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Sunday, 29 May 2011

Black Director and Actor Bill Duke's Words.



2006-06-21
A LETTER TO THOSE WHO STILL CARE, AND TO THOSE WHO DON’T
“IN THE END, WE WILL REMEMBER NOT THE WORDS OF OUR ENEMIES, BUT THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS” -DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.IN THIS LETTER, I WOULD LIKE TO HONOR ONE OF THE GREATEST SPIRITS THAT WE HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEDGE TO EXPERIENCE AND THAT IS THE SPIRIT OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HIS RELEVANCE TRANSCENDS THE PARADIGMS OF SOCIAL CHANGE, BUT ROOTS ITSELF IN THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN QUESTION OF OUR DAILY EXISTENCE, OR MORE PLAINLY PUT “WHY ARE WE HERE?” FURTHER DR. KING’S CONTRIBUTION AND SACRIFICE MOVES ME FORWARD NOT ONLY TO QUESTION MY OWN RELEVANCE, BUT TO QUESTION OUR PRESENT DAY COMMITMENT TO ANYTHING BEYOND OUR VESTED INTERESTS. BUT IN THIS TIME OF I’VE GOT MINE, YOU GET YOURS, IN THIS TIME OF THE BOTTOM LINE, AND THE QUARTERLY REPORT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT WE DRIVE, EAT OR LIVE-IN OR WHAT WE SAVE, IS THERE ANYTHING FOR WHICH WE ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE.
THE TITLE OF MY TALK TODAY IS “AMNESIA AND BLACK SURVIVAL” OR SUBTITLED “THE PRICE OF RENDERING UNTO CAESAR.” NOW AMNESIA IS DEFINED AS THE LOSS OF THE ABILITY TO REMEMBER OR AS MERRIAM WEBSTER FURTHER EXPLAINS “THE SELECTIVE OVERLOOKING OR IGNORING OF THOSE EVENTS OR ACTS ARE NOT FAVORABLE OR USEFUL TO ONE’S PURPOSE OR POSITION. WHEN THIS PREMISE IS APPLIED TO OUR PRESENT-DAY SOCIETY AND IN PARTICULAR BLACK CULTURE, THE QUESTION MUST BE ASKED WHAT IS IT THAT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN? IN ORDER TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION WE MUST GO BACK TO THE FOUNDATION OF DR. KING’S QUESTIONING OF GENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. AND I QUOTE: REF BIBLE: MATTHEW 22:15 TO 21, PAYING TAXES TO CAESAR: THEN THE PHARISES WENT OUT AND LAID PLANS TO TRAP HIM IN HIS WORDS. THEY SENT THEIR DISCIPLES TO HIM ALONG WITH THE HERODIANS. TEACHER, THEY SAID WE KNOW YOU ARE A MAN OF INTERGRITY AND THAT YOU TEACH THE WAY OF GOD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRUTH. YOU AREN’T SWAYED BY MEN, BECAUSE YOU PAY NO ATTENTION TO WHO THEY ARE. TELL US THEN, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION? IS IT RIGHT TO PAY TAXES TO CAESAR OR NOT? BUT JESUS KNOWING THEIR EVIL INTENT, SAID, YOU HYPOCRITES, WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO TRAP ME? SHOW ME THE COINS USED TO PAYING THE TAX. THEY BROUGHT HIM A DENARIUS AND HE ASKED THEM WHOSE PORTRAIT IS THIS? AND WHOSE INSCRIPTION? CAESAR’S THEY REPLIED. THEN HE SAID TO THEM, GIVE TO CAESAR WHAT IS CAESAR’S AND TO GOD WHAT IS GOD’S. WHEN THEY HEARD THIS, THEY WERE AMAZED. SO THEY LEFT HIM AND WENT AWAY.
THE NEW MILLENIUM IS UPON US. OLD CHALLENGES REMAIN AND NEW CHALLENGES ARE BEING FORMED; I.E. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INJUSTICES, THE SPREAD OF AIDS IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY, THE GENDER GAP IS WIDENING, THERE ARE MORE MINORITY MEN IN JAIL THAN IN COLLEGE, THE ILLITERACY RATE IN THE U.S. IS CREEPING SLOWLY TO OVER 20%. IN THE RELATIVELY NEAR FUTURE THE ROLE OF SOCIAL SECURITY, AS WE KNOW IT WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ARE BEGINNING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE WORLDS’ WEATHER PATTERNS. WAR AND RUMORS OF WARS PROLIFERATE OUR BROADCAST NETWORKS. TO RECEIVE AN EDUCATION, NUMEROUS UNIVERSITIES IN THIS NATION REQUIRE A COMMITMENT OF OVER $30,000 A YEAR. THE GAP IS WIDENING BETWEEN THE INFORMATION RICH AND THE INFORMATION POOR. WE ARE INCREASINGLY BECOMING A RACIALLY DIVIDED SOCIETY. RETREATING INTO INDIVIDUALISTIC CAVES OF IGNORANCE. SLEEP IS BECOMING A RARE LUXURY, AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IS UPON US.
A RECENT ARTICLE BY GARY CHAPMAN DATED 4/12/99, ENTITLED “REACHING OUT TO BRING LOW-INCOME BLACKS ACROSS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE,” ADDRESSES A VERY TROUBLING ISSUE AND I QUOTE “THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN AMERICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY, AT THE END OF THIS CENTURY IS STILL RACE-ESPECIALLY BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK AMERICANS. THIS CENTURIES OLD TENSION HAS NEARLY ALWAYS HAD A TECHNOLOGICAL DIMENSION AS BLACK AMERICANS HAVE COMMONLY FOUND THEIR ECONOMIC PROSPECTS ALTERED, USUALLY FOR THE WORSE, BY TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS. SLAVES WERE FREED JUST AS NEW AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES DEVALUED HUMAN LABOR.” NOW AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE CONFRONTING THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION, AND THE PICTURE THEY SEE AGAIN IS DECIDELY MIXED BLESSINGS. THERE ARE ALSO STUBBORN DISPARITIES IN TECHNOLOGICAL ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION IN THE HIGH-TECH ECONOMY.
FOR LOW-INCOME AFRICAN AMERICANS, THE BOOM IN THE “NEW ECONOMY” THREATENS TO PASS THEM BY. POOR SCHOOLS WITH PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY STUDENTS, HAVE TWICE AS MANY STUDENTS PER COMPUTER ON AVERAGE, AS MIDDLE-CLASS WHITE SCHOOLS. WHITE FAMILIES ARE ROUGHLY TWICE AS LIKELY TO OWN A HOME COMPUTER AS BLACK FAMILIES, ACCORDING TO HOFFMAN AND NOVAK.
