“A Bond of a Different COLOR!”

Idris Elba as James Bond 007

“A   Bond  of  a Different  COLOR!”

(A Bold New Step)

By Glenn Peppers 12-30-2014

Wow! Black english actor, Idris Elba is soon to play James Bond, 007! Now that’s pretty interesting! Personally, I think Idris would make a most brilliant James Bond! After Daniel Craig, it appears that the options are vast as far as what or who James Bond could be in this new millennium, outside of Ian Fleming’s physical novel description of his book paged Bond! Dark hair, tall, scottish and english orphaned, white european! Idris Elba of course is English, and is tall, and has that Sean Connery-like air about him! Of course you can’t discount or forget his magnetic good looks that drives women out of their minds. I’d say that is quite indeed a winning formula for a most perfect James Bond! 

One can’t forget that the one thing that has made Bond so work for well over fifty years is the sheer fact that he always came off unscathed, in tact, and always a gentlemen in the process. And most of all, 007 was and always is, Elegant! Yes, elegant! Because of the likes of Sean Connery, the bar was lifted, and every Bond since has had to be more than just an action hero! He had to be sophisticated and poised! I liked the rawness of Daniel Craig in the movie “Skyfall,” but to me Craig's former performances in previous Bond movies were so ruff around the edges that he appeared to be just that. A ruffian! Unrefined and somewhat immature. Yet at the same time, brilliantly much like Fleming's early Bond in his novels. 

For people to say that a black man cannot or could not be James Bond is ludicrous! He’s a fictional character! To put a finer point on it. I also find it spitefully mean and downright hypocritical to say that Idris Elba should not play 007, simply because he is black. Mainly because throughout American cinema history, white actors have always portrayed people or characters who were totally and completely out of their cultural ancestral lineage since the inception of motion pictures! 

And that includes the many screen actors since the dawning of film history playing Black Face, and stealing cultural and heritage valor from people of color! White Hollywood excluded most everyone from cinema (as far as starring roles) for almost 70 years in hollywood! 

Bing Crosby

Al Jolson

At one time, black face was common place in cinema! You know, the Al Jolson’s and Bing Crosby’s and the Bert Williams, and the like. Let’s talk Swedish actor, Warren Oland playing fictional character, Charlie Chan starting in 1931, followed by Sidney Toler as Chan after Oland died! 

Warren Olen as Charlie Chan

There was a northern african and/or middle eastern Moses played by Russell Crowe and who can forget, Charleston Heston. “The Last Mohican” played by Daniel Day Lewis. “The Last Samurai” played by Tom Cruise (So Tom Cruise was a samurai?... and the last one at that. Hmmm)?  Then there is Tonto (of the Lone Ranger) played recently by Johnny Depp. And did you forget about Robert Downey Jr. playing black face in the movie, “Tropic Thunder?” I find it funny, no one thought that this was out of line or insulting? 

Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder"

Remember the character, Massai in “Apache” was played by Burt Lancaster. Northern african egyptian queen, Cleopatra played by Elizabeth Taylor. Alicia Nash (of A beautiful Mind) played by Jennifer Connelly. 

Mickey Rooney as I.Y. Yunioshi in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

And who could forget Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of I.Y. Yunioshi, the bucktoothed Chinese stereotype of what was known as the Hop Sing/ Chop Socky subservient Asian? Sadly enough, this character made white audiences shamelessly laugh as if there was nothing wrong with this degrading portrayal of race and culture. Yet asian folk weren’t laughing one bit! 

Just below is a very short list of just some of the actors who have played in black face!...

Fanny Brace

Fred Allen

Fanny Arbuckle

Desi Arnaz in the I love Lucy episode: “Lucy goes to the Hospital”

Jack Benny

Milton Berle

Robert Blake

George Burns

Johnny Carson in a 1976 skit

Bing Crosby in 5 of his movies

Dan Aykroyd in the movie “Trading Places”

Just to name a very few!

The list of actors and comedians who clowned black folks in films and on TV, or made out as if the persons they portrayed were white instead of black is so long it isn’t even believable! Once you grasp just how many of hollywood’s most famous stars (movies and television) either played native american indians, africans, asians and more; completely excluding people of color from film and world history (as it were), and stealing their valor, while mocking the heritage of those they portrayed, is astounding! 

