Why An “Aye” Vote is the Wrong Vote for the Iran Deal

Bi-partisan opposition to the Iranian Nuclear Deal will boil down to discussions once Congress re-convenes.

There are options other than war and a bad deal in the fight to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon

by Lenny McAllister

When Mike Doyle, Keith Rothfus and others reconvene on Capitol Hill, America will face another historic moment, one that determines our role as a force for good and a protector of peace for our nation and our allies.

Right now, Iran has the resources and the know-how to produce several nuclear weapons. Setbacks originating from the Stuxnet virus 5 years ago and fairly recent assurances from the Obama Administration that Iran was not readily “breakout-capable” have not deterred Iran. Neither have strong international sanctions, as Iran has been capable of maintaining nuclear progress including covert operations at Fordow while enduring hits to its economy.

America and our allies share a primary goal that must not be overlooked in the quest to secure any deal in lieu of a good deal. We must prevent Iran from destabilizing the Middle East and beyond with its support of terrorism throughout the region and its long-standing, hate-filled opposition to Israel and America.

Any agreement that focuses on checking off one box of an agenda without securing the overall mission fails us and our friends around the world.

Feedback on this proposed agreement has united “strange bedfellows” in a manner that few issues have. Israeli leaders – fresh off of a competitive and turbulent election – have come together in opposition to this deal. Saudi leaders have denounced it, leading to concerns that nuclear proliferation in the region may emerge. Democratic leaders in the US Senate, including former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Robert Menendez and potential minority leader Chuck Schumer, both oppose the deal along with their Republican colleagues, leaving President Obama scrambling to find the votes to finalize the agreement.

Looking at assumptions made in the deal, it is not hard to see why it is a tough sell. Terms include a commitment from Iran to not develop nor acquire a nuclear weapon. On its face, this sounds good, but the term comes with the caveat that Iran does not need to disclose its past nuclear activities, including those that occurred at facilities discovered through Western surveillance, not Iranian open disclosure. Another condition supposedly imposes a permanent ban on Iranian development of weapons capabilities. Yet, without knowing the scope of Iranian progress to date, we are left in the dark about where Iran truly is with weaponization and, thus, left in the shadows of uncertainty. With roughly $140 billion – over 20 times the annual budget of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard – available immediately if the agreement is confirmed, more uncertainty for America and our allies in the region is not a position we should advance.

Mr. Doyle and other supporters state that the agreement will block paths to enrichment for weapons use. However, the deal does not keep the Iranians from procuring the necessary know-how to produce advanced centrifuges, thus allowing for future enrichment. This allows Iran to be able to move forward in developing technology required to eventually reach breakout status.

Supporters of the deal lean on Iran’s pledge to aid monitoring and inspection of its facilities. It was often repeated that we would have “24/7 access” to ensure compliance. Yet, we now know that access can be delayed for weeks under this deal, allowing Iran to continue to keep key components of their nuclear advancement off-radar, just as they did with Fordow. Former IAEA Deputy Director-General Olli Heinonen stated that this loophole is a “recipe for cheating … (considering so) … much of this equipment is very easy to move.”

This, coupled with technical know-how, creates a recipe for disaster.

Further, both sides of the deal are at odds over how “openness” and “access” are defined by the deal. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan have said that Iran has the right to deny access to military sites for nuclear inspection as part of the agreement. Delayed access to nuclear facilities coupled with lack of access to military sites yield a problematic duo for upholding the tenets of this proposed deal.

Even the promise of “snapback sanctions” are interpreted vastly differently by the two sides. Zarif has already stated that the flood of foreign companies into Iran after this deal is finalized will nullify the impact of any future sanctions. Countries such as China and Russia – nations that have been aggressive militarily in their own regions recently – have already lined up deals with the Iranians, including projects related to nuclear energy. “Snapback sanctions” would likely yield sagging results.

