A State of Many Unions 2/14/13

LIFE LESSON LEARNED # 232: When a girl is waxing poetic about how incredibly hot you get her, it is never wise to respond with “Well yeah, it’s a gift.”

So the State of The Union had some interesting moments didn’t it? Certainly more interesting then the Grammys. Barack Obama once again laid out a clear agenda on foreign policy, energy independence, humanity and fiscal responsibility, or as the Republicans call it, “a pinko-commie homosexual conspiracy.”

Do you think that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has OCD? What’s with the black gloves?

Obama took 27 minutes to mention climate change, about the same amount of time it takes for another iceberg off the coast of Norway to melt. Yes, Obama actually mentioned scientific facts, or as Rick Perry likes to call it, he was “God-hatin’.” You know the best thing about science? It’s that it is true whether you believe it or not. Neil Degrasse-Tyson said that.

Why was it that Senator Al Franken was the only one in the room that had a suit on that seemed to be bought in this century? Hey, everyone else…why not use some of that PAC money to shop at a place other than JC Penney?

It was nice to see Obama mention that illegal border crossings are the lowest that they have been in 40 years, I guess one could call it a testament to the fine skills of the US Border Patrol and the intimidating wall we are building, or it could just be that no one wants to come here illegally anymore because the economy sucks so badly.
I am still fascinated by how Republicans can still get people to vote against their own interests. How any woman, gay or minority person can stand in the same frontline as these Neanderthals is beyond me. Obama laid out a clear position on equal pay for both genders and was met with thunderous applause, except for woman Republicans. Really? OK go ahead and cheer loudly for those who choose to keep you as a second-class citizen.
I loved how Obama, even though he won his second term, is still concerned with making sure that everyone gets a chance to vote. Denouncing this generation’s Jim Crow law of forcing one particular Identification source on those who can’t afford it, and keeping the voting lines long on purpose in impoverished, minority, voting districts will send a clear message to certain states that the Civil War is over.

But the most poignant moment of the speech was when he invoked the memory of those children who have been lost to gun violence. For a guy that is not particularly known for his warmth, Obama finally reached Americans on an emotional level, and it was real. Yes having Hadiya Pendelton’s parents sitting with the First Lady seemed a bit politically contrived, but it does not mean that the result is not the best thing for the nation. As usual, asshole Newt Gingrich was on CNN after the speech saying that Obama should have addressed gang violence in his speech, ignoring the fact that it wasn’t a gang that killed those children in Sandy Hook.

And speaking of after the State of the Union, how was that Republican response, huh? Did I hear that brain tumor Marco Rubio say that under Obama Federal spending has actually gone up? Is he fucking serious? Well, I guess since Republicans have decided to reject science why not reject arithmetic as well?

SPORTS & THIS WEEK’S REASON WHY TERRORISTS WANNA KILL US

I have decided to combine the two after hearing that the International Olympic Committee is going to drop wrestling from the Summer Games. Why would they do that and still keep synchronized swimming? Wrestling has been a part of the Olympics since their inception thousands of years ago, and since the beginning of the modern Olympic era as well. I can think about ten events no one gives a shit about that should go away (can you say “ballroom dancing?”) before one of the most historically significant events should get the boot.

Congress Could Use Some PEDs 1/30/13

NEWS & CURRENT EVENTS

Have you been following these Senate hearings on gun violence? Seriously the US Senate is turning less into the Ancient Roman Republican example and more into the mob of the Roman Coliseum every day. About the only thing that they can agree on seems to be that an infinitely qualified John Kerry should be confirmed as Secretary of State. That’s like the Nazis and the British both agreeing that the sky is blue.

What continues to baffle me is how willing Congress is to double down on stupid and continues to give, a relatively small organization in the NRA, so much power. At what point will the fact that as early as yesterday, there were people shot dead in Arizona when a maniac went into an office with a gripe and a gun? Actually heckling Gabby Giffords and her husband when they testified before Congress about gun violence? Something that the Giffords’ know more about than any asshole gun nut in Congress ever will. And if it still hasn’t hit home, how about the fact that a recent visitor to the very hill where they work, 15-year-old Hadiya Pendelton, who performed at President Barack Obama's inauguration, had been shot to death in Chicago.

