by Askia Muhammad

In many places, ambulances and other emergency vehicles approaching any intersection can literally cause red traffic lights ahead to turn green in their direction.
Throughout his life and especially his political career, obstacles, impediments “red lights” if you will, have continually turned “green” so that Barack Hussein Obama could proceed without having to slow down, without breaking his stride.
Now, with the landslide political mandate President-elect Obama was given by the voters Nov. 4, the entire nation did not turn “blue” (as in “red states” versus “blue states”), rather the entire national body-politic showed the Illinois senator yet another Green Light, this time directing him to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC.
I’m not any more superstitious than the next person, but my reading of the signs and omens in this presidential campaign have been crystal clear.
There was a time when the President was not inaugurated until March 20, following the election every four years. At some point a decision was made to shorten the “Lame Duck” season of the incumbent and to hasten the swearing in of the new Chief Executive, and the date was moved up two months to Jan. 20. When that date was set, no one even dreamed that there would be a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday being observed each year on the Third Monday of January, and that every four years that holiday would fall on or near Inauguration Day.
This year Inauguration Day will be on a Tuesday, the day after the King Holiday observance. For my money, I could never in a million years imagine the presidential inauguration of a U.S. Senator who voted against the King Holiday Bill, who hails from Arizona, the only state in the Union which does not recognize the King Holiday. The calendar gods could have no part in such an arrangement. A green light for Sen. Obama.
The King Holiday-Inauguration “coincidence” is no more a coincidence in my opinion than the date for the acceptance of the Democratic Party nomination for President falling this year on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech before the 1963 March on Washington. The dates for the convention in Denver were set months before anyone ever imagined that the Democratic nominee would be a Black man. Another green light for Sen. Obama.
Four years ago, when the then-four-term State Senator from Chicago’s Southside won a crowded Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat of retiring Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, who would have ever dreamed that the GOP nominee for that seat—wealthy former investment banker Jack Ryan would drop out of the race just four and a half months before election day, after his wife, actress Jeri Ryan revealed in court papers he had taken her to sex clubs and required her to engage in sex acts in front of other patrons. Mrs. Ryan, who starred in the TV series “Boston Public,” and then in “Star Trek: Voyager” as the vixen “Seven-of-Nine” was such a voluptuous picture in her Star Trek costume, that the entire campaign would have been dominated by nothing but discussions of the family’s intimate private life, rather than about any substantive issues.
Mr. Ryan reluctantly withdrew from the contest. Even though many opinion polls at the time showed Sen. Obama the likely winner of the election, the withdrawal, in my opinion, was just another green light along the Obama Road to the White House.
There’s more. I’m like so many other Black folks in this country, afraid that every single Black politician has an unsavory “spook in the woodpile,” hidden somewhere. When I saw that Craig Robinson, Sen. Obama’s brother-in-law was scheduled to speak at the Democratic Convention in Denver, I thought to myself: “There he is. Dude is probably already selling contracts out of the back of his Escalade.”
But who is Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s brother? Why he’s the head basketball coach at Oregon State University, and the former head basketball coach at Princeton University. He reached his lofty status in life, via the elusive meritocracy. He’s the kind of brother-in-law, anyone would be proud to have!
Remember now, Sen. Obama met and fell in love with his wife more than 16 years ago, long before he could have foreseen a presidential campaign in 2008, and I’m certain, never imagining that he was marrying into the hard-working, squeaky-clean, role model Robinson family. Again, just another green light for Barack Obama.
Before his final public downfall in April this year, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright—Sen. Obama’s former pastor—made it plain: If God intends for Sen. Obama to be President, then there’s nothing any White racist can do to prevent that. And so it is.
Maybe that’s Who’s been turning all those approaching signals “green” in Barack Hussein Obama’s favor throughout his life and political career, and now, throughout the entire United States.

by Askia Muhammad

Did former Secretary of State and Gen. Colin Powell redeem his membership in the Nelson Mandela Circle of Honor, by his appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press” October 19?
Most emphatically yes!
Gen. Powell did not just ceremonially endorse Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), patting him on the back with one hand while handing him his curriculum vitae with the other hand. No, he described the Democratic nominee as a potentially “transformational” figure…as in maybe Barack Hussein Obama really was born on the Planet Krypton, and was sent to Earth with Super Powers beyond those of mortal men.
More importantly, he walked off Ol’ Massa’s Plantation like a grown man, back straight, no hat in hand, no apology, and said what was on his mind, on his heart.
Ol’ Massa didn’t like it either. Gen. Powell was “ungrateful,” said one pundit who unapologetically argues “a brief for Whitey” whenever he gets a chance. He never was much of a Republican anyway, complained another.
Gen. Powell was voting for Black Democrat Obama to express his own racial solidarity, rather than out of any patriotic sense of what’s best for his country, let alone what’s best for his Party, said others. “Benedict Powell…Race Patriot,” Gen. Powell was dubbed in a cartoon caricature, as traitor Benedict Arnold.
During the interview and to reporters outside the studio afterwards, Gen. Powell took his comments (not just “a step further,” but) to another “dimension.” “Which mouse will put a bell around the cat’s neck, so in the future, all the mice can hear the cat coming?” so-to-speak. No racism. No xenophobia.
Burning bridges behind him, Gen. Powell complained that Republican leaders permit to be said “such things as, ‘Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.’ Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian.”
There’s more. “But the really right answer is what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some 7-year-old Muslim American kid believing that he or she could be president?” he declared.
Now, that’s what I’m talking about!
Did Colin Powell redeem his membership in the Nelson Mandela Circle of Honor, by his appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press” Oct. 19?
Most emphatically yes!
Back in July, before either party had officially nominated a presidential candidate, I sardonically, but painfully questioned: “What’s wrong with being a Muslim? Did I miss a memo? A meeting? I can’t see anything worse about being a good Muslim than there is about being a good Christian. A good Jew. In fact, some of my best friends are Muslims. And all of them are really fine people, excellent neighbors. They’re downright decent human beings, if you ask me.”
Since July, I have asked that question repeatedly. Now I know a good answer.
Muslims are not America’s problem, I tell you. But Muslims are at the heart of the successful resolution of America’s problems, and they’ve been The Answer to America’s problem for a long time.
Did Gen. Powell redeem his reputation on “Meet The Press,” Oct. 19?
You bet he did!