Mrs. du Toit Weblog - WAP Version

Saturday, December 21, 2002

Las Vegas SUN: Text of President Bush’s Kwanzaa Message

The President sent out this message:

Text of President Bush’s Kwanzaa Message
By The Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Text of President Bush’s Kwanzaa message:
“I send greetings to those celebrating Kwanzaa. 
Kwanzaa celebrates the traditional African values of unity...”

Just a point of clarification:

Kwanzaa is NOT an African holiday.  Africans, meaning “people in Africa” do not celebrate Kwanzaa.

From the Kwanzaa Information Center:

KWANZAA, the African-American cultural holiday conceived and developed by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, was first celebrated on December 26, 1966. Kwanzaa is traditionally celebrated from December 26 through January 1, with each day focused on Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles. Derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits”, Kwanzaa is rooted in the first harvest celebrations practiced in various cultures in Africa. Kwanzaa seeks to enforce a connectedness to African cultural identity, provide a focal point for the gathering of African peoples, and to reflect upon the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles, that have sustained Africans. Africans and African-Americans of all religious faiths and backgrounds practice Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa was born out of the whirlwind of social and political changes of the sixties decade. The sixties represent one of many eras during which the African and African-American struggle for freedom and self-identity reached its historical peak, spawning multiple revolutionary movements.

By creating Kwanzaa, African-Americans sought to rectify the cultural and economic exploitation perpetrated against us during the months of October, November, and December (the Christmas season). During this season, corporate America typically ignored the quality of life concerns of African-Americans, yet encouraged participation in the commercialism of Christmas. Additionally, African-Americans did not observe a holiday that was specific to our needs. A review of the major holidays celebrated in the United States would reveal that not one related specifically to the growth and development of African-Americans. The development of Kwanzaa assumed a reassessment, reclaiming, recommitment, remembrance, retrieval, resumption, resurrection, and rejuvenation of the “Way of Life” principles recognized by African-Americans. These principles have strengthened African-Americans during our worldwide sojourn.

Just so we’re clear here, Kwanzaa was invented IN Amerca, for AMERICAN blacks.  It is not “African.”

I have no issue with people inventing Holidays--everyone has a right to invent anything and celebrate anything they wish.  We have new religions springing up all the time and that is a right we all share, but let’s at least be honest about it.  If I created a Holiday that was specifically for Whites, and mentioned in my marketing materials that it was “whites only,” would I be considered a racist?  But if a group invents a Holiday for blacks it isn’t racist? 

Oh, and one more thing.  How does one exploit, but exclude?  American Corporations were exploting blacks, but were excluding them from celebrating.  Because Christmas is all about corporate explotation and there aren’t any black Christians.... uh huh.  You’d either have to exclude OR exploit, wouldn’t you? 

What Holiday, specifically, “was specific to our [the[ needs” of whites? 

But I’m probably not supposed to mention all this.  Only white people are racists and this must prove it. 

I’m sure I’ll get hate mail.  Oh well. 

S.F. may soon see psychics regulated / Pioneering proposal would ban trickery

Umm.  I know this is coming from San Francisco, but I can’t resist.

If I’m interpreting this correctly, San Francisco has created laws to restrict Fortune Tellers from pulling scams and tricks, to separate fools from their money.

Ummm… so this would mean that the legitimate things, and the real psychics won’t be unfairly treated?  And this legislation will make it easier for the consumer to tell the difference between the shyster psychics from the honest ones.

Just wanted to clear that up.  I wouldn’t want legislation to keep those honest and real psychics from having their livelihood infringed with all this necessary red tape.

Police fraud inspectors say dozens of San Franciscans lose large amounts of money every year to fortune-tellers who charge $500 and up for weekly visits and who dupe clients with sleight-of-hand demonstrations of their “powers.”

Yeah, it’s all that slight of hand that we should warn people about. 

Friday, December 20, 2002

U.S. Social Security May Reach To Mexico (washingtonpost.com)

I had to step out of seasonal retirement for this article.  The headline made me furious, but as I read further into the article, I understood it wasn’t as bad as it appeared.  I still think it’s dreadful, but not AS dreadful as the headline would indicate.

I started to write a etailed response to this, but frankly, I don’t have time to do it today… more later, as time permits.