 SPORTS

 Alex Rodriguez was once a great story and an amazing baseball player to watch. I for one have always been on record defending him against, even at times, Yankee fans. I always thought that he would have fit in better in NY had he just stopped looking for a hug and play ball. As far as his postseason shortcomings, that will always be a sore point, but he did get hot in 2009 when the Yankees won it all. Now it looks as though he is linked to another steroid doctor, as recently as 2009, well after the rules against steroids were in place. True or not, these allegations just suck. I really do believe that like Michael Jackson, we have all forgiven A-Rod for the first one. But if these second round of allegations are true, then his legacy is in serious trouble. Unfortunately there are no PEDs you can take to make yourself more likeable. I have no idea what the fuck Deer Antler spray is, but it sounds like something Ted Nugent would use as a Viagra substitute…

Oh and is there a football game to be played this week? I have to say the continued fallout from this Deer Antler spray bullshit is spreading into the Super Bowl. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has to come out and flatly deny any PED use after his name was also linked to the company in the initial report that accused the ballplayers. Now, before anyone gets drunk on their own self-righteousness, let's keep this in perspective. If you were an athlete and the product clearly stated "You will not fail a drug test using our product," you'd probably take it. The fact that now all these athletes have to answer questions that they don't know the answer to is a distraction and it labels guys cheaters who never had any actual intent to cheat. It's a mess really, and there is no comprehensive policy to deal with it.   

As for the actual game, I would like to see the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers. I think the Harbaugh brothers coaching the opposing teams is a great story, but I love Ray Lewis. I think that to come from getting arrested for his alleged involvement in a homicide 13 years ago to winning a Super Bowl in 2001 to being an inspiration to his community is an even better story. Anyone who has ever heard Ray Lewis speak would follow him straight into Hell if they had to. He is an easy man to believe and an even easier person to root for.

And did I hear Randy Moss correctly when he said he was the greatest receiver ever? And he said it wearing a 49ers uniform? Did he get a brown paper bag and inhale some of that Deer Antler spray? Someone needs to show him some videos of a guy named Jerry Rice, maybe you have heard of him Randy, as he is particularly popular in the Bay area…

 THIS WEEK’S REASON WHY TERRORISTS WANNA KILL US 

Our racist Coca Cola ads, obviously. Seriously isn't there anything worth getting offended at that this is how low we stoop? Groups getting angry over an ad that has yet to even air?

Does the NRA Masturbate To Their Guns? 1/17/13

NEWS & CURRENT EVENTS

So the NRA has decided to run an ad stating how President Barack Obama’s children are protected by armed Secret Service, so therefore every school should have armed guards in them. Brilliant reasoning. Even wiser was how NRA Chief Executive Asshole Wayne LaPierre had the audacity to say that the ad was “not about his kids.” Really? So what was the ad about? When the first line of the ad is a narrator saying ”are the president’s kids more important than yours?” someone should tell me then, what the ad is about. I really cannot believe how willing the Right are to totally ignore facts.

It has been a long standing tradition that a President's children, particularly minors, were never to be brought into anyone’s political agenda. Yet, here's the NRA doing exactly that to Barack Obama’s kids in their latest ad. Ummm…I wonder what is so different about him?  

Wednesday President Obama signed a historic executive order that would limit the availability of assault weapons and firearms.  Of the 23 new laws, it boggles the mind that anyone with a sense of humanity would have a problem with doctors asking patients about their guns, especially if they come into an emergency room with suicidal thoughts or a gunshot wound.

And for the NRA to feebly attempt to counter the current criticism by saying that Obama had children behind him when he signed the gun legislation and compare it to that ad is just sickening. Obviously clueless to the fact that it was those very children that wrote letters to the President asking for this legislation, they are really content on reaching for the most vile non-arguments that they can find.

The best quote on this issue so far has been from our own Mayor Mike Bloomberg “ If you can’t shoot a deer with two shots, you shouldn’t be out there shooting.”