Senator Menendez noted that the deal is based on hope, not verification. Both Mr. Rothfus and he are right to oppose this deal . Mr. Doyle is wrong to support it. Iran has escalated tensions with us since 1979. They remain hostile to our nation and our allies. Congressional failure to enact further sanctions earlier and the promotion of this unsettling deal currently put us in a compromised position. We have seen this repeatedly with the Obama Administration, with foreign policy missteps with ISIS, Libya, and Yemen. Obama’s implicit belief that the only alternative to this deal is war lacks nuanced negotiating or foreign affairs foresight, as we experienced in 2011 with Iraq. Just recently, the Administration incorrectly calculated the amount of Iranian centrifuges at hundreds, not thousands. Continuing down this path would be wrong for our allies, wrong in the fight against global terrorism, and wrong for the prospect of long-term peace. Bad deals do not keep bad men from committing bad acts. We are not in a position to allow bad agreements with bad men a chance to work some good. We ended that costly lesson 70 years ago in 1945. We must not re-learn that lesson now.

Lenny McAllister, a former RNC operative under Chairman Michael Steele, is a Republican strategist and talk show host on PCNC and Newsradio 1020 KDKA.

Mr. Doyle’s position for the Iran Nuclear Deal can be found HERE

Mr. Rothfus’ position against the Iran Nuclear Deal can be found HERE

An Open Letter to Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay

“Understandably, our appreciation and respect become challenged when we collectively put too much pressure on ‘the community’ to change its ways without calling for and overseeing appropriate, holistic, and long-term actions of accountability by those with the capabilities to enforce laws, ensure ethics, and commit traumatic and life-ending acts within the blink of an eye. ” – – – Lenny McAllister, “An Open Letter to Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay” (Christmas Day, 2014)

Christmas Day, 2014

Dear Chief McLay,

Belated congratulations on your new role here in our community. As you will quickly find out, Pittsburgh, PA is a very unique place, full of both wonderful characteristics and noteworthy challenges. It is truly a place worth living in, working for, and improving upon as we head into 2015 and beyond together.

I commend you on your willingness to write an open letter to us within “the community” to address race relations between police departments and communities of color throughout the nation as well as here in our hometown of Pittsburgh. The necessary of your letter and the nature of these tenuous times churned my spirit to reply to your letter immediately as a member of “the community”, even on this blessed holiday of Christmas. Perhaps it is most appropriate that on a day of celebration of the gifts of life and redemption, this conversation sprouts forth a new hope.

It is unfortunate that this latest invitation for dialogue and partnership comes on the heels of the horrific and deplorable killings of two officers in New York and anonymous threats against officers in several cities including Pittsburgh. Yet, over the history of America, incidents and patterns of violence and violations against African-Americans are initially and responsively met with calls for patience and calm, while reactions to inexcusable acts of violence against selective others due to social unrest and imbalances are met with calls to action. One could view the transition of Mr. Derbish from in-uniform duty to plain clothes duty (akin to the tragic situation involving Pittsburgh’s Jordan Miles and Philadelphia’s Darrin Manning – incidents where police misconduct was alleged against law-abiding African-American young men by plain-clothes officers) to desk duty in such a vein; (his removal from “the community” and public interaction coming after multiple Zone 5 protests and the ghastly shooting of members of the NYPD.) Despite this repetitive pattern re-emerging – engagement as a result of violence against a particular portion of our community after years of overlooking the lingering injustice hampering us all – a genuine step in the right direction is a welcomed step towards overarching peace nonetheless.

I also thank you for your understanding that, indeed, we face a “…crisis of confidence…” between Black citizens of this nation (particularly those living in urban America) and police forces (and, therein, the criminal justice system overall). After die-ins and protests in places such as downtown Pittsburgh and Ross Park Mall here in our region along with the circumstances playing out in Mall of America, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Ferguson (among others), it is good that the nation is facing collectively what Black America has dealt with for generations: a jaundiced view of the American ethos “…liberty and justice for all…” and that “…all men are created equal…” – resounding sentiments that we are all taught as children but we regularly do not apply or experience as we come of age in this country.

Chief McLay, the re-focus on accountability is respectable yet incomplete. I caution us all against the comfort of civic conversation when the courage for community enhancement is required. Demonstrating “…to our communities of color that we hear and understand the pain…” may be devoid of meaning if a kinetic understanding of the structural, cultural, and functional problems that keep us at this point of general tension and mistrust lacks 360-degree progress.