And then you have the likes of someone like talk radio antagonist, Rush Limbaugh on the scene condemning an actor and a film company for considering a black man in a role as not only a hero (so to speak), but as an icon! The very idea that this kind of opportunity can happen in this day and times speaks volumes! As a matter of fact, how dare Rush Limbaugh speak on anything! Hasn’t he Svengali’ed american enough with his messages of hate and intolerance enough already?

Limbaugh has already backhanded and thrown the GOP/Tea Party bunch under the bus with his “I hope he fails!” campaign he started against President Obama back in 2008! Still, people mindlessly followed the ranting and ravings of a power hungry madman, and known drug addict down the dark path of hate and intolerance. Lowering the credibility and IQ of those who would have otherwise thought for themselves, and not let a common radio DJ, and Shock Jock control their thinking patterns! Known to speak out of bitter jealously and spite. I can hear Rush Limbaugh condemning Idris Elba playing James Bond! If Limbaugh actually did agree with Sony and Eon’s production choice to play Idris Elba, I’d be shocked beyond belief! The hallways of hell would be freezing over by now had Limbaugh thought for a moment that this would be a good idea! Thus even more so why this should happen! 

I’d love to see the script ideas for such a movie undertaking! One thing is for sure! Box office for a movie featuring a black James Bond would be monstrous! Given Idris Elba’s style and poise, and debonair manner. I think he’d make a most impressive James Bond indeed. Restoring that essence -- that zing missing from the Bond Franchise for so long. And that certain something called, elegance, style and charm! Poor Rush. I’ve got a feeling that as far as this project goes, Idris Elba isn’t heading for much of any kind of failure, anytime soon, whether this pans out, or not! One things for sure. The times, there are a-changing! As the likes of those like Rush Limbaugh, and their mindset fade into the prehistoric age of fear and ignorance! So until this is ironclad in writing, we’ll all have to wait and see, now won’t we?

Glenn Peppers

“So Long Northland Mall!”

“So Long Northland Mall!”

(Adios old Friend)

By Glenn Peppers          12-25-2014

"As of today, it is may 15th, 2015. Since the article below first printed back December on christmas day, 2014. Northland mall has since quietly closed its doors for good! 

It is presently in the process of selling off store fixtures and the like. I wanted so badly to go up to northland and see her off before she closed, but after a bit of thought, I felt better of it! I felt it best to remember her as she was in my memories! 

I want the northland that took care of me as a young man coming along to always stay alive in my heart and mind as I loved her! To see my northland in disarray and total decay would ruin things for me! The northland I want to remember was and will always be the perfect people place for to be for me! Here is that article from december of 2014!"

                                                          Glenn Peppers 

Imagine, the oldest inside mall in america, closing after just about 60 years! Well, that’s about how old Northland Mall was. Opening March 24, 1954. Northland is America’s first true Shopping Mall! Recent reports are flooding in that Northland Mall is set to close its doors soon! Back in the middle 1990‘s I had my own personal saying about shopping centers. It went like this. 

“Any mall worth its salt almost always has at least one bookshop!” If I’m not mistaken, Northland’s bookshop was Dalton's (when it was in business). Dalton’s was Northland’s one and only bookstore at the time. I could be corrected on this, but I think it was Dalton’s (a national bookstore chain) before that chain of bookstore went out of business as a company. Other mall’s had larger bookshops like, Barnes and Noble, etc. 

When I knew that Northland Mall was on the worst end of decline was when Hudson's started to die, and when Northland no longer had a viable Bookstore after Dalton Books went out of business! Northland never replaced Dalton’s with any other chain bookshop. And to my knowledge has been without a bookshop since the late 1990’s.

Yes, Northland Mall is facing foreclosure, and will quite possibly close its doors very soon! To be honest about it, I felt this coming eons ago when they closed the bookstore, and some of its longtime signature restaurants moved out! 

Dalton’s bookshop was located right across from the the GNC Nutrition health food store, and Mrs. Field's Cookies, and not even 60 feet from the Big Boy restaurant! Inside this bookshop, you had a massive magazine rack along the wall, and a well stocked library of books and novels, and self help yarns of every kind; and the one thing I love more than a fresh new Katana Sword. Office Supplies! 

