Trae Lewis: Straight Outta Carolina

NWA’s debut album “Straight Outta Carolina” was an album laced with raw and vulgar expressions and story telling never heard before in hip hop or in music as a whole. The LA based group shook the industry with their unabashed message of being anti-law enforcement, anti-America, and most of all exposing the lifestyle of a “gangsta”. One who takes no for answer and gets what he wants, no matter how right or wrong the method.

Hip Hop began in 1988 as it always did, New York based rappers delivering rap songs that expressed the life of New Yorkers. None of these rappers messages were clean enough to perform before a Sunday church crowd, however, there was some biting of the lip in regarding their expression. Public Enemy frontman Chuck D was as anti-establishment and raw as they came, yet he never articulated the need and desire to use violence as a primary way of life. With their angry and no holdsbar attitude,NWA forever changed hip hop.

This brings me to last Saturday’s GOP primary winner Newt Gingrich. Newt Gingrich is much like NWA. No he isn’t new to the political fold, however his style and mannerisms are uncharacteristic of any of his GOP opponents. He’s all telling and unwavering regarding to his principals and positions. Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and especially Mitt Romeny are those east coast rappers who do deliever their message, however, its done with care and ease. Sometimes even apologetic, not Speaker Gingrich.

HHR Blog Radio Interview: Jim DiPeso, Republicans for Environmental Protection

HHR Blog is pleased to bring Jim DiPeso to this week’s radio program. Jim DiPeso is the Vice President for Policy Direction for Republicans for Environmental Protection, a major national organization dedicated to applying Republican solutions to conservation.

RAYNARD JACKSON OP-ED: The Mis-Education of the Black Man

In 1933, Carter G. Woodson published his classic book entitled, “The Mis-Education of the Negro.” The premise of his book was that Blacks need to be self reliant and not look for others to do for us what we can (and should) do for ourselves. Woodson thought that the dominant society was teaching Blacks to have an attitude of dependency and subservience, as opposed to controlling their own destiny and teaching their children the truth about the contributions Blacks made to this country’s history. Woodson was a prolific journalist, author, and a historian who was known as the “Father of Black History.”

According to Woodson, “History shows that it does not matter who is in power… those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they did in the beginning.” Woodson continues, “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.”

John S. Wilson: One Year Later and the Health Care Law Is Still Sick

In case you missed it, this week marked the 1st year anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act. The last 365 have been like going back to freshman year of high school all over again. Back then you expected the work would be much harder, the girls much prettier, and the parties that much better. However, the reality set in: the work was relative; girls same as last year; and the parties overrated.

And so goes the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Some people love it, others hate it. A big part of the problem is the Obama Administration’s failure at packaging this farm of a law into a user-friendly message that everyone gets. This has a disturbingly high number of folks still not knowing what it is — and chances are they felt that way last year too.

Roughly over half of states have joined together in an ‘Amazing Race‘ to the courthouse to strike down the law. In Florida, federal judge Roger Vinson ruled the individual mandate in the Act, which requires citizens to either purchase health insurance or pay a fee, unconstitutional. In fact, that’s what the law’s critics are banking on: the mandate being a legislative overreach that leads to repeal.

Daniel Williamson: The Urban Machine

I’m quite familiar with Detroit. I’ve been there many times. I was born in Sandusky, Ohio, and I can see that many Detroiters are familiar with my hometown, too, as evidenced by the license plates of the cars snaking their way along the roads leading to Cedar Point.

Ohio has a Rust Belt problem, too. On two occasions (2002 and 2004) I was the Republican candidate for state representative in a portion of Ohio’s Rust Belt, encompassing Lorain, Oberlin, parts of Elyria, and the vicinity. I didn’t win the elections, as one would expect in such Democrat bastions, but I had a chance to think long and hard about remedies for Rust Belt decay as I drew up my own economic development plans for the district I hoped to represent.

It would take a book to detail each facet of what I envisioned, and even my own blog, to date, contains only a fraction of my proposals, so I don’t plan to elaborate much within this thread (it’s already a wall of text, as it is), but my approach to urban renewal differs from most other approaches I’ve come across. My approach is different because my assessment of the causes of the decay are different. While I readily agree that Detroit’s economy must be diversified to counter the prevailing trend, I do not think that the auto industry is at the root of the decay at all. Attitudes are at the root of the decay.

Andrew Simon: Debunking Charges of Racism at the GOP Debate in South Carolina

I came down to cover the event from Canada. And for anything you may have heard of Canada’s (well earned) reputation for tolerance, diversity and friendliness, nothing could have prepared me for the hospitality and graciousness I’ve had the joy of experiencing in Charleston.