You ask several questions in your open letter. They include:

“(W)hat are we going to do, Pittsburgh? Police work is often not pretty.

“Officers must arrest violators. Violators often resist, sometimes violently.

“When the next ugly incident happens, will we be willing to withhold judgment and control our emotions long enough to give each other the benefit of the doubt? Are we going to work together toward reconciliation? Are we going to work on listening to one another with the intention of compassionate understanding?”

Yet, your questions – regrettably – permeate the problems with community perceptions that must be addressed, affected, and aligned with the true spirit of the aforementioned American ethos if we are to succeed as one big team.

To be fair, African-Americans in Pittsburgh – much like the rest of Pittsburgh and our region – appreciate and respect our police bureau, especially as we concur that “…police work is often not pretty.”

As well, we agree: “…officers must arrest violators.” However, we also believe that violators maintain their constitutional rights – notably that of “innocent until proven guilty.” Sadly, our appreciation and respect are challenged when these constitutional rights are bruised during police interactions. They become bruised when police abuse of suspects (citizens that are presumed innocent until proven guilty) occur in places such as Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago, and elsewhere – often with no “…punitive reasons…” or actions towards reassignment or firings afterward (such as the case here in Pittsburgh) despite life-altering breaches of training, procedures, or laws.

We agree: “…Violators often resist, sometimes violently…” However, we wonder why Eric Frein, Dominic Adesanya, and Omar Gonzales can be taken alive to have their days in court – enjoying their presumptions of “innocent until proven guilty” – while a Black man “armed” with a toy gun (in a toy section of Wal-mart) and a 12-year-old Black youth – both living in an “open carry” state – were cut down by officers that acted as “…judge, jury, and executioner…” The pain felt by “the community” runs deeper with the reality that often times, these incidents include officers that have prior questionable incidents in their backgrounds. Disturbingly, our appreciation and respect are challenged when these inconsistencies between incidents involving fellow citizens highlight dual and disjointed tracks of police-public interactions and expectations in our United States.

We agree: we must be willing to “… withhold judgment…control our emotions…give each other the benefit of the doubt… work together toward reconciliation…listening to one another with the intention of compassionate understanding.” We must all be “…extremely concerned about the potential for similar violence and for the safety of our officers…”

However, we must also focus on results that are tangible, holistic and historic – not merely reactionary, targeted, and cursory.

Withholding judgment must include “the community” processing all of the facts on a case-by-case basis just as it must include Pittsburgh police and others within law enforcement pushing aside racial profiling to deal with members of the community individually – thus discontinuing indignities such as the one that I (again) endured as a law-abiding citizen in the city just this month. Withholding judgment against all cops cannot be met with the continuation or condoning of “stop-and-frisk”, “driving while Black”, and “jump-out squads” tactics and philosophies.

Controlling our emotions must include eradicating vitriolic rhetoric against all police officers just as it must erode the knee-jerk public stances to protect officers involved in police misconduct or the indiscriminate rejection of protests denouncing said behavior.

Working together towards reconciliation must include making sure that all citizens are appropriately safe during all interactions between police and the public – most notably “the community” – not just citizens that wear a badge.

Being “…extremely concerned about the potential for similar violence…” must hold the same resonance and importance for citizens’ safety within “the community” as it does “…for the safety of our officers” – especially when execution-style murders of brave police officers by suicidal gunmen are rarer than the once-every-28-hours tragedies that befall communities of color in America in recent years from Charlotte to Milwaukee.

Understandably, our appreciation and respect become challenged when we collectively put too much pressure on “the community” to change its ways without calling for and overseeing appropriate, holistic, and long-term actions of accountability by those with the capabilities to enforce laws, ensure ethics, and commit traumatic and life-ending acts within the blink of an eye.