THIS WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED AS THE “DIGITAL DIVIDE”. BLACK AMERICA HAS A WINDOW OF TWO TO THREE YEARS TO GET ON THE HIGH –TECH TRAIN AFTER THAT THEY BELIEVE PATTERNS OF INEQUALITY MAY BECOME A PERMANENT PART OF THE INFORMATION AGE. LOW-INCOME AMERICANS CANNOT GET ON THIS TRAIN WITHOUT WIDESPREAD PUBLIC SUPPORT.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ARTICLE? AND HOW DOES IT RELATE TO THIS BODY, TO CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE? TECHNOLOGY IS BECOMING MORE SOPHISTICATED EVERY DAY, ANALOG IS MOVING TO DIGITAL, CABLE AND SATELLITE ARE BATTLING. THINGS ARE GETTING SMALLER IN BIGGER WAYS. BUT IT IS NECESSARY TO EXAMINE THE QUALITATIVE ASPECTS OF THE INFORMATION FLOWING THRU NEW TECHNOLOGY MIRACLES. SHOULD THERE BE A NEW AGE ANALYSIS OF THE MESSAGE AND ITS IMPACT? IN ADDITION, IS THERE A GROWING NEED TO IMPACT THE CHARACTER OF 21ST CENTURY MESSENGERS. SHOULD THERE BE ANY CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO THE INFLUENCE THAT THESE MESSENGERS AND THEIR MESSAGES HAVE AND WHAT DIRECTION SHOULD THAT INFLUENCE TAKE? WHETHER THESE MESSAGES COME FROM A MOVIE, TV, BOOKS, MUSIC, THE INTERNET OR THE PULPIT WHAT RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD BE PLACED UPON THE MESSENGER. AS WE HAVE MOVED FROM THE INDUSTRIAL AGE INTO THE INFORMATION AGE WHAT TOOLS MUST WE HAVE TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW? WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO BRING RELEVANCE TO TODAY? WHAT DO WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO INHERIT THAT HAS BEEN THE MISSING LINK OF OUR GENERATIONAL FULFILLMENT AND HAPPINESS? THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT QUITE FRANKLY, I DON’T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TO ANSWER. BUT, IN MY SEARCH FOR A PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH SOME INSIGHT CAN HOPEFULLY BE GAINED, MAYBE, IN THESE NEXT FEW MOMENTS TOGETHER, SOME INTERESTING QUESTIONS CAN BE RAISED, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A PHRASE OF HAUGHTING DIMENSIONS. WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO REPEAT, REF BIBLE: MATTHEW 22:15 TO 21, PAYING TAXES TO CAESAR; THEN THE PHARISEES WENT OUT AND LAID PLANS TO TRAP HIM IN HIS WORDS. THEY SENT THEIR DISCIPLES TO HIM ALONG WITH THE HERODIANS. TEACHER, THEY SAID WE KNOW YOU ARE A MAN OF INTEGRITY AND THAT YOU TEACH THE WAY OF GOD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRUTH. YOU AREN’T SWAYED BY MEN, BECAUSE YOU PAY NO ATTENTION TO WHO THEY ARE. TELL US THEN, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION? IS IT RIGHT TO PAY TAXES TO CAESAR OR NOT? BUT JESUS KNOWING THEIR EVIL INTENT, SAID, YOU HYPOCRITES, WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO TRAP ME? SHOW ME THE COINS USED TO PAYING THE TAX. THEY BROUGHT HIM A DENARIUS AND HE ASKED THEM WHOSE PORTRAIT IS THIS? AND WHOSE INSCRIPTION? CAESAR’S THEY REPLIED. THEN HE SAID TO THEM, GIVE TO CAESAR WHAT IS CAESAR’S AND TO GOD WHAT IS GOD’S. WHEN THEY HEARD THIS, THEY WERE AMAZED. SO THEY LEFT HIM AND WENT AWAY.
THIS HAS BECOME A VERY PUZZLING AND TROUBLING PHRASE FOR ME. ONE THAT IN TIME I THOUGHT I WOULD UNDERSTAND. BUT UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION I REALIZED I NEEDED TO REVISIT ITS MEANING. AND TO FULLY DIGEST JESUS’S MEANING I HAD TO GO BACK – WAY BACK INTO MY CHILDHOOD – IN EDWARD ALBEES’ PLAY “THE ZOO STORY” THE CHARACTER JERRY STATES IT BEST WHEN HE SAYS “SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO GO A LONG WAY OUT OF THE WAY TO COME BACK TO THE RIGHT WAY, CORRECTLY.” SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME…………..
WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY IN THE SMALL TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK. EVERY SATURDAY FOR MANY YEARS, MY PARENTS USED TO TAKE MY SISTER AND I DOWNTOWN TO MAIN STREET. WE COULD NOT AFFORD A MOVIE TICKET TO THE PICTURE SHOW AT THE ASTOR THEATRE. SO, MY FATHER WOULD HELP US MAKE MOVIES OF OUR OWN. MY MOTHER WOULD POP SOME POPCORN, PUT IT IN A PAPER BAG AND THEN WE WOULD SIT ON MAIN STREET WATCHING PEOPLE. MY FATHER WOULD ASK “HOW OLD DO YOU THINK THAT MAN IS OR WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY LIVE OR WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY DO FOR A LIVING. HE WOULD POINT OUT HOW THEY CARRIED THEMSELVES OR HOW WORN THEIR SHOES OR CLOTHES WERE. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEIR EYES. MY FATHER FELT IF YOU LOOKED DEEPLY ENOUGH AND LONG ENOUGH A MAN’S HISTORY COULD BE FOUND IN HIS EYES OR HIS HANDS. WE WERE TAUGHT VALUES THRU OBSERVATION AND THRU THE RITUAL OF FAMILY. A FAMILY POOR IN MONETARY TERMS BUT RICH IN AN APPRECIATION OF THE HUMAN CONDITION. MY PARENTS WERE TOO POOR TO AFFORD A TICKET TO THE ASTOR THEATRE BUT RICH IN PARENTAL COMMITMENT, IMAGINATION, AND A SENSE OF GENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. BEING A POOR MAN WITH A 2ND GRADE EDUCATION, MY FATHER MOST CERTAINLY KNEW THE HARSH LESSONS OF CAESAR. BUT, IT DID NOT PREVENT HIM FROM RECOGNIZING AND APPRECIATING THE DIGNITY OF GOD IN EVERY MAN.
