Help a Sister Out!

Folks when I started this site, my intention was to follow “ The Iron Rule.” The Iron Rule is that you never do for others what they won’t do for themselves. Under The Iron Rule, you are not supposed to speak FOR people, but help them speak, act and engage for themselves. At the heart of The Iron Rule is that ordinary people can change their communities.

So maybe I haven’t been clear up to this point. I appreciate all the nice e-mails and comments BUT… I NEED Y’ALL’S HELP! We have been ABANDONED by the institutions of our parent’s generation. Where is the NAACP? I’ve sent them half a dozen e-mails and called the national headquarters . We KNOW Rev. AL can’t speak out because he is now on BET’s payroll. “Suddenly” they extend a two hour forum that he was on to a six-part series. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Where are the fraternities and sororities? The civic organizations? Why are they all MIA while a rag tag group of 20-somethings and 30-somethings are fighting one of the largest and most powerful media companies in the world?

Like I said, I don’t want to speak for anybody. This is easy for me, it is like breathing, but I never intended. Nor do I want to lead anything. The point was to use my talents to let the world know that there was a problem and then “PRESTO” ordinary people would take the lead. SO I appreciate y’all’s comments, but I need you r action right now.

Let’s take it back to the old days on this blog when I highlighted the efforts of grassroots organizations and other bloggers. We’re going to have to do this ourselves, our parent’s generation isn’t going to save us, and maybe that is the way the Universe intended this thing to go down. Maybe "Hot Ghetto Mess" is our moment. This is the World Series and “Hot Ghetto Mess” is a 5 MPH pitch. If we can’t hit this out of the park, what can we hit?

Folks we had our “ A New Hope” now “ The Empire Had Stricken Back” I am calling out for the “Return of the Black Blogging ( and NON BLOGGING) Jedi” ( I know y’all hate my Star Wars analogies OMI, do not send me a comment on how I screwed up another Star Wars analogy. I’m trying here. :)

In the meantime, you HAVE to call or e-mail ALL THREE of your Congressional Legislators. That means your US Representative and BOTH of your US Senators . EVEN IF YOU DON”T LIKE THEM. EVEN if they belong to a party you are not too pleased with right now. It might be the politicians that we don’t like who help us out because clearly the folks who you would think would have our back are on vacation. Even if you didn’t vote for ‘em, they still represent you. All THREE please, we only got nine days! Surely the CEO of Viacom doesn't want to have to go to Capitol Hill to testify in front of the world and try to justify " Hot Ghetto Mess" Can y'all imagine THAT hearing?

Let them know you are African American. You support cable choice or a la carte cable and the reason you support it is because until BET has to deal with cable choice they will arrogantly keep shoving stuff like “Hot Ghetto Mess”and “Uncut” down our throats. It is about the only thing that might put the fear of the living GOD into Viacom and make them smack some sense into Reginald Hudlin and Debbie Lee. One of the arguments against a la carte cable and cable choice is that specialty channels like BET would face extinction thus decreasing programming diversity, but if “Hot Ghetto Mess” is their idea of “diverse programming” then GOOD RIDDANCE!

BET is run by a bunch of arrogant sociopaths. We have to bring the PAIN! UM and like NOW would be a TIME! It is not enough for y'all to keep e-mailing me telling me y'all hate BET. I need you to e-mail me and tell me you just e-mailed or called your Senators and your House Rep.

SUGGESTED LANGUAGE FOR YOUR EMAILS (Courtesy Of One of My Readers. Thanks!)
To the Honorable (Your Representatives first and last name here),As a young African American woman and mother (or man/ father), I can no longer stand for the ill conceived programming that cable channels such as BET are broadcasting daily. Coming soon is BET's "Hot Ghetto Mess" that they describe as a "car wreck you can't look away from" in its depictions of African Americans circumstances that leave much to be desired. It is this reason that I support ala carte cable (cable choice). I refuse to let my cable subscription pay for programming that continues to create and reinforce damaging stereotypical images of Black men, women and children with far- reaching effects. I ask that you urge your colleagues in the House and Senate to support the The Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007 introduced by Rep. Lipinski in June. Thank You,(Your Name)