Compassionate understanding comes from the acknowledgment that pain forecasts an issue that must be remedied immediately and properly so that discomfort can subside and dysfunction can cease. Sir, it is of the utmost importance that the discomfort currently felt throughout America (particularly within police bureaus such as ours here in Pittsburgh) is remedied alongside the underlying dysfunction simultaneously lest the pain continue and the problems remain. Sadly, the issues between police and “the community” that are highlighted during times of police misconduct and controversial interactions with us are symptomatic of the greater societal conundrum regarding the modern-day disjointedness, disparities, and frustrations based on race in America. These are hardly issues that exclusively burden police forces. We all as Americans own them. Yet, the burdens involved in police-community interactions uniquely entail irreversible consequences that occur in lightning-quick moments – thus prompting immediate remedy.

Rest assured, Chief McLay, that your job and those of the thousands of officers that serve throughout America are not thankless at all. We commend you all for your service and pray for your safety daily. The core values of “Accountability, Integrity and Respect” are honorable, especially as long the duty to protect and serve all American citizens and Pittsburgh residents – including those in “the community” – remains paramount.

The truth is: we have the ability to shift an oft-ignored national paradigm between Black America and police forces, including the inconsistent one between affected Pittsburghers and the police force in our hometown. My faith as a native of the region, as a father of 3 African-American sons, and as a Believer prompt me to ensure that we, indeed, all choose wisely for better days ahead. Through ongoing appropriate protests, representative engagements of stakeholders, new relationships of trust, and necessary progress, things must improve for citizens on both sides of the badge for Pittsburgh to truly be a most livable city. I believe that they will.

Happy Holidays to you and yours as well as to those throughout our Pittsburgh community.

 – Lenny McAllister, Pittsburgh-born community advocate and urban activist, current Pittsburgh boomerang and resident

A Reply from “The Community” to New Pittsburgh Police Chief

New Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay tells “the community” in his recent “open letter to the community”:
“Here in Pittsburgh, we too have had our incidents, and the public trust is in jeopardy. If we, the police, are to regain legitimacy, we must assure those calling for change that we hear and understand them, and are committed to police accountability…and, in the process, demonstrate to our communities of color that we hear and understand the pain…”

Pittsburgh (December 25, 2014)  – Pittsburgh-born urban-based advocate and current Pittsburgh boomerang Lenny McAllister published “An Open Letter to Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay”, a response to McLay’s “An Open Letter to the Community” published originally in The New Pittsburgh Courier earlier in the week.

 

McLay’s letter, coming on the heels of Christmas, denotes the reassignment of Officer David Derbish to desk duty after several protests led by supporters of Leon Ford, Jr. demanding the firing of Derbish as well as an investigation by the Department of Justice into the 2012 shooting of Ford by Derbish after 3 Pittsburgh police officers broke several police procedures during a mangled traffic stop.

 

“Now the question remains,” McLay apparently asks Pittsburgh’s African-American community in the letter. “What are we going to do, Pittsburgh? Police work is often not pretty. Officers must arrest violators. Violators often resist, sometimes violently. When the next ugly incident happens, will we be willing to withhold judgment and control our emotions long enough to give each other the benefit of the doubt? Are we going to work together toward reconciliation? Are we going to work on listening to one another with the intention of compassionate understanding?”

 

“Understandably, our appreciation and respect become challenged when we collectively put too much pressure on ‘the community’ to change its ways without calling for and overseeing appropriate, holistic, and long-term actions of accountability by those with the capabilities to enforce laws, ensure ethics, and commit traumatic and life-ending acts within the blink of an eye,” McAllister writes in his reply as a member of “the community”. “Compassionate understanding comes from the acknowledgment that pain forecasts an issue that must be remedied immediately and properly so that discomfort can subside and dysfunction can cease. Sir, it is of the utmost importance that the discomfort currently felt throughout America (particularly within police bureaus such as ours here in Pittsburgh) is remedied alongside the underlying dysfunction simultaneously lest the pain continue and the problems remain…burdens involved in police-community interactions uniquely entail irreversible consequences that occur in lightning-quick moments – thus prompting immediate remedy.”

 
McAllister’s full reply can be found HERE.

 

McLay’s “Open Letter” can be found HERE.

 

American Exceptionalism and Global Leadership (August 1 2014)

“All (of these recent) events have some begging the question: is the United Stats of America still the sole superpower – and should we be?”

