Troy Davis Isn't the Only One

In light of the execution of Troy Davis, more sad execution stories keep emerging in the news.

The story I learned today is about George Junius Stinney Jr. in the picture below.

He was born in 1929 and executed in a South Carolina prison during 1944 at fourteen years old six months and five days.

Can you imagine for a second?

He could have been my baby. Your baby. A friend's baby. Any person's baby that was executed for a crime he did not commit.

Jeffrey Collins of the Bluffton Post reported, "Stinney was accused of killing two white girls 11 year old Betty June Binnicker and 8 year old Mary Emma Thames by beating them with a railroad spike then dragging their bodies to a ditch near Acolu, about five miles from Manning in central South Carolina. The girls were found a day after they disappeared following a massive manhunt. Stinney was arrested a few hours later, white men in suits taking him away. Because of the risk of a lynching, Stinney was kept at a jail 50 miles away in Columbia. His father, who had helped look for the girls, was fired immediately and ordered to leave his home and the sawmill where he worked. His family was told to leave town prior to the trial to avoid further retribution. An atmosphere of lynch mob hysteria hung over the courthouse. Without family visits, the 14 year old had to endure the trial and death alone."

At fourteen years old he was escorted to the electric chair by guards with a bible in his hand. He was so small, only 5' 1" and 95 pounds that the electric chair straps didn’t fit his body. The electrode was too big for his legs as well.

Witnesses recap the story of his execution, describing an adult size death mask covering his face. When the switch was pulled, the mask fell from his face. Revealing tears that streamed from his eyes during his death. 

*Hearing this part of the story made me cry. 

He is said to be the youngest person executed in the United States in the past century. However, it is possible that his death was the only one recorded in the books.

These stories eat me up inside!

Why would a 14 year old black boy kill 2 little white girls in South Carolina during the 1940s? And how could a boy who only weighs 95 pounds drag both of their bodies five miles away from the murder scene? 

Unbelievable. 

Let me tell you what I learned from my grandmother who was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1934. As a child she watched so many black adults and children in her town get lynched. Every black child in her town was afraid to be near a white person. They lived in fear of a white person spitting on them, yelling derogatory terms at them, and being accused of doing something they did not do. My grandmother and other black people in her town saw it happen so many times. 

They believed white people were devils in Birmingham. And in her case? Imagining what she saw white people do to other black people in town, I honestly cannot blame her. 

Anyone who can kill black boys without mercy. Rape little black girls and throw them away like garbage. Beat a man to death, urinate on him, and then hang him by a tree, and all because of the color of their skin.

Must be the devil in disguise.

With that said, can you really believe a 14 year old black boy in South Carolina would murder two white girls?

Of, course not.

Leila Lopes: Miss Angola Crowned Miss Universe 2012

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of beauty pageants.

*Just putting that out there to all the dear Feminists in my life.

Now.

I remember watching Miss USA and Miss Universe as a young girl.  Oh'ing and aw'ing over the dresses they wore. Then getting pretty bored after that part. But if I saw a pageant girl of color in the top ten? My eyes were wide open until the end of the pageant.

As a young adult? I started to realize how over-glamorized these shows are on tv. Then started to dislike them all together.

Mostly because pageants appear to be an acceptable way time to exploit pretty women around the world too.

The fact that I was dumped in my early 20s for an ex-beauty pageant girl who drew her eyebrows on every day could have something to do with it too. Even worse than her Mami Chulo eyebrows? How about the fact that her nose looked completely plastic.

I don't know.

Guess I have a thing about black people who get nose jobs. I mean. You can tell whenever we get them done. There is just something about them that looks so unnatural....like they appear either too flat looking from taking out large chunks of our nose in order to make it smaller. Or our nostrils literally look like they're disappearing or receding.

*Just think Nene Leakes and LaToya Jackson. Not combined or your brain will explode.

I'm not against plastic surgery either. I am all for whatever makes people happy!

I think it's safer for black people to refine the tips of their noses though. Not break them down, and create an entirely new nose. Or a new booty....or face.

I am over the generic and manufactured beauties that pageants and music videos show us everyday.

Which is why I have the biggest girl crush on Miss Universe 2012!!!

She's not only beautiful, but a very natural looking 25 year old woman!

To top it all off, she beat 88 of her competitors from around the world to become the first African beauty queen winner in 13 years! The last African winner was Miss Botswana, Mpule Kwelagobe, in 1999.

What a proud moment in pageantry history and black history as well!


When asked about racism after her victory. She said, “It’s not normal in the 21st century to think that way.”

