Metro Times - News+Views: Calling her out

3/11/2009

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Politics > Politics & Prejudices

Calling her out

By Jack Lessenberry

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Time to tell the truth, comrades, in words anyway, though William Archie's magnificent picture on the front of the Friday Freep would be a cinch for the Pulitzer Prize, if the world were limited to Detroit.

It shows a poisonous-looking Monica Conyers talking into the ear of a catatonic and apparently brain-dead Martha Reeves*, making sure she was on board with Monica's crusade to destroy the city.

Ignorant, nasty, ill-informed and hungry for power and ego gratification, in office only as a result of her famous name, or — let's face it — the fact that a famous much-older man impregnated her after she worked in his congressional office long ago, Conyers is determined to wreck the deal to expand and improve Cobo Hall.

Mayor Ken Cockrel and the three sane and competent councilpersons — Sheila Cockrel, Kwame Kenyatta and Brenda Jones — are trying desperately to do all they can to save the city.

Monica Conyers is operating from exactly the same motives as Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy did in the early 1950s, when he came close to destroying democracy and freedom in this country by accusing everyone he could of being a communist. This was all a game for McCarthy; he was a brawling drunk who didn't know Karl Marx from Harpo Marx, and only wanted to be powerful and important.

That is exactly what is going on with the equally vile Monica Conyers, who uses race-baiting as her weapon in a city that is almost all black, in a nation with a black president. There is a difference. People who knew McCarthy said he was often nice in person when he wasn't actively trying to destroy America. Nobody has ever said that of Monica Conyers.

Years ago, right after Sept. 11, 2001, I went to see the congressman. He was late, and the staff was bustling about making whispered references to "Ghetto," clearly a code name for someone they dreaded and despised. "OK," I asked one. "Spill it. Who is Ghetto?"

One guess.

Not long after that, my friend Denise Crittendon, then the editor of African-American Family Magazine, called me. She wanted to get the family Conyers — U.S. Rep. John, Monica and the two boys, to pose for a portrait on her cover. Would I call him for her?

I have known John Conyers for a long time, and even when we've disagreed, I have always respected his views. His manners always have been perfect, even courtly. As I expected, he agreed in an instant. But it never happened, because Monica Conyers refused to pose with her family. This, I was told, on the advice of a PR man fired by her husband for falsely charging that Conyers' staffers were on drugs. After John fired him, Monica hired him.

To get back to what is happening now: Because Detroit is famously broke, the city sensibly negotiated a deal to transfer Cobo Center to the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, a group of five representatives from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, the mayor and the governor.

They will oversee a $288-million expansion of our badly outmoded Cobo Center, something desperately needed if the city is to attract new conventions and revenue. They are doing this with regional money. They are not turning Cobo over to conservative white oppressors. Four of the five representatives will be appointed by liberal Democratic regimes. This is a regional deal to help us all, the city of Detroit most of all. It is unknown whether Monica understands this. It is clear that she couldn't care less.

What she wants is to destroy the deal in order to make herself important. She just might succeed, because of Detroit's terribly flawed charter, in which every voter chooses nine at-large council members. Nobody can keep all those names straight. So they vote for the names they know. That is why we have people like Martha Reeves and Monica Conyers on there. There is also JoAnn Watson, who is better than they are, but seems emotionally wedded to the fiction that this is Mississippi, 1964.

Also Barbara-Rose Collins, who once — saints preserve us — was in Congress. After Collins was rated Congress's worst member, Kwame's mommy defeated her in a primary. The fact that she held a fund-raiser in a strip club that year wasn't helpful. Barbara-Rose isn't especially malevolent — only simple.

Originally the council voted 4-4 on the Cobo deal, which had the effect of giving it approval. Then Monica, wagging her poisonous tongue, got Alberta Tinsley-Talabi to change her vote. Bert is sort of a mystery, though insiders tell me that during her 15 years on council, she has accomplished precisely as much for Detroit as has the statue of Hazen Pingree in the nearby park. Except that Hazen provides a perch for the pigeons.

This now will likely go to court, where hopefully sanity will prevail. Whatever happens, all of this has taken a further toll on Detroit, though I suppose it might help attract a masochists' convention.

Frankly, the Detroit News and Free Press have done a fairly good job covering this atrocity, except they have shied away from completely calling out Monica, and her intellectual mini-me Barbara-Rose, for their utterly outrageous race-baiting. When a white union official pleaded that the Cobo agreement meant badly needed jobs, she shot back, "Those workers look like you; they don't look like me."

Collins' bizarre response was that "European rulers have traditionally taken what they wanted from other people ... no one is taking anything." L. Brooks Patterson, of all people, had the perfect riposte: He said he only wanted the tiara Collins once bizarrely wore to a council meeting, and the Fist.

I heard Brooks say, 34 years ago, that the city ought to be walled off by the suburbs and given blankets and corn, like a reservation. Now he has grown up, and his old racism seems to be Monica Conyers' loony bin attitude. Someone, please, do something, before we all drown in the sludge.

Years of madness: Before he died, Free Press columnist Bob Talbert agonized over what to call this decade. It was clear that the '80s were the eighties, etc. But what to do with years starting with zero? He thought we should call them the "aughts." As in, "back in aught-four ('04) grandpa helped re-elect a warmongering maniac."

The Prophet Leroy helped shield Old Bob from this dilemma, by calling him home to Buddha in '99. And alas, his idea of the aughts didn't catch on, probably because most people never heard of an aught, other than those who make moonshine and do crossword puzzles. Mostly, we just avoid calling them anything, presumably because "nightmare years" and "years of the locust" are taken.