There's nothing like getting cool stationary, and pens and gadgets and drafting tools, even if your drafting skills really really suck! At a time when there was no internet, a bookshop in any mall was a pretty decent place to go, and read, and pick up on current events, and buy a newspaper. You could pick up an Ebony magazine, or a nice coffee table edition of Life or Sepia or Look Magazine. They even had Writers Digest Magazine! One way or another, if you were in any shopping mall bookshop, and you loved books, you were going to walk out of there with at least one book under your arm!... 3D book markers optional!

Northland was the kind of place that (at one time) you could go and have lunch at Olga's Kitchen, or at (again) the Big Boy. No matter where you ate or snacked at Northland, be it at the small food court area, or at the Orange Julius, everyone who worked at those stores recognized you, and treated you well. 

To burn some time, you could always stroll through KB Toy's and play with all the genius toys and legos!... Yes, I did that, so stop laughing! Northland even had a Pet Store at one time. I remember all those puppies just waiting for someone to take them home! They were all so cute it would break your heart to leave them there in their cages! I remember they'd let you take them out and sit with them in a play area! 

For me, Northland Mall was the place to go and buy some pretty fly Giorgio Brutini (and other Italian) dress shoes, or a suit from Max Green’s, and pick up some good smelling cologne from Hudson's aisle of fragrances!

I haven't been back to Northland Mall in many years due in part to the changes in cliental and patronage at the mall! in recent times, these patron’s are mostly young, gang types, who upon my last visit there some years ago, mainly stalked the mall for prey in order to try and rob, or were just hanging out, being loud, and not buying anything. 

They intimidated shoppers, and acted out the last couple of times I was there so badly I just didn't go back! Also there was an incident there at northland where Northland Security killed a patron of whom they had detained. This was an incident that played itself out much like the Eric Garner choking murder case in New York where a young man, 25 years old named McKenzie Cochran was choked, piled upon and peppers sprayed by mall security. 

This young man died as he was being restrained by four mall security guards. No charges were filed! McKenzie Cochran also cried out. “I can’t Breathe” as four large white security officers continued to pile upon him, and apply pressure to his arms, neck and sit on his back, restricting his lungs from expanding and contracting. Or in other words, preventing him from taking in air, and exhaling it! He passed away within 7 minutes time as his words faded away!

Sadly because of this, and many other reasons, my visits to Northland were to be no more. Yet somehow I figured one day, Northland would come back to being a thriving, safe mall once again. I practically lived at Northland when I was a younger man, some twenty some odd years ago! 

An on the spot local TV news reporter said it well at the end of his live broadcast when he was talking to the anchor person back at the studio desk concerning Northland's possible demise from foreclosure! He said. "As you know, people mainly shop where they feel safe!" Sadly, he told the coldhearted truth! There were a lot of people who did not feel safe shopping at Northland Mall. I know a slew of them!

With a failed economy, and a vicious gentrification process in motion in Detroit, relocating people of color away from the metropolitan Detroit area. I wonder how Northland Mall lasted as long as it has these many years with the city being in such decline! Also with the flow of fashion changing ever so drastically over the years, how did any of those men's shops stay in business with young urban males now days buying and sporting mainly, tennis shoes and baggy jeans, and other sport ware, and Timberland shoes and boots. 

There is barely (if at all) any fine men’s shops at Northland Mall anymore! There was a longtime Jeweler and gold dealer and trader located in the basement of northland mall. There is (or was) a longtime beauty salon, and nail parlor located in that basement where the security offices are also located. What will become of all these businesses and people after being there for some many decades?

As I think back on northland mall, I can truly say that even though I am (and have been for a long time) a motorist, I’ll miss catching the bus to Northland like I did way back when I was a pedestrian. Back when you could get around Detroit on mass transit without any real problems; schedule and safety wise! 

Hudson's (which is now Macy's) at Northland Mall

I’ll miss getting my concert tickets from the Ticket Master at Hudson’s credit and business area on the third floor. One group of concert ticket's I remember purchasing in particular!... the “Prince Alphabet Street" tour. I took two ladies to the concert with me that night! Back stage passes are incredible Chick Magnet tools!... Hey, stop laughing!  

When I think of Northland Mall, I think of Flag Bros. and Florsheim Shoes, and JC Penny’s’ pastel colored business and dress shirts and ties. I think of bargain basement sales, and discount bedding on sale at Hudson’s! I think of Northland’s alway ice cold air conditioning in the summer, and the Frozen Yogurt stand on those really hot days, on the way out of the mall, just before going out of the door into the hot Motown sun. Shopping bags in hand!

I’ll miss the now long gone, Northland Theater. Located across the parking lot! Would you believe I saw the movie, “Back to the Future” and many other matinee films there at that strange piano shaped movie theater! The best hotdogs, yet the worst popcorn in the world, but a cool place none the less!

Most of all what I’ll miss at Northland is, Hudson’s Department Store Bakery! The smell of those chocolates, and those roasted peanuts reminded me of the old Sears and Roebuck on Van Dyke and Gratiot back in the 1960’s, before they tore the building down after the riot. 

Northland’s Hudson’s’ Bakery had by far the best pipping hot Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER! There was always fresh cookies available, even up until closing sometimes! They had killer peanut butter cookies, chocolate almond, and coconut swirl cookies. I can’t even tell you how good the oatmeal raisin cookies were. 

Somebody in that bakery department loved to make, sugar cookies, and brownies galore! Even white chocolate brownies and malted chocolate balls and chocolate covered raisins!... God how my heart breaks just thinking about it!

And best of all!... Hudson’s won my heart with their cakes! Cakes that would run Sanders Bakery out of town (oh yeah, I forgot. Sanders had left town years before I discovered the Hudson’s Bakery)! My all time favorite, hands down was Hudson’s Germain Chocolate Cake! 

Every birthday, I’d buy myself one, no matter what anyone bought me as far as a, birthday cake. For my birthday, I’d always get my own personal German Chocolate Cake from the Hudson’s Bakery, and that would be my treat and celebration for living another year! 

Ah yes, fond memories flood my mind when I recall the many places, shops and people I knew who worked at Northland Mall back in the day. All those times spent at the bookshop flirting with the cashier whom I had a crush on. 

Meeting up with friends, and then having impromptu shopping excursions, and then dinner with those same friends somewhere within Northland Mall! Hanging out at the record shop there, and buying my first Sony Walkman! 

My gosh, where does the time go, huh? There’s an old saying that goes. “Nothing last forever!” Well that may be so. But my question is this. “Why does ‘Nothing’ always have to go away in my lifetime?” Adios Northland! You’re forever in my heart! 

Glenn Peppers 

Christ is Still the Reason for the Season!

The Nativity

Christ is Still the Reason for the Season!

(His Message Holds True)

By Glenn Peppers                                      12-25-2014

And as singer Andy Williams once sang in a song. May this be "The Happiest Day of the Year" for all for you! For on this day, many born again believers like myself use Christmas as a day to celebrate the birth and beginning life of Immanuel. Who is Immanuel? In the book of Matthew, the first chapter, starting at verse 20, an Angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream, and bestowed upon him this message...

Matthew 1: 20-21-22-23

20 "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."

21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Immanuel, or Jesus Christ is that one the that Prophet spoke of!

A lot of folks celebrate this occasion and/or holiday season (as some call it), minusing Christ out of the Christmas Equation. When in fact he is the very reason that there is a Christmas in the first place!  

The one day out of the year born again believers set aside to honor the birth of Jesus unto the world has become (in these last 80 to 100 decades) a time of rush hour Black Friday's, and Nativity battles, and hustle and bustle commericality, along with Yule Tide Caroling, and folks decorating their houses and trees with fringe and garland, and lights; completely forgetting (excuse my cliché) the REAL reason for the season! 

The Three Wise Men following the star on route to the Newborn King

I love this time of the year with its gift giving, and "Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Men" Message! In fact, this saying and act of gift giving is actuality is a carry over from gift's given to the infant Jesus by the three wise men who traveled from the east, following a beaconing light or star right to where Jesus was born, and bestowed upon Him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Believe it or not, even this secular saying of, Peace on earth and goodwill towards men" reminds and encourages millions of people everywhere of that time when God sent his only begotten son from heaven to come here and walk this earth as a man, and to eventually die as a poor man on a tree for the sins of the world!... For our benefit, and our salvation! Restoring our immortal place and standing with God, byway of Christ' washing away of our original sins and indiscretions; natural and both individually committed sins done in this life. Therefore preparing us for life eternal once our walk on this earth is finished! 