SPORTS

 Ahhh…Lance Armstrong, I guess this is the “acceptance” portion of your rehabilitation tour, after Shock, Denial and Anger. You know, I have no problem with Lance Armstrong doping up just as much as every other cyclist at that time. But where he failed was in his adamant denial and his false rage at his “haters.” It was a con job that was made even more convincing by his public battle with cancer, which by the way, was very inspiring to a lot of people and I’m sure saved many lives. So how harshly should we judge this guy?

I guess only time will tell, but the world really does seem to be crumbling at his feet. He was asked to return the Olympic medal he won on 2000, and has of course been stripped of his 7 Tour De France titles. But who will those titles now go to? Who is the first guy on the list of those who finished that was not doping? This is a huge mess and maybe Armstrong, although its catalyst, might not be its only casualty.

THIS WEEK’S REASON WHY TERRORISTS WANNA KILL US

The Queen of England has decreed that if William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have a girl, the child will be given the lofty title of princess. I’m sure we can now all breathe a sigh of relief.

You know, I actually have nothing against the British Royals, and I think that they do a great service to their country given that they are Royalty and they all serve in the military, which is a lot more than I can say for the spoiled brats of the wealthy here, but why the fuck is this news when there are US hostages in Algeria?

Why is this news when France, yeah France, a nation of snail eating cowards has shown more guts in the African nation of Mali then we have? Yes I know our own African American President is a bit busy right now trying to keep the gun-toting maniacs in line, but come on Barack, aren’t you an Oprah fan? Multi-task, dude!

The USA...Celebrating the New Year With Gun Violence 1/11/13

NEWS & CURRENT EVENTS

For those of you under the delusion that AIG is nothing more than a greedy, soulless corporation obsessed with a bottom line, here is a “feel good” story for you…

AIG’s board met Wednesday to hear a pitch from ex-CEO Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, asking the company to join his $25 billion lawsuit accusing the government of violating shareholders’ rights by bailing out the company during the federal bailouts in 2008 and 2009.

Greenberg filed the suit in 2011, and it claims that the terms of the bailout -- including giving billions to AIG’s clients, the government taking a more than 90 percent stake in the company and the deal’s steep interest rates, stripped shareholders of tens of billions of dollars. Just the fact that they needed a meeting to discuss this really bothers me. Speaking as one of the taxpayers whose money bailed you out, I think I can speak for all of us when I say…”What the FUCK?”

As for Greenberg, I think someone has just submitted his candidacy for JB Random Report “Asshole of the Year 2013.” Hey, it’s never too early! Well, there’s still that maniac gun lover Alex Jones.

SPORTS

Baseball writers, thank you. Thank you for reminding us how petty you actually are. And for the record, I am not campaigning for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens or Sammy Sosa for entry into the Hall of Fame. But excluding Mike Piazza? The greatest offensive catcher ever? Someone who has not been anywhere near a steroid accusation?

What overblown, heavy handed message are you trying to send? If you are going to exclude players that even played in the so called “steroid era,” then you are not going to have any Summer time celebrations in Cooperstown for a while.

THIS WEEK’S REASON WHY TERRORISTS WANNA KILL US

So nice to see the NRA doubling down on stupid by saying we should respond to the Newtown tragedy with more guns, and arming more school personnel. Because the more guns you have around small children the safer they are. Here is another reason to love your guns…

Who would have thought that in America, a missing small fry order would lead to a violent altercation? At a McDonald's in Kansas, a couple cut through the drive through after discovering a mistake in their order. The couple apparently didn’t like that the car behind them complained so the woman decided to throw a crowbar at the complaining car, her male passenger, seeing that such a move was just not enough, thought it would be a good idea to draw a shotgun and squeeze one into the driver’s side of the car. Police followed them home and a standoff ensued. Stay classy, Witchita!

Am I the only one that remembers that the NRA was formed in the same year in which the Ku Klux Klan was outlawed? Ummm….coincidence? 

