Information about History and Culture in late April of 2018

Today is the 25th anniversary of the tradegy of Waco. One, false extreme view of this incident is that David Koresh was a martyr. He wasn't a martyr. He was a sick man, an abuser, and a false Messiah. Jesus Christ in the New Testament accurately predicted that in the future false Christs will come about. David Koresh was a despicable person who was another evil false Messiah. The other extreme view is that the FBI did everything right and no alternatives could have been achieved in order for authorities to rescue the victims from the Branch Davidian Branch compound and arrest David Koresh. Therefore, we have to look at reality. That event took place in April of 1993. I was in the fourth grade of elementary school. I was 9 1/2 years old. I remember it just like it was yesterday. Suspecting the group of stockpiling illegal weapons, the ATF obtained a search warrant for the compound and arrest warrants for Koresh and a select few of the group's members. Ex-members cited Koresh's illegal weapons and abuse of human beings. The ATF raided the compound which resulted in the death of many feds and Branch Davidians. Fires existed, CS gas was executed, and many people died. We know of the evil from David Koresh. The mistakes of the federal government include the following: the feds cut the food and water to the compound, they used vehicles to crush cars which have no merit in ending the standoff, they tried to use psychological warfare in showing sounds of dying rabbits which is disturbing, and they lack a mentality to create a peaceful outcome. The 2000 Danforth report said that the Branch Davidian sect started the fire. Attorney Ramsey Clark disagrees with much of that report. The Danforth report said that the actions of the federal government didn't violate Posse Comitatus since the military acted in a support role without active military engagement. The Posse Comitatus Act bans the U.S. military to act as a law enforcement role involving American citizens except in rare exceptions. Tim McVeigh cited the Waco incident as a means for him to cause the wicked OKC bombing in April of 1995 (which I was in the 6th grade of middle school). Survivors of Waco exist today. In all, 76 Branch Davidians died, and nine survived the fire on April 19 (five others had been killed in the initial ATF raid, and their bodies were buried on the grounds; one had been killed by the ATF after the raid; and 35 had left during the FBI siege). Waco was one of the great tragedies of American history. It showed the world that false Messiahs must be rejected and government accountability is important to advance.


Many people are talking about Beyonce's performances at the Coachella musical and art festival in California. Beyonce is one of the most famous artists of the 21st century. When it is all said and done, Beyonce will be one of the greatest entertainers of the 21st century and of human history. She is the first black woman to headline Coachella. She also is using funds to fund scholarships to help students to go into HBCUs. She is also celebrating black history, HBCUs, Nina Simone, etc. She also performed with Destiny's Child. With trumpets, she celebrated black culture. Being unapologetically black is part of our souls. She also performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing" too. In our lives, our consciousness grows. Regardless of how people feel about Beyonce, she should be given credit for showing the world the black cultural experience among my people. That should be cherished. Also, we should be motivated to defend the dignity and the human rights of black people too. We have work to do. Our work is ending the system of white supremacist and replacing that system with justice. We want people to be treated as equals regardless of the color of someone's skin. Beyonce reminds us that we are black and expressing our Blackness without apology makes us grow our consciousness fully.

One controversy is about how Sean Hannity has admitted that he worked with Michael Cohen, who is one attorney who is pro-Trump. So, one of Michael Cohen's client is Sean Hannity. Hannity works with FOX News and he is a far right extremist. Hannity is accused of wanting Cohen to fight back ideologically against courageous progressive activists. Hannity has denied this, but Vanity Fair has many sources talking about this very point. We do know that Sean Hannity is Cohen's 3rd client. On his radio show Monday, Hannity said, "I never retained him in the traditional sense" and said he believed his conversations about legal questions were confidential. These news document the bizarre situation of how pro-Trump supporters are linked to Cohen and Cohen is the one with many secrets as it relates to Donald Trump. Hannity has admitted that he has communicated with Cohen on legal questions.

Days ago was the Birthday of Brother Kareem Abdul Jabbar. He is not only one of the greatest basketball players in history. He is a great social activist who goes out to speak out in favor of racial and social justice. He is 71 years old and he was born in New York City. He played for the Milwaukee Bucs and the Los Angeles Lakers. He competed against the greats like Chamberlain and Dr. J. His skyhook shot has been very difficult to guard. By the time of his retirement in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA's all-time leader in points scored (38,387), games played (1,560), minutes played (57,446), field goals made (15,837), field goal attempts (28,307), blocked shots (3,189), defensive rebounds (9,394), career wins (1,074). He was an excellent college player in UCLA. From the beginning, he was involved in politics to help people. He is a martial artist who knew Bruce Lee too. In the NBA, he set records and won 6 NBA Titles. He has helped basketball players for years and he continues to motivate excellence. I wish Brother Kareem Abdul Jabbar the best. One of the most underrated, greatest actresses of our generation is Sister Kimberly Elise. It was her Birthday yesterday and she is 51 years old. She is known for being a diversity of roles from drama, thrillers, comedy, and autobiographies (like showing the story of Loretta Claiborne to the world. Claiborne was a Special Olympic athlete who won many marathons courageously). She is the woman whose talent is not only involved in acting, but in other arenas too. She was in John Q, Almost Christmas, and other movies. She was in many television shows too. She has won the NAACP Image Awards four time. She has charisma and a great amount of love for her family and friends. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her maternal relatives are from the Songhai people. She is a vegan now. For her contributions in this life, we are reminded on the value of human excellence. I wish Sister Kimberly Elise more blessings.


This week is the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. This was about courageous Jewish people during World War II uniting to try to defeat fascism in Poland. Poland was heavily destroyed by Nazis. The invasion of Poland by the Axis Powers ultimately started World War two. Men and women united to fight against Nazi terrorism. Many women were involved like Malka Zdrojewicz who survived the Majdanek extermination camp. Political organizations in the ghetto, including the left-wing Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa (ZOB), organized a large part of the resistance. They fought until May 16, 1943 when thousands of Jewish people were murdered. The Roosevelt administration did a disgraceful job in its refusal to send some Jewish refugees into America. I love what FDR did right like the New Deal and progressive legislation, but the lax policy on Jewish refugees was one of his great mistakes. We remember the sacrifice of these heroic Jewish people since it shows the truth that evil can't be reasoned with. It must confronted and fought against. Today, we have fascists. One is the President, who I don't respect. Likewise, we are committed to the end of oppression and the bringing of justice to the human family.

By Timothy