NOW FLASH FORWARD WITH ME IF YOU WILL TO 2001. NOW A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO IN LA, THE LOCAL NEWS REPORTED A STORY THAT MOVED ME VERY DEEPLY. A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN SOUTH CENTRAL, L.A. HAD BEEN ARRESTED FOR MURDER. IT SEEMS THAT A FELLOW CLASSMATE HAD WORN A JACKET HE WANTED. SO HE DEMANDED THAT HIS CLASSMATE GIVE IT TO HIIM. WHEN THE CLASSMATE REFUSED, HE STABBED HIM SEVERAL TIMES. AS HIS CLASSMATE LIE DYING HE REMOVED THE JACKET, PUT IT ON AND RAN AWAY. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN FRONT OF FELLOW STUDENTS. WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVED, THE CROWD POINTED THEM IN THE DIRECTION OF WHERE THE YOUNG KILLER HAD GONE. THE POLICE ARRIVED AT THE YOUNG KILLERS HOUSE WITH GUNS DRAWN. THEY BROKE THRU THE FRONT DOOR, AND DOWN A CORRIDOR THEY HEARD A TV BLASTING. WHEN THEY ENTERED THE ROOM WITH THE BLASTING TV, TO THEIR AMAZEMENT THEY DISCOVERED THE YOUNG KILLER LYING IN BED WITH THE JACKET ON SOUND ASLEEP! I FOUND MYSELF WANTING HIM TO BE AT THE WINDOW SHOOTING HIS WAY OUT OR SOMETHING. BUT HE WAS ASLEEP AS THOUGH NOTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE HAD OCCURRED. THAT HE HAD TAKEN ANOTHER HUMAN BEINGS LIFE DID NOT COMPUTE. THESE THINGS HAPPEN EVERYDAY ALL OVER THE WORLD AND I WAS TOTALLY AWARE OF THAT, BUT THAT PARTICULAR DAY THAT PARTICULAR STORY HIT ME, AND SOMETHING ELSE HIT ME. A QUESTION, AND THAT QUESTION WAS WHAT HAS CHANGED AND HOW HAD I PARTICIPATED IN CHANGING IT? WHAT PART OF THE LESSONS THAT MY FATHER HAD TRIED TO TEACH ME IN THE CAR ON THOSE SATURDAY AFTERNOONS ON MAIN STREET THAT, THAT YOUNG KILLER HAD NEVER BEEN TAUGHT? AND IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT IN MY CASE AND IN THE CASE OF SO MANY OF US MAYBE WE ARE NOT GUILTY OF THE SIN OF COMMISSION BUT COULD IT BE THAT WE ARE GUILTY OF THE SIN OF OMISSION. THE OMISSION OF CERTAIN VIABLE NUGGETS OF INFORMATION, INFORMATION THAT EXIST IN THE REALM AND LANGUAGE OF VALUES, MORAL AND CIVIL CONDUCT. INFORMATION IS NOT NECESSARY TO SURVIVE IN THE MONETARY WORLD OF CAESAR, BUT IN THE SOCIAL REALM OF HUMAN DECENCY AND CIVIL CONDUCT, THE WORLD OF GOD, IF YOU WILL.
IT IS CERTAINLY NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH CHILDREN VALUES THAT SHOULD BE TAUGHT AT HOME. THEY ARE NOT MY CHILDREN. I AM NOT MY BROTHERS KEEPER, OR AM I? OR LIKE MY FATHER, DO I HAVE AN OBLIGATION OF GENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. DO I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO CARE?
MAYBE IT’S WHAT’S NOT BEING TAUGHT THAT TROUBLES ME. “RENDER UNTO CAESAR THAT WHICH IS CAESAR’S AND UNTO GOD THAT WHICH IS GODS”. WE MUST CERTAINLY TEACH THAT WHICH IS CAESAR'S BECAUSE CAESARS IS UNCOMPROMISINGLY DEMANDING.
SOCIETY MUST DELIVER THE NECESSARY SKILLS AND INFORMATION THAT ENABLE STUDENTS TO NEGOTIATE THE WATERS OF THE REAL WORLD – CAESAR’S WORLD – A WORLD THAT’S MECURIAL. A WORLD THAT SHIFTS IN PARADIGMS ON A SOMETIME’S MONTHLY BASIS. A WORLD IN FLUX, OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES, CORPORATE MERGERS, DOWN SIZING AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF COMMUNITES.
SCHOOLTEACHERS SHOULD BE PAID MORE THAN BASKETBALL PLAYERS ON THE COURT OF LIFE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO SHOOT FASTER, JUMP HIGHER, AND LAST LONGER. CAESAR’S WORLD “RENDER UNTO CAESAR THAT WHICH IS CAESARS AND UNTO GOD THAT WHICH IS GOD’S.” IS THERE ANY ROOM FOR GOD IN WHAT WE DO? MARSHAL MCCLLUEN WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE. THIS IS A STATEMENT I NO LONGER BELIEVE. WE MOST CERTAINLY MUST BE MORE REPONSIBLE THAN THAT TO GIVE A SOCIETY THE GUN, BULLETS OF THE MEDIA, TEACH IT HOW TO AIM IT AND THEN TO TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TARGET THAT’S HIT. IT IS A FASHIONABLE WAY OF THINKING IN THE WORLD OF RELATIVISM BUT NOT IN THE REALM OF GOD? IS THERE ANY ROOM FOR GOD IN DAY-TO-DAY LIVING? AND BY GOD, I DO NOT MEAN RELIGION. I MEAN THAT INNATE SENSE OF WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG. DECENCY OR AS GRANDPA USED TO SAY “SON YOUR RELIGION IS NOT WHAT YOU BELIEVE OR SAY BUT WHAT YOU DO.”
WE SEE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE LAST DECADE OF RELATIVISTIC THINKING AND BEHAVIOR. I’M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE MUST HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS. BUT IF WE CAN RAISE RELEVANT QUESTIONS WITHIN THE FABRIC OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF OUR CHILDREN. PERHAPS WE CAN GIVE THEM THE FOUNDATION WITH WHICH THEY CAN EVALUATE THE GREAT POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TOOLS OF MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE ARE HANDING THEM. PERHAPS RAISING QUESTIONS WITHIN THEIR MINDS WILL BE ENOUGH. “RENDER UNTO CAESAR THAT WHICH IS CAESARS AND UNOT GOD THAT WHICH IS GODS.” INFORMATION IN THE INFORMATION AGE WEBSTER DEFINES AS: KNOWLEDGE, DATA, FACTS, NEWS, ADVICE, TIPS, INTELLIGENCE AND WISDOM. IT’S INTERESTING THAT WISDOM IS AT THE END OF THAT LIST. WEBSTER ALSO DEFINES WISDOM AS: GOOD SENSE, THE TEACHINGS OF THE ANCIENT WISE MEN.
IT WAS WRONG FOR THAT 10TH GRADER TO STAB HIS CLASSMATE WITH A KNIFE AND TAKE HIS JACKET. WHETHER OR NOT HE HAD A GOOD OR BAD CHILDHOOD – IT WAS WRONG! AND TO JUSTIFY THAT INJUSTICE IS WRONG AND EVIL.