The JB Random Report End of the Year Awards: Part II

Well kids, it’s that time of year again…

QUOTE OF THE YEAR –  "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what ... who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims. ... These are people who pay no income tax. ... and so my job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives." Thank you, Mitt Romney. This shining beacon of an example of how totally and completely out of touch with humanity you actually are pretty much got Barack Obama another four years in the White House.  

                                                            

TV SHOW OF THE YEAR – “Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States” Kinda like a Mac vs. a PC, Showtime Original Series’ are not nearly as popular as those shown on HBO, but they certainly are better. Whether it’s Homeland, Dexter (which I don’t watch but I hear is good) or Californication (which I do watch because everyone thinks Hank Moody is me in 15 years) this is yet another example of a visionary show. Sure it’s biased, but that doesn’t mean he is lying. It should be noted that I really wanted to give this award to Aaron Sorkin’s “The Newsroom,” but even I have to be somewhat objective sometimes, right?

MOTHER OF THE YEAR – I hate to speak ill of the dead, and I will not get into a debate over the second amendment, but any liberal who thinks they are going to magically get rid of the already 300 million guns already in the hands of the public is just as delusional as the Republican nitwits who believe that illegal immigrants will practice “self-deportation,” or that more guns in schools would have kept the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut from happening.

Clearly, the current gun laws on the books in Connecticut could not and, more importantly, did not prevent what occurred in Sandy Hook, and yes it is time to have a serious debate about guns on a national level, but there is one issue I would like to add to that debate that has yet to be discussed, and that is proper gun storage. You can talk about banning, regulating and registering all you want, but why is no one discussing how these guns are stored? Why not have laws that specify address how a gun is to be stored and if a tragedy ensues similar to the one that killed 20 children and 6 adults in a school, we hold accountable not only the animal who did this, but the person that allowed him access to the guns in the first place. Now in this particular case, the person responsible for improper storage of, not one, but five firearms is also dead, killed by her own recklessness, so once again, maybe it’s time to add this issue to the debate.

This woman had to have known her son had mental problems, so how could she justify storing guns so poorly as to give a mentally unstable person access to them?  The only good news is that she certainly won’t be making the same mistake again. So Nancy Lanza, for being irresponsible with firearms, for not having the insight to gauge the level of crazy inside your own child, and contributing to the death of 26 innocent people, this award is for you.

ASSHOLE OF THE YEAR – Newt Gingrich. Even if for nothing more than this ridiculous quote calling Barack Obama “the best food stamp President in American history.” Needless to say he was trying to appeal to old white people who associate people of color with government aid. Never mind the fact that “food stamps” per se, no longer exist, and that 24% of government aid recipients are white. Add to that the inconvenient truth that the so called “Red States” in the southern Untied States - you know, the ones that are constantly railing against government intervention, are the ones who rely the most on government aid.

PERSON OF THE YEAR -  Malala Yousufzai. I like to think that I’m brave when I write, because I never censor myself and although I have had a few offers, I refuse to have any corporate sponsors on my blog (that might change of course, but let me consider myself brave now!). I cannot however, even begin to approach the strength of this 14 year old Pakistani girl, who wrote her own blog advocating education for young women in her country.

In America, it is very easy to express your opinion, not because we have the First Amendment to the Constitution, but because we live in a country that may not be the best and brightest anymore, but we are not a totally backwards population either. We are a population that is still, for the most part, advanced enough to realize that ideas, even when we disagree with them, should never cause the immediate fear of losing your life.

It should be noted that nothing that Malala wrote was ever banned by the Pakistani government, so it was not a Constitutional amendment that was needed to protect her, but a more advanced society, which unfortunately, she does not live in.

Time magazine picked Barack Obama as their Person of the Year. I happen to think he is a great man, but Time got it wrong. Obama, as I wrote last week, has had to face odds that no other man in the history of the United States Presidency has had to face, but these difficulties never came from a place where he had to fight for what Malala had to fight for, and he does have an entire Secret Service dedicated to protecting him.

As this incredible young lady is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head, let us remember that she had the courage to express a view that at any time could have gotten her killed by the backward Neanderthals surrounding her, and it nearly did. She didn’t fight the Taliban with the help of SEAL Team Six or drones, but just her mind and a computer. That’s more than I’ve ever done, so she is my hero this year.    

