EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY

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By Naimah Latif

Columnist

ON AIR Daily News

""Many months ago I promised the American people I would withdraw from the race if I became a spoiler. A spoiler is someone whose presence would affect the outcome of the race, but they have no chance of winning.  

"I cannot in good conscience ask my staff and volunteers to keep working their long hours  or ask my daughters to keep giving when  I cannot honestly tell them that I have a real path to the White House."  

With these words, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on August 23rd in Arizona, with a cracking voice, announced his official "suspending" of his campaign, which of course means that  although he's no longer running in all States, he intends to still make campaign speeches. He announced he is throwing his support behind Republican candidate former President Donald Trump.

Some say that this was an attempt to upstage the very exuberant spirit of the Democratic National Convention, concluded on Thursday August 22nd with a highly praised, impactful speech by Democratic Presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

So how did Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. of the powerful Kennedy clan with a longstanding history in the Democratic Party,  end up endorsing a Republican for President? He explained.

“Sixteen months ago in April of 2023, I launched my campaign for President of the United States.  I began this journey as a Democrat, the party of my father, my uncle, the party I pledged my allegiance to long before I was old enough to vote.  I attended my first Democratic convention at the age of six in 1960. And back then the Democrats were the champions of the Constitution, of Civil Rights. The Democrats stood against authoritarianism, against censorship, against colonialism,  imperialism, and unjust wars. 

"We were the party of labor, of the working class. The Democrats were the party of government transparency and the champion of the environment. Our party was the bulwark against big money interests and corporate power. True to its name, it was the party of Democracy.

As you know, I left that party in October because it had departed so dramatically from the core values that I grew up with. It had become the party of war, censorship, corruption, big Pharma, big Tech, big Ag, and big money. When it abandoned Democracy by cancelling the Primary in order to conceal the cognitive decline of the sitting President, I left the Party to run as an Independent." 

At a Press Conference held Friday, August 23, 2024 in Arizona, the day after the close of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced to a crowd of his supporters that he is "suspending his campaign" and throwing his support behind former President Donald Trump.

He acknowledged that the odds of getting on the ballot had been insurmountable, yet, he boasted, he had proved the naysayers wrong and built a massive political movement behind his campaign. Millions of signatures were collected in States like Utah, New Hampshire, Nevada, and others.  He praised his supporters for their dedication.

"You pulled off a miracle.  In an honest system, I believe I would have won the election."  

He said that the polls consistently showed him beating the other candidates. He accused the major news networks of bias and censorship.

"What alarms me is the resort to censorship and media control. Our television networks exposed themselves as Democratic Party organs."  

He accused the Democrats of having him censored on Social Media. He accused the DNC of waging war against himself and against Donald Trump, saying the Democratic Party was  trying to  throw Kennedy off the ballot and  throw Trump in jail. 

He said that he had been contacted by the Trump campaign and after meeting with former President Trump, he found that he aligned on many key issues, including being willing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and negotiate a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine, something he said President Biden refused to do.

"Our moral authority and our economy are in shambles."

In this race, both sides are accusing the other of being immoral, dishonest, manipulative, and bad for the American people.  Both sides are claiming that the other is the evil monster that must be defeated.

There is a segment of the population, as Kennedy said, primarily among the youth, that is sick of the war abroad and the economic distress at home. 

Perhaps many of the disillusioned with politics thought an Independent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. might be the voice they could trust. He did say some things that others have not.  But can the support for a Kennedy candidacy be transferred to Republican Donald Trump? It's highly unlikely.

Just as the under 40 population led the anti-war movement during the 1968  Democratic National Convention in Chicago, today's under 40 voters, the Millennial and Gen-Z population, are against today's war, particularly the war in Gaza.  These voters are pro-choice, anti war, pro-healthy food, anti-censorship, and pro-freedom to be who you are.  They have a set of values that don't neatly fit into either party.

Wise voters will realize that there is no Bogey Man in the Republican Party, nor is there a Messiah in the Democratic Party.  We, the people, need to take responsibility for our own future.

We need to take responsibility for our health care choices, and stop blaming pharmaceutical companies for selling us drugs. They are in business, that's what they do.

We, the people, need to take responsibility for teaching our children moral values in the home and stop blaming public schools.  

We, the people, need to take responsibility for growing our own food and stop blaming the farming industry for producing genetically altered meat, fruits and vegetables. 

We, the people, need to take responsibility for getting to know and understand our neighbors abroad and choose to stop participating in war. 

Many Millennials and Gen-Z's  are open to more of the kind of independent thought that may have seemed to be represented in the campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  They are not as influenced by the major networks as the older generation.

The fact is, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook are the more popular sources of daily news among the Millennial and Gen-Z voting population.  That's why the Democratic Party very deliberately employed Content Creators to post messages on Social Media throughout the Democratic National Convention.  It was the first time in history and signals a real shift in who now influences mass consciousness.

The young, anti-war, pro-natural health, anti-pharmaceutical, environmentally conscious voters may have considered Kennedy a voice for the disillusioned with politics.  But Donald Trump does not represent the same values. That's why they didn't support him in the first place.

I really doubt Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s supporters will follow him into the Trump camp. Many are likely to just sit this one out.

By Naimah Latif

Managing Editor

ON AIR Daily News

naimah@onairdailynews.com

Instagram: @naimah.latif

The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Show has begun!  Settle in your seats, get your popcorn and get ready to be entertained!

This election year promises to be full of suspense, intrigue, drama, comedy and unexpected plot twists, all the elements of a great movie. We, the audience, can expect to witness events that evoke our deepest fears. We'll  hear speeches that move us to anger and even rage. We'll experience shock and awe. The 2024 U.S. Election Show is guaranteed to keep us on the edge of our seats.

If you have found yourself feeling anxious, upset, angry, fearful, annoyed, aggravated, frustrated or any other emotion that disturbs your inner peace, pause for a moment and take a deep breath. All of this drama is not reality.

One of America's most popular Reality TV Show stars (he must have been popular, we elected him President of the USA at one time, didn't we?) was apparently the survivor of an assassination attempt by what appeared to be a lone gunman, 20 year old Thomas Crooks of Pittsburgh, who was shot at the scene by police.  We are told that investigations are continuing to determine his motive and any possible connections to subversive groups. Former President Trump was said to have narrowly missed death, merely receiving a nick on the right ear from the would-be assassin's bullet.

Now, I'm not one to make light of gun violence of any kind. But as one who has lived long enough to see quite a few assassination attempts, my first conclusion is that whoever Thomas Crooks is, he isn't a military trained sharpshooter.  They don't miss, even if the target tilts his head at the very last second.

And he's not part of any government conspiracy to kill Donald Trump. Those always involve multiple gunmen or someone shooting at point blank range to make sure they don't miss (President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Malcolm X.)

It does appear that this young man had some type of inside help by those who benefit from the appearance of an assassination attempt. 

He was allowed to get on the roof and shoot at somebody. Who was he aiming for? 

Well, we'll never know. Like Lee Harvey Oswald, named as the assassin in the case of President Kennedy, he was shot dead before he could speak of co-conspirators, promises  of a financial reward, or any other motivation a gullible , zealous 20-year-old may have, believing they could do this act and live to talk about it.

Overzealous, wannabe-famous, gullible youth are easily expendable by those seeking power. This is why young people are used by leaders of terrorist organizations to be suicide bombers, blowing themselves up in a crowded place for the glory of the history books and the promise of a reward in Heaven  - and maybe even a financial reward for their surviving loved ones on Earth.

But I don't think Thomas Crooks expected to die. I think he expected to be rewarded by the people who benefit from the drama we witnessed. 

Whether you believe it was staged by pro-Trump strategists to rev up more intense emotions for supporters to work harder for a Trump victory,  or if you believe this was carried out by a wild eyed, militant, anti-Trump Democrat, the fact is that too many people in politics will do anything for power. That includes using the mass media to manipulate emotions. That includes murder.  

There are people behind the scenes who know the science of deception. What's the matter, haven't you been watching the TV drama How To Get Away With Murder?  Haven't you been watching Scandal?  Didn't you learn anything?

No matter which party you support, the reality is that we, the people, are responsible for our own future. There is nothing stopping any of us from working cooperatively in our own communities to create safe schools, support local businesses, and develop thriving local economies. 

The wars abroad, whether in the Ukraine,  the Sudan, the Gaza strip and everywhere else in the world, are fueled by fear, distrust, anger, and a collective decision not to work cooperatively.

All war is wrong. Civilized people talk until they reach an agreement and only the most barbaric human beings use weapons of war. 

But  the U.S. military is big business that generates a lot of revenue and pays a lot of salaries for people in both political parties, so don't expect either party to denounce war, but to instead play on our fears and distrust by talking about which Presidential candidate can keep us "safe from our enemies."

Do your Civic duty and vote. But don't let them upset you with this drama. Just pass the popcorn.

