← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Hilaire Belloc
Thread ID: 10377 | Posts: 17 | Started: 2003-10-09
2003-10-09 19:52 | User Profile
** [url]http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031009/ap_on_re_us/ghettopoly[/url]
Black Leaders Outraged at Board Game
By BILL BERGSTROM, Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA - Cheap Trick Avenue instead of Boardwalk? Hernando's Chop Shop instead of Reading Railroad?
Black leaders are outraged over a new board game called "Ghettopoly" that has "playas" acting like pimps and game cards reading, "You got yo whole neighborhood addicted to crack. Collect $50."
Black clergymen say the game, the brainchild of a Pennsylvania man, should be banned, and have called for a boycott of Urban Outfitters unless the company stops selling Ghettopoly in its chain of clothing stores.
Urban Outfitters has not publicly commented on the issue, and did not return a call seeking comment on Wednesday.
"If we are silent on this issue there is more of this type to come," the Rev. Robert P. Shine Sr., president of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity, said at a sidewalk rally Wednesday in front Urban Outfitters' corporate headquarters in Philadelphia.
Shine displayed the game board, with properties including Westside Liquor, Harlem, The Bronx, and Long Beach City, and squares labeled Smitty's XXX Peep Show, Weinstein's Gold and Platinum, and Tyron's Gun Shop.
Players draw "Hustle" and "Ghetto Stash" cards with directions like, "You're a little short on loot, so you decided to stick up a bank. Collect $75," and "Steal $$$ if you pass Let$ Roll."
The creator of Ghettopoly, David Chang, did not immediately answer e-mails or phone calls seeking comment about the game.
On his Web site, Chang is unapologetic, and promises that more games — Hoodopoly, Hiphopopoly, Thugopoly and Redneckopoly — are coming soon.
"It draws on stereotypes not as a means to degrade, but as a medium to bring together in laughter," Chang maintains, adding, "If we can't laugh at ourselves ... we'll continue to live in blame and bitterness."
But the Ghettopoly board depicts figures labeled "Malcum X" and "Martin Luthor King Jr." — intentionally misspelled — noted Rev. Glenn Wilson, pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.
"This is beyond making fun, to use the caricature of Dr. King in this regard," Wilson said. "There's no way that game could be taken in any way other than that this man had racist intent in marketing it."
The Philadelphia black clergy and Men United for a Better Philadelphia were just the latest to protest the game. In Chicago, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church, called for a boycott of Urban Outfitters. In Florida, the St. Petersburg and Hillsborough County chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (news - web sites) urged the company to stop carrying the game.
"I was outraged. We called Outfitters, we wrote them a letter, we held a press conference, but we've had no response," Pfleger said Wednesday.
On the Net: Ghettopoly: [url]http://www.ghettopoly.com[/url] **
We should all buy this game! :lol: :lol:
2003-10-09 20:46 | User Profile
LOL! That's awesome.
Black clergymen say the game, the brainchild of a Pennsylvania man, should be banned...
Screw them. Where in the hell did they get the idea that something should be banned just because it offends them? If they don't like that game, then they don't have to buy it.
2003-10-09 20:58 | User Profile
[QUOTE=perun1201] Black clergymen say the game, the brainchild of a Pennsylvania man, should be banned, [/QUOTE]
Looks to me like they simply have trouble accepting an accurate depiction of the kind of existence that most "African-Americans" lead. I am buying that game :pimp: :lol:
2003-10-10 01:04 | User Profile
As the article itself said: ** On his Web site, Chang is unapologetic, and promises that more games — Hoodopoly, Hiphopopoly, Thugopoly and Redneckopoly — are coming soon. **
So clearly this guy isn't only making fun of blacks, hes even making one making fun of "rednecks".
** "It draws on stereotypes not as a means to degrade, but as a medium to bring together in laughter," Chang maintains, adding, "If we can't laugh at ourselves ... we'll continue to live in blame and bitterness." **
So clearly this guy had no real "racist" intent with the game. He just wants the blacks to laugh at themselves.
2003-10-10 01:10 | User Profile
Weinstein's Gold and Platinum
Well, here comes Foxman...
