Header

Posted in Blogs | 1 Comment »

Is it me or is all this Roethlisberger talk sickening? Yes we don’t know what happened for sure that night. Yes it is the second time in less than a year that’s he has been accused of the same shit. I don’t feel bad for him but let’s talk about the obvious elephants in the room. Reverse racism and the privileged of this country. Commissioner Goodell had to come down hard or most of us would be crying racism. This is the 1^st time in Goodell’s tenure he’s had to punish a white player and Super Bowl Champion Quarterback. Don’t believe me? Google Eric Foster from the Colts who is in a similar situation but we don’t hear peep about it. In 2003 USA Today wrote an article stating that out of 168 athletes alleged of sexual assault in a span of 12 years only 22 went to trial, 6 resulted in conviction. In another 46 cases a plea agreement was reached between the parties. Crazy huh? Now back to Rapelisberger. I remember hearing from everyone with an opinion how despicable Tiger Woods behavior was. How could he be so freaky or pay for sex? What Bad Boy Ben has “allegedly” done to me is far worse than anything Tiger has done. Yes Tiger cheated on his wife and I’m sure she’ll get sufficiently compensated for it. Do I sympathize for her? Sure I’ve been in the same boat; I just didn’t get any money out of it so I don’t feel bad. Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual assault TWICE within a year. Now we’re all guilty of the legal terms of sexual assault (Definition of sexual assault: The use of force or coercion, physical or psychological, to make a person engage in sexual activity). Don’t believe me? Lingerie, drinking, rubbing up on your partner to “get them in the mood” are all forms of coercion. Now I’m no idiot and know the difference b/w 2 consenting adults and these situations. Which is why I say what Tiger did isn’t as bad as this. Tiger’s mistake was conforming to Corporate America and getting married. He should’ve done a Jeter, stay single and bang models/celebrities all day. With that said do I believe there are women who know what their doing and that the law will favor them in some fashion. I’ve been a firm believer in if you don’t press criminal charges you shouldn’t be able to press civil charges. Rapelisberger got lucky. Milledgeville, GA prosecutors didn’t want to be embarrassed by high price Cochran-type lawyers. The video of them walking into the bathroom was taped over. The bathroom itself, clean with bleach and disinfectants before Georgia PD was able to test anything. It would’ve been a case of he said, she said and we all know who would’ve won that one. At the end of the day he is a superb athlete and will get celebrated once he is on the field and winning again. Don’t believe me? See Tiger Woods!! This is the world we live in; this is what we allow in our society. He is not the first (see: R Kelly, Steven Segal, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, and Mike Tyson to name a few). If this had been me I would’ve gotten suspended from work, probably fired and had my pension taken. Don’t like it? Go live somewhere else…

Posted in Blogs | 2 Comments »

Hello. My birth name is Edmundo, however, I’m known by either Eddie or Mundo. I am the product of cultural poverty from two Caribbean-Latino immigrants. I grew up in The Bronx living what seemed to be the normal at the time. Over crowded apartment, under-paid Mom, absentee father and just enough survive. I experienced the typical “inner-city” or “urban” lifestyle which seemed to be spreading faster than Communism in the 60’s. The neighborhood kids were your extended family. So long as you were from the same block nothing else mattered, you were in. As a youth, those who were around before us didn’t understand our ways. They had no hope for those who were to come after us. Our music was too loud and didn’t make any sense. It doesn’t have any purpose they would say. Our clothes looked and were worn differently. We would find excitement in ways never expressed before. Dancing on cardboard or linoleum, are you serious? Defacing public property? That’s illegal. What happened to your hair? You actually paid for that? I don’t see why you need that jacket. This one cost less and is just as nice. It was said that we would grow out of it, come to appreciate what was tradition. We were just lost, needed Jesus and still too dumb to figure things out on our own. It was just a fad that would pass. It never happened. What did happen was the birth of Hip Hop. It was more than music or fashion to us. It was more than just showing off your talents or expressing yourself. It was bigger than your block, barrio or even borough. It was a new way of life, a new tradition. Slowly I’ve become those before us. I have a generation behind me that’s left me baffled and confused. I can’t appreciate the fashion or style of dress. I don’t like what is being done with MY music (yes I said it!). I don’t see any means of progression through the avenues they are taking. The attempts to all look different have left them looking the same. However I am not hopeless. Why? Because Hip Hop is not dead. It has become corporate and branched off into the entertainment business. It has been accepted by other ethnicities who didn’t initially embrace it. Rock, Country, Soul, Blues, Jazz, they’ve all been through it. The true essence of Hip Hop remains, its evident everywhere. Asia, South America, Europe are creating their own variations. We as a culture have to school and teach the next in line. Knowledge, wisdom and understanding have to be put in use. If we fail, they fail.

Posted in Blogs | 1 Comment »