However, my counselor and spiritual adviser has come up with a solution. "Look at what's happened," she said. "These years are the naughts."

And they most surely are.

*Footnote: Detailed analysis of brain-wave patterns released to me by the National Security Agency reveal that Martha was not, in fact, listening to Monica. She was attempting to recall the name of at least one of the Vandellas. During the time the room was monitored, she was unsuccessful.

Jack Lessenberry opines weekly for Metro Times. Contact him at letters@metrotimes.com.

Comments

On 3/11/2009 12:34:09 PM, Detroit Isotope said:

Dead-on, as usual, comrade.

On 3/11/2009 12:38:00 PM, Thrasher said:

Commentary like this confirms for me yet again how much a bigot and garden variety white liberal racist Jack is. This type of gutless and race based fiction is why Jack needs to retire and go pull weeds some where. Jack's work has never been water cooler buzz, no one emails me his nonsense and he is never viewed as a pudit of interest in a many journalism circles. Jack's most recent bone head antic was giving a blessing to Charlie LeDuff another cheazy reporter without much substance or verve... Normally I would surgically destroy every one of Jack's racist talking points in the worthless fiction he penned but shit it is nothing more than the same template and bullshit he has been pissing out for years... Jack has never evolved nor matured as a writer, he remains a empty angry white male with the usual boring angst one observes so often in 2nd rate rags like the Metro Times.. WIll some one please save me from the carnage of white liberal males like Jack and his comrades a bunch of slugs that have destroyed any memory of good journalism...Please can some one help a brother...Please..Please..Please.................

On 3/11/2009 1:56:23 PM, former_lit_major said:

Brooks Patterson is a racist; Jack Lessenberry is a realist. Monica Conyers, Barbara-Rose Collins and Martha Reeves are not fit to hold their elected offices. Neither was George W. Bush -- a fact that Jack also pointed out regularly. In all four cases, this judgment had nothing to do with the color of their skins.

On 3/11/2009 2:00:32 PM, sydeffects said:

When the truth hurts, cry racist!

On 3/11/2009 3:07:20 PM, Thrasher said:

When the truth hurts always claim denial and then in the usual white american pathological manner blame those you have demonized for daring to object and never forget to deflect which is another pathology of white racism... It amazing how Jack has never used this venom against Brooks Patterson, Mike Cox and a number of other seedy white public officials..yet he has no problem attacking Black woman on the Detroit City Council. Jack's racist rant is also revealing he claims people in John Conyer's office calls Monica ghetto yet he never id's these people even interns in journalism 101 know to id sources nor never to published fiction and hearsay... Jack deserves to be fired for this racist commentary...

On 3/11/2009 4:40:50 PM, SixDegrees said:

Monica Conyers and Martha Reeves are the kind of government you get when half of your electorate is functionally illiterate.

On 3/11/2009 4:48:35 PM, G-dub said:

If Lessenberry is a "garden-variety white liberal racist" (kind of an oxymoron if you don't even think about it), then Thrasher is... Monica Conyers with a pile of speed and the attendant lack of self-editorial. Monica Conyers is like a human version of pancreatitis, when it flares up, it only attacks itself.

On 3/11/2009 5:32:17 PM, Thrasher said:

G-dub, So in other words you are also a garden variety white liberal racist with a dash of the human version of pancreatitis...lol,lol,lol It is good to know what kind of road kill is on this thread...thanks for the heads up.....

On 3/11/2009 5:34:29 PM, Thrasher said:

SixDegrees, Your post reflects the type of idiocy one encounters after leaving a pc in the trailer park...

On 3/11/2009 6:26:22 PM, tpaine said:

You're right Thrasher. Lessenberry wrote this article because he's racist, pure and simple. The staff and editors of the Metrotimes let this article through because they're also racist. Everybody involved in the Cobo deal that opposes Monica Conyers does so purely out of racism. Anybody who's replying to you on this board: racist. In fact, anybody who's ever disagreed with you in your entire life is racist. All of them are. How do you continue to live in a world where everybody who doesn't look or think like you is so clearly out to get you? It must be really frightening. I pray for you.

On 3/11/2009 6:33:13 PM, Thrasher said:

tpaine, I am happy I do not think like you ..Please also refrain from putting your words into my posts...BTW some of my best friends are white.. Also there is no need to pray for me becuase I am already a god and there is no need to worry about folks trying to get me becuase I am also invisible.. And my son I will bless you and pray for you...

On 3/11/2009 6:47:01 PM, Thrasher said:

AT some point folks have got to have the courage to ask why does Jack have this intense contempt and hate towards Black woman..What drives this venom and demonization??? Why would he post such angry and offensive words toward these Black woman who indeed maybe 100% wrong on this issue..But why such attacks?.."poisonous-looking Monica Conyers "brain-dead Martha Reeves"Ignorant, nasty, ill-informed ,vile , Then good ole Jack plays the good negro/bad negro game( such an old plantation trick)by invoking "my friend Denise Crittendon" white folks always need a good colored/ negro in this game and then even gives his pal old redneck Brooks Patterson a pass "Now he has grown up, and his old racism".. Really Jack should be FIRED for this hate speech....

On 3/11/2009 8:31:28 PM, fooddood said:

Damn if Thrasher doesn’t write the most entertaining posts when you can understand them. Those delusions of grandeur are far out. He’s an invisible god, ha ha! Don’t believe the men in the white coats about the meds, Thrasher; those men are really trying to imprison your soul.