2003-10-10 01:52 | User Profile
[QUOTE=wintermute]You keep repeating, 'this guy . . . this guy'. Why not give his name?
It's David Chang.
Wintermute[/QUOTE]
Ok.........sorry.
2003-10-10 02:30 | User Profile
[QUOTE=wintermute]Didn't mean to be abrupt, P. No need to apologize.
I was just trying to make a point of the ethnicity of the game's designer. I think it's important.
Wintermute[/QUOTE]
Oh, ok. For a moment I thought you're totally pissed at me. Sorry I'm still recovering from the Berdyaev quote incident.
2003-10-10 08:03 | User Profile
On his Web site, Chang is unapologetic, and promises that more games -- Hoodopoly, Hiphopopoly, Thugopoly and Redneckopoly -- are coming soon.
Aren't the first 3 kind of redundant? Why not make a game called Negropoly and be done with it. And Redneckopoly? How about Chinkopoly? How would you like that, Chang? The object is to fill the neighborhood with as many seedy Chinese restaurants as you can, while trying to avoid getting fined and/or closed by the Board of Health and the ASPCA.
2003-10-10 09:49 | User Profile
Chang hasnââ¬â¢t tackled the golden rule. When he produces Shmuelopoly Iââ¬â¢ll be impressed. Some example cards spring to mind:
Blockbuster Youââ¬â¢ve ruined a goy neighbourhood; receive a slum tenement for free! Collect 50 shekels from each shmuck. Vaht a country!
Embezzlement Oy! Your less than regular business dealings have been uncovered. Go directly to Israel, do not pass go, do not collect 200 shekels.
2003-10-10 09:56 | User Profile
[QUOTE=na Gaeil is gile]Chang hasnââ¬â¢t tackled the golden rule. When he produces Shmuelopoly Iââ¬â¢ll be impressed. Some example cards spring to mind:
Blockbuster Youââ¬â¢ve ruined a goy neighbourhood; receive a slum tenement for free! Collect 50 shekels from each shmuck. Vaht a country!
Embezzlement Oy! Your less than regular business dealings have been uncovered. Go directly to Israel, do not pass go, do not collect 200 shekels.[/QUOTE]
LMFAO!
2003-10-10 12:45 | User Profile
It wouldn't be the first time a game has been made along these lines. I used to have one called "Public Assistance." It was received as well as this one has been.
2003-10-10 14:05 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Kurt] How about Chinkopoly? .[/QUOTE]
Kurt, you beat me to it!! I was thinking the same exact thing.
Examples:
[B]You just inherited a dry cleaning service. Collect 100 dollar.
You are now the owner of a brothel in Chinatown. Collect 200 dollar and Go.[/B]
2003-10-11 00:24 | User Profile
[B]Your Grandmother just started receiving her SSI checks, collect $500 a month for the rest of her life. Your neighbor moved out and abandoned his pets. Free lunch
2003-10-11 03:51 | User Profile
Hannity and Colmes had Colmes and an Outraged African-American talking to Chang over the phone. When Chang pointed out (quite reasonably, I thought) that rappers talk about this stuff all the time, Mr. O.A.A. said, "But they don't show Martin Luthor King grabbing his crotch and yelling, 'I gots to get me some.'"
:shocking: The horror! What a vile calumny against the sainted Doctor, who as we all know, was as renowned for his virtue as for his scholarship.:lol::pimp::lol:
2003-10-12 17:29 | User Profile
If he [I]would [/I] invent Gookopoly he'd be inviolate from all these outraged tree-climbers. Of course he'd have the Charlie Chan protestors on his ass, but I think even they would understand that if that's the price of enjoying GHETTOPOLY,so be it.
[B]In Chicago, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church, called for a boycott of Urban Outfitters. [/B]
Sadly, this is that self-hating white chimp-hugger who periodically makes national-story appearances thanks to his 'championing' of the homeboys.
[QUOTE] [url]http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=4548[/url]
Horowitz's Notepad: Race Card Wins Again By David Horowitz FrontPageMagazine.com | June 8, 2001
The following is a letter I received from a Chicago reader of FrontPageMagