Dexter's Vantage Point!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and everyone received what they desired. For many this Christmas will be memorable for the horrid weather we experienced in the Midwest. Many were without power and shelter. Some merely wished to be warm with a roof over their heads for Christmas. The ice storm we witnessed showed some what’s really important during this holiday season. The ice storm was symbolic to me indeed for it showed, like in life, we all have the most precious gift of all and that’s another day of life. It also displayed the power of God is greater than man’s greatest creation. Perhaps if we slowed down and recognized the many gifts we already have perhaps we don’t need gifts at Christmas to validate us. As I advance in age and wisdom I’ve come to believe what one can give someone takes precedent over what one receives. As a matter of fact I've grown not to expect gifts nor even care if I receive anything on Christmas. I try and live in a fashion where what I've done...

O.J. Simpson will finally go where many thought he should’ve been 14 years ago and that’s prison. Accounts vary, but Simpson was sentenced Dec. 5 to at least nine years which could extend up to 33 year max. No matter the number of years Simpson will have plenty of time to think about his life and the mistakes he’s made in solitude. The latter is rather sad, but it’s true. Most people can recollect where they were when the verdict was read in October of 1995 when Simpson was found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole-Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman hence ending what was hailed as "The Trial of the Century." For a year America was captivated by this case because of all of the intricacies involved. Race, sex, police corruption, celebrity, and affluence were integral factors in the murder trial. It was riveting stuff. This trial clearly lacked the media attention of the murder trial, and rightfully so. In 1994 two human beings were murdered. This time around a 61 ye...

Self-anointed guru Charlie Weis managed to dodge the bullet. After being thumped by U.S.C. 38-3 last week many felt Weis had limped along the side lines as Notre Dames head coach for the last time. The Irish brain trust decided Weis is still their guy so they reframed from pulling the trigger on the Charlie Weis era. Surprisingly Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick suggested The Irish are going in the right direction under Weis. He stated, “I am confident that Charlie has a strong foundation in place for future success and that the best course of action is to move forward under his leadership.” Typically past success is a strong indicator of future success. Based on the latter what success has the Irish experienced the last two years that warrants Weis to continue coaching? After playing one of the weakest schedules in the country this year the Irish still failed under Weis. After starting the season quickly at 4-1 they limped in at 2-5. Is this the type of faltering leadership...

On Monday Barack Obama made the speculation official by naming Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State. Despite their bitter primary battle Obama believes Clinton will be a good fit for what he’s trying to accomplish with respect to getting the country back on track. To me Obama is throwing his rock but hiding his hand. He’s merely assembled a cabinet filled with allies who served under Bill Clinton and his wife. It appears he’s acquiescing to his foes rather than administering to the voters who got him in the White House. Is selecting Bill Clinton’s guys and his wife as Secretary of State the change Obama professed during his campaign? Obama will be sworn in come Jan. 20 in Washington D.C. but based on Obama’s cabinet selections it has remnants of a third Bill Clinton term. To some this comes off as a surprise but not to me. Remember a few days before Clinton was to concede the primary race to Obama the two met secretly at undisclosed location? Remember? During that meeting I think ...

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. My holiday was special this year because I unearthed some information I didn’t know about the Thanksgiving. My findings made my holiday very satisfying. Last week I was thinking to myself how Thanksgiving was rapidly approaching. I knew it’s celebrated every fourth Thursday and saw it was November 27th. So I wondered why is Thanksgiving celebrated every fourth Thursday of November. After some researching not only did I find the answer to my question I found much more. First off, a man born in 1715 named John Hanson declared every fourth Thursday Thanksgiving shall be celebrated. There’s more. Hanson was the first President of the United States, not George Washington. Also, if Hanson were alive today he’d be considered an African American thereby making him the first African American President of the United States. Some may wonder, ‘How can this be true if Africans were entrenched in American slavery during the 1700’s?’ Well, in an Act proposed ...

President Elect Barack Obama has been busy from his offices in Chicago assembling his cabinet, meeting with former foes (Hillary Clinton and John McCain), and mapping out his strategy to get America back on track before he takes office January 20, 2009. Obama asserts his preeminent concern is to get the economy back in good standing-that’s a tall order but considering how he orchestrated his campaign perhaps he will deliver the change he’s often professed. One of the things I marveled at during Obama’s historical run is how he diffused racism enough to win the election. I believe the reasons why this event is historic should serve as the catalysts to engage in dialogue to finally get that elephant out of the room. The elephant I’m referring to is racism. Obama’s ascendance demonstrates he has the capacity and the means to make a difference along racial grounds. How big a priority is this to Obama? That remains to be seen. Given the historical development of this country few thought Oba...

The government has once again come to the aid of big business. A.I.G. just received an additional 55 million dollars from the 700 billion rescue plan. This brings the total outlay to the insurance giant to 150 billion. I don’t know about you but this rubs me the wrong way on two fronts. One, the American people are being screwed. Two, it reminds me of a wrong that’s yet to remedied. Historically government and big business has gone hand in hand commencing with the rise of American slavery. Slavery is a topic most shun but I think it’s a perfect opportunity to provide insight into the past so we can better understand what’s happening today with the economy from an African American standpoint. First, we must acknowledge slavery did happen. This country still suffers from the effects of slavery but, like racism, no constructive collective dialogue has taken place to put the scars of slavery in its proper historical context. The first slaves arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 as ...