On 3/11/2009 9:15:23 PM, Thrasher said:

fooddood, Thanks it is a chore dumbing down my thoughts for this tread but I know they will penetrate nuckleheads like you and sting....lol,lol,lol

On 3/11/2009 10:29:37 PM, Opheucus said:

Thrasher, while I agree that Jack's post is a bit out of line, the name calling is uncalled for, we must remember that this old "whitey's out to git us' is getting too old. When it is uttered most peoples eye glaze over. It's like the boy who cried wolf, nobody is listening any longer. I fail to see where you agree with the gist of Jack's article, just where you find fault with it. You, thrasher, are responsible for Mz. Conyers and the other do nothings on the council in the city. The city doesn't have enough money to buy toilet paper for it's schools much less finance a new Cobo Hall, so instead you and the Monica Conyers of the city will sit and watch this pass from Detroit's history rather than let the people who are going to finance the project have a say in it's operation. Don't even think of playing the white race card on me, I am Chippewa, another people who have seen their share of oppression. We best all start to realize we had better come together as ONE people if we are to salvage anything. This ship is sinking and we can all drown or we can start baling together. lets quit trying to point fingers for old wounds and instead start making the "do nothings" carry some of their weight. Quit protecting those who stand in the way of your freedom and embrace those who are willing to walk with you there.

On 3/11/2009 11:10:52 PM, sydeffects said:

Rock on Opheucus. You get it1

On 3/12/2009 2:51:20 AM, SixDegrees said:

Say hello to "The Atlanta International Auto Show."

On 3/12/2009 9:04:53 AM, Thrasher said:

Opheucus, I am a Seminole so check mate..Unlike your tribal legacy you post like a defeated indian still surrending to the paleface..Injustice and racism is always present what is getting old is people like you making excuses for the racist behavior of whites like jack.. I do not agree with Jack's premise or others that the rejection of the Cobo deal was a bad decision so why should I be like you and other and engaged in group think!! Again the "RACE CARD" was created, invented and practiced by whites for centuries in our nation are you sure you are an Chippewa?? Do you know your own history?? Instead of singing cum ba ya and having the mind set of the soft bigotry of low expectations with regard to Monica and the DC quit attacking people and making excuses for racial cowards like Jack and others.. I am not going to walk or hold hands with cowards or people who are in denial and lack the courage to confront truth..Our Atty General was right on the money we are a nation of cowards when it comes to race issues..Your post reflects exactly his point of view.. Now get off your knees and stop genuflecting to white folks ..Opheucus it is ok to leave the reservation and liberate yourself from the stain and contamination of folks who oppressed you ..BTW I do not speak with a forked tongue and I have no problems telling you the truth..One other thing unlike many pale faces I do not have the soft bigotry of low expectation with regard to Chippewa people I know you can make a difference..

On 3/12/2009 10:26:32 AM, duhhg said:

LOL an invisible god = no god! I might as well worship dark matter. Oh, wait was that racist? Well dark matter is something that is out there, just not sure about the whole invisible god thing. To the point, if it wasn't for the stupidity of a human being that just happens to be an African American woman (we must be politically correct so as to not offend any one) no one would be writing in this thread or even have to write an article about a human being that is blatantly, obviously so wrapped in her image that it clouds her judgment. Maybe she is just doing what she is doing to get back at Shrek (that would be the name she used for the interim mayor). I would have thought that the problems with the roof at Cobo during the Autorama would have turned on a light in some people heads, I guess not. Regardless of what people say in this thread the fact is that human beings like her are the reason Detroit has the reputation it does.

On 3/12/2009 10:44:53 AM, Thrasher said:

Duhhg, I need to sprinkle you with some of my godly dust your logic is very shallow..Yes please be correct in how you identify people I am sure you know our nation"s twisted racial history with regard to all of the names Black Americans were assaulted with.. The reason why Detroit has the reputation is has is because of myopic thinkers like you who define and entire city by the actions of one person..Folks like you who have backward views and engaged in the soft bigotry of low expectations is why Detroit has a reputation in the circles of underdeveloped folks like YOU..Your post is a classic example of what truly is the problem in this region ignorant people who do not have a clue about anything but the fiction and disinformation spoon fed to you by 2nd rate hacks like Jack.. It is tragic reading ignorant posts like yours..The very notion or idea that Monica or the DCC may be correct and right about their posture on Cobo would never exist in a closed myopic mind of an ignorant yoyo like you..Now run along and got play with some dark matter make sure your wipe your hands afterwards..Dark matter does stink...

On 3/12/2009 10:49:54 AM, duhhg said:

thrasher- Wow with writing skills like yours you must have been oppressed for a long long time. You know big words and how to use them in a sentence. Just wondering where and in what way did the white man hold you down in order for you to write so well? You dogged everyone on this thread and called them a racist for using the same right you use to call them one. This country in not a communist one and slavery has been abolished, even though some people think it still exists, right? People have the right to say what they want, and if the writer of this article showed his feeling towards the person he was writing about, well, so what. He doesn't work for the New York Times or the Washington Post so if there is some personal issues the spill into his article and his bosses allow it, oh well FREEDOM OF SPEECH!

On 3/12/2009 11:12:24 AM, duhhg said:

I guess the riots in the 60's that destroyed this once beautiful city was the act of one person. The fact that when I go through some of the neighborhoods I have to worry about being shot at is the act of one person. I don't know this Jack, and don't really care to know him. The fact, my lil' righteous friend, is that for years many people elected to the city of Detroit have brought it down not as you would like to believe, the white man. Your stereotypical remarks don't offend me. I grew up in the trenches of this city and have seen the worst of the worst and some good. I work in the city just blocks away from city hall and must navigate through the panhandlers and bums to get to work everyday. Maybe you should visit the area sometime and you will see what an awesome city the elected officials have made.

