Is this left enough?

Several people have ask me if I would actually vote for Barack Obama because he is ...you know..
black.
My response is.....
He could shoot George W. Bush and John McCain in the face on national television on the White House lawn and I would still vote for him........Is that left enough?

The Black Vote!

I've been asking every African American friend that I come across if they are going to vote for Barack Obama. For the most part I have experienced a non-committal attitude. I have come to refer to it as black political apathy. I understand it...I understand that the black race in The United States is and always will be a minority. After being beat down for so long I get that sense of hopelessness. I ask them if they voted for Mark Mallory for Mayor of Cincinnati. Here is a black man elected as mayor in one of the most racist, right wing, religious cities in this country. The answer is a flat out NO! The response is usually,"He's pretty much a white guy anyway, so what's the difference?" Then I ask them if they are even registered to vote in the first place. I'd say 90% answer with a NO! I had a friend at work tell me if he couldn't vote for Hillary he was going to vote for McCain. Let's just say that conversation got a little heated. I ask him how you could vote for a female Democrat and her platform and not a black male Democrat with the same platform and then for for a rich white Republican male who has a totally different platform and pretty much has an anti-black people platform. That kind of blew my mind a little.

I've read Howard Zinn's "People's History Of The United States" and the follow up "Voices..." and I cringe at the struggle that black people in this country went through just to get the right to vote. A lot of people were beaten and hanged and died for that privilege. For that purpose alone I would think that voting would be taught and expected in the black community.

I know all about the nightmare of the 2000 and 2004 elections. Black people in this country, especially in Florida and Ohio took it up the back side. Ken Blackwell and Katherine Harris showed black people where they stood with George W. Bush. That just shows you how much more important it is to register and vote for Barack Obama in November. If every black person of voting age in this country registers and votes for Barack Obama it would be a landslide victory. I can't promise that Barack will change the condition of black America but it would be an historic event that could change the course of history in this country. So I say if you don't register and vote for Barack in November don't bitch at me.

Wrestling Show and SS-20 Show

What a weekend!
Saturday night I indeed worked a wrestling show. I managed a guy with the name "The Inmate", turns out he used to train when we had Queen City Wrestling going. It was interesting to work with two guys that you never worked with before and you are booked in the first match of the night. It's slightly nerve racking when you are up first. It's your job to get the crowd worked up and to set the tone for the night. But I was able to take the microphone and bad mouth the ring announcer whom everyone loved and get shit started and have fun. The match was so so at best but we used a comedy spot to end the match and all seemed to go well.

Sunday night was a stroll down memeory lane. My favorite local punk band from the early 80's SS-20 played a gig here in Northside. We were able to go and hear and I sang along to a couple of classic songs. Man, I miss the Jockey Club! We tried to set up a date in November for the release of our Jockey Club book and have SS-20 be an integral part of everything, I think it is going to happen.....
I'm getting too old for all this, but damn I sure had fun.

Wrestling Show June 14th...ETC:

This Saturday night June 14th I'll be working an independent wrestling show.
I will be managing for this reunion show for Intense Wrestling Inc.
My alter ego Charles E. Brown gets to rear his slightly greying head once again.
I'll be raising hell and having fun with some friends.

I took most of the month of May off from the political arena, had to take a break, shit gets to you after awhile.

Now I'm getting back into reading the awesome Mother Jones Magazine and The American Prospect Magazine.

Our little publishing venture is taking off with book #2. It's a tribute book for The Jockey Club.
www.aurorepress.com If you want to get involved.
We will be in the 4th of July Parade here in Northside, if you want to be in the parade with us you are welcome. Just drop me a line.

My friend Nathan Singer, who wrote two pieces for our first book ,"Country at War" is releasing his third novel on June 15th called "In The Light Of You". I read it already, it's another kick ass book. You can order it through Amazon.

I have to get ready for work.............Chuck

Memorial Day Reminder

Don't forget to say a prayer for the Presidents that sent people to war to DIE so we could have a Memorial Day Holiday.

1-900-ChickswithDicks

People don't understand the loneliness.
He's in his 30's now.
Still waiting for that all important first date.
Mother says there's a girl out there for me somewhere.
But where is she?

I see the commercials when I'm watching Family Guy.
All the girls are h0t and have nice boobs.
They say I can call them for free.
The call is local and the girls are local.
Screw that fat Family Guy I'm Calling.

So I'm calling the number.
The first one is free.
Now they want my credit card information.
But that's O.K. because I have several.
I know I'm gonna meet me a babe tonight.

But the first girl doesn't like me.
The second one thinks I'm a freak.
The third one hangs up on me.
The fourth one wants to call the police on me.
The fifth one tells me about another number to try.

I've never heard of this one before.
1-900-ChickswithDicks.
It can't be what it says, could it?
I don't care, I gotta get laid.
I'm getting my other card ready.

Wow, the "girl" sounds so sweet.
And they have a local spot we can meet.
I can't believe I have a date on the first call.
I better stop at the ATM.
Can't forget the condoms.

Her voice was deeper than mine.
Her package was bigger than mine.
Her condom was bigger than mine.
But the screams and the pain was all mine....

I think I'm Love..................

Mental Health/Drug and Alcohol/Family Issues

My last post about my friends was a nice departure for me. It's refreshing to show a little more human side every now and then. Now it's time to talk about something a lot darker and more serious.....family issues.

My older brother got married on Saturday. Everything seemed to be going well until the end and the pink elephant reared it's ugly head. Our family has a very checkered past when it comes to drug/alcohol/mental health and depression problems. Some in check and some skyrocketing into space.
I'm not going to name names because everyone knows someone or of someone whose life is or was a freakin' mess.

I won't go into details but it's gotten to the point where it's time for an intervention or I fear a very close member of the family is going to die or commit suicide. So what am I doing sitting here typing a blog and not doing something to help this family member? I don't know what to do at 2:00 in the morning. It's a unique situation. She is married and has an adult kid at home.
For years all of us siblings have been trying to help over the phone. Believe it or not that is harder than it sounds. It's a bitch when the person who is suffering will not listen....They refuse to hear it....When you want to tell them to get help and it gets quiet for a minute and they go right back into the vortex that sucks them and you down into that ominous black hole.

I have found that there is a certain selfishness in depression and mental health problems. "Life has fucked me royally and the people around have done the same." It's hard to comment on that remark when one of those people is supposedly you, I guess. It's dad's fault, it's the schools fault, it's the bosses fault, it's the damn mailman's fault, it's the world's fault. It's bad luck, it's the curse, this shit always happens to us.

It's selfish to not come to family functions, it's selfish to not answer your phone or the door bell. It's selfish to take up people's time, it's selfish to try to drag people down with you. Everyone has a life and family of their own.
It's selfish to talk about the same problems for ten or fifteen years and not do one single thing to move ahead or get help or fix it or put it behind you. It's also very selfish to blame every person in the family for your problems and your messed up state of mind and affairs. It's selfish to try and ruin your brothers wedding day because you are fucked up out of your mind.

But........you are my sister and I love you!!!!!

So now it's the day after the nightmare mess, what do I do now?
Do I sit back and wait for death to sneak up and put an end to my sister's suffering. Any attempt to intervene will be a battle with the brother-and-law.

Do I become selfish and worry about myself and my family? The stand-by, "if you ignore it , the problem will go away", is not working. It usually never does. Like I said before we have dealt with alcohol abuse in the past but this dropping out of society and hopelessness has gotten out of hand.

I'm open to suggestions...