POLITICIAN OF THE YEAR – The first 3-time winner of this award, Barack Obama certainly does deserve it and for many reasons, just read “The JB Random Report End of the Year Awards 2012: Part I”

FELONY CONVICTION OF THE YEAR – Jerry Sandusky. 30 to 60 years in prison. I will not even get into what this fucking asshole is convicted for, but even in jail he has the nerve to say that he should be allowed more accommodations. Why isn’t he thanking the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for not putting him in with the hardened criminals that just love to share common areas in prison with convicted child molesters? He would not last a week.

OVERUSED PHRASE OF THE YEAR – “Fiscal Cliff”

MOVIE OF THE YEAR – “Moonrise Kingdom” Everything about this movie was great, and I’m not just saying that because I’ve missed Wes Anderson for the past five years. Bill Murray was his usually subtle yet hysterically funny self, but this performance will no doubt be overlooked because he will probably get an Oscar nomination for his brilliant portrayal of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in “Hyde Park on Hudson.” Speaking of which…

ACTOR WHO MANAGED TO GET HIMSELF INTO EVERY COOL MOVIE THIS YEAR – Bill Murray for “Moonrise Kingdom,” “A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III,” and “Hyde Park on Hudson”

COOLEST MOVIE WITH SOMEWHAT FAMOUS PEOPLE IN IT THAT YOU STILL DIDN’T SEE BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE – “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.” I actually think I had the best time at the movies this year watching this one.  

ALBUM OF THE YEAR –  “The North”/Stars. In an era that is without a doubt the worst in popular music history, where musically irrelevant drivel dominates the pop charts, I am forced to rely on word of mouth and underground indie music to hear anything that won’t make my head explode.

COOLEST SONG BY A MAJOR BAND THAT WASN’T A BIG HIT – “Lover Alot” / Aerosmith. Any criticism hurled at this band with regards to its current state is somewhat deserved, I get it. Despite the fact that Steven Tyler soiled his street cred by being a judge on American Idol, this song is vintage Aerosmith. 

COOLEST SONG BY A BAND YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF – “I Love It”/ Icona Pop. The name of this band pretty much literates everything I would hate in a band, but I have to admit this is a catchy song, particularly when the singer calls herself a “90’s Bitch.” Those Swedes sure are funny.

COOLEST BAND OF THE YEAR –  Japandroids. I have to admit, indie pop has been Canada’s best export since Rush and maple syrup. Yes our neighbors to the north should be held accountable for infesting the music world with the toxic waste noise pollution that is Avril Lavgine, Three Days Grace and Nickelback (and I won’t even mention Celine Dion). But for every one of these acts, there is an Arcade Fire, Metric, Stars and this band. Then there is the fact that if you look these guys up, all that noise is actually coming from only two guys.

ONE HIT WONDER THAT I REALLY HOPE STAYS AWAY AFTER IT FINALLY GOES AWAY – “Gangnam Style”/Psy. Words can’t express how much this disturbs me, mostly because I have seen the video like 100 times, and I can’t stop. Someone help me. Please. I know that if you just stop talking about it, maybe I will stop watching it. Ok Well, maybe just one more time, but I’m not gonna like it. Honorable mention goes out to Carly Rae Jepsen and that hateful “Call Me Maybe” song, which makes me want to go on a three state killing spree.

SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR – The Baylor Lady Bears. Winning 40 games in a row on their way to an undefeated season and their first National Championship was made considerably easier when you have Britnney Griner at center, but they still need 11 other girls to do it, so this year’s most interesting sports team was the Baylor Lady Bears. Honorable mention should go to the New York Giants for winning the Super Bowl after underachieving all season.

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR –  Maybe it was the record, maybe it was the fact that no one had done it on over 40 years, and maybe it’s because of our American fascination with records and numbers, but Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers really did keep me watching baseball scores and updates for the entire second half of the baseball season. Honorable mention goes out to (Sorry Knick fans) Jeremy Lin, for single-handedly doing what not one, but two $100 million players could not do…make the New York Knicks interesting again. And he is proving that he was not a one-hit wonder, as he is thriving with the Houston Rockets and already beat the Knicks I believe…

OVER-RATED ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – When you talk about over rated athletes, sometimes you really do have to acknowledge that they don’t actually rate themselves, so over –rating really isn’t totally the fault of the athlete is it? Well, unless you are Terrell Owens.

For the record, I just wanna say, like everyone else, that I really like this guy. One thing I will not say is that he is not an NFL Quarterback, considering that he won a playoff game, but Tim Tebow is getting way over-hyped and he has not done anything this year. Maybe over-hyped is a more fitting phrase than over-rated. He is not self-promoting and he is not the one asking for attention, he is just getting it and given his lack of production this season, getting it undeservedly. This is not Tim Tebow’s fault, but I would like to not hear about him so much until he actually does something on the field. And congratulations to the New York Jets, for the second year in a row one of their quarterbacks has won this award.

BELOVED ATHLETE WHO REALLY SHOULD RETIRE –  First, let me eat some crow…Last year, this award went to former Indianapolis Colts and now current Denver Bronco’s Quarterback, Payton Manning.  With his team winning their division and Manning having an MVP level season, it is clear that I was wrong on this one. Here is what I wrote, painful as it is to read…

 “this is gonna be a tough one because the man can still play and I am convinced that he will play in 2012, but Payton Manning will not play at the level he once did…there is no possible way he will be who he was before his neck injury. They will absolutely draft Andrew Luck with the 1^st pick in the NFL Draft next year, so why prolong the obvious? Why create a Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers or Joe Montana/Steve Young situation when you don’t have to? Manning has done so much in his career, he really has nothing left to prove, which means he thinks he still has something to prove. I don’t think I wanna watch him next year because I’d like to remember him as great as he was before his injury.”

I will say in my defense however, I did correctly predict that Manning would still play, that the Colts would dump him and draft Andrew Luck, which is just what they did. Ironically enough, they could actually meet in the playoffs.

This year however, I don’t think I’m wrong, and it really is time for Miguel Cotto to hang up his gloves before he gets hurt. Not that he can’t still fight, but he is getting hit way too much and that won’t add any years to his career or more importantly, his life.

RACIST OF THE YEAR – He is that uncle who sits in the corner at every family reunion while the rest of us whisper “maybe it’s time to put him in a home.” This award is going to Ron Paul not for any one thing he has said or done this year, but like a lifetime achievement award, he is getting it for a collective body of work. Let’s revisit some of his gems shall we?

“Immigrants can spread diseases for which we may have no immunity. There is also the question of crime and culture. Many immigrants come from countries with different legal structures and are not willing to behave in the way we expect American citizens to behave.”

“I wouldn’t vote against getting rid of the Jim Crow laws.” -When asked if he would have voted for the Civil Rights Act.

“There is no such thing as a hate crime.”

Here is hoping that he changes his mind before he changes his Depends Adult Diapers.

DEAD PERSON OF THE YEAR – As sad and monumental a loss as is Ravi Shankar’s death to the world of music, Gore Vidal, Adam Yauch, Neil Armstrong and Mike Wallace were also significant losses suffered this year. I don’t really care about Whitney Houston, but I am a bit appalled that it only took her fame hungry family two seconds to get their own reality show whilst this woman was still warm in her grave.

But coming in just under the wire has to be the greatest military commander of the last 50 years, General Norman Schwarzkopf, the architect of Desert Storm 1991. “Stormin’ Norman” as he was called, had the foresight to work out a plan that soundly defeated the enemy, which in this case was the battle tested Iraqi army, the fourth largest military in the world, without committing US forces any more than he had to. This resulted in total victory with minimal casualties. History that was clearly lost when George W Bush, the only US president with Down syndrome went back to Iraq some 13 years later. 

Here’s hoping the New Year brings you everything you want!

