Yaya DaCosta
I don’t know about this drama with the couple in Louisiana and the justice of the peace. But, Yaya DaCosta from “America’s Next Top Model” played Vanessa Williams’ character’s daughter on Ugly Betty last night. If someone tried to stop me from marrying Yaya if we were in the same age range or if someone tried to block me from marrying Jenny on the Jefferson (Berlinda Tolbert) back in the day, we would have had some real problems.
What’s the deal with people saying, “I can’t believe this is still happening?” Newsflash: many Americans are often clueless about people of other cultures or regions. To be honest, I love the American president but I think he doesn’t know how ugly some places can. I read second book and wow, sometimes he could not get a cab. When I was a kid, we were not allow to checkout books from the public library and forget about using the restroom between southwest Georgia and Savannah. Orange juice bottle.
Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and I are better authorities racism—the dirty south is not Kansas and it dam sure isn’t Hawaii. President Obama positive vibe is encouraging but I will be dead for decades before attitudes truly change in this nation. Actually, a new question is how long will certain segments of the Black community tolerate certain other segments. I will leave that alone—you don’t talk family business in public.
At church, the pastor says it is better to marry than burn. Well, I would have been burning hot behind the collar if someone kept me from Yaya or Berlinda.
Berlina Tolbert
Project Logic Ga 
The Justice of the peace in Louisiana is not the only one who doesn’t believe in interracial marriage. Many black women and black mothers don’t want their sons dating or marrying other races, especially white. My mother felt that way growing up.
Without a doubt, the justice of peace is entitled to his opinion and I respect that. I think the issue is his refusal to perform his sworn duties. I have always said that there is a different between prejudice and discrimination. You have a right to be prejudice, as do I if I so chose, but we don’t have a right to let that prejudice manifest itself in actions that violate others’ legal rights.
Of course, you can have legal rights but don’t be a fool about it. For example, you have a right to walk in the most dangerous area of town at 3a.m. with a Rolex watch but I strongly recommend that you don’t. It is not for me to say two adults should not love each other but be mindful of where you go and with whom you go there—don’t be the white guy in the Black club with the finest Black woman in town. Again, you have a right (and hopefully a good left) but let’s hope you also have a carry permit and are a member of the NRA.
My friends and I trip about a group new to discrimination: Gay White guys. That is the funniest thing in the world to me. Gay White guy goes off about a landlord not wanting to rent to him and his partner—saying things like, “This is American..have you ever heard of such a thing…telling someone where there can’t live…can you imagine such a thing.” Yeah, buddy…I can…join the club.
This is a teachable moment because I never understood when some Americans chose to ignore laws that they simply don’t like. The Supreme Court rules that every American has certain rights in the 1950s and 1960s and some folks just say “no..they don’t.” Let’s see…ignore the laws of the state and federal government then want to riot against the authorities…but, they pledge allegiance to the flag…of the United States of America…and to the republic…for which it stands.
That sounds like un-American activities if not treason or something. A president wins an elect but a same group decides he or she is not the president. After W Bush won the election with all the Florida drama, he became my president when sworn into office. Obama wins and people start flipping out. Follow the laws and procedures and vote out officials you don’t like but this other stuff….this new stuff….is a threat to the republic like the Taliban. In my eclectic circle of friends and associates, the parlor question comes up: bigger risk to America—Confederacy or Taliban?
(I should stop writing right here)
I saw the interracial couple on T.V. and it is clear that dude is from the North or maybe Puerto Rico. I jokingly told one of my buddies that maybe the justice of peace was trying to do the guy a favor since he was new to Louisiana and did not know that the Bayou Classic was coming up around Thanksgiving. While the bride seems like a level-headed young lady and I do wish them well, that Black college football game between Grambling and Southern is full…..here me…FULL. That JOP might have told the bride to be, “As soon as that fellow gets a look at the Superdome packed with a lovely collection of his sistas, he might bounce like a bad check…I don’t want to see you face that. Hell, my wife barred me from going down to the French Quarter during that weekend and the Essence Music Festival.”
http://www.statefarmbayouclassic.com/2007_Photos.shtml
Can we get back to fussing about healthcare reform and torts rather that couple and the Balloon boy. Wait a second, these matters are about lawsuits: the balloon family is going to paid and that couple is thinking about getting a nice check as a wedding gift from the JOP.