I disagree with her statement because racism is still alive and thriving! It reminded me us of its existence just last month, when I heard that Republican refer to President Obama as a 'Tar Baby.' I mean. Angola could be different culturally from our country. I often hear that our country is one of the most racist countries.

So!

I'll leave this one alone.

 

When Miss Angola was asked by judges, "What physical trait would you change? And why?" She responded:

"Thank God I’m very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn’t change a thing. I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life.”

She's so cute. What a humble and sweet answer to give them!

Considering the fact that she is drop dead gorgeous and could have said something more truthful like, "Are you blind, Dum Dum? Don't be ridiculous! I don't HAVE a physical trait that needs to be changed." Then rolls her eyes and walks off stage giving her 'Haters Gon' Hate' strut.

Just saying.

Housewives of Bevery Hills Husband Commits Suicide

SO SAD.

Taylor Armstrong's husband from the Housewives of Beverly Hills committed suicide!

Her husband's name was Russell Armstrong. He hung himself and left behind a letter in his Los Angelos home on Mulholland Drive. He was a 47 year old investment banker and venture capitalist who was being sued for 1.5 million dollars. Taylor filed for divorce from him on July 15 but he never responded to her petition for divorce. The saddest part of the story is that he left behind a 5 year old daughter.

I posted a quote that Michael K said about Taylor Armstrong's husband a couple weeks ago.

I would be lying if I said that he wasn't a strange and recluse man...because he really was odd! He never socialized with the other cast mates on the reality show. He was always working. He over-stepped Taylor a couple times on matters that concerned their daughter on the show for all to see. He even looked a bit Chester the Molester creepy. Taylor did not help his cause either, when she announced that he got physical with her a month ago.

So.

I thought it would be funny to post up the quote. Since Michael K hit the nail right on the head with the creepy description he made about him.

But now?

I feel really bad!

He was probably depressed and sick for a long time. We saw this. Then instantly attacked his odd demeanor through our blogs.

I am the Queen of making fun of people. I try to stick with people who are alive and healthy though. Making fun of someone dead or sick people is like waving Satan's baton in the air....it's just wrong.

This story sounds like a classic case of people living beyond their means or being affected by our economic crisis.

I just hate to hear when these people kill themselves and their families though. I cannot imagine how destressed one can be to take their own life or their family member's lives.

It must be bad though.

I will never understand why people do this though.

Is it a pride thing? A giving up on life thing? I mean what makes these people more sad than you and I?

Especially when there are children...parents...people who love you more than life that you leave behind.

It makes me want to burst out in tears and cry hard. It's such a terrible act. I mean this man was someone's husband, father, son, and brother...it can happen to anyone at anytime.

You just never know!

If you're as close to your family as I am? You may get a emotional too.

This story makes me wish that I wasn't fighting with my sister...rephrase what I wrote about my crazy ass cousin...my shady ex-boyfriend...these annoying males that mean no harm to me...my needy ex-friend...and Floyd "Act Like A Coon" Mayweather just in case something pops off and somebody dies tomorrow.

Sigh.

This feeling may change tomorrow, of course.

*I am going  to be nice for now on though until I forget that I am being nice.

Legionellosis in The Playboy Mansion

The Playboy Mansion has always been one of my desired locations to visit. Just for the fun!

Now?

Not so sure.

My parents dropped me and my siblings off at my grandmother's house one summer to visit The Playboy Mansion. My father boasted often over the 'creative' photos he took of my mother with various playboy bunnies....as well as some random ass shots of women with fuzzy bunny tails on their bottoms. His fascination with taking pictures of womens' asses was about as bizarre as my high school friend's father who collected a bathroom full of ceramic breasts in the form of mugs, plates, and plastic figurines.

When me and my high school friend got snappy with each other, she would say to me, "Well, at least my dad doesn't take ass shots of women at the beach and pool." My reaction to this was, "Yeah, well at least mine doesn't like to stare at boobies when he goes to the bathroom. What do you think your dad's doing in there for so long?" Only high school kids can say things of this nature, only to shrug them off minutes later and go sledding.

Viewing their pictures was like looking into something fun and wild going on in the 80s. They were young and in love having a blast, despite having three young children at home. They make me desperately want to go there and be a part of the fun too!

I have to find some of their pictures and post them up. I mean. Looking at photos and imagining the kinky shit my parents did is exactly what I need in my bland life.

I may be bland forever now too, because making a trip there doesn't sound like such a good idea to me anymore.