The JB Random Report End of the Year Awards 2012: Part I

NEWS STORY OF THE YEAR:  The Jackie Robinson of American Politics

In the 1940’s, the then Brooklyn Dodgers were own by a man named Walter O’Malley, but were run by one of the greatest, most visionary sports executives of all time, Branch Rickey. As early as 1943, he had quietly convinced the Dodgers organization to allow him to search for the “right man.” That is, the man who would become the first black baseball player in the Major Leagues. Although there was not an official statute banning blacks, it was understood that the game was not to be integrated. Rickey was fixing to end that.

The list included many great players, including two eventual Hall of Famers in Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. Instead, they went with the first 4 letter athlete in the history of UCLA. A man who would have followed his brother Mack’s footsteps on the United States track team had World War II not cancelled the 1940 Olympics. That man was Jack Roosevelt Robinson.

As the story goes, Rickey, a devout Christian who never cursed in his life, sat Jackie in his office and told him that if he were to take the job, he would have every insult in the book thrown at him, and proceeded to repeat them all, no matter how vulgar, hateful or racist. He then made Jackie a deal: “If you promise not to fight back for three years, then this job is yours.” Jackie thought about it for a long time then replied “Mr. Rickey, you will have no problem from me.” As the legend goes, Rickey later said that had Jackie Robinson agreed immediately and without thinking, Rickey never would have hired him for this task.

But you see, what made Jackie Robinson perfect for this job was that he understood the bigger picture, and what this meant for all blacks. He knew that as the first black man to do anything, he was representing all blacks whether he liked it or not. And he knew that his failure would be the failure of every black kid who ever dreamed of one day playing in the Major Leagues. If he slipped up once, just once, this great experiment would fail and no other black athlete would ever be asked to play in the big leagues again. Can you imagine the burden he carried those first years?

Needless to say, the initial treatment was horrifying. The fans in visiting stadiums hurled insults at him, threw things at him from the stands, threw a black cat on the field, and called him every sort of name. All without a response from Jackie. The players on those opposing teams were no better. He was routinely thrown at, and once while covering first base, was spiked in the thigh by a player barreling into first base who was clearly out by a mile. But again, Jackie took these things in stride because he knew what his being there meant. He knew that he had to be not just good, but better than everyone around him. He knew the World was watching. It was this attitude of passive resistance that even won him the admiration of his initially skeptical teammates, often yelling “Let’s see you pick on someone who can fight back!” to the other dugout.    

Now, when the three years were up, Jackie began fighting back, and when he did, no one questioned his right to do so, which was as it should be. Needless to day, he went on to play in the Major Leagues for 9 years and compiled a Hall of Fame career.

Fast forward to our generation’s “great experiment,” that is, electing the first black President of the United States. In his first term, he has had to endure the most petty, hostile congress in the past 100 years, questions about his religion, agenda, even whether or not he was actually born in the United States; Things that no president has ever in the history of the office has had to endure. Ummm…I wonder what's different about him? Needless to say, President Barack Obama must have passed the test, because he was re-elected by a wider margin than that buffoon George W Bush was in 2004. Would you believe that idiot had the nerve to call his re-election a mandate for his sub-moronic agenda?

Now that his three “Jackie Robinson” years are up, I really hope that the next time Jan Brewer, that ignoramus governor of Arizona wags her finger in Obama’s face, he reminds her that he is the President of the United States, and maybe they didn’t teach respect for that office at Glendale Community College like they did at Harvard, but if she ever puts her finger in his face again, he will have her killed. When Donald Trump questions his birthplace, Obama should remind him that Hawaii is a state in the Union, rich in enough tropical fruit to feed that squirrel living on Trump’s head for the rest of its natural life. In short, I want him to fight back.

Now to his credit, Obama is showing some balls by not allowing Republican obstructionists to keep taxes down for the richest Americans, and he FINALLY spoke out on the subject of gun control, albeit at an immeasurable cost. I want him to fight for the things and for the people he said he would, and I want him to respond when he is criticized by those who lack any reason, intelligence or sense of humanity, and when he does, I want him to question their reason, intelligence and sense of humanity.
Look, I am fully aware that this country has suffered a horrific tragedy, but I don't want that to be the story of the year as much as the re-election of the only candidate who is willing to finally stand up to the gun lobby so that things like this never happen again.