 

PITTSBURGH (August 1, 2014) – (Pittsburgh Cable News Channel)

“There was an inspiring young politician that not only caught the imagination of the nation with soaring rhetoric, but he also captured the hopes of the international community along the way. That led to a stop in Norway to pick up a Nobel peace prize before his first year as president was complete. Yet, old man Obama has to wonder about the promise of the earliest days of his administration, back at a time when there was a belief that new leadership in the white house could broker new partnerships and strengthen existing ones – all for the sake of world peace. Now, it seems every corner of the world is riddled with bullets, bombs, and the brink of all-out war.

“These events beg the question: is the United States of America still the sole superpower on earth – and should we be? Should there be one strong nation that ends up serving as the police of the world? Is fixing issues aboard really brokering peace for us at home, or is it just sticking our nose in places where it simply doesn’t belong? American Exceptionalism not only includes the pursuit of happiness and the protection of God-given rights for our citizens. It also includes the courage, the ethics, and the leadership to lead a world…during World War II and the threat of communism and nuclear annihilation in the 1980s.”

 

Catch Lenny’s “Starting Point” concerning America’s current role in world affairs on the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel by clicking the picture above or by clicking HERE

 

Never a Wasted Moment Nor a Lost Generation

Those such as Dr. King came from humble beginnings and the toil of Jim Crow to create a new American reality. The same can occur with this generation of youth – even now.

NEW YORK CITY/ PITTSBURGH (July 31, 2014) – (Courtesy Global Grind)

 

“Earlier this week, I had a chance to be witness to something profound for both a family and for my hometown.

 

“It was humbling to see the City of Pittsburgh give a proclamation to one of the men that I looked up to and respected my whole life – Dr. Morris E. Turner, Sr. Sadly, it was given posthumously, accepted on his behalf by those that I have known from my earliest memories.

 

“And, yes, every exercise of recognition, condolence, or celebration that I watch them graciously accept hurts me deeply, seeing the pain of loss that they are dealing with. However, the one thing that keeps me without tears is knowing this: his life was a proclamation – one that is sorely needed as a resonating example in today’s Black America and throughout the nation.

 

“Dr. Turner – son of Barney, GA and a man that improved Pittsburgh – was a member of a “lost generation” of African-Americans. Yet, one look at what he did from such humble beginnings shows why we must forge on. As the kin of 20^th century sharecroppers, he excelled in school past family poverty. As the victim of segregation, he entered college at a very early age, never acting as a “victim”. As a combatant against racism, he became a medical doctor, a professor, a small business owner, and a renowned member of his adoptive city when social mores frowned against this. As an American that Jim Crow cast aside as one of a “lost generation” of poor Black people from the rural south, he proudly and humbly found success and inspired thousands.

 

“Isn’t that the type of one-generational turnaround that we need in today’s urban America, particularly with many of our “lost generation” Black youth?”

 

Read this article in its entirety on Global Grind.com:

 

http://globalgrind.com/2014/07/31/never-a-wasted-moment-nor-a-lost-generation-by-lenny-mcallister-blog/

Sorry: Race (Still) Matters…

The more some tell us that we must ignore race in order to beat racism, the more we see that racism continues to infect a weakened America (photo from November 2010 article, Essence Magazine)

NEW YORK CITY/ PITTSBURGH (May 1, 2014) – (Courtesy Global Grind)

 

“I remember having an opportunity to discuss the issue of race in America a few years back as the only (outspoken) political conservative in the room during a recorded conversation for another leading publication. I sat among a fascinating group of accomplished individuals, ones that I differed with in many regards, from life experiences to political perspectives.

 

“Stephen A. Smith. Cheryl Underwood. Ivy League professor and author Dr. Tricia Rose. NAACP President Ben Jealous. Soledad O’Brien. The Rev. Al Sharpton.

 

“Even then, years after the election of the first African-American president of the United States and in the midst of political, economic, and social turbulence in America, there was one thing that we still -sadly – agreed upon:

 

“Race (Still) Matters in America.

