The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Enslaved (verb): "cause (someone) to lose their freedom of choice or action." Slavery may have technically ended in 1865, but I can guarantee you it still takes place today, especially when it comes to black men. Let's look at this. When slavery was abolished, African-Americans, whom had not attained proper education, were set off into the world. It was akin to a long-time prisoner being set free. Unless strong connections are in place post-imprisonment, it's incredibly common for the prisoner to delve back into his/her old habits and wind up back in a penitentiary. So while it had to have been an indescribable feeling for slaves when slavery was abolished, once they stepped away from the only place they've ever known, it had to also have been overwhelming and stress-inducing. Not only that, but the legal system has been biased against black men pretty much since slavery was abolished. Let's face it, it is possible for money to transcend crime. Slaves en...

So, I had a run-in with law enforcement yesterday. My lease on my old car ran out in March of this year, when I put a lease on a new vehicle. Little did I realize the stickers on my plates expired in June. Stopped at a light, I witnessed a cop's flashing lights behind me not long after we got going again. I wasn't speeding or driving erratically in any sense, so I was quite puzzled, even thinking he was going to pull over someone in front of me. After checking my insurance and license (clean record), he kindly let me off with a warning and provided me with information on where to go outside of the BMV, as it's rather notorious for long lines/waits. The discussion was short-lived. The officer was helpful and understanding. As I was on my way to meet my parents for lunch, the situation could have been a lot worse. I actually wondered to myself, "Would this have gone any differently had I been black or Hispanic?" I honestly have no idea, but I couldn't help but...

Sadly, it seems I continue to break Twitter records for likes and retweets after horrendous events. That too was the case this last week, following the terror attack in Manhattan, where I posted this: "Manhattan attack: 8 killed, 11 injured Trumpsters: 'Muslims are evil! Let's kick them out now!' Las Vegas shooting: 58 killed, 546 injured Trumpsters: 'It's too soon to talk about this.'" 13,933 Likes, 8,151 Retweets https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki/status/925496323578695680 If curious, you can view all of my posts at this link:  https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki

The Pew Research Center just released the results to a poll they conducted with regard to voting. I found the results to be interesting for the simple fact all demographics agreed with each other, except for one. Pew asked participants whether they felt that citizens should register ahead of time in order to vote or if everything possible should be done to make it easy for citizens to vote. All of the following demographics agreed with the latter approach, and I'll list the numbers accordingly: Democrat: 84/15 (+69) Black: 79/19 (+60) 18-29: 71/27 (+44) Hispanic: 64/35 (+29) Coll grad+: 62/36 (+26) Women: 62/37 (+25) HS or less: 61/37 (+24) Total: 59/39 (+20) 30-49: 59/40 (+19) Independent: 57/41 (+16) Men: 56/41 (+15) 50-64: 54/43 (+11) 65+: 54/43 (+11) White: 54/44 (+10) Some coll: 53/44 (+9) Look at those numbers again. Here are 14 demographics, as well as the total, who all agree that we should do everything in our power to make voting easy for citizens on ele...

Last Thursday night showcased the final episode of Larry Wilmore's The Nightly Show on Comedy Central. While I didn't find The Nightly Show nearly as humorous as its predecessor, The Colbert Report , I still felt it was an incredibly important show - especially at this time in our country's history. Let's think back to all of the late-night talk show hosts over the past ten years: David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Craig Ferguson, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Bill Maher, John Oliver, Carson Daly, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel. What do they all have in common? They're all white guys. If it weren't for the recent additions of Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee, white guys would have temporarily held a monopoly on late night talk shows. While Ms. Bee is a woman and Mr. Noah is a black man, neither delved into topics pertaining to the African-American community like Mr. Wilmore did. Objective #2 for Larry Wilmore and The Nightly Show was to prompt laughter. Obj...

As long-time readers should know by now, while I don't fully align myself with any political party, I definitely tend to be progressive/liberal on a large majority of issues. In saying that, however, I have to say I'm fascinated by the Republican primaries this election season. I've watched each and every one of the ten GOP debates thus far and plan on watching #11 tonight. I regularly tune in to cable news channels on election days to see updated results, hear talking heads from both sides of the political spectrum try to play fortune tellers, and listen to politicians from both sides of the aisle play the spin-game. Yes, while there's a greater chance of me transforming into a hybrid of Bill Gates and Shaquille O'Neal at midnight tonight than there is of me voting for the Republican nominee this coming November, my attention's glued to the race for the party's nomination, and this will continue through the convention in July. One reason for my high level...

As many of my long time readers should know, I'm extremely nonpartisan when it comes to sports. While I have always loved both participating and spectating many sports, I'm not a homer for any one team. I enjoy sporting events like I enjoy movies. I appreciate good coaching/directing, solid execution/acting, can't seem to get enough twists and turns in the plots, and love a good, unexpected climax. Having said that, I similarly try not to hop on or off a player's bandwagon too quickly, which places me at odds with a majority of sportswriters/ESPN talking heads. This is especially the case with NFL quarterbacks, whom analysts seem to fall in and out of love with more quickly and more frequently than middle schoolers named Romeo and Juliet. When columnists fell in love with Andrew Luck and Colin Kaepernick of Indianapolis and San Francisco, respectively, I said, "Let's hold up just a minute. They certainly have potential, but let's wait a couple more years to...

