News on this Holiday Season

During this day, we reflect on many things during the holiday season. We believe in peace, tolerance, brotherhood, sisterhood, and justice. We want to live in a world where there is tranquility and peace. Likewise, the current situation today shows us that we have a long way to go in fulfilling the same goal that we all desire. So, there is no peace on Earth in 2015. Yet, we will fight for it and we believe in the courage of the Savior of the Universe. We have to maintain the principle that this time of the year should not be used for the promotion of frantic merchandising or materialism. We have to stand up for what is right. It is not right to witness Western warplanes and drones bomb and kill plus maiming indiscriminately millions of people in the Middle East plus Africa. We see Germany and Japan remilitarizing in a way that hasn’t been witnessed in decades. We witness millions of human beings displaced by war and poverty. Many refugees suffer discrimination, assault, and barbed wire. Over 3,000 human beings have died in seeking to cross into Europe including 1,000 children.  Also, compassionate human beings have shown refugees compassion with open arms. In America, one in five children live in food insecure households and millions of people struggle to get income for basic necessities. We are opposed to xenophobia, jingoistic nationalism, communal hatred, and bigotry. When one Republican Presidential candidate (who is Donald Trump) called many Mexican people rapists and calling for the ban of all Muslims from entering the country, then we have a problem here. In Germany, Angela Merkel, the supposed promoter of the “welcoming culture,” declares that “multiculturalism is a sham.” Angela is wrong. In France, the ruling Socialist Party, seeking to enshrine a permanent state of emergency into the constitution, is bent on obtaining the power to strip dual citizens of their nationality, a measure last used in France during the mass deportation of Jews under the Vichy Regime during the Holocaust. In the midst of this, there is still a remnant of people who know the truth. So, we believe in showing compassion to the tornado victims of the South. The Savior opposed the corruption found in the Roman Empire and he sacrificed his life for the lives of all. So, we should use this day to reflect, to pray, and to act in a positive fashion.


The American Civil War was one of the most important events in human history. Norfolk, Virginia had a huge amount of history in the Civil War. By early 1861, Norfolk voters instructed their delegate to vote for the ratification of the ordinance of secession. Soon, Virginia voted to secede from the Union. Richmond became the capital of the Confederacy and the Civil War started. When Virginia joined the Confederacy, they demanded the surrender of all Federal property in their state, including the Norfolk Navy Yard (then called Gosport Shipyard). Failure for an elaborate Confederate ruse orchestrated by civilian railroad builder, and future Confederate general (William Mahone) the Union shipyard commander Charles Stewart McCauley ordered the burning of the shipyard and the evacuation of its personal to Fort Monroe across the Hampton Roads. The capture of the shipyard allowed a tremendous amount of war material to fall into Confederate hands including the remains of the burned and scuttled naval frigate USS Merrimac. In the spring of 1862, the remains of the USS Merrimac were rebuilt at Norfolk Navy Yard as an ironclad. It was remained the CSS Virginia. The Battle of Hampton Roads began on March 8, 1862.  The battle would ultimately ended in a stalemate however, as neither navy was able to do significant damage to the other due to the heavy armor plating. Over the next several months, CSS Virginia tried in vain to engage the Monitor, but the USS Monitor was under strict orders not to fight unless absolutely necessary. On May 6, while the Union Army under General B. McClellan was fighting the Peninsula Campaign, President Abraham Lincoln visited Fort Monroe (in Hampton, Virginia) across Hampton Roads.  Recognizing the value of Norfolk, Abraham Lincoln decided to create a plan to capture the city and thus eliminate the base of the CSS Virginia. On May 8, Union ships including the USS Monitor and batteries on Fort Wool opened fire on the Confederate batteries on Sewell’s Point. Only the approach of the CSS Virginia drove the Union ships back to the protection of Fort Monroe. At this point, Lincoln directed the invasion to be on Willoughby Spit (or on Ocean View), away from the Confederate batteries, the next day. On the morning of May 10, 1862, General John Wool landed 6,000 Union soldiers on Willoughby Spit. Within hours, the Union troops arrived at Norfolk. Mayor William Lamb surrendered the city without firing a shot. For the duration of the Civil War, the city was held under Martial law. Many private and public buildings were confiscated for federal use, including nearby plantations. Mayor Lamb did manage to successfully hide the city's colonial era silver mace underneath a fireplace hearth to avoid having it confiscated or melted down by union troops. Enslaved African American in Norfolk didn’t wait until the end of the war to be emancipated. With the arrival of Union troops, thousands of slaves escaped to Norfolk and Fort Monroe to claim their freedom. Even before the arrival of northern missionaries, African American began to set up schools for children and adults both.


Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black Panther Movement wanted the same goal (which is justice, freedom, and equality for all) despite their disagreements on nonviolence. I view them as part of the same struggle for black liberation. Also, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used civil disobedience, went to jail, and violated the law in numerous times. He wasn't an ascetic. He also advocated a work stoppage and he was much more radical than some view him as well. My philosophy is to use nonviolence, protests, community organization, economic strategies, political strategies, and if necessary self-defense to enact real social change. Colorism is a serious problem in the world. I don't believe that most black people view every single light skinned person as having success by their skin complexion alone. Tinashe is a young woman. I heard of her a few months ago. Light skinned human beings do suffer racism, discrimination, and stereotypes. Yet, it is a fact, as documented by studies, that dark skinned people on average suffer more discrimination and racism. She has the right to express herself, but the powers that be will prop people up irrespective of talent level. Her phenotype has been promoted for a long time. That is the mainstream industry.Black people collectively shouldn't be blamed for all the mechanisms of the industry. I don't believe that black people of any hue (who is talented, qualified, and have great determination) should be questioned of their work ethic. Black people in general want many gifted black musicians to express their talent to the world. The problem is that the oligarchy controls who will be utilized. Also, many black people of darker hues are restricted of acting roles constantly. Many films have been whitewashed for years and decades. There is light privilege in society and the skeptics have to realize that. We want any black person of diverse hues to be free and to have justice. At the end of the day, regardless if we are light, brown, or dark, we face the same problem, and we want the same goal (which is freedom, justice, and equality for all black people). We are one black people. We are one.


This is an outrage (involving the crooked cops from San Francisco). The white racist cops, in this situation, aren't the only ones who have spewed such bigoted views. Cops nationwide have the exact same anti-black views as those SF police officers. The views of those bigoted cops are biased, evil, and have influenced their decision making process. That is one reason out of many why those racist cops should be fired. Any loophole in the future should be changed, so any like minded situations in the future will not prevent cops (who have spewed racist language in texts, etc.) from being fired. Cops handle life and death situations and we pay their salaries. Therefore, we should never tolerate this. Lynn Griffith has written information about 20 herbs that can be effective in the treatment of cancer. She has listed studies too as information. We know that herbs have been used as medicine to help humanity for thousands of years. Like always, people should talk with a qualified doctor to discuss options, dosages, etc. before using herbs and other forms of medicine. One great herb is astraglus. Astragalus is known to improve the human immune system and stimulate the bodies’ natural production of interferon as well as identify rogue cells. The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas conducted research that concluded that taking Astragalus with radiotherapy doubled survival rate times. Red Clover, as said by Royal Marsden cancer centers, found that it has the ability to fight against estrogen driven cancers, including breast and prostate cancers. Echinacea is an herb that is a powerful immune system booster and is well known for its impact on colds.  Research also indicates that it could be helpful for brain tumors due to its ability to increase white blood cells.


The Black Panthers grew in 1967. Governor Reagan wanted to pass the Mulford Act (which would be made into law) which would make the public carrying of loaded firearms illegal. This proposal came about in response to the actions of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. The Black Panthers protested this action in a historic event. On May 2, 1967, the California State Assembly Committee on Criminal Procedure was scheduled to convene to discuss what was known as the Mulford Act.” Eldridge Cleaver and Huey P. Newton created a plan to send a group of 26 armed Black Panthers which would be led by Seale from Oakland to Sacramento to protest the bill. The group entered the assembly and they carried their weapons. This event was publicized worldwide. The police arrested Seale and five others. He group pleaded guilty of misdemeanor charges of disrupting a legislative session. The Panthers acted courageously to stand up for their convictions. In June 1967, rebellions exist in many major cities like Newark, Cleveland, and Detroit. These cities of the North and the Midwest have suffered poverty and racial injustice for a long time. In August of 1967, the FBI or the Federal Bureau of Investigation directed its COINTELPRO evil program. This program wanted to “neutralize” (or destroy) Black Nationalist groups, progressive organizations, and any group that were against the status quo. The FBI readily used illegal tactics to try to fight the Black Panthers and other organizations that were in favor of social change. There is the incident between Huey P. Newton and police officer John Frey. This happened in October 28, 1967. Newton and his friend were pulled over by the Oakland Police Department officer John Frey. Frey called for backup after knowing who Newton was. When officer Herbert Heanes came to the scenes, shots were fired. All three were wounded. There have been different accounts of the incident. Frey was shot four times and died within the hour, while Heanes was left in serious condition with three bullet wounds. Black Panther David Hilliard took Newton to Oakland’s Kaiser Hospital, where he was admitted with a bullet wound to the abdomen. Newton was soon handcuffed to his bed and arrested for being accused of Frey's killing. Charges against Newton would be dropped by 1970. By December of 1967, the Black Panther increased its circulation tenfold. In January of 1968, Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter, deputy minister of defense for Southern California, organizes The Southern California branch of the BPP. The BPP office is at Central Ave. and 43rd Street. Then on January 16, 1968, something else happened. At 3:30am, San Francisco police officers break down the apartment door of Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver. The officers ransack the apartment without a search warrant. Emory Douglas is also present. On February 8, 1968, in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on the campus of South Carolina State College, local police backed by the National Guard fire on a crowd of unarmed students; 33 black activists are shot, and three die.







By Timothy