IN A SOCIETY OF, “I GOT MINE, YOU GET YOURS;” A WORLD OF EXCLUSION AND PRIVILEDGE. WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF AMNESIA CONSCIOUSNESS? A CONSCIOUSNESS THAT SHUTS THE DOOR BEHIND IT SO THAT NO ONE ELSE MAY ENTER LESS THEY OVERSHADOW THE GLOW OF PRIVILEDGE, VESTED INTEREST AND SELF IMPORTANCE. A CONSCIENCE THAT ONLY HEARS THE WORDS OF DR. KING’S BUT DOES NOT ACT ON THE INSIGHT AND INSTRUCTION OF HIS WISDOM. THESE ARE ISSUES THAT DETERMINE WHAT WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN, OUR FUTURE LEGACY. WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH BEHAVIOR AND THINKING? AND I QUOTE – GENESIS 4TH CHAPTER: ADAM AND EVE STARTED A NEW LIFE OUTSIDE THE GARDEN OF EDEN. THEY HAD TWO SONS: ABEL, WHO GREW UP TO BE A SHEPHERD, AND CAIN, WHO WORKED IN THE FIELDS AS A FARMER. WHEN THE TIME CAME TO MAKE AN OFFERING TO GOD, CAIN BROUGHT A FEW OF HIS HARVEST CROPS BUT HE DID SO WITH A CARELESS ATTITUDE. ABEL, ON THE OTHERHAND, BROUGHT ONLY THE BEST PIECES OF MEAT FROM HIS SHEEP, SHOWING HIS DEEP, HEARTFELT TRUST IN GOD. SO GOD WAS PLEASED WITH ABEL’S OFFER BUT NOT WITH CAIN’S. THIS FILLED CAIN WITH ANGER, “WHY ARE YOU SO ANGRY?” GOD ASKED CAIN. “IF YOU MAKE THE RIGHT OFFERING I WILL ACCEPT IT, BUT BE CAREFUL, IF YOU DO NOT, SIN IS WAITING TO POUNCE ON YOU AND RULE YOU.” BUT CAIN WOULD NOT LISTEN. BURNING WITH RAGE AND JEALOUSY, HE LURED HIS BROTHER ABEL INTO A FIELD AND KILLED HIM. “WHERE IS YOUR BROTHER?” GOD ASKED HIM, BUT CAIN PRETENDED NOT TO KNOW. “DON’T ASK ME,” HE REPLIED, “AM I SUPPOSED TO LOOK AFTER HIM?” “LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE!” SAID GOD, ANGRILY. “I CAN PLAINLY SEE ABEL’S BLOOD ON THE GROUND. SO NOW I MUST PUNISH YOU. FROM NOW ON YOUR CROPS WILL NO LONGER GROW AND YOU WILL HAVE TO WANDER THROUGH THE WORLD WITHOUT A HOME.” CAIN TREMBLED WITH FEAR. “MY PUNISHMENT IS TOO MUCH FOR ME TO BEAR,” HE PLEADED WITH GOD. “BECAUSE YOU ARE NO LONGER MY FRIEND, WHOEVER FINDS ME WILL KILL ME.” “DON’T WORRY,” GOD REPLIED, SHOWING MERCY BY PUTTING A SPECIAL MARK ON CAIN TO PROTECT HIM. “IF ANYONE KILLS YOU, HE WILL SUFFER SEVEN TIMES MORE THAN YOU.” SO, WITH TREMENDOUS SADNESS, CAIN LEFT AND WENT TO LIVE IN THE LAND OF NOD.
IN THIS NEW TECHNOLOGICAL LAND OF NOD WILL WE BE OUR BROTHER’S KEEPER? AS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE WIDENS WILL WE MOVE TOWARD EACH OTHER AND BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE INFORMATION RICH AND THE INFORMATION POOR. WILL WE ENCOURAGE OUR CHILDREN TO USE THESE TECHNOLOGICAL TRICKS TO BETTER THE PLIGHT OF ALL MANKIND OR WILL WE TRANSFER TO THEM THE VALUES OF NOD – THE VALUE OF SELF INTEREST? AS A YOUNG BOY I HAD ONE MALE PARENT BUT MANY FATHERS. MEN IN MY COMMUNITY, BLACK AND WHITE PASSED ONTO ME VALUES AND INFORMATION THAT WOULD SOMETIME AS THEY WOULD PHRASE IT – “PUT ME IN MY PLACE.” MANY OF THESE PEOPLE WERE TEACHERS, THAT HAD AS MUCH INFLUENCE ON ME IN THE CLASS ROOM OF LIFE AS MY PARENTS HAD ON ME AT HOME. BUT AS THE STAKES BECOME HIGHER ALL MORAL AUTHORITY IS CHALLENGED ON EVERY FRONT. TO SEE OURSELVES AS VICTIMS OVERPOWERED BY DAY-TO-DAY PROBLEMS WITH NO TIME TO ADDRESS THE LARGER ISSUES OF HUMAN EXISTENCE IS AN EVASION OF RESPONSIBILITY THAT DR. KING WOULD NOT LET US ESCAPE TO. DR. KING CONTINUES TO CHALLENGE US WITH THE FOLLOWING HAUNTING QUESTION “HAVE YOU HELPED SOMEBODY NOT FOR PERSONAL GAIN BUT HAVE YOU HELPED SOMEBODY ON THE LEVEL OF HUMBLE RECOGNITION THAT WE ARE OUR BROTHER’S KEEPER? WINSTON CHURCHILL ADDRESSED THE PRESENCE OF HUMAN FRAILITY IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER AND I QUOTE, “TRUE POWER IS AN INDIVIDUAL’S ABILITY TO MOVE FROM FAILURE TO FAILURE WITH NO LOSS OF ENTHUSIASM.” FURTHER, ONE OF THE GREATEST THEOLOGIANS OF THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY, HOWARD THURMAN, ADVISOR TO SEVERAL PRESIDENTS, GIVES US THE FOLLOWING INSIGHT, “TO STRENGTHEN OUR RESOLVE IN THE FACE OF ANY CHALLENGE, IN THE FACE OF ANY SELF-DOUBT, IN THE FACE OF DANGER IF WE APPLY IT.” AGAIN I QUOTE HOWARD THURMAN “IN EACH OF US THERE IS A SEA, AND IN THAT SEA THERE IS AN ISLAND, AND ON THAT ISLAND THERE IS AN ALTAR, AND STANDING GUARD AT THAT ALTAR IS AN ANGEL WITH THE FLAMING SWORD, AND NOTHING MAY PASS THAT ANGEL TO BE PLACED ON THAT ALTAR UNLESS IT BEARS THE BLOODMARK OF OUR CONSENT.” WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE THE CONSCIOUNESS OF A GENERATION BY POINTING OUT TO THEM THAT THERE IS SOMETHING BENEATH THE BOTTOM LINE THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF REALITY ITSELF.
HUMILITY, A CONCEPT FOREIGN TO MOST CONTEMPORARY THINKING AND NUMEROUS ENTERTAINMENT PERSONALITIES. HOW THIS WOULD BE DONE AS I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, I DO NOT HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA. BUT I DO REALIZE THAT, THAT YOUNG BOY WHO SHOT ANOTHER CHILD AND WAS DISCOVERED SLEEPING BY THE POLICE IS PART OF A QUICKLY GROWING MASS OF PEOPLE WHO FEEL THEY HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE. IF THAT REALITY IS NOT ADDRESSED I BELIEVE WE WILL END UP LIVING OUT THE PROPHECY OF T.S. ELLIOTS’ GREAT POEM THE “WASTELAND.” THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS. THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS. THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS. NOT WITH A BANG. BUT WITH A WHIMPER.