 

“Stubborn unemployment disparities between Blacks and Whites – often when the qualifications are similar or the same – will not dissipate without a collective effort to close education and opportunity gaps. Education gaps will not close as long as children of minorities are more incapable statistically of escaping poor schools and generational poverty…And where I hold African-Americans accountable in some regards for our failure at times to maintain a sense of focus, persistence, and togetherness when it comes to taking bold but necessary steps to continue the fight against racism’s legacy in America, I also know that we cannot ignore the reality that this problem is not a matter of just one court decision’s undervaluing of social matters, one rancher’s disconnect with modern-day America, or one businessman’s repugnant viewpoints.

 

“It is clear: we must exude the political courage, the social investment, and the civic and spiritual understanding to confront and defeat one of the prime inhibitors to full American greatness in these modern times. We must embrace the impact that condoning racism or dismissing its entrenched role in many (yet not all) aspects of American life has on our ability to live up to our nation’s highest credos. We must position personal contributions and historic reflection properly in order to right the current course and elevate the current standard. We must accept that the system – although not as broken as it was 50 years ago – is not still functional, meaning that we must sacrifice, act, believe, and progress our nation past the worst of ourselves.”

 

Read this article in its entirety on Global Grind.com:

 

http://globalgrind.com/2014/05/01/sorry-race-still-matters-by-lenny-mcallister/

Affirmative Action: The Fiscally-Conservative Choice and An Inconvenient Truth

There’s a choice conservatives must make on Affirmative Action, one affecting the next 100 years: theoretic principles or pragmatic success

 

NEW YORK CITY/ PITTSBURGH (April 24, 2014) – (Courtesy Global Grind)

 

“Now that the dust has settled from Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling on Affirmative Action and the University of Michigan’s admissions process – especially as it is being viewed (again) as more of a political statement from a partisan-leaning court than a legal analysis from our highest court – I feel free to speak politically about this controversial legal decision.

 

“I know that this statement (and, thus, this reality) drives many hardcore conservatives nuts. Me saying this statement will elicit more calls that I am a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) or a “spy for the Democrats” that “race-baits”. I’m sure that this admission concerning Affirmative Action will not necessarily help my cache within Republican circles or my bottom line as a political commentator.

 

“That said, I care more about this nation and our future than I do about labels and popularity. So, therefore, here it goes…

 

“Fellow conservatives: whether you choose to admit it or not, affirmative action is the more conservative solution of the two in today’s America when choosing between an avenue for opportunity or a continuation of the economic implosion of our nation.

 

“Education is the gateway to the American Dream for the individual. Education is the weapon of choice in today’s geopolitical environment, one where wars are fought through technology, international trade, and economic pressures before the first bullet is fired. Whether it is through altruistic vision or self-serving patriotism, it is imperative that talents from all corners of our nation are discovered, embraced, and utilized immediately. With the rising costs of higher education and the increased obstacles in place due to the Great Recession, avenues of opportunity are vital to strengthen America to its peak ability at such a critical moment of history… Further, as a conservative, the choice goes past national sovereignty from a geopolitical perspective. America will not survive as a nanny-state country where a growing number of its residents are depending on government for financial support, whether that includes struggling families or businesses alike…If my conservative brethren want to reduce the cost of government and increase the role of the individual in the success of our communities as a whole (e.g., the “smaller government, bigger people” approach I have been noting) while regaining our esteem and prowess internationally, Affirmative Action cannot be hacked away at. It’s a simple choice: “pay” for the inconvenience of Affirmative Action for another 25-35 years (in the shadows of 100 years of Jim Crow policies that followed up the centuries-long institution of slavery) or risk paying for (literally) the devolving of America by way of the growth of the permanent underclass – a combination of economic, healthcare, and community realities often cemented by race.”

 

Read this article in its entirety on Global Grind.com:

http://globalgrind.com/2014/04/24/affirmative-action-the-fiscally-conservative-choice-an-inconvenient-truth-by-lenny-mcallister-blog/

 

 

Teen Mass Violence: The Non-Discriminatory American Epidemic

Today’s teen violence is a problem that transcends race, gender, and socioeconomic level – and it’s likely a symptom of an adult problem

 

NEW YORK CITY/ PITTSBURGH (April 16, 2014) – (Courtesy Global Grind / BmoreGossip)

 

“As a native of Pittsburgh living here during the aftermath of the Franklin Regional High School tragedy last week and as a former resident on the south side of Chicago for several years, perhaps I have a unique perspective on the incidents of violence in America, especially youth-initiated violence and urban violence.