On 3/12/2009 11:31:14 AM, Opheucus said:

Thrasher, first you tell me that you are "Seminole..so checkmate!" then you call duhhg "shallow". Isn't that alot like the pot calling the kettle...oh forget it. Anyway thrasher, speaking of "knowing your own history" the "Seminole" became a tribe ONLY after small bands of OTHER tribes joined up in the swamps of Florida. Many of those bands feuded amongst themselves for eons before they joined together to fight their TRUE oppressors. That is what I am suggesting to you here and earlier. Ever hear the term "divide and conquer"? That is in reference to what is happening every day in this country. You and I have these little feuds, neither of us gains any ground at all, just little strokes of the egos as we think to ourselves we "checkmated" the other. All the while this sparring is going on the true oppressors, those in charge, are laughing at us all the way to their mansions, SUVs, and bank accounts buoyed on our dime. I do not oppress you, duhhg does not oppress me and you do not oppress duhhg, none of us has any of that kind of power. It is the pigs at the trough like kwame, and the drama queens like monica, and the likes of "above his own law" Patterson that are oppressing YOU AND ME. You and I must join forces to get these elected officials to do what is right for the people, not what is good for themselves. You will NEVER accomplish anything of great social value on your own, nor will I, but together, with the help of others like ourselves, we can change the world. I do handyman work all over the city and thankfully I meet very few people with the attitude you project here. If you are just a troll then crawl back under the bridge and continue on your merry way, but if you really want to help the people of this state then you are going to have to recognize who the true enemy is. Good luck to you, which ever you choose.

On 3/12/2009 12:08:11 PM, Thrasher said:

Opheucus, Unlike your tribe we never surrendered nor executed a treaty with the US Government. Unlike you I do not need a group of nobodies to influence issues or to make a difference.. You have no idea about my body of work and the results I have achieved . I meet a lot of people like you who indict from the sidelines and at the end of the day provide nothing but impotent banter.. I checked your backward post becuase it deserved to be slammed..I have never been conquered and I do not thin like you do that white folks are all powerful . I have a number of footprints where I have made a difference and defeated racism, powerful interests etc.. The true enemy ( That is some tired verbaige)since you injected into this post..I do give a fuck about the true enemy..I define evil and what is important from my perspective..ignorant people, apologists, intellectual cowards, all of them are my enemy..You go ahead and chase dowm raich folks in SUV's and you go ahead and be envious of rich people....I have other concerns...

On 3/12/2009 12:18:48 PM, Thrasher said:

duhhg, Please spare me the saga of your life as a white super hero living in the arm pits of Detroit..You tale of woe means jack shit to me nor do I give a fuck about your street cred..Just make sure you do not kick those bums and homeless people you so courageously navigate around 24/7 such a tough task you have..WOW..I bet you have big muscles living in the nasty dangerous 'D'.. I will continue to post and fuck with bigots like jack 24/7 anytime I so desire because I can... I love being Free and Black ....I could give less than a fuck about the oppressor in truth they are in fear of me.. Now do me a favor out on your super hero uniform and navigate around those dangerous bums and panhandlers and go get me a donut..I perfer chocolate..lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 12:30:17 PM, Thrasher said:

I need a vaction...This is a truly cluster fuck of a region..AG Holder was right on the money we are a nation of racial cowards...The soft bigotry of low expectations has been a constant in this region for decades...despite the carnage created by the Big 3 Ceo's and the worthless leadership of our governor and out impotent congressional clout..Shit is still so easy to trash , dump and piss on the DCC and anything Black in Detroit... I need a fucking vaction......

On 3/12/2009 12:40:43 PM, Doc d20 said:

Hey, Thrasher. In your initial post, you stated "Normally I would surgically destroy every one of Jack's racist talking points..." Can you do a favor for an old MT comment board acquaintance and point out 2 or 3 passages where Jack displayed overt racism? Was it the "poisonous-looking" quip? Jack spreads that kind of snark pretty evenly over all his editorial targets. Was it the "Ghetto" code-name anectode, whose inclusion added no real value to the article? I'm just asking for a little intellectual honesty check: You called Jack a racist. Give a couple of examples. Provided there's been no MT file server purge, my disdain for "Professor" Jack is well-archived.

On 3/12/2009 1:13:06 PM, duhhg said:

I like being a super hero in the D, it's better than being and invisible god dumb ass. Can you tell me why someone would fear you? No you can't because no one does. Well maybe the critters that crawl around in your head. Your remarks and bashing of others is a clear case of racism. You say you made a difference and defeated racism but it sounds like you stir it up. You say "I define evil and what is important from my perspective..ignorant people, apologists, intellectual cowards, all of them are my enemy". You must have a lot of enemies in your neighborhood. What about those in the community who destroy everything they touch? What about those who create the image of a stereotypical African American male? Can you, with your knowledge of big words define "thug"? I guess your perspective doesn't let you see as clear as other people. Race is not the problem ignorant people are.

On 3/12/2009 1:37:16 PM, Norm7070 said:

Great article. I am convinced Monica & Company want racism to continue. It justifies their existence.

