been a clunky, awkward push for gun control (as his last remarks were) turned into a passionate glimpse into the racial profiling practices that have been a part of this country for years. During his remarks, he exclaimed that Trayvon Martin could've easily been him 35 years ago:

"There are very few African American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store"

This sent a shockwave through the country, seeing as though the President so very rarely speaks about race. Many praised him for finally showing that he was not disatached from the experience of being black and he could relate to what so many of us have and are going through. To others, many conservative, it was a way to bash him so many times as they had done before for even speaking about the fact that he is black and has the experiences that most Black men have in America. And, as always, Tavis Smiley was being a bitch, saying that the president was "pushed to the podium" and that his remarks were "as weak as pre-sweetened Kool-Aid." Way to hammer in those stereotypes, Tavis.

Now we'll get to that in a second, but first let's get to these comments. Honestly, my jaw dropped, mainly because he doesn't speak a lot about race and for the first time so many Black folk felt like they weren't "making stuff up." I'll explain. Many of us, particularly Black men, have been profiled in this country because of the fact that many think that we are inherently violent, criminals. That mindset has lead to so many Black men being followed in stores and malls, stopped and frisked, pulled over, and shot and killed for suspicion of having a weapon or being dangerous, the latter being a direct cause of Trayvon Martin's death. Many of these cries have been met with "Oh, those folks are resisting arrest," "You're being paranoid, maybe it because they were just robbed," and the infamous "If you haven't done anything, you shouldn't have anything to worry about." I, and many of my Black male friends have experienced this at least once, if not more and it was refreshing seeing a sitting President saying "I feel your pain" and knowing that he did, at the very least.

Now to Tavis. Shortly after the President's remarks on Friday, Tavis' tweeted this:

This bitch here...Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh, but if you would let me explain. 

First off, I have NO issues with people expressing their opinion and criticizing the president. That is what being an American is all about. But Tavis has an ulterior motive to this constant hate. You see, he and Princeton University professor Cornel West(The dude with the fro and the gap....Yup, thats him!) have had a personal vendetta against Pres. Obama for quite a number of reasons. In 2008, then Senator Obama declined an invite to Tavis' State of the Black Union, offering his wife Michelle to speak instead. Tavis declined. Originally a supporter, Prof. West wasn't personally offered tickets to his inauguration, stating that the bellhop in the hotel had a ticket and he wasn't able to get one for him and his mother. Since then, the two have been on the warpath,  criticizing him for everything from not talking about race enough, not doing more for black people and being a stronger black leader, even for using Martin Luther King's Bible at the 2013 Inaguration. West has called Obama a "Rockefeller Republican in Blackface," 'a Black mascot," and stated the he has a "certain fear of Black men." The two have made their message clear in their consisent vitriol: We want Obama to be the President of Black America and he isn't being "Black Enough" for our taste (Hence the Kool-Aid reference. You see, I tied it back!!) 

Now while these two may have some sort of point, they're so deeply buried in Bitchassness, that we don't get it. They are trying to put together some sort of poverty bus tour to highlight poverty in Obama's America(cause everyone was making $15 an hour under the Bush Administration.) And while the plight of African Americans is a constant struggle, we will never rise above our adversity, while pulling each other back down into the barrel. So to Mr. Smiley and Prof. West, I leave these words of advice:

"Boy, quit whining like a Bitch and get yo ass to the door!!"

Words to live By....Words to live by....

Thanx 4 Lettin Me Vent,

Lawrence J. Weber, Jr.

"The Arrogant Observer"