Louis Farrakhan gives farewall speech
I have to say, Black History Month has really gotten away from me. A reminder came this morning when I heard a report about a speech billed by Louis Farrakhan as his last on NPR. Love him or hate him, I’m somewhere in between, he is influential. I know people that attended the Million Man March and came back energized and rededicated to their family.
The interesting part of the report, to me, was that there doesn’t seem to be an heir apparent when the cancer that he is suffering with gets the better of him. Farrakhan essentially rebuilt The Nation of Islam after Elijah Muhammad died. The report suggests that there are no other dynamic leaders in the wings.
I don’t pretend to know what this means, other than the African-American community is about to lose another leader.
I’m somewhere in between
Unbelievable. Are you “somewhere in between” in your opinion of, say, David Duke?
What good has David Duke done? I understand your anger about L.F. in that he has made inflammatory statements against many groups in his lifetime. Certainly he is up there with Jerry Falwell and the Pope when it comes to that.
He has a religious ax to grind. I am not in favor of that.
That opinion is moderated by the fact that he has led his organization through some troubled times, he has given hope to a large number of people that didn’t have any.
Instead of bitching and moaning about the state of the black family he stood up and helped shore up what they have and gave black men a sense of self worth and purpose. That is something to be admired.
What do you admire about David Duke, Hube?
Am no fan of Louis F, but he has done some good for some folks I guess.
Jay, those are my sentiments exactly.
Louis Farrakan has not really been building the NOI since he took over. Wallace Muhammad (son of Elijah) split from the NOI and took s significant following towards a more orthodox practice of Islam. The numbers of those belonging to the NOI are definitely smaller than they ever have been, and more traditional practice of Islam has enticed many American converts.
Mr. Farrakan, however, still does good media and the media are quite delighted to highlight some of the crazy conspiracy theories and outright prejudice preached by Mr. Farrakan. Even though Mr. Farrakan’s influence has been definitively on the wane. The media went batsh*t nutz over the first Million Man March, uselessly speculating on the changes in the African American community that would enable Farrakan to get so many African American men in one place for reasons they could not quite wrap their minds around.
The NOI, while having some beliefs I find distasteful, has been a support mechanism of last resort for some of the AA community most written off by the rest of us. The NOI taught these folks self-reliance, the value of education (and captialism), the vitality of being a positive force in the community as well as the need to walk with God. For that, I commend them. But of Mr. Farrakan leaving the helm of the NOI gets the media to stop referring to him as a black leader, I say Amen.
I admire nothing about David Duke, but he has preached similar sentiments akin to Farrakhan’s (albeit to a mostly white audience). He doesn’t get the media Louie does b/c, besides espousing a distasteful doctrine, it’s much more un-PC to show a Caucasian spouting that than a black man.
In essence, there’s something to “admired” about almost anybody. Look how Hitler turned Germany around in the 1930s. Are we supposed to say that’s “admirable”? Would you?
It’s unbelievable that you say “it’s admirable” he’s led his organization through troubled times (like, so what??) and how he’s helped the black community. Who cares about his vile anti-Semitic and anti-white comments over the years? This post perfectly exemplifies how people such as Farrakhan can be separated from their awful statements and deeds — b/c of the “right” color and/or philosophy, while folks like Duke cannot. Normal-thinking people will keep this post in mind the next time you rant and rave aginst someone’s racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia or whatever. Maybe we can come back and chime in “But look at what they’ve done for __________ (fill in the blank).” You’ll excoriate us for doing so, and mostly likely you’ll be 100% correct.
Should read: Who cares about his vile anti-Semitic and anti-white comments over the years, right?
Besides, Farrakhan had Malcolm X whacked so he could take control of the Nation. You know, Jimmy Hoffa did a lot for the Teamsters…
We seem to have no problem with Falwell spouting off about how bad Islam is. There is, of course a huge difference between Hitler an L.F. One being that one of the two of them killed 6 million people. I am not a fan of his anti-semitic or anti-white comments.