On 3/12/2009 1:51:02 PM, Thrasher said:

duhhg, I body of work and footprints speak to those who fear my presence and clout.. I have a lot of respect in my venue people respect truth and honesty and sincere dialouge... Those who create the sterotype image of AA males are the same ones who created the RACE CARD, the ones who practiced profiling, segregation, jim crow laws, disparate treatment, gerrymandering, separate but equal..the same cowards who compelled our nation to pass civil rights laws becuase they lacked basic human dignity and respect for thier fellow americans citizens.. I define thug as a nation of domestic terrorists many who wear police uniforms and educate in our schools and pretend to be spiritual leaders...You keep forgetting I am a free Black man I define my truth and reality.. My remarks are in part nothing by a reiteration of the legacy of america's contempt for anything non-white..I often just simply act as a conduit of our racist history and that truth brings angry white males like you to the surface to a attack me becuase I simply tell truths.. I posted in here not about me but the venom and racist rant written by Jack yet for the last 2 days I have to deal with posts centered on me not the content of my posts but about me and how I am a dumb ass, yada, yada, yada.. My platform is simple I like the Big Ben Race Clock for 23 hours and 45 minutes our nation has been fucked up by white folks..I have 15 minutes to fix it before the next day... Tic.. Tock...Tic.. Tock.now either make a difference or get the fuck out of my way..

On 3/12/2009 2:00:50 PM, Thrasher said:

Doc, The very essence of his theme is racist..Jack operates from the classic white liberal paradigm 'soft bigotry of low expectations" with regard to anything Black. This has been a staple of his body of work when it involves Detroit and race.. His assault on the Black women on the DCC and his contempt for thier basic human dignity borders on depravity...Again I am not going to waste my time surgically shreading his hate speech I do not have it it is OUT THERE IN PRINT OPEN AND REAL... Plus I have a lot of footprints on his site and this one as well as my own blog c/o planeideas.blogspot.com and my TV Show PLANE IDEAS and the number of venues I blog on and of course my weekly commentary in the Eccentric and my guest appearances on American Black Journal and my public questions at events around the city.. Tell me when to stop..lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol I am a brand name.......lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 2:05:22 PM, Doc d20 said:

You know... Who cares about what Jack said? It's not my problem if someone interprets something as racist: That's THEIR problem. Moreover, "racism" (whatever the hell that means) is not legally defined and, within the scope of an editorial, is protected free speech. Any possible "pain" it can inflict is entirely SELF-PERCEIVED. Others simply choose to ignore it. Consider my question withdrawn.

On 3/12/2009 2:16:41 PM, Doc d20 said:

Okay, you were answering while I was withdrawing. Since you always show me the courtesy of an answer, I'll continue. Yes, I've heard of the low expectations paradigm. I've witnessed it every time a politician goes to campaign (i.e., beg for votes) in predominantly black communities. "Awww! Poor, disenfranchised darkies, er, I mean 'African-Americans'! Do you want me to go wrest your equality from the hands of that big, bad, corporate, conservative, white fat cat? I'll do it for your vote. Here... Let me hold your hand. You can do it darling; yes you can." Black America, on the whole, are suckers for electing liberal Democrats the past 4 or 5 decades. Your return on investment is ZERO! Pissing and moaning about the same 'ol SHIT every four years! But, Thrasher, there's a second paradigm that needs to be broken over the anvil of self-accountability and reason: The professional/permanent underdog. Deep down, there are some folks who just don't want to improve their situation. They're getting by just fine with the racism/white guilt/affirmative action racket. You mean to say that, given every conceivable opportunity, a ripe and fruitful economic environment, and an endless string of second chances, some people STILL will not take the necessary minimum of action to better themselves?! It's more likely than you think...

On 3/12/2009 2:37:52 PM, Thrasher said:

Doc, I do have a small confession to make..I am a driven capitalist..I come in here and other sites to 'brand' myself so once this platform knows how to make money I will be a magnet and superstar in this domain..I have the skills and talents to incite, excite,agitate and create site hits..My presence on chat sites create elevate the site and the hits..I made the WDET Blog a cite that was honored by WDET, my posts registred massive attention...Whenever I pen a commentary my editors and emails are off the hook..So yes I do have an agenda.. Now to address your light also shallow talking points.. Race,Sex, Money always generate interest..I invoke race becuase it is in my wheelhouse plus its talking points are so easy to create anger, emotion, feedback etc.. I object to any type of censorship of course jack and my comments are free speech..I have no quarrel with none of those issues.. Your notion that racism does not inflict pain is nonsense and what I would expect from a white privledged male who has no idea of how racism can inflict emotional, professional, occupational hardships but tat is yoyr cultural blindspot not mine.. Your thoughts about politicans have some validity but also consider this many Black folks do enjoy having white folks been thier servants and pay for white guilt again you reason like many whites, you under estimate Black folks you need to get out of that soft bigotry of low expectations( it is cultural pathology of white america sorry Doc but you got the diease;-).. I do think you are one of the few whites that understand this reality ( your second paradigm talking point again has some value and utility).. In summary I must go back to my Big Ben Race Clock...Now with the era of Obama it really has a lot of value..Tic.Tock..Tic Tock..lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 3:09:05 PM, duhhg said:

"I define thug as a nation of domestic terrorists many who wear police uniforms and educate in our schools and pretend to be spiritual leaders..." most of who live in the urban jungles of the intercity. I didn't ask what you define the word to be, I asked for text book definition. I should have known that you wouldn't give a straight answer. By the way, I don't mean to disappoint you... wait who cares... I am a very happy white man! I am happy happy happy! I don't worry about what others think or say. The only reason I continue this thread is because I'm bored at work. I REALLY don't care what your point of view is. I am a free american with the freedom to speak any way I want. I have the right to bare arms, and in this city you need to bare two. LOL Detroit SUCKS BALLS!!! The Detroit City Council is the punch line of a joke that is Detroit. I was born free, and unless you are well over two hundred years old you were too. You can make all the rhetoric comments you want because of the country you so unproudly live in. You're right it was the white man who created the thug "culture". This whole article was about saving Detroit from morons who can't see past their own ego to do the right thing. As long as there are egotistical self righteous people in this world Jack will always have something to write about. Can you rattle off some facts about the deals going on with Cobo and how wrong they are for the city of Detroit, or do you just want to continue to blab about all the wrong the white oppressor is doing?