There are dating sites which cater to: Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, gays, lesbians, farmers, Ayn Rand fans, even the Amish (yes, I find that difficult to believe as well). Well, thanks to Sam Russell, we have now covered every demographic in the online dating world, courtesy of the site, Where White People Meet . That's right, white people finally have a dating site too! When asked about the site, Mr. Russell said, "It's about equal opportunity. The last thing in the world I am is racist. I dated a black woman once. I helped raise a young black man... I just believe it's hypocrisy to say 'one group can do this, but another can't.'" Yes, while it would be difficult for a racist white man to date a black woman, it's not impossible, and I've found it quite common for "closet racists" to deny any hints of racism by name-dropping a friend or ex-girlfriend whom is of a different race. Sure, I've da...

In a move which surprised even God, the Republican Party has guaranteed a victory in the upcoming presidential election, as they declared that an African-American lesbian will be their lone candidate, and due to that, their nominee. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this about the party's decision:  "We were getting a little fed up with all the talk about our party waging a war against women, being anti-gay, and being unappealing to minorities. So we thought Destiny Beaver would be the perfect nominee to help improve our image among women, African-Americans, and the LGQRWXYZ community, or whatever in the heck that is, and would guarantee us a victory come election day because of that. I mean, just look at it this way: We've always had the white men's vote; now we've also got the women's vote, the blacks' vote, the queers' vote, and maybe some other dark-skinned people's votes too. We can't lose!" McConnell was then aske...

Ever since Barack Obama was elected president, he's tried to walk a very fine line on the subject of race. He's had to. Being the first African-American president in this country's history, if he brings up the subject too frequently, he'll be called out by far-right conservatives of always playing the "race card," and if he tends to back away from such matters when the subject is at the forefront nationally, far-left liberals will call him out for not caring enough about minorities. However, no matter how fine a line the president has attempted to walk throughout his tenure, the touchy subject of race has seemed to come to a head in recent weeks and months. From Michael Brown to Eric Garner to Tamir Rice and seemingly countless others, for each and every unarmed black man that has been killed, the cries of protest have become louder - to the point where serious changes in police departments all across the country are being considered (some already implemented)...

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen is drawing some heat for a recent article of his, entitled, "Ferguson and Benghazi's Troubling Parallels." Cohen starts his piece with, "Ferguson has become the liberal Benghazi. It is more of a cause than a place, more of an ideological statement than an incident..." Another "interesting" quote from Cohen's article is when he said this: "...Let me offer another conclusion: If (Michael) Brown was not criminally shot because he was black, then possibly the cop was accused because he was white. Who was the stereotyped individual here?" Cohen also writes, "...It (Ferguson) does, though, conform to the very keen feelings of people who see white racism everywhere." Near the end of his piece, the author writes the following: "We live in a time where facts that do not fit an ideology or grievance are merely disregarded - or alternative ones concocted: Do you think campus rape is a ...

Billionaire Johann Jimmy John took to the streets this past weekend with a Bible in one hand and a sign which read, "Our freedoms are gone which is why I don't have the freedom to do this," in the other, to, as he put it in his discussion with us afterwards, "Be the toughest freedom fighter the world has ever known!" When I asked Mr. Jimmy John what the ultimate message with his protest was for the country, here's what he said in response: "As a white Christian straight male billionaire, I feel like my rights are going out the window one by one, day after day. Muslims can now worship here. Guys can marry guys. Women can work outside the home. Some blacks can vote. I mean, what in the world is going on here? What happened to the days when I knew where my place was and knew what to expect of everyone else? The days when women would have dinner ready by the time us guys got home from work and they'd spread their legs for a 20-second dessert afterwa...

In an odd move made by the Republican Party, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress on Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner made the following announcement: "This speech, this day will go down in the history books, because on this day we finally discovered who our real president is, and that's my friend, Bibi Netanyahu!" The announcement came a little over six years after President Barack Obama was sworn into the Oval Office and a little over three minutes after a Republican had last said, "We all know you're from Kenya, Obama! Show us your birth certificate again! The real one this time and not all those fake other ones!" Nationwide, Republicans applauded the big announcement, with some of the better known ones saying this:  - "Bibi is a type of gun and I like guns, so I like Bibi Netanyahu." - musician Ted Nugent - "I've said it before and I'll say it again, Barack Obama doesn...

