The face of American excellence

This is the story of Stephen Stafford.  Ever heard of him?  I’m willing to bet the farm (if I had a farm to bet) that you have not.  Stephen Stafford is a remarkable young man, and his is a tale that should be lauded and aired on nightly news shows ad nauseam.  Sadly, for reasons that are painfully too clear, it is not.

The story of young Mr. Stafford was written by Dr. Boyce Watkins last year, but few people knew it.  Stephen is now a 14-year old student at Morehouse College right here in Atlanta, Georgia.  Yes, I said 14.  Stephen is a triple major at one of America’s foremost institutions of higher learning.  He juggles the rigorous demands of his pre-med, math, and computer science concentrations, maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.  It is truly astounding, and clearly a story that should be well publicized.  Why is it not?

Young Stephen began his college career as an 11 year old, after being home schooled by his mother.  His accomplishments at such a young age are amazing, and they typify the strength of will and dedication of the forgotten segment of young men and women– who strive to achieve amidst the detritus our society seems to prize.

If one is troubled by the disintegration of societal mores– and the weakening of our educational system– you need go no further than understanding what is praised and trumpeted by various media outlets.  Ask yourself:  Why would a rap video, or the entrance and exit of a celebrity from prison, be promoted more widely than the academic achievements of successful American students?  Why is it more important to cover a superstar athlete’s whirlwind press tour for, than a young man’s knowledge of wind power as an alternative energy source?

We focus much too easily on celebrity–praising athletic prowess, while ignoring the fact that only a tiny percentage of people could ever become elite enough to star professionally.

The reality is, there are many more young men–and women–like Stephen Stafford.  Young black men and women are not all part of some thugocracy, despite what those in mass media will have you believe.  They are not all waiting to plot and scheme and victimize.  Some are achieving at high levels, and they deserve the same respect and promotion as someone who catches passes or drains three point shots.

We do have a crisis in this nation.  Our educational foundations are cracking, straining under the weight of mismanagement, underfunding, poor teachers, and uninvolved parents.  Students are not taking their studies seriously, and are therefore bringing an undisciplined laziness to their work.  The black community suffers from these negative attributes more than most.  So it is critical to laud excellence when we’re witness to it.

All of us should know Stephen Stafford.  He is the American dream– the epitome of success earned from hard work, perseverance and intelligence.  It’s a pity most  of us do not know his name.

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Damaging.

I don’t know what occurred between Bishop Eddie Long, Jamal Parris, and Long’s three other accusers.  I don’t care to know.  The sexual proclivities of adults is none of my concern.  But the stench of hypocrisy is much too much to ignore.  It won’t waft away through the reverberations of the church organ.  Eddie Long, and other men of faith, have shown their profound disgust and disdain for homosexuality–both in and out of the church.  In doing so, they’ve targeted their own failings in dealing with their sexual identity.

To vehemently denounce and crucify homosexuals, is hiding the true nature of your own sexual attractions.  In these denials, you give yourself some measure of cover to deny your own desires.  But what is the cost?

When a Saxby Chambliss staffer writes “all faggots must die,” is he attempting to assuage his own raging passion toward those of the same sex because he cannot reconcile his own feelings?

What is the solution?  Is it to continue to deny and vilify the existence of gay men and women, in order to sate your supposed fealty to God, and suppress your true nature?  Why are these men of faith pushing an agenda of hate against themselves?  How many lives must be ruined in these attempts to promulgate the lie?

It matters.  It matters to those men who’ve been, and continue to be the victims of psycho-sexual coercion.  When does it stop?

How does Jamal Parris get his his life back?

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It is March Madness time!  I’m not talking about the health care morass.  I am talking about one of the purest, most exciting forms of athletic prowess and achievement we enjoy in America.  Exceptional college basketball is just the appetizer– as most people enjoy the thrill of the underdog knocking off the over-dog– with a shot at the buzzer.  Ah, the beauty of sports.  Unfortunately, I am not doing a bracket this year.  The thought of getting my ass kicked again by a pubescent child was just too much to bear this year.