 

“And, despite what you may have heard from the pundits around the nation and the folks at your modern-day water cooler (be it real or via social media) recently, this is not about race, gender, creed, or socioeconomic level.

 

“The teen violence – and, notably, the mass violence – we continue to see across the nation from ongoing gang wars in Chicago to mass assaults in the “Era of Columbine” has less to do with how we educate our boys, the geographical locations of the tragedies, or the skin color of the assailants. Teen violence, urban violence, and mass violence – much of which being committed by people younger than 25 years old – are symptoms of an American problem, not a demographic problem.

 

“It’s as simple as that.”

 

Read the article in its entirety on Global Grind.com or Bmore Gossip:

http://globalgrind.com/2014/04/16/teen-mass-violence-the-non-discriminatory-american-epidemic-by-lenny-mcallister-blog/

http://bmoregossip.com/teen-mass-violence-the-non-discriminatory-american-epidemic-by-lenny-mcallister

 

 

Elephants in the Room Missing THE Elephant in the Room

Until Black Republicans are more visible in standing up with and for Black America, political rhetoric will never influence the political realities within Black America.

 

NEW YORK CITY/ PITTSBURGH (April 3, 2014) – (Courtesy Global Grind)

 

“It was never my intention to get involved in this “controversy” – this latest go-’round between Black America and its oft-disgarded stepchildren, Black conservatives.

 

“The responses from many Black Republicans and conservatives (including friends, colleagues, and those that I respect) in digital print and interviews, along with the feedback from other friends and family within Black America and throughout the nation, just made it that much harder to sidestep – especially since no one seems to want to address what is truly the turbulent current underneath the river’s reflection of this matter.

 

“Ironically, in the ongoing conversation about Black voters, political advocacy, Black conservatives and the Republican Party, no one seems to want to discuss the true elephant in the room.

 

“When Black America sees more Black conservatives take chances for Black people today – just as Black leaders did during the Civil Rights Movement and at other times in our nation’s proud history – then Black America will take a chance on us.”

 

Read this article in its entirety on Global Grind.com and Roland Martin Reports

 

http://globalgrind.com/2014/04/03/elephants-in-the-room-missing-the-elephant-in-the-room-by-lenny-mcallister/

http://rolandmartinreports.com/blog/2014/04/elephants-in-the-room-missing-the-elephant-in-the-room-by-lenny-mcallister/2/

 

The Three-Legged Stool of Racial Justice

Ronald Reagan saved the Republican Party with a three-legged stool of principles for conservatives. Black Americans can take a page from that for a similar revival today.

NEW YORK CITY/ PITTSBURGH (March 11, 2014) – (Courtesy Global Grind)

African-Americans, conservatives, and Black Republicans alike must understand and apply Reagan’s three-legged model to achieve racial equality today

 

“As noted repeatedly by conservative patron saint Ronald Reagan both before and after his ascendency to the White House, there is a three-legged stool upon which the set of conservative principles and a successful application of those values rest.

 

“Just the same when regarding racial justice: there is a three-legged stool upon which the pursuit of racial justice and a color-blind “…pursuit of happiness…” finds footing. Often with the case of pursuing this noble endeavor, the stool is hoisted and jabbed repeatedly with these principles on high display in order to beat back the lions of hatred, systematic oppression, and varying methods of injustice.

 

“Just as the three-legged stool of conservatism helped lead Reagan to sweeping victories in 1980 and 1984 and enabled him to lead sweeping economic and esteem recoveries for America during his two terms as president, the three-legged stool of racial justice is a time-tested and currently viable tool that must be implemented, adhered to, and championed by Black America today to usher in better times for African-Americans.”

 

Read this article in its entirety on Global Grind.com:

http://globalgrind.com/2014/03/11/the-three-legged-stool-of-racial-justice-lenny-mcallister/