Chris Ladd: The Mormon Thing

Last month Christopher Hitchens unloaded on Mitt Romney’s “bizarre” religious beliefs. You expect this sort of thing from the far right and it’s arrived on cue, but Romney probably didn’t anticipate having his underwear selection critiqued by atheists and left wing commentators.

Does Mormonism include some strange beliefs? You bet. They think Jesus came to America after he wrapped up the New Testament story. He preached here to a vast, highly developed culture of whose existence we have no evidence. And it goes on and on. Magic stones, a new gospel written on gold plates that no one has ever seen. There’s some odd stuff in there, but does it matter?

Picking on a candidate’s religious beliefs is like making fun of his mother. Sure, maybe she’s batty and erratic, but he loves her. Perhaps you can make an attenuated case that her weirdness is going to affect his performance, but for the most part bringing her into the race is just mean.

Martin Martinez: How to boost your immune system and slow down the aging process

There are many wonderful natural immune boosters. There is vitamin C, bittermelon, vitamin E, N-acetylcysteine, licorice extract, Astralgus, vitamin A, B and E complex. I will expound on the most common one, that most of us are familiar with and hopefully are not intimidated by, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and (poly ascorbate) .

Here are the myriad benefits of this vitamin.

It is an immune booster and a powerful anti-oxidant. It helps in the treatment of scurvy, helps in the prevention of colds and shortens the life of a cold. Vitamin C possibly prevents and possibly reverses the effects of the aging process.

Martin Martinez: How to boost your immune system and slow down the aging process

There are many wonderful natural immune boosters. There is vitamin C, bittermelon, vitamin E, N-acetylcysteine, licorice extract, Astralgus, vitamin A, B and E complex. I will expound on the most common one, that most of us are familiar with and hopefully are not intimidated by, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and (poly ascorbate) .

Here are the myriad benefits of this vitamin.

It is an immune booster and a powerful anti-oxidant. It helps in the treatment of scurvy, helps in the prevention of colds and shortens the life of a cold. Vitamin C possibly prevents and possibly reverses the effects of the aging process.

Robert Turner: “The Help” — A Review

Set in and around Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s, at the start of the civil rights movement, The Help offers up a powerful statement of selflessness, tenacity, and strength among southern black women who work in the homes of southern white women. They cook, clean, take care of the little white babies, and just about everything else around the house. I couldn’t help but initially wonder if this was going to be a black version of Steel Magnolias. It was not!

The stellar cast of Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, and Viola Davis, along with smaller but great performances from Cicely Tyson, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, and True Blood’s Nelsan Ellis all add to the excellent writing of Tate Taylor (screenplay) and Kathryn Stockett (novel).

While the movie definitely shows the ugliness of the day, it instead focuses on the optimism of those who are considered the help.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune said it best, “But as filled with contradictions as it is — genteel but prejudiced, mannered but mean, home to the most civilized brand of cruelty you ever did see — it’s built on tradition.”

Douglas Knickrehm: The Case for “Lil Boosie” – Guilty until Proven Innocent in Louisiana

Two days ago I came across the article “Free Boosie movement stupid, calls for release of murderer” by Chris Grillot. It was so appalling and misleading I felt a response was necessary. The sad fact is the basis of the American justice system has been perverted in the case of Torrence Hatch aka “Lil Boosie”. Based on Grillot’s title alone, we can believe he presumes Hatch guilty.

This plays directly into the hands of the DA who manufactured the charge against Boosie. In a jury trial, especially one with a high profile defendant, public perception can be a tool for either side. If Grillot’s attitude is the prevailing mindset in Baton Rouge, I fear for anyone accused of a crime there. Fortunately, this attitude is wrong and Grillot’s article provides a perfect example to dissect.

Before we start I’ll provide a brief background for those who may not know who I’m talking about: Lil’ Boosie is a rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is currently facing a first degree murder charge. He is not to be confused with Lil’ Wayne, who has had his own legal troubles and will be mentioned in the next paragraph. Sorry to those who knew this info, but my mom told me she was confused by the two so I thought I’d clarify for the older crowd.

CHRIS LADD OP-ED: When Black Meant Republican

It’s easy to forget now, but just a few generations ago African-Americans overwhelmingly identified themselves as Republicans. The story of how the Party of Lincoln lost its black support is long and sad, but understanding what happened will be critical as the Party looks to improve its standing in the black community.

You could start the story in the fall of 1895, when Atlanta put on one in a series of “International Expositions” designed to highlight its progress in recovering from the war. Racial tensions had been growing since Southerners, at the end of Reconstruction, began instituting Jim Crow laws to curtail black civil rights. Those laws were under challenge at the time and there were differences among blacks on the merits of direct resistance.