Friday, 27 May 2011

Obama-Backed Racist 'Brown' Hispanic Group Want to Racially Cleanse White & Black People Who have Lived in America and Britain For Hundreds of Years, From the Face of the Map.

Marcia Kia Simpson-James.



La Racists - 'Brown'  Hispanics [IMMIGRANTS].


We have known for years that Hispanics, Asians, African and Muslim immigrants are racists. Now we have clear evidence that this is the case. See the evidence of Racist, half-caste Obama-backed, hispanic groups outrageously illiterate eugenic claims.

La Raza = The Race = The Racists.

Thursday, 26 May 2011

Wife-Beating High Court Judge - James Allen QC, Makes Preposterous Claim That His Battered Deputy Coroner Wife "Punched Herself Hard 6 Times". Despicable Judge Should Be Removed & Reported to the Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC)

Marcia Simpson-James

James Allen QC 
High Court Wife-Beater Judge busy intimidating his wife outside Bradford Magistrates' court 




Abuse of public office.
  Woman-Abuser High Court Judge should be reported and removed from post for gross misconduct James Allen QC -

Monday, 23 May 2011

Ryan Giggs Proves Me Rights - All Footballers are Idiots - But This One Was Prepared to Send Every Web Journalist to Prison For Breaching Judge Given Injunction To Stop Sex-Affair with 'Imogen' Being Exposed.



Marcia Simpson-James.

 Ryan Giggs
Adulterer - Footballer Ryan Giggs, took out super-injuction to hide secret Sex-Affair with 'reality star' good-time-girl Imogen Thomas. This idiot would have had every web-journalist and twitter user clapped in irons and sent to jail for being in 'contempt' of the 'idiot' judge given injunction. What a plonker! 
To add insult to the public, mixed-racist Giggs contributed to an article, advising, victims of bullying and abuse to "speak out".

See Mirror article below:


MP, John Hemmings, used his parliamentary privilege to name culturally confused Ryan Giggs as the footballer who took out the unjustified super-injunction   simply to protect his sponsorship deals and economic earning power.

Giggs, who is also a UNICEF children's ambassador, clearly decided that he wanted to use his super-injunction to continue to abuse his unwitting good-time-night-club-girl mistress, Imogen Thomas.

It has recently been heard, that Imogen, was so in awe and enraptured by Giggs, that she was convinced that he would leave his wife and two children and marry her. 

Instead, she was rewarded with a legal gag and the accusation of being a thief = A Blackmailer (or more correctly, a 'white-maler'). I'm sure she now rues the day she met the unsavoury Giggs.

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

IMF Boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn - Racist Rapist French Jew, Attacks Vulnerable 'Third-World' African in Harlem, New York. French Jew Claims Black Woman 'Begged For It'

IMF  Boss - is French Racist Serial  Rapist. Mega raping Jew Dominique Gaston Strauss-Kahn  makes claim that "Jews don't rape", as he attempts to abscond from Harlem New York rape scene on Air France plane back to Paris where extradition  back to America is difficult. Vicious Sadistic Strauss-Kahn, who would know more than most about the poverty & desperation of those from Least Developed Countries (LDC's) but him. Uber Raper Jew Strauss- Kahn saw a Black African woman from an LDC country and decided to treat her like a colonial  'African slave-girl' by doing to the victim what white men normally do to colonial African slave-minded woman or (increasingly) to western European diasporan women (such as Black-Americans & Black-English women) - Rape Her!


Disgraced Mega-Rapist IMF's honorary 'African' chief - Racist Jew Dominique Gaston Strauss-Kahn had to be dragged off French plane to prevent him escaping .  Arrogant Sadist Strauss-Kahn (standing above on the right) stands before female judge to face at least 7 charges of Rape and Sexual assault of colonial African woman chamber-maid. African woman was survivor of war in her country.

As a Black woman, I was shaken to the core to see and hear French women going on British and French television claiming that the African chamber-maid that was raped by racist Jew Dominique Gaston Strauss-Kahn, (also known affectionately as DSK) had 'begged for it' [the rape].

I heard one idiot racist French woman on a BBC news programme, boastfully call the animalistic rapist Dominique Strauss-Kahn a  "seducer"  . She was explaining to the British public, that it was "impossible" for a white man of his stature to "be attracted to a Black woman".


Lets have a look at the rape and sodomy charges levelled against this "Great" French racist Jewish "Seducer" DSK:

1. Attempted Rape in the 1st degree - violence - one count.

2. Gross Sexual abuse in the 1st degree - one count.

3. Criminal Sexual Act in the 1st degree - violence - two counts

4. Unlawful imprisonment in the 1st degree - violence - two counts.

5. Sexual Abuse in the 3rd degree - violence - one count.

6. Forcible touching and physical molestation - violence - one count.

7. Forcible Sexual activity and Abuse (oral sex and sodomy) - violence - one count.

*Note that based on the above charges, custodial punishment can vary from 3 months to 25 years per charge.



Monday, 16 May 2011

Beheading Schizophrenic couldn't buy his way into local psychiatric hospital for Help - no matter how hard he knocked.


We have all, by now, heard, or read about the horrendous story of the beheading of Mrs Jennifer Mills-Westley, aged just 60-years-old.

Her tragic and disturbing end came at the hands of a young 26-year-old homeless schizophrenic man in Tenerife.

This is everyone's nightmare come horribly true.

Mrs Mills-Westley, was apparently out shopping when she became aware that she was being followed by Bulgarian, Deyan Deyanov. She was so worried by him, that she went into the nearest place of safety, the jobcentre, and complained about him. Apparently he was shooed away by a security guard. He left briefly, only to return soon after Mrs Mills-Westley had left the jobcentre, to go to a local shop.

It was in this shop, that ,schizophrenic Deyanov, fast approached Mrs Mills-Westley, apparently swinging a machete. In a matter of moments Deyanov, had decapitated the woman. This was bad enough, but he then went on to grab Mrs Mills-Westley's separated head, and proceeded to walk out of the shop and along the round proudly displaying his 'prize'.

Jesus Christ, can you imagine being a witness to such a thing?! I'd run a mile. I still can not understand how such a thing could happen, or be allowed to happen.

Apparently, the obviously mad, and dangerous, Deyanov, was well known in that locality as a vicious person, who had attacked several strapping security guards and members of the public.

We have also heard that Deyanov had gone to the local psychiatric hospital several times begging to be allowed back in for treatment. He was refused.

So here we have it, a homeless man, who is clearly mentally disordered, (how he arrived at state, is for another detailed debate), bangs on the doors of his local psychiatric hospital and he is refused entry. Well, well, well! Who would have guessed?

Apparently, Bulgarian Deyanov had earlier gone into a shop and asked for a machete or long knife. He even went as far as to show staff the length of blade he wanted. Based on newly released CCTV images, he wanted a blade approximately a foot and a half long. In other words, whatever he wanted to do, he wanted to create havoc and inflict the maximum injuries to his intended victim.

Unfortunately, Mrs Mills-Westley, was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

What I'd like to know, is how did this person manage to buy a machete, when it was clear he was a threat to the public? Which doctors were responsible for this man, and how did they conclude that he was fit enough, and more importantly safe enough to be allowed to circulate among the general wider public?

I must admit, that I have a persona interest in this story.

Since I was kidnapped and 'disappeared' into one of these places for political reasons. In other words, I was a political prisoner. My kidnapping was based on the information within a "sexed-up" , lie-filled dossier. This was all organised by my political opponent, who worked with his fellow homosexuals, jews, asians, racist irish, scottish, etc to arrange to have me grabbed out of my bed in the early hours of the morning.

I had heard about a secret dossier that was being created with my name on it, but it was only at this time, that I (on asking), was able to a) confirm, that the file actually existed and b) read a  part of the content. This No.10, Tony Blair-backed "sexed-up" secret dossier made for interesting reading. Reader, this file was not, repeat, NOT, a medical file, it was a security service lie-filled dossier. I was shocked to read some of the content. It was nothing to do with me. The information was not me. However, I was shocked that there were individuals who had such sick minds, that they could be allowed to decant their infected drool, onto the page, and be allowed to distribute it far and wide.

I was especially interested in seeing this the detail of this file, because my work was being interfered with. If I went into my local library, (which I had used for over 30 years), I was confronted by staff who looked extremely frightened, and who borderline were ready to lock themselves into a back room of the library.

If I went to enquire about my council tax, security guards would circulate and concentrate on me. I think I've given a clear picture of the local atmosphere. It did not help, that (unbeknownst to me), there was my evil mother, who had historically worked with the police, and I had not seen for some years.

I was shocked on reading about people who I did not know, and they did not know me, giving their 'opinion' on me. The reader of the file was being led down a particular path by a man called Dr David James. I did not know a Dr James. Who was this man. The plot thickened.

As I read, I saw the words "Fixated Threat Assessment Centre" . I asked those around me, who informed me that they had "come for" me, what this organisation was and what was its function. No answer. I was taken to a place unknown, in an ambulance. Everyone who piled into (invaded) my home, looked shocked. They had clearly been expecting a particular response, and there was none.

I saw at least  thirty people look ashamed as they stood in my home. The shame level was so high for these people I heard them whispering to each other, to "get out of here now...this is an unusual case...I not know what's going on here, but this one looks like trouble...someone's going to get sacked for this and it's not going to be me".
 The house practically emptied, except those who had obviously spun the yarn. There was a debate held to discuss what this hard-core small group of individuals could do. They even told me that they made a mistake, and were going to leave. One of them, who turned out to be an ordinary Pc insisted I be taken away. I asked "taken by whom to where and for what reason?". It was at this point that this secret file was initially produced.

The reader can take it as read, that this is a legal matter being addressed. The implication was that I was seriously mentally disordered. My 'crime', I had attended parliament for at least 10 years listening to debates and committees. However, it was only now (unbeknownst to me), that the establishment were just about to unleash their new and shiny half-caste "British Barack Obama", namely the anti-Black racist, Chuka Harrison Umunna, (now 'my' elected MP for Streatham and Brixton).

Ironically, one of the woman who was extremely edgy and determined to "discredit" me, by "taking [me] in", was a social worker called Anne-Marie Harrison (any relations to Chuka Harrison by any chance?).  Despite never having met me, spoken to me, or even seeing me, she appeared to be in charge, and confidently stood in my bedroom, and walked about my home as if he were her's with complete confidence that she was being backed by state. I just completely flabber-ghasted at the brazenness of these people. I could not imagine doing that to someone. These people could have done anything to me. I have no doubt, that if I were not 'cool',  I too, like Dr David Kelly, (please note that I also attended that joke called the Hutton Inquiry), could have been "injected" and that would have been it, end of Marcia.

I am angry as hell for being put in harms way by persons unknow. I make no bones about it, I am looking for revenge. Can anyone imagine standing in your own bedroom, in your own night clothes and being confronted by some mentally ill strangers, who are stood in front of you, telling you, that they intend to give you "horse tablets" and "inject" you?

I take it as read, that the reader, can imagine what my face looked like - I was horrified. Before this, I never knew such people existed. However, since they came out to play with me, we must complete the game, and I expect revenge. So reader, you now have my declaration of interest.

Just to reassure the reader, no I did not have any drugs administered to me, however, I had people begging me to leave, I had people begging me to sign documents saying I would not sue or speak of what was done to me to the public. So, I am here with you, dear readers, and I am here to tell the tale. Suffice it to say, that a super-injunction was taken out against Sir Paul Stephenson, head of the Met police and any secret security service agent. So that says a lot. Watch this space for some interesting developments.

But lets not get ahead of ourselves.

Back to  buy Deyanov, for comparison, Deyanov, could not buy his way back into a mad-house, he literally had to kill, and he had to kill 'big' , to get back into the system. Note I said, 'the system'.

Can you imagine the levels of damages Mrs Mills-Westley family would receive if Deyanov is put back into a psychiatric hospital. That is why, they have put him into prison (which would be an inappropriate place for someone as mentally disturbed as him).

I don't think anyone would would doubt that deyanov has a serious problem. But can anyone tell me, how,because I exercised my democratic rights to enter parliament, I was placed in the same camp as a schizophrenic homeless man, who decapitated an innocent woman? Please discuss.

PS. I am still traumatised by the experience, and have never received an apology from anyone, much less damages much less compensation.

I like to know, if this was done to you, how much damages, etc, you'd demand? And just for added interest, there is no history these kinds of conditions, and I used to sit on a number of government committees. There is another matter, that is known as the big "P", but that's for the court-house. All I can say, is I am 100% confident, so I can openly come forward and discuss this things.

I take it, that those who did what they did to me, and in the reverse, did NOT do for the patient Deyanov, have some questions to answer. Hopefully, for innocent people like me and Mrs Mills-Westley, the perpetrators will get their just deserts, and end up doing substantial custodial sentences for their negligence, culpability, deceptions, crimes and misconduct in public office.

Jennifer, I send you and your family my deepest condolences.You,unfortunately, lost your life because of misinformation, I was supposed to lose my life because of lies and misinformation. I sincerely hope that we both end up with a sort of justice.

I think the legal advisors will be discussing the relevance of equity and proprietory estoppel. This is a huge one. May, you rest in peace.

John Prescott, Tony Blair's, Racist Alcoholic Sex-Freak, Former Deputy Prime Minister Deliberately Ignored the Needs of Black-English 'West-Indian' Community. Descendants of Slavery Process - Mugged, as Thug Prescott Steals Money Set Aside for Slavery Museum and Uses Funds for His White-Trash Hull 'Slave' Researcher Mates.

Marcia Kia Simpson-James.

ALCOHOLIC
John Prescott "The Punching Pig". Racist, anti-Black west-indian, crook.

ALCOHOLIC ADULTERER
Tony Blair's "2 shags", disgraced former deputy prime minister, 'Lord' John "The Punching Pig" Prescott with sex-hunter,  "9-man", diary secretary, Tracey Temple.  Both a risk to British national security.


ALCOHOLIC PERVERT
Filthy sickening animal John Prescott causes embarrassment by 'sniffing' Tracey Temple's   vaginal 'love juice'
after sordid sadistic sex session in Whitehall grace-and-favour Admiralty apartment.



' Lord' Prescott  -  VICIOUS BRAIN-DEAD ALCOHOLIC EVIL BEAST
John Prescott - Lord of Violence & White Trash.

Tony Blair's racist, anti-Black, former deputy prime minister falsely misrepresented his department, by claiming that he would provide funds to commemorate the Black 'West-Indian' victims of Britain's slave trade involvement.
Instead, he arranged to have public funds - millions of tax pounds that Black people have paid into the system, to be paid to his white-trash mates in Hull, (where he used to be the MP), for a Wilberforce Museum commemorating a white man who himself was involved in the slavery process.

Bruiser, Prescott, who was [at the time] discovered to be having a sordid sexual relationship with his sluttish diary secretary, Tracey Temple, took millions of pounds from the  public purse and gave it to his ALL-WHITE Hull  'slave researcher' mates to use the money 'on behalf' of Black people.

The insult was further increased, when the Black community found out that the self-hating Black, 'Lady' Valerie Amos (now head of the UN's Humanitarian body), and Black-hating colonial queen of harassment, half-caste 'Lady' Ros Howells of St David's happily sat around the table with the racist animal Prescott, and lazily sat by, like the colonial 'commonwealth' slaves that they are, and agreed to this arrangement.

One of  the other pieces of trash who sat there whilst the hog Prescott' ordered this travesty of justice was the ignorant anti-Black, half-breed no-nation, criminal, Lee Jasper.

Now Prescott, is complaining that he has telephone has been hacked into. This creature has a cheek complaining about this intervention, when he has done far worst by conspiring to steal monies that should have been directed towards the Black "west-indian" community. All this done on the grounds of racial discrimination.

And what reward does to this racist dog get for this crime, he is made into a 'Lord'.

Lets look at Mr 'John Crow' Prescott, and lets give him his correct accolades.

1. Prescott - This worthless idiot, can not speak English. I dare anyone, and I mean anyone, to succeed in interpreting one 'sentence' spoken by this broken-down illiterate.

2. Prescott physically threatened and racially abused Britain's highest and most senior Black civil servant, Director General Joe Montgomery.

3. Prescott ordered hundreds of thousands of homes to be built on several 'Flood Plains'. These homes were later flooded, during rain, and many people lost their homes, or were refused insurance cover and were made bankrupt and homeless as a consequence.

4. Prescott encouraged, conspired and promoted the theft of 'Black descendants of slavery' money, so that he could be falsely seen as not being racist, by being compared to former Hull MP, Wilberforce. Prescott is a raving lunatic and a pathological racist.

5. Prescott upset the most senior civil servants of his department (ODPM) so badly, they realised that their department was wide open to numerous class actions from the public. Consequently, they closed down his department - The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) - and arranged to sand-blast his name and the letters 'ODPM' from the front of their building in Victoria, London. Even, the racist, anti-Black, permanent secretary, scotsman, Peter Housden, felt ashamed to be associated with Prescott.

6. Prescott  risked national security many times by having several uncontrolled adulterous sexual affairs with numerous subordinate members of his staff. The most publicised one with his diary secretary, Tracey Temple, was the most dangerous and risky, since it has recently been discovered that Temple, was simultaneously having sexual relations with 9 other men. In the first instance, Prescott's wife should be interviewed under caution to find out why she did not inform the security services about her husband's misconduct, bad character and numerously lengthy sexual affairs, that could open the country up to coercion, white-mail and more.

7.  Prescott should be arrested, charged and interviewed for breaching the Official Secrets Act and exposing the public to untold security risks. He should also be charged with abuse of power and misconduct in public office. 

8. Prescott is a well-known alcoholic (displaying classic signs of Kardokoff  Syndrome - mental disorder; violence;  gastrointestinal irritability such as 'throat' pain & severe vomiting; gross obesity (increased triglycerides-fats); erectile dysfunction; poor memory;  paranoid aggression;  increased lack of mental agility and sharpness (e.g dementia);  psychosis, general fixation and obsession with race/gecnder/status and 'unfamiliar' people who instill 'fear',etc. The public have a right to know that whilst Tony Blair  was busy brown-nosing the Americans and George W Bush, his second in command, (who was at times left in charge of the country), exposed us to highest risks possible and left us open to attacks from enemies, both internally and externally. Just these facts alone should trigger a judicial inquiry into the matter.

9. Prescott - was known to be mentally disordered. Why was he not removed from post and referred for psychiatric treatment? The same could be said for Gordon Brown, who ended up on anti-psychotic 'nerve' drugs just to control his violent rages. The public want to know, what medication Prescott was on to control his violently angry out-burst. Did officials or staff complain about him?

I for one am interested to know.

Sunday, 15 May 2011

Health Minister Andrew Lansley's Wife Sally Low Boasts That Her Company Can Give Easy Access to Government Ministers. Yet Another Political Wife Profits From Accessing British Parliament's Opaque Lobby System.

ALTER-EU workshop on expert groups: ‘Big business cannot be the non-state interest category most represented in Commission’s expert groups!’

Andrew Lansely - example of joint ministerial and partner's corruption.
Corrupted Andrew Lansely the UK's Health Secretary and his  criminal wife Sally Low, a management consultant who boasted that she, her friends and her company (Low Associates) can give businesses, free and easy lobby access to most of Britain's top politicians and Cabinet ministers - including her husband Andrew and his department, for £2,000  - £10,000 per meeting. In other words Money-for-Influence.


Publication date: 
 Friday, May 13, 2011
Start date: 
Wed, 2011-05-11 15:00
Location: 
Conference room, Mundo-B
A broad range of Brussels-based pan European networks shared their points of view on the deficiencies of the current advisory structure of the Commission and stressed the central role that consultation and expertise seeking methods have in the democratic quality of the decision making process.
Yiorgos Vassalos, Researcher of Corporate Europe Observatory and spokesperson of ALTER-EU on the issue of expert groups set out the context of the discussion by stressing the bottom-line of civil society’s critique of the current system: ‘big business cannot be the non-state interest category most represented in Commission’s expert groups. Such a situation violates elementary democratic principles.’
Graphic designer Daan Dirk made the graphics in his presentation that can be found on our facebook pageand attached.
Monique Goyens, Director General of the European Consumer’s Organisation (BEUC) relayed her organisation’s experience from participation in more than 80 expert groups. She deplored the complete regulatory capture is some policy areas such as intellectual property. She also identified a deeper problem that has to be addressed: that currently only industry representatives have sufficient resources to conduct fundamental research while general interest orientated bodies do not.
She concluded that the lesson that BEUC has learned from its experience with expert groups is that it is ‘better be absent than irrelevant’.
For BEUC in order to be involved in an expert group, the following criteria apply:
  1. The European Commission should chair the group;
  2. There should be a balanced representation;
  3. Travel costs should be reimbursed;
  4. Minority opinion should be listened to.
Ms Goyens’ powerpoint presentation can be found attached.
Joël Decaillon, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said that changing the way decisions are made and making it truly transparent touches upon very fundamental questions. It is ironic to see the European Banking Industry Committee being assigned the task of working on banking transparency by the Commission, when the very nature of banks means that they are not transparent.  This is why the battle for transparency at all levels is fundamental.  Today, it is also possible to see that the ‘Kinnock Reforms’ [a reform package that was adopted in the wake of a corruption scandal that resulted in the unprecedented mass resignation of the Commission in March 1999; red] did not bring more transparency to the functioning of the European Commission but only facilitated for corporate lobbyists to be embedded into the system.
Mr Decaillon also called civil society’s attention to the composition of the forth-coming High Level Group on Climate Change and gave the full support of ETUC to ‘the ALTER-EU movement’.
Ronny Patz, EU-liaison Officer of Transparency International shared his experiences from the 3 expert groups in which his organisation participates in order to assess the transparency of the process. TI has written an interesting blogpost[1] about one of these groups. He noted that, unjustifiably, the Expert Groups Register of the Commission does not make use of technology that would permit all data to be downloadable and searchable so that citizens can monitor the advisory process. He suggested that lobby groups participating in expert groups should be given a single code linked to the lobby register, so that we can see, for instance, how many groups an unregistered group is participating in.
Gérard Choplin, Policy Officer of the European Coordination of Via Campesina, the International Peasant Movement, highlighted the harsh struggle of his movement in the nineties to acquire access in DG Agriculture’s advisory groups that have existed since the sixties. He said the situation there is still very unbalanced as half of the members come from only one lobby group: COPA-COGECA. The majority of their members may be small and medium family farmers but their leaders are often linked to the pesticide industry or are directors of agricultural banks. For Via Campesina it is quite clear they represent agri-business. There are also many representatives from the food industry (CIAA) and food traders (CELCAA). Via Campesina would like to see the members of DG Agri’s expert groups reduced - so that the tax payer does not pay for COPA’s internal networking events - and so that it is more balanced.
The audience of the panel debate contributed lots of interesting campaigning ideas around how to mobilise the media, parliamentarians and the general public as well as how to help the Commission realise how useful proper engagement with civil society would be. Participating groups agreed to stay in contact in order to push this agenda forward.