So, no matter how you commemorate the welcoming of Jesus Christ to this world some 2000 years ago, in that cold manger when there was no more room at the inn. Always remember the REAL reason for the season! God bless you all!

Glenn Peppers

“Bill Bonds. He did it His Way!”

Bill Bonds

“Bill Bonds. He did it His Way!”

(Saying farewell to a Detroit Broadcasting Legend)

By Glenn Peppers 12-13-14

Longtime Detroit broadcast legend Bill Bonds passed away at his home Saturday December 13th, at roughly around 4pm from cardiac arrest. He was 81 years old. One thing is real and true. The retired WXYZ Channel 7 news anchor, and journalist was the type of broadcaster you either loved him or you couldn't stand him! I won't use the word hate! The word hate doesn't factor in on the likes of someone like Bill Bonds. You may not have liked everything he said often time. But one things for sure. Bill Bonds demanded your respect! Especially for his work! 

Sure you could sometimes love him like a long lost brother. Or Not! Either way, in the words of recently retired Channel 7 news anchor, Eric Smith, "You always watched him!" 

I write this tribute to Bill Bonds with longtime Detroiters in mine, in that if you’ve ever watched Bond’s at work, you knew what you were going to get! The news as it happens, according to Bill Bonds. In other words, the news as Bill Bonds always presented it!... His Way!

Yes Bill Bonds was arrogant, brash, and an antagonist form way back. Yet Bonds was always set and sure, ready to fight for, and defend his and our Detroit against anyone! I loved his cantankerous on-air battles with Mayor Coleman Young, and loved it when he ran Senator Orin Hatch off of a live satellite hookup interview on a 6pm broadcast!

It was Bill Bonds who sat up with us Detroiters all those long nights, on the air for many distressing hours as Detroit burned during the 1967 riot, back when I was 10 years old. For almost 7 days Bonds was at Broadcast House reporting the news, during the riot here in Detroit, as it happened. No matter what, throughout his career, Bill Bonds always kept a cool head, until he’d sometimes lose it with his impassioned opinions and commentary! And as I said, Bill always read the news, His Way!

Bond’s bigger than life personality was what Detroit media personalities were all about back in the day! Bonds wasn't just a news anchor person. He was an old school, old time broadcaster!... A real News Man! His editorials and commentaries were scathing at times, yet mostly dead on!

Diana Lewis

In 1976, it took the wise, gentle, and totally professional soul of one Diana Lewis to sit by his side as anchor with him for twenty some odd years, to soothe and mellow, (and somewhat tame) the mouth that roared for many a year at the WXYZ anchor desk! As most of you know. A brilliant co-anchor never really stopped Bill Bonds from being uniquely BILL! Yet poor Diana Lewis. She always held her own with Bill. Toe to toe! 

Bill Bonds and Diana Lewis

I felt that no other anchor team member within a hundred miles could have survived and handled Bill Bonds' nightly onslaught of ego, character and identity assaults as well as Diana Lewis did! Still, Bill Bonds and Diana Lewis were the perfect yin and yang in the field of on-air broadcasting! Especially at a time when black women were first coming onto the scene as news anchor team members in the middle 1970’s!

And so another icon in the era of Detroit's golden age of television and one of her original sons has passed on, leaving Detroit one more icon short! Bill Bonds is one of the last of the Detroit’s great public servants, and icons who’ve made this city an interesting and wonderful place to live! Both Bill Bonds and Coleman Young were wonderful strong personalities! Rock solid principled, and always their own men! This is what made them who they were! They demanded the best from everyone around them. Bill Bonds excepted nothing less than your best work, and for you to be able to back it up!

In a city that once boomed and blossomed, and built the best cars the world has ever known. We had one of the best news personalities in the country, right here in our fair town! A town that taught the world what soul and R&B music is really all about! Not many cities could compare with our on air television personalities who've gone on before Bill Bonds. We all remember the likes of Sonny Elliot, or our sports announcer, Al Ackerman and TV2 noon anchor, Beverly Payne and also TV2' Woody Willis. 