On 3/12/2009 3:11:04 PM, Doc d20 said:

Thrasher: Yeah, I kind of caught on to the self-promotion a few comment boards back. You obviously realize that, in the grand scheme, your government isn't going to do a damn thing to advance your position in life. I didn't say racism was painless, I said that it only afflicts those who perceive it. At this point in America's history, racism has been reduced to a matter of perception: It only hurts you if you let it. I'm at the point now where I've developed a defensive prejudice against those who cry, "Racism!" To me, this indicates they don't want to have an intellectually honest discussion. In the past, I'd gladly drop-kick that chip off your shoulder, but I've learned that it won't influence you nearly as much as an honest dialogue. I've got the disease, huh? What's the cure, Thrasher? I think about my undergrad days at Wayne State (to be sure, a critical part of the journey that led to my present success)--the whole skin color spectrum was represented in those lecture halls. You will never convince me that anything other than raw talent and God-given ability led me to the head of the class. Damn straight the second paradigm has value! It's the attitude in the hearts of some men and women that no government, social program, or scapegoat can break. It's YOUR job as a privileged (you live in America) black male to help lead the way and give your fellow Americans some reason to unsubscribe from the old stereotypes and preconceptions. You don't like the lowered expectations? THEN START PRODUCING SOME RESULTS! Jesus's parable of the talents illustrates this nicely (I prefer Luke's account, 19:11-27).

On 3/12/2009 3:13:01 PM, SlovakD said:

Jack should move to Detroit and run for City Council. He would get my vote. I would love to see he and Monica engage in verbal disagreement. I remember years ago, when a city councilman stood on the council table. Was it Jack Kelly? Can't remember. But anyway, Jack & Monica on the same council. What a dream!

On 3/12/2009 3:22:01 PM, Thrasher said:

duhhg, You come in here to read my posts..get real at the end of the day your an ordinary forgettable white privledged male with probaly penis envy..I do not have provide you with anything , you are privledged to be chatting with me.. The whole article was just another angry white male angst at the expense of Black woman under the white privledge umbrella of I know what is best for those Black folks in Detroit.. Again for 23 hours and 45 minutes white folks with the good german mindset of your have fucked up our country now run along and wait for my next posting..

On 3/12/2009 3:35:35 PM, Thrasher said:

Doc, That was some weak shit man I expected something of value from you today..It is apparent you have never been on the end of a rope or a racial profiling or racism in the workplace so your fictoon about racism being a perception again is what I expect from a white privledged male like you.. You have developed a defensive prejudice shit all that means to me is your an intellectual coward embrassed and ashamed of the depravity of your cultural peers and you resent not being able to control the dialouge when your shit is so fucked.. I do not have a chip on my shoulder please again spare me the usual WASP propaganda of how and why a Black man should deal with truth and reality..Plus I doubt if you have the athlete skills to kick anything as high as my shoulders..rememeber you are a white male that dances funny at holiday parties..lol,lolo, kicking shit Is not your wheelhouse. I have no problem questioning your merit and so called top of class achievements when white folks define merit and the paradigm of achievement your gpa will always be subject and questioned by people like me..Jesus and God have nothing to do with white racism and white privledge in our nation quanity always trumps quality..Justus is what we homeboys call white folks defintions of merit and rules.. My job is to be me I am under no obligation to fix shit white folks fucked up..I will do it becuase I am a great Black man..I always produce results .. The soft bigotry of low expectations is the behavior and pathologies that your white culture brought to our shores.. BTW Jesus can kiss my ass despite being a Black man.. Now run along and wait for my next post like your closet comrades... white boy..lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 3:43:42 PM, Tinkler said:

You claim you made the WDET blog a site (not cite) that was honored by WDET and your posts there registered massive attention? You mean like this attention, taken directly from the WDET board? "Thrasher is UNBEARABLE everyday. This loud shallow person thinks he is interesting. And that he needs to overrun this forum with his multiple useless comments. Craig, please call Dr. Phil and arrange an intervention on behalf of your listeners." Or perhaps this one: "I am convinced that Thrasher suffers from a psychopathic disorder. Using Freudian terminology, the psychopathic personality occurs when the ego can't mediate between the id and the super-ego, thus allowing the id to run off the pleasure principle, and the super-ego has no control over the actions of the ego. In other words, individuals with this disorder gain satisfaction through their antisocial behavior as well as lacking a conscience. Thrasher, always making an ass of himself." You don't need a vacation, sir. You need medication. Seriously! Get help before you hurt somebody. If you're truly looking for a racist in Detroit, just look in a mirror. But I'm glad you're developing your "brand." That word has the same first letter as "Bozo," by the way...