The reverse of what you are saying is that everyone could say something negative about anyone that is a good person.
So let me restate my first comment, which is what has David Duke done that is good or helpful? You chose him as a good counter-example. I am telling you that he is not. David Duke was a member of a terrorist organization. He preached hate during some part of his life. What constructive things did he do that offset that behavior?
It might be nice and comfortable in the world of Good and Evil that you live in, Hube, but it is not reality. L.F. is not the devil. He has his good points and his bad points, just like you and me. On a scale of 0 to 10 of how much I admire him, he is a 3, not a Zero.
Ironically, the comment that he got in the most trouble for during his career was pointing out the good things that Hitler did. Perhaps he should have been more clear that there were 6 million reasons that Hitler sucked ass.
You really don’t have a clue, do you, geek? Well, that about keeps this site on the same level as before, at least.
First, you make erroneous assumptions about idiots like Falwell. Take a look at Colossus’ “Good for Cheap Laughs” links and get back to me.
Second, the point about Hitler went right over you microcephalic head. Hitler did a lot of “good” for the German people before the war started; most of it thanks to the catalyst of hate. THIS is exactly akin to what Farrakhan did and does. Period.
Third, Duke has “done” about as much as Farrakhan has, whatever that actually is. He was a state representative and US House, Senate and pres. primary candidate not to mention governor. Obviously, in order to have some sort of “following” people must’ve had the perception that he “did” something positive for the community. Then, as today, Duke is a cultural and political pundit and commentator. He mouths off. Like Louie. To the contrary, Duke is a perfect example for Farrakhan; you just don’t like it. The fact that you think Farrakhan did some “good” to offset his continuing racist and anti-Semitic comments (even though a lot of that “good” is predicated on those exact two items) is pathetic. Have you ever heard any of Farrakhan’s close cohorts in the NOI like Khalid Muhammad — and their comments?? Obviously not.
It’s not me living in a so-called Good and Evil world, Geek. I’m quite consistent. I believe both Duke and Farrakhan are scum. Indeed, it is YOU living in the morally relativistic world where if you are the “right” ethnicity and/or political affiliation, your loathsome behavior and words can be forgiven if there’s a perception that you’ve done some “good” for [some] people.
Since you like to make assumptions, too, try this on for size: It’s people like you, Geek, who wanted to end the career of a person like Trent Lott who, while attempting to make an old man feel good on his 100th birthday said an asinine quip… and while he did not end up losing his career, he lost a decent portion of it. Lott — one verbal slip-up = should be finished. Farrakhan — lifetime of hateful statements = has to have deeds “seen in context.”
Spare us.
candidate for governor it should say above.
So, should I put you down as “Hate him”? And perhaps on a scale of 0 to 10 he is a 0? Same score for Trent Lott and David Duke, eh? Damn, tough to score a 1 on the binary scale of Hube.
As for Trent’s slip up, he wasn’t making an old man happy. Strom probably didn’t even know it was his birthday (ooohhhh, Cake!) There is some evidence that his staff did everything but go to the bathroom with him. So Trent was likely playing to the audience and stating that it was a bad thing that the racially intolerant Presidential run (Let’s compare it to Hitler, just for good measure) would have solved the issues that we have today. Good move.
Good use of the word microcephalic. And I’ll be sure to check out the laughs on your blog. I find much of it funny most of the time anyway.
I guess now is the proper time to inform my fellow Americans that me and my caucasian spouse have been with the NOI for ten years.We
have watched,listened to,and felt the responses of caucasians and blacks concerning the NOI.Just stop it!We will never accept any of Nimrods Babylonian practices(santa,horoscopes,easter,valentine..etc)
Use the internet for study and facts ,not immature emotional rationalizations.
Who are you calling a nimrod, buddy? I’m presently using the internet to determine the location of the Mother Wheel, thank you very much.
I’m holding my breath until you take back that “immature” comment.