Bill Bond's Commentary

Now our mostly often argumentative, and quite frequently ostentatious Bill Bonds has gone and left us! If you lived in Detroit within these last 35 years or so, then you are one of many whom Bill Bonds has touched, in one way or another! We ate dinner watching him at the dinner hour weekdays! We went to bed at night stewing on his commentaries. And we all laughed at the very thought of he and Coleman Young in a boxing match. Of whom Bill challenged Young in a heat of passionate, Billy Bonds style with a burst of that Bill Bonds impulsivity and boldness! Political correctness? I can hear Bill Bonds’ conscious saying, “To the Producers be damned!”

Coleman A. Young and Bill Bonds eating Coney Hotdogs in Downtown Detroit

Personally, I think the picture of Coleman A. Young, and Bill Bonds sharing coney hotdogs in downtown detroit is how I'd like to remember those two!

If you've ever been interested in becoming an on-air broadcaster, you had to have loved Bill Bonds! Grant it, you may not have always agreed with his editorials, or his opinions, but if you were old school Detroit, somehow you understood his rantings and his rage on many subjects! 

If you are a longtime Detroiter, you just couldn't help but like him. Just like Soupy Sales, and Bill Kennedy, Bill Bonds is apart of you! Why? Because Bill Bond was Real People! What you saw in Bonds was what you’d get! No Frills, and no Fluff! Therefore, we watched him, every evening and every night! 

Bill Bonds!... He was Truly One of a Kind! Rest in peace Billy! And as you use to say on many a weekday night around about 11:28pm!... “Good night everyone!”

Glenn Peppers 12-13-14         Updated 12-15-14

"People of Color in America Awaken”

“People   of  Color  in America   Awaken!”

(Now you Know!)

By Glenn Peppers

This letter goes out to all men and women of color! And that means people from the darkest of dark skin, to you, the lightest of light skin, and ya'll in between type brothers and sisters out here, everywhere! But more importantly, this letter is written especially to all young black men in america! 

After today, if you did not know, or if there is still any doubt in your mind as to where and how you fit into the grand scheme of things here in this country, you're either fooling yourself, or you are numb inside. 

December 3rd 2014, is the day New York chose not to indict New York Policeman, Daniel Pantalio for the choking homicide death of Eric Garner! Despite clear and up close video coverage of this man struggling to breath, and dying right before the worlds eyes! This date should be a hallmark, and a most pronounced date of your awakening! "What awakening?" You say! 

That awakening is this!... You should now at last realize where you stand, and what your life has always truly meant to a great many (yet not all) of those who enslaved our ancestors, and have looked down upon us as their descendants, discriminating against us, and treating us horribly for centuries!  

By bringing our ancestors to this land on slave ships, eons ago, we've been exposed to, as well as fell victim to a culture filled with hate, thievery, envy, oppression, spite, scorn, torture and murder! 

Notwithstanding, and in spite of it all, our ancestors had hope! With this hope, over the countless decades to come, through reconstruction and Jim Crow, we've opted to try and blend in, fit in, and get in wherever we could. We forever were those people who through slavery were constantly scorned, abused, chased, hung, raped, separated and displaced.  

In the eyes of the slave owner, we were seen more as things than human beings. We were then and still are a people a long long way from home! 

With no wealth to assist us, and no other real financial means in order to leave america and return to africa, our ancestors had to stay here and try and build a better life for themselves among those who hated us enough to want to kill us, for simply being us! So with hope, and as best we could, here we are, still in america some 500 years or more, still believing and still fighting for our right to live in this country! Sadly enough, through it all, we've managed to maintained hope that this world would one day change!

With this hope, (along with our strong ancestral fortitude), we blended in as best we could, and tried to got along and work hard, like any good american. We chased dreams and cleaned houses, and continued to slave as butlers, and maids and janitors some of us, always keeping  positive goals in mind and on the back burner. 

As a result of our patience, we build universities, and invented a host of products and tools and machines for medical and manufacturing use over the last 200 years here in america. Most of which go unsung, and unnoticed, and undocumented in history books, yet a great many of them are still in use today!  Like the traffic light, and the refrigerated truck! Most ideas and patents by blacks were copied and/or stolen! Still we carried on here in america, always having hope!  

