Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Essay Ninety-Seven

The Art of War with SunMultiCultClassics TzuMinutes…

• adidas is executing the tactic, “If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em.” The athletic shoe company announced plans to purchase Reebok, a move designed to make them a formidable foe against world leader Nike. Or maybe they’ll just stage battles between Reebok’s 50 Cent and adidas’ Missy Elliott.

• Anheuser-Busch is executing the tactic, “If you can’t beat ‘em, bash ‘em.” The company behind the King of Beers is accused of plotting to destroy a competitor by lying about the rival’s operation. The Maris Distributing Company, owned by the family of baseball icon Roger Maris, charged in a lawsuit that A-B deliberately defamed their business to inevitably acquire them for cheap. Calls to Anheuser-Busch were answered with, “Whassuuuuuuuup!”

• The war on terror inspired a dramatic rise in religious hate crimes in the U.K. Since the July 7th bombings in London, crimes fueled by religious hatred climbed nearly 600 percent — making Charles and Camilla the second and third ugliest things in the country.

• Racial discrimination surfaced in a peculiar U.S. location — Honolulu, Hawaii. A federal court ruled against Kamehameha Schools for only admitting native Hawaiian students. The schools were established by a Hawaiian princess in 1883. Aloha, segregation.

• Fritz Pollard, the NFL’s first Black coach, will be posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame. Pollard was also the first Black player in the Rose Bowl. Plus, the Fritz Pollard Alliance grew when the late Johnnie Cochran proceeded to pressure NFL teams to hire more minorities three years ago. Recognizing the man’s accomplishments and victories is long overdue.

2 comments:

  1. http://www.talentzoo.com/content/dynamic/detail/39addc9e2db44032984fc6eb51677ca0.aspx

    Thought you'd find this article interesting...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here's an emailed response to the Hawaiian story...

    I read one bit on your blog, and I think you're a little uninformed about the Kamehameha schools in Hawaii. The Kamehameha Trust is enormous and was founded to foster the language and traditions of the native Hawaiians----a culture which is quickly disappearing. The Kamehameha schools are trying to preserve and pass on the unique culture----and the families don't have to pay tuition.

    The Hawaiians have been marginalized, and many live in poverty conditions----while the mainlanders come over and spend $350 per night to enjoy the aloha spirit in ostentatious hotels which have gobbled up the very best locations. Simple condos along the beaches are out of the price range of most Hawaiians----they cost millions of dollars each.

    When you drive through the typical native Hawaiian neighborhoods----you see old and small cinder block houses with corrugated tin roofs. The cost of living is high----the last time I was there, even though Maui has its own dairy, milk was $4.50 per gallon.

    There's been a separatist movement for many years to return Hawaii back to the Hawaiians. The Hawaiian singer Iz(rael) Kamakawiwo'ole wrote the anthem for it called Facing Future. In it he says:

    "Facing backwards I see the past
    our nation gained, our nation lost,
    our sovereignty gone, all traded for the promise of progress
    what would they (the ancestors) say.....
    What can we say? Facing future I see hope
    hope that we will survive, hope that we will prosper
    hope that once again we will reap the blessings of this magical land
    For without hope, I cannot live
    Remember the past, but do not dwell there
    Face the future where all our hopes stand
    Cry for the past, cry for the people, cry for the lands taken away...."

    The schools give the native Hawaiians hope that many elements of their heritage and culture will be able to survive on these islands filled with billionaires and millionaires from around the world who buy up all the property and only visit 2 weeks each year. This is just more liberal, politically correct interference, which can cause more problems than benefits.

    I enjoy your irreverent and witty comments on the stories of the day!

    ReplyDelete