By Mamadee EvAngel, a YHWHnewBN

Advocates4inbar@gmail.com

Indigenous Native Black American Rights

After shaking hands with former President Donald Trump, ABC Correspondent Rachel Scott came out swinging at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago in front of a packed crowd, where there were cheers and jeers.

Scott was one of three Black women from three major networks interviewing Trump, the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States. She said, "Let's address the elephant in the room." Some people think it's not appropriate for you to be here and why should Blacks vote for you when you have said things like "Go back to where you came from," "stupid," "crazy," "animals," "loser,"  language like that.

His response: He had never been asked a question in such a horrible manner. He sai it was not a question, it was a statement, and he was there because he was invited. He was told his opponent would be there, too, so that was under false pretense, he said. They are going to allow her to be interviewed on Zoom.

He said President Biden was removed because he was osing and it was like changing a fighter in the middle of a fight. He said they (NABJ panel organizers) were 35 minutes late because the equipment was of poor quality and he could hardly hear the questions from Harriet Faulkner of Fox News. He had a lovely interview with her, he said. He said ABC was "fake news."

He was asked if he thought he had made a mistake by choosing J.D. Vance as his running mate because of some of the things he had said about how families with children should have more power. His answer was Vance is a family man, a success and he admired people like himl However people vote for the President, not the Vice President. 

The crowd reacted when Trump said he was the greatest President for Black people since Abraham Lincoln and he cited the long term financing for Historically Black Colleges and Opportunity Zones. 

He didn't mention Public Law 115-102, enacted by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives January 6, 2018. It's  called the 400 Years of African American History Commemoration Act. 

It's purpose is to plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities throughout the United States to recognize and highlight the resilience and contributions of African Americans, since 1619, and to acknowledge the impact slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on America. The Commissioners were to educate the people about the arrival of AfricanAmericans to the United States before 1776.

The Commissioners were to encourage civic participation, historical, educational, artistic, religious, economics and other organizations or individuals.

The First Step Act was not mentioned either. It addressed the Crime Bill, which was written by Joe Biden (when he was a Senator) with early release of returning citizens tht disproportionately impacted African Americans because of mandatory jail time and three felonies and you are in jail for life. It added $100 million a year for housing, job development and child care.

Trump blamed inflation as the reason families were having problems buying groceries and gasoline. He said illegal immigrants were taking Black jobs, Hispanic jobs. All jobs are black jobs and he said he was going to stop it. He said he had no problems with legal immigration, but the worse were coming in illegally.

The name of Sonya Massey came up. She was one of three Black mothers murdered in their homes in Illinois, in less than 2 weeks during the 4th of July weekend that he said 117 were shot and 19 killed, When he ws President he sent a letter, dated June 26, 2020, asking Governor J. B. Pritzker and former Mayor Lori Lightfoot to forget partisan views to hep the citizens of Chicago have the safe city they deserve. During that time, 18 murders in 24 hours, a Sun Times article detailed how 85 people were shot and 24 killed in the previous weekend.

He said violence and death was disproportionately harming young African Americans. He cited millions in federal funds each year sent to Chicago.  In 2018-2019, Chicago benefited from $136 million in funding from the Urban Area Security Initiative Grant Program. 

Former President Donald Trump is challenged by  by a panel of NABJ members of the media during the organization's recent National Convention in Chicago to explain how his public statements and policies while President show sensitivity to Black people.  Photo by Marcus Robinson /ON AIR Daily News

Another $68 million was sent for this program; the U.S. Department of Justice awarded $20 million to support law enforcement and 2019 and 2020 resources combating opioid abuse.  He said his administration allocated $898.6 million to the City of Chicago and County of Cook from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which helped to support First Responders. 

He ended the letter by saying, unfortunately, you continue to put your own political interests ahead of the lives, safety and fortunes of your own citizens. The People of Chicago deserve better.

However the sparks that ignited a firestorm was when Rachel Scott asked the former President was Kamala a DEI hire; he asked her to define it. Then she asked him was Kamala only on the ticket because she was a Black woman. 

Trump answered, he didn't know she was Black. She was of Indian heritage. Now all of a sudden, she is Black. That leaves all of us wondering, is Kamala India, Ameriasian, Black,  Asian or a People of Color: everybody has a color, including the color of snow, which is white.

Isn't it unlawful to judge based o race, creed or color...if so, does the language "People of Color" fan the flames of racism?

At the end of the day, what's in a name? Maybe the voters, and not the National Association of Black Journalists, will decide.