Coming along in america, our wants and needs were and are simple. We mainly wanted only the very basic of things that all americans wanted for their families after working a hard days work and pay. Freedom, justice and equality! 

Yet over countless long years, through emancipations, marches, speeches, and critical laws penned to try and help us get along in this land; a law was passed in 1965. The voters rights bill came into being, making it so that we could now freely vote as americans. 

This right, and this act would have but only a short forty year tenure, succumbing to political deception, and deceit in 2013, only to in part be reneged upon, as we watched our human rights be juggled and dropped by an insensitive Supreme Court. A basic citizens right Reneged upon by a heartless panel of antiquated, out of touch bumps on a legal bench who thought nothing of our basic american right to vote! And all this happening with a black man seated on the same Supreme Court panel, and a black man in the Oval Office!  

Regardless of any sort of freedom movement that either worked or failed in the past, we mostly kept faith that we would one day be treated fairly in this country, and would one day be able to live peacefully in a nation that we had largely help build more than 80% of, all the while getting no wages for the work done. Just the taste of a slave owners whip if we weren't working fast or hard enough! All this, and still we are treated as prey, and not as citizens of these United States. 

Hundreds of years have passed, and in all this time, there has never been any real atonement for our sufferings and the degradation of our basic human rights through denial. Nor has there ever been any visible regret for the countless murders and mistreatment of millions of black men, women and children since that first round of slave kidnappings set foot on Plymouth Rock, so many centuries ago! 

It is hard to believe that all these many years, and countless decades were wasted in america, begging peace and equality; and that it all basically has come down to this one petty and frivolous thing!... 

"Enmity and hatred against black americans, as a result of america electing (and then re-electing) a black man as President." 

Yeah I said it! Com'on' now! This is not a secret! Its not like people don't know! Yes America is that Trite! You can feel it!... You can see it, and in the rude comments made by White House press core members, senate members and people in general who dislike him because of the color of his skin, we've all heard it on the news, and read it on the internet, and in the news papers!

This in turn has lead to a firestorm of media charged racial bias, childish attacks, and a fervor of hate so explosive it is bringing out in white america this dark, murderous specter of evil that I suspect hasn't risen its head this blatantly since possibly the late 1800's, just after slavery was abolished! 

This is a childish hatred! A 5th grade (Hey wait a minute, That's My White House) covetousness over the Presidency so inflammatory as to roust awake this hive-like wrath and anger in white folks that is so sadly disturbing, that it has literally has become somewhat of a hunting season on black america byway of the police, and other entities throughout america! Literally and figuratively!

I'm seeing wrath, anger and envy that is being allocated out to people of color through various modes of racism, and forms of discrimination in a mean spirited, and again, in an almost hive-like fashion. Incidences like blacks suffering racism on the job (which I can surly attest to that) as a result. Racism while shopping, driving, and pretty much anywhere when out and about! 

This ugly wrath seems to center itself around and against the President of the United States, right on down to everyday innocent black folks, mostly males who have become subject to beatings, being choked and/or shot down in surrender mode, in their driveways, in their homes, in shopping malls, toy stores, and even in their own homes. Mainly by police officers! And these police officers are doing this with impunity, and getting away with it, all over the country! 

How dirty is this up coming tidbit? Officer Daniel Pantalio, was not indicted December 3rd, 2014 for killing Eric Garner. But the young man who shot the video of the police officer who was choking and killing Garner was himself indicted! Imagine that. They went after this man with gusto! Retribution and revenge serve cold, curtesy of New York's finest! You call that Justice?

Even on the busy main streets of Staten Island, New York this wrath played itself out taking a life in a matter just minutes! Yes, the notion that a black man's life is worthless in america, or is fair game for murder is now to the point where the police will outright murder a black man in public, even with people standing about video taping the incident. As if to say, "Screw you John Q Public, there'll be nothing done about it anyway!" 

Thus why Eric Garner was being choked to death on a city sidewalk in New York by a gang of four 200 pound policemen pile driving atop Garner, as another officer squeezed the life out of the man with a choke hold from behind. A hold so tight it denied his lungs and brain the proper air and oxygen, collapsing his windpipe, probably causing an asthma attack which might have lead to his heart attack.  

All this while, the other police officers were kneeling on his back and his neck, holding his arms, and forcing his head into the ground! All of this captured on a perfectly clear, HD smart phone camera, in closeup video mode. A callus murderous act that went totally unpunished and overlooked by a bias Grand Jury! 

To add further insult to injury, these cops had the nerve to handcuff this man, and do a rescue Check, Call, Care protocol and proceed to check his pulse, as if this man were somehow still alive. The EMT's who came on the scene afterwards were a wreck, trying to play it off that they were examining a man simply laying unconscious, when in fact Eric Garner had expired many minutes before they even entered the scene! The way these police officers treated Garner's body after he had passed on was insulting, and undermining! Especially if you've worked in emergency room situations in a hospital, and you know when someone has expired! 

So there you have it! A live public execution of a black man who did nothing more than just be suspected of selling loose cigarettes, and just so happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time! Believe me folks, had this been a white man who had been ganged upon, and choked to death on a public city street in america by a gang of black police officers, and having it caught on the same kind of ultra clear video tape. Believe me, rioting couldn't even explain the hellish turkey shoot that would occur as a result afterwards! 

The only other thing Eric Garner was guilty of that day is being a larger black man with health issues. Eric Garner was a victim of most white's fear and stereotype about larger black males, and that is for whatever reason because a guy like Eric Garner (was a big man), those police officers felt (because he was so large) that they needed to just take him down! 

Forgoing the law, and out of pure aggression, Daniel Pantalio knowingly used an illegal tactic banned for over 20 years in New York, which was the use of a choke hold! This was done to Eric Garner as if he were some kind of animal on an open plain that needed roping and steering in order to capture him! They did this to a human being! In looking at this video tape I ask you, who in fact were the animals on that day?

Eric Garner was victim of that deep seeded fear white's have of black men who are larger than they are. It's called the "Big Black Buck Syndrome!" They don't see us as human's, they see us in the light of cattle, and stockyard animals! This is the lowest form of degrading racism! Its inhuman to treat anyone like this!

I'm seeing that a lot of this widespread, uniformed resentment of black males is centered around white america's hatred of Hip Hop/Rap music, Hip Hop culture and Hip Hop fashion. The sagging pants, the stank attitude, and of course, the music! Now mind you, I do not like Hip Hop and Rap music either! But I sure as hell won't kill you because of it! Although some people have been known to shoot into automobiles full of Hip Hop kids at gas stations when the Hip Hop is far too loud! But that's another story all together. One that has been already tried and justice was served, sending the shooter to jail!

Hell, I don't like a whole lot of Rock Music, but I'm not gonna go around choking out a bunch of head bangers because of it! Secondly and most of all, like I said earlier, it is white america's distain for America's Black President that is getting their goat worse of all! Thus the rampant disrespect, and constant barrage and insolence toward him, and in turn, US! 

I guess the consensus with some white americans is this: 

"If we can insult and belittle this black President of the United States, we can totally screw over the n-----s as well, no problem!" 

Think about it! If they feel that they don't have to respect the president of the united states, who happens to be black. "Why in the hell should they respect US?" 

This wrath is crafty and deceptive, and all derived out of hate and envy! Envy that despite congress' efforts to block him, and not work with him. The President is doing a pretty decent job getting things done considering his has no congress to work with, as they have built up walls blocking him out, shutting down our government, and trying to destroy everything this president implements! This president has to try and work with a GOP faction that has based its beliefs and actions on the rantings of a drug addicted radio shock jock in order to make sure he fails at his quest to try and better america! That's childish resentment, and its petty! 

As a result, this kind of behavior reveals an unwarranted indignation, and an insane hidden personality trait of this country's true spirit! It is this spirit of shame, prejudice, control, hatred and barbaric contempt against the black male, unto death! 

Men of color. If you did not know then. I assure you, you now know where you stand! If you were or are still in the least bit of denial of where you stand in this country, I say look around you and awaken! Let this day and this date be your wakeup call! 

You should mark this exact moment in time, and let it become emblazoned upon your mind and heart! Tell your sons! Let this knowledge unshackle their souls. Knowing where you are on the big map of life should be your liberation from confusion and pain! For now my brothers and sisters, you know full well where you stand in the eyes of america! 

Glenn Peppers       12-3-2014