On 3/12/2009 3:54:12 PM, duhhg said:

HAHAHA!!! I am a privledged white male that is envious of what... you? HAHAHA!!! I came in here to read an article about a fucking moron you elected into YOUR city council, not chat with you. You are right though, talking racist does piss people off. I'm so glad big brother helped my cracker ass in getting me a big car, huge house and a job where I can sit around shooting the shit with you. It's much better then sitting in a run down house collecting food stamps and watching the roaches run away with one of my ten kids food. I think I need a 40oz. now. Maybe I'll jump in my ride thats sittin on 24's, turn up the bass and ride to my homies house and smoke a blunt. yeah thats bangin. HAHAHA

On 3/12/2009 4:08:21 PM, Thrasher said:

Tinkler, Again thanks for confirming my influence and brand..now I got you doing a google on me...Sucker..you are easy to seduce and control..lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 4:16:27 PM, Thrasher said:

Sorry duhhg but I do not live in Detroit..lol,lol,lol please make another usual angry white male assumpion ..lol,lol,lol I enjoy getting nobodies like you worked up..I love my power over empty slugs like you.. BTW Black folks like me live in bigger homes, drive better cars and do not get direct depossit or have to suck up to a boss everyday..You beter wake up ..your white ass privledged days are gone everyone now knows you slugs were fiction took an ass kickin in Nam , got your ball handed to you in Iraq.. Yeah sit our your overated fat white ass while you woman obess over me and while you watch me having your kids cut my grass..lol,lol,lol BTW keep rapping that shit is almost as funny as watching white guys like you dance at company holiday parties but then again I do not work for white folks so tell me at company parties you stil trying to do the james brown splits....lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 4:16:32 PM, Doc d20 said:

Damn, T! You're really dug in to your own litte world now, aren't you? Tell me: How are you going to make the slightest ripple in the ocean around you? You can't do it all by yourself; you're one man. Big, bad, black, self-agrandizing...sure. But, you're still one man. You need to be able to influence those around you (Yes, you do. Yes, you do.). And you need those whom you wish to influence to have the power to affect change. So, what's your gameplan? Spam internet message boards (honestly, the shoddy grammar isn't winning over anyone)? Wait for Obama to form his black, inter-city SS (under the guise of "domestic security")? You need to influence those with money and power. The ugly truth is, much like the failures on the DCC have realized with Cobo, you need the white man to fix your problems because you don't have any money. The Detroit all-blacks will never fix anything on their own. Under black rule, Detroit will continue to rot and decay and fester until death, unless first, the white man, who was driven from city limits over several decades, returns with the know-how and resources to restore the once-great Motor City. How can anyone look at Detroit and not conclude that blacks, as political leaders, are incompetent and destroy everything they touch? What other conclusion can I draw? They are failures. And rather than admit failure, you'll blame whitey for your shortcomings. Cling to your "racism" security blanket, Thrasher. Things happen when WHITE America wants it to happen. You drive the sleeping WHITE giant to anger, and you're going to bear the brunt of backlash. Your poster-boy, Obama, will be the first to go. Face it: We're smarter. We're armed. And frankly, there are more of us. Assimilate, or shove off back to that hopeless dust-bowl of a continent that produced your forebears.

On 3/12/2009 4:25:31 PM, Doc d20 said:

Attention, everyone! Attention! Little-known internet FACTS: 1. Thrasher has more money than you. 2. Thrasher is much bigger and MUCH stronger than you (watch out, Chuck Norris!). 3. Thrasher has a 90-inch cock (flacid). 4. Thrasher gets ALL the white womens (presumably due to FACTS 1 - 3). 5. Aw, shit! Thrasher can dance WAY better than you. 6. Thrasher don't answer to NOBODY! 7. Thrasher has power over the FUCKING PLANETARY AXIAL TILT, so don't piss him off! 8. Much like a whiny, snot-nosed, weepy little boy who just dun got WHOOPED by his big, black momma, Thrasher survives on your attention. Withhold it, and he dies listening to the throes of his own gibberish rebounding off the empty walls.

On 3/12/2009 4:37:48 PM, duhhg said:

Yeah you must have sold drugs to get the computer you are using. Are you at the library? Are you the reason my property lost it's value? The city said it was because of the "new" residents and their antics. That explains it. HAHAHA Black folks like you cash in all their food stamps to ride in luxury cars and eat ramen noodles from dinner. I'm glad my government allows me to bare arms. My cache of weapons says my white privledged days will remain strong. Well I'm off to go play golf, enjoy your dice game with the ex hip hop corrupt mayor.

On 3/12/2009 4:47:53 PM, Thrasher said:

Doc, Now I own you..I now have you getting worked up over my skills to excite and agitate..Doc you fucked up man and let me know I now own your mind to...lol,lol,lol Doc like I told your closet comrades Your days are over man..white folks do not mean shit any more on the planet.. Your white power died on 911 .. I been waiting for your true white underdeveloped racist core to surface..I admit it took a while but I knew it was there..Black folks in this country have developed a number of adaptation skills to deal with white oppression and depravity and cultural impotency. Doc remeber the Big Ben Race Clock your shit is over man..All of your backward theories, tired propadana about Black victimhood(white folks must take a class in reciting the same tired talking points about Black folks..lol,lol,lol,)... Our state lead by a white governor,the Big 3 al white males have made our state a 3rd world venue in complete meltdown and yet you still cling to white privledge and entitlement.. Remember for 23 hours and 45 minutes you folks have fucked up our nation....Tic Tock..Tic Tick.. I own you now white boy....lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 4:49:40 PM, Doc d20 said:

Remember, folks... To disable Thrasher:

On 3/12/2009 5:04:48 PM, toofit said:

Tell me more about this idea to wall off the city and give them blankets and corn. I find it rather appealing

On 3/12/2009 6:06:41 PM, Thrasher said:

I love it when I out folks like Doc...tee hee .. To be continued...lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 6:09:26 PM, Thrasher said:

Doc.. BOO!!!!!!..lol,lol,lol sleeping white giant...Yeah sure..BOO!!!!!!lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 6:10:35 PM, Thrasher said:

duhhg, Golf my ass ..lol,lol,lol you better take your ass to Big Lots and buy dinner....lol,lol,lol

On 3/12/2009 7:20:03 PM, Opheucus said:

LadyLovelyLocs for Mayor of Detroit!! Now here is a CLASSY woman who represents. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JbtSKGgjE0&feature=related

On 3/12/2009 11:51:01 PM, misweety said:

Thrasher, I think you need to stay in 9th Grade, work on your grammar, spelling, sentence construction and quit trolling websites trying to stir up shit by misrepresenting yourself.

On 3/13/2009 10:15:00 AM, Thrasher said:

misweety, This is a chat forum not an english literature class..You understand every one of my texts ..Can''t a brother have some fun...Now run along and go harass others with your great grammar, spelling, sentence construction skills..What a loser you are...Get over me..

On 3/13/2009 12:57:42 PM, SixDegrees said:

To complain about trolls, visit http://www.metrotimes.com/about/masthead.asp and search for the name "Casey O'Neil"; click on it to send Casey an email containing your complaint. Include the URL of this page so the posts in question can be reviewed. Meanwhile: don't feed the trolls.

On 3/13/2009 2:24:22 PM, Sophocles said:

I well believe it, to unwilling ears; None love the messenger who brings bad news.

On 3/13/2009 2:25:53 PM, Thrasher said:

SixDegrees, Thanks for INFO..I am going to report you ASAP!!!!!

On 3/14/2009 2:24:10 PM, J.Haygood said:

Jack you are on the money once again! I wouldn't call you a racist, but a realist (in this situation). This is ALL SO TRUE! The other citizens of Detroit need to wake up! Monica and a few others have to go!The truth hurts. If we don't like it, let's change it.

On 3/16/2009 12:50:22 PM, Mrkidd said:

Right on Jack! Why should you or any hold back when people like Monica cant stop digging a deeper hole then she can get out of. Just let her talk heself to death. I listened to many of her interveiws and she talks in circles (Ie Yes that maybe what I said but not what I mean). Her 15 minutes are over and its time for Detroit to move on: without her! Keep pounding her! Bill

On 3/16/2009 5:28:15 PM, beep said:

Way to go Jack.....looks as though Det city leaders have had way too much time to create opportunity for themselves, the people of Detroit and metro region. They've obviously dropped the ball - black, white or whatever, things are bad and will continue to get worse with the lack of leadership and vision currently in place.

On 3/16/2009 8:46:04 PM, Thrasher said:

Jack, Please refrain from playing the "race card" and attacking Black woman with your venom and hate speech..Our region does not need another media type engaging in dehumanization of woman..I am sure your wife would be offended by your attacks on the woman of the DCC...

On 3/17/2009 10:56:28 PM, beep said:

The City of Detroit needs BUSINESS LEADERS, not city council members who run city council like a local church bake sale! Unfortunately, four ill-equipped, uneducated city council members are making a bad situation worse. The City of Detroit has been on a decline since '68 when the inmates took over the asylum. The situation will never improve based on the way the city has been managed over the past forty years!

On 3/18/2009 9:16:32 AM, Thrasher said:

The state has been mismanaged for decades with educated legislators....Business Leaders also leave a lot to be desired..Have you ever heard of AIG!!!!!

On 3/18/2009 11:58:35 AM, beep said:

Refering to the CITY OF DETROIT, it has been mismanaged since the inmate takeover in 68 - period. Don't confuse business leaders with legislators - two different animals. If it weren't for the few business leaders willing to stay in Detroit, the city would be completely decimated. Illitch, Karmonos, GM etc.....see the pattern here???

On 3/19/2009 10:59:46 AM, Bumpadrum said:

The only hero in this story is Senator Joe McCarthy. He exposed evil. All the rest - Jack, John C., his beard MonCon, everyone including most of the responders would never admit this abomination is the result of liberal government.

On 3/19/2009 8:17:25 PM, Existential_chick said:

You know, everyone is entitled to their opinion in this country. The rest of southeast Michigan seems to forget this whenever Detroit dares have disagreement the will of the rest of southeast Michigan (of course they know better). Detroit is demonized for being intellectually inept and illiterate. Do you ever think about where that perception comes from? This is really a “who in the hell do you think you are” issue. This issue becomes racist when we realize (even whites in the city) that what makes suburban whites think they are smarter than my Mathematics/Computer Information Systems double summa cum laude graduating a** is white privilege. Now we can either have real constructive dialogue about who you are and feel they way you do and vice versa or I can carry my behind back to detnew.com or freep.com where people are at least honest about being racist and classist. Wait…I take that back duhhg and doc started out toting the party line but got crazy racist real quick…well that didn’t take long. Darned shame really I usually love Jack's articles. I think I still love him....just disagree for once. Thrasher, marry me.

On 3/21/2009 11:46:27 AM, Thrasher said:

Existential Chick, Are you sure you want to connect with another existentialist??;-)...I enjoyed your post ..I just want to live a life where the essence of existence begins with me and others..At end of the day I just love the meaning of life and Yes I will make my life create a difference..