Freedom Rider - 2007: The Test
by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley
"The end is near, not only of 2007, but of denial that
America is on the fast track to a very bad place."
Every December evokes memories of the past twelve months.
Some events are memorable for good reasons while others inspire chagrin, anger,
and desperate hope that the coming year will be better. In 2007, it wasn't
clear which development was worst of all. Was it the death rattle of true
journalism, the openly traitorous acts of Uncle Toms, the false promise of
black faces in high places, the complicity with Bush criminality among the
Democratic Quislings in Congress, or the openly fascist Republican agenda?
We do know that there will be one reason to hope in 2008.
A year from now George W. Bush will be one month away from the dustbin of
history, but not before inflicting horrendous damage on the nation and the
world. His theft of the presidency in 2000 forever poisoned an already corrupt
system. We are now left with a mere semblance of democracy, the dumbing down of
every facet of society and a government that governs only on behalf of a few.
These catastrophes cause the scoundrels and idiots who are prominent in our
lives to loom ever larger. The imprints they leave on our collective
consciousness can cause us to succumb to their madness.
"A pop quiz is in
order."
We can fall apart, or we can try to understand it all. The
end is near, not only of 2007, but of denial that America is on the fast track
to a very bad place. The only way to comprehend the mess that has been forced
upon us is to keep the explanations and the questions as simple as possible. It
is all too much to put into a column with a limited number of words. Therefore,
a pop quiz is in order, just as your teachers told you many years ago.
Hopefully it will be more helpful now than it was back then. Good luck.
1. The
son of which GOP presidential candidate tried to board a plane with a
loaded Glock pistol?
- Mike
Huckabee
- Mitt
Romney
- Rudy
Giuliani
2. Nancy
Pelosi did which of the following two things
- Aided
and abetted Bush's spying on Americans
- Made
no objection to CIA torture after being briefed on its existence
- Agreed
to hold impeachment hearings
3. What
is a "double Guantanamo?"
- A
new drink
- A
Mitt Romney campaign promise
- A
Hillary Clinton campaign promise
4. Barack
Obama took the title of his book, The Audacity of Hope, from a sermon
given by his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. He later disinvited Wright from
speaking at the announcement of his presidential candidacy
- True
- False
5. Who
said she wasn't sure if the earth was round?
- Sherri
Shepherd
- Oprah
Winfrey
- Prophetess
Juanita Bynum
6. Who
helped sell a book promising that a "secret" of wishful thinking will
produce wealth?
- Sherri
Shepherd
- Oprah
Winfrey
- Prophetess
Juanita Bynum
7. Followers
of which two religions planned and carried out the military occupation of
Iraq, the theft of its resources and the killings of over 600,000 people?
- Buddhist
and Hindus
- Muslims
and Sikhs
- Christians
and Jews
8. The
U. S. Sentencing Commission allowed retroactive changes in federal crack
cocaine sentences
- True
- False
9. Who said "Bill
[Clinton] is every bit as black as Barack. He's probably gone with more
black women than Barack."
- Bill Cosby
- Andrew Young
- Chris Rock
10. What
did John McCain say when a supporter asked "How do we beat the bitch?"
- "Watch
your language."
- "Who
are you talking about?"
- "May
I give the translation? But that's an excellent question." He then
proceeded to talk about Hillary Clinton.
11. Which
talk radio host called Color of Change "shady" for its Jena 6 fundraising
efforts?
- Don
Imus
- Glenn
Beck
- Michael
Baisden
12. Who
reported that the Jerusalem Post made fundraising appeals on behalf of
Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney?
- newspapers
- television
networks
- a
blog
13. Who
sang "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran."
- Rudy
Giuliani
- Tom
Tancredo
- John
McCain
14. Why
did actor Chuck Norris endorse Mike Huckabee?
- Huckabee
is a hunter
- Huckabee
will secure the border
- c.Huckabee
will put the IRS "out of business"
- All
of the above
15. Congress
passed a resolution in support of the celebration of Christmas
- True
- False
16. Which
pro-war presidential candidate said that his children provided more
service to the country by helping him get elected than in joining the
military?
- Mitt
Romney
- Rudy
Giuliani
- Mike
Huckabee
17. Which
"journalist" said that he likes Fred Thompson's smell?
- Tim
Russert
- Chris
Matthews
- Chris
Wallace
18. Which
accusations forced Richard Roberts to resign as president of Oral Roberts
University?
- Mrs.
Roberts was spending time alone with a male student after curfew hours
- The
Roberts spent university funds on a "lavish lifestyle"
- Roberts
forced students to work on a political campaign
- All
of the above
19. Who
stoned a stray dog, slit its throat, and hung it from a tree?
- David
Huckabee
- Michael
Vick
- Barry
Bonds
20. Federal
prosecutors lost their case against the alleged Sears Tower terror
plotters
- True
- False
There you have it, a little good, (see questions 8. and
20.), the bad, and the highly forgettable. Hopefully 2008 will bring better
fortune to us all. Have a Happy New Year.
Answers
- Mike Huckabee
- Aided and abetted Bush spying on
Americans and b. Made no objection to CIA
torture
- Mitt Romney campaign
promise
- True
- Sherri
Shepherd
- Oprah
Winfrey
- Christians and
Jews
- True
- Andrew
Young
- "May I give the translation? But
that's an excellent question." McCain then
proceeded to talk about Hillary Clinton.
- Michael Baisden
- a
blog
- John McCain
- All of the above
- True
- Mitt
Romney
- Chris
Matthews
- All of the
above
- David
Huckabee
- True
Margaret Kimberley's
Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York
City, and can be reached via e-Mail at
Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgandaReport.Com. Ms. Kimberley' maintains an
edifying and frequently updated blog at freedomrider.blogspot.com. More
of her work is also available at her Black Agenda Report archive
page.
Having a new Black SCOTUS justice or bringing Barack Obama out of retirement for a photo opportunity won't raise Joe Biden's poll numbers or stave off defeat in the mid-term elections…
A declassified CIA document outlining their strategies for covert action in Angola in the 1970s offers lessons for the present.
Biden's popularity continues to decline. And unlike Will Smith, the "Build Back Better" President has shown little indication that he can generate the enthusiasm needed to reverse course.
…
This week’s featured scholar is Kathryn Benjamin Golden. Golden is Assistant Professor of Africana Studies at University of Delaware. Her article is “‘Armed in the Great Swamp’: Fear, Maroon…