It's being reported that New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was stopped and frisked yesterday by police when walking his dog Gronknuts around the block. Belichick allegedly resisted at first, saying, "I only raise my arms when we score a touchdown or when my wife asks if I'm 'sure,' as in that deodorant crap. What are you, a Ravens fan or something?" The Patriots head coach then said, "Fine, go ahead - search away. As a matter of fact, I urge you to search all of my pockets." Upon doing this, Officer Francis Dick found his hands covered in dog treats and dog crap, before letting Belichick continue onward, snarling as he walked away, or smiling - it was difficult to tell which. When asked why the Super Bowl-winning coach was stopped and frisked in the first place, Officer Dick said, "We received several calls from neighbors about a suspicious man in a hoodie with his hands in his pockets, so we had to promptly check out the situ...

Over the past 20-30 years, it's become increasingly clear where the two political parties stand on the issue of authority. While Democrats have tended to say things such as, "Government can help. We can do some good. We can make a positive difference in people's lives," Republicans have tended to say, "Government is evil! Don't trust anyone! Everyone is out to get you! We're now living in a police state!" Yes, I may have slightly exaggerated there, but you get the point. This is why I've been so befuddled by many conservatives' responses to the non-indictments of police officers Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo, in the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Such individuals have defended the police of their actions by saying things such as: - "They were just doing their jobs." - "What else were they supposed to do?" - "You shouldn't say anything to the police. Everyone knows that." - "Ga...

Just recently, when discussing the Michael Brown shooting and whether or not race had anything to do with it, Fox News contributor Jonathan Hoenig said, "You know who talks about race? Racists." One moment while I provide Mr. Hoenig with the well deserved slow-clap. :: slow-claps for two seconds :: So, that was quite the line by Mr. Hoenig, wasn't it? "You know who talks about race? Racists." Well, wasn't he just talking about race? So, by his own words, I guess that makes him a racist. Also, if he wants to be consistent, does this mean that people whom talk about gender are sexists and people whom talk about sexual orientation are homophobes? With that line of thinking, Hoenig would engage in the following back-and-forths: Hoenig: "So, who are you voting for?" A woman: "The Democratic candidate, because he's been adamant about his support for equal rights for women." Hoenig: "You sexist feminist nazi!" ...

On Sunday, National Journal 's Ron Fournier told Fox News host Chris Wallace that "the fastest growing voting bloc in this country (the Latino community) thinks the Republican Party hates them. This party, your party, cannot be the party of the future beyond November if you're seen as the party of white people." This was in response to the recent immigration debate. In response to Fournier's comments, Alabama Representative Mo Brooks (Republican), said this: "This is a part of the war on whites that's being launched by the Democratic Party. And the way in which they're launching this war is by claiming that whites hate everybody else. It's part of the strategy that Barack Obama implemented in 2008, continued in 2012, where he divides us all on race, on sex, greed, envy, class warfare, all those kinds of things. Well that's not true." He also said the following: "Democrats, they have to demagogue on this and try and turn it in...

Courtesy of Twitter, I read this meme regarding President Obama the other day: "It is very sad that our first African-American President will be judged in history as the most inept, corrupt, wasteful, subversive, destructive and divisive President ever. A man twice elected because of the color of his skin rather than the content of his character." This has to be one of the dumbest political quotes I've ever read. Let's think about this for a moment here. President Barack Obama is our 44th president. From 1732 through 2008, we had 43 white presidents. For over 250 years, we had nothing but white presidents, yet this meme contends that Obama was elected, not once, but twice, because he's black. Allow me to break this down even further: From 1732 through 2008, we elected 43 white presidents because of the "content of their character." In November of 2008 and November of 2012, we elected and re-elected our first black president because "of his...

Republican Texas Representative Steve Stockman is running against fellow GOPer John Cornyn for a Senate seat and is attempting to sway potential voters to his side through a rather odd method - claiming endorsements which were never made. One such "endorsement" comes courtesy of the NRA (National Rifle Association). While Representative Stockman claimed the NRA had endorsed him, the NRA has another take on the matter, as NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said the following to the Huffington Post  in December: "NRA is not endorsing Rep. Stockman, or supporting him. Any claims to the contrary by him are totally false." The strangest such Stockman "endorsement" came courtesy of conservative activist Howard Phillips, who died seven months ago, which was prior to the Texas Representative deciding to enter the race. Of the 12 groups listed under "past and present endorsements" on Stockman's website, at least seven of them have not endorsed him...

Just last week, Fox News host and barbie-lookalike #94 on their channel - Megyn Kelly - had this to say about Jesus and Santa Claus, in response to a writer suggesting we should replace the white Santa Claus image with something that has a greater mix of colors, such as a penguin: "For all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white. But this person is just arguing that maybe we should also have a black Santa. But Santa is what he is. Just because it makes you feel uncomfortable doesn't mean it has to change, you know? I mean, Jesus was a white man too. He was a historical figure, that's a verifiable fact, as is Santa - I just want the kids watching to know that." After receiving a great deal of criticism for her comments and hearing late-night talk show hosts crack jokes about her, Kelly then responded with this: "Humor is part of what we try to bring to this show. But sometimes that's lost on the humorless. Queue the firestorm controversy over my d...