I am here to give you my favorite spots to watch the perfect sporting event, in my last two stomping grounds.  First up, our nation’s capital, where I lived just a few blocks from the White House– and once saw James Carville’s dog take a crap (he did not scoop it).

Washington, D.C.

Rhino Bar and Pumphouse

Two things in the man’s lexicon that are golden on game-day:  Drink specials and televisions.  Lots of them.  In fact, they have huge HD screens, so you’ll always be able to see what’s what during the game.  Plus, it’s located in the Georgetown section of Washington, a good area to be in during March Madness because of the energy and activity.  If you’re in the District, I highly recommend checking out the tourney here.

In Atlanta, there are so many places to enjoy yourself on game day.  My choice:

Stats

Stats is a serious sports bar, and a sports aficionado’s dream.  The food is excellent, the atmosphere is energetic, and the screens are everywhere.  And I haven’t even mentioned the beer taps at your table.  Pretty awesome.  Located conveniently in Downtown Atlanta, Stats is the spot to hang out with other hoop heads and have a good time.

Try to come up with a good excuse to skip work, and enjoy the games.

An added bonus.  My new favorite beers:  Celebrator and Sam Adams Doppelbock.  Check it out:

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Not only did the month of February bring the ATL it’s first significant snow of the year, we were treated to an inexplicable breakout of Wild Kingdom through the city streets.

I can’t wait to see what the month of March has in store for the city.  Probably a visit from the legendary “Tree Man.”

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Who’s idea was this?  From the AJC:

MARTA officials were warned by an employee before the name change last October that Atlanta’s burgeoning Asian community would find the term for the line to Doraville offensive.

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Snow in Atlanta, Georgia.

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From Atlanta Neighborhoods:

This will be the scene Saturday in Atlanta if we get snow.  I’m hoping for snow.

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Kasim Reed is the new mayor of Atlanta! Although a recount is in the offing, the former state senator is already preparing his transition team to tackle the major issues the city faces. First on his agenda: Finding a new police chief.

Here are the election results from last night:

Candidate Votes %
Kasim Reed 41,901 51%
Mary Norwood 41,143 49%

100% reporting (170 of 170 precincts)

Congratulations to mayor-elect Reed, as well as councilwoman Norwood. She ran a fine campaign, and distinguished herself as a leader. Her love of this city is unrivaled in my eyes.

UPDATE: Councilwoman Norwood has not officially conceded.

UPDATE II: We have an official recount!

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This is unexpected.  And very welcome!  Good job ATLiens!

Courtesy of Blog For Democracy:

To say that I’m pleasantly pleased with the turnout today is an understatement. Voter turnout is rocking this morning. I’m tracking 45 key precincts for the Aaron Watson campaign (Post 2 At-Large).

MORE

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We’re down to the wire in the race to elect Atlanta’s new mayor.  Both candidates– Kasim Reed and Mary Norwood–are winding down their campaigns in this most contentious race.  As of this writing, the race between the two is a statistical dead heat, with State Senator Reed making up a good amount of ground in the last two weeks.  In my mind, this election is one of the city’s most important in years.  Now more than ever, this city needs a clear, concise vision for the future.  Crime and mismanagement in city hall has hindered this city’s progression in becoming a world-class city.

Kasim Reed has never been a city councilman, but he finds himself on the defensive–having to defend himself against charges of being a Shirley Franklin clone– and therefore indirectly responsible for the city’s financial ills.

Mary Norwood has effectively cast Reed as the insider, part of a failed cabal that allowed financial irresponsibility to reign unchecked.  The irony here is that Ms. Norwood currently sits on that very city council she consistently chides for fiscal policy.  She has been a councilwoman for the past eight years.  What was councilwoman Norwood doing while this economic malfeasance was taking place?  Was she having margaritas at Nuevo Laredo?

What’s going to happen today in the A?  It’s still too difficult to determine.  The biggest factor, as always in elections, is voter turnout.  Voter apathy is a major issues both candidates will be facing.  Which campaign will do the most to energize their people, and get them to the polls? As always race is a factor, and might just determine who shows up to the polls to cast their ballots.

Hopefully the focus will be on policies, and the future of the city.  We can’t afford to base our decision on anything less.

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