Over 80 people came down with Legionnaire's disease (which makes me think it's related Paris Hilton because she is an heiress) after attending an after party at Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion. There are claims that the disease was omitted from a fog machine because the disease lives in warm water and the people at the party were breathing this fog into their lungs all evening.


According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Legionnaires' disease is caused by a bacteria called Legionellosis. It's a form of pneumonia that causes a high fever, chills, and a cough.

When 80 of the unluckiest people left this party, they all experienced fevers and problems breathing. But Playboy's mouthpiece is denying that the fog machine was the cause,  because others were in the fog and did not get sick from it.

Um.

So what?

Just because everyone who attended the party didn't start gasping for air and swine flu'ing it up in their beds does not mean this fog machine is not a possibility. Our immunity to viruses can vary. I don't see how anyone can conclude an investigation in one go either.

Not buying it.

Sounds like Playboy is trying to cover their asses because they smell 80...possibly more than 80 lawsuits flying fast their way.

And if it wasn't the fog machine spreading Legionnaire, it was probably the food or drinks served that evening. I do believe that it is worse, no? So. Why not be quiet and wait for the investigation to be completed thoroughly?

I would think that if anyone would catch a virus there, they would really be catching it from taking a dip in that heated indoor cave. Can you imagine the bacteria reproduced inside of that grotto? I would not be surprised if new strains of STDs were created in that thing.

Either way, people will think about the time The Playboy Mansion broke out in that nasty disease...and think twice about eating the food....if they don't refuse to go there in fear of catching a disease, not related to sexual relations.

Just saying.

*update: the viral infection is now being called Pontiac Fever and 170 people are said to be affected with it.

Kids Are Not for Everyone!

After losing another battle to sleep on a snow day. Moi and my half a sleep brain came across another child neglect story on the Web!

It woke me up 'good' to say the least.

What is beyond me?

Why people have children when they have no business having them. This is exactly why birth control and condoms needs to be more readily available to people, and especially young folks. If birth control needs to be shoved down throats, then shall be it! Because these stories of child neglect are getting more ridiculous every year.

A local newspaper, The Reading Eagle, broke the news on Saturday that Andraya M. Howard (the woman above) who is known for having a fling with Chris Brown late last year was arrested at her apartment in Reading, Pennsylvania on January 13, 2011 for endangering the life of a child.

According to the court records:

A policeman found her son alone in a messy apartment on December 16, 2010 around 2 am . Her son called 9-1-1 and told the dispatchers he was home alone.

Her son told a patrolman that he called his mother's cell phone about 20 times to locate her and the last they spoke was after he got off the bus. During the phone call she informed him that she was at a tanning salon and would be home soon.

Howard's apartment looked like it had been struck by a hurricane with bras and panties scattered every where in the living room. A small dog was in a cage, despite dog feces and dog urine in several places of the apartment.

The patrolman talked to her 7 year old son, while he got a frozen dinner out of the freezer and stood on the counter to put it in the microwave.

When police spoke to the boy's grandmother who baby sat him often. She told them that she watched her grandson when Howard 'modeled' overnight in Philadelphia, but hasn't watched him in months.

Howard returned home around 8:45 am when police explained he was in the care of the county Children and Youth Services. They charged Howard on December 30, 2010 but did not immediately arrest her because she agreed to surrender to the Sheriff's deputies. When she failed to surrender, they arrested her on Thursday.

What kills me the most about these types of stories? The only reason we hear about them is because the person accused of neglect is attached to a famous name. Or even worse. They killed a child already, making this more newsworthy.

How can a mother just leave her baby alone at home to pursue a modeling career? And this term modeling career should be used loosely, because we know she isn't walking the runaway in Milan. (The rumor is that she is a stripper and there isn't much modeling that occurs.) Or have the nerve to brag about getting paper when your child is wandering around the dog feces in your apartment? What really blows my mind? That you would rather follow a musician around the country like a groupie without any responsibilites when you have a baby (a gift from God) at home waiting for 'you' to raise him.

We wonder why are youth are so screwed up today? Or why men have more issues over women than Vogue magazine!

I hope Jesus takes the wheel on this one! Or this poor boy is going to have some serious problems.

I doubt he will end up a mama's boy too, because his mother is terrible. What are the signs that a male will not be a mama's boy?

Find out in this blog: http://actingwhite.blogspot.com/2011/01/ten-ways-to-know-you-are-not-mamas-boy.html.

On an ending note:

"The best contraceptive is a glass of cold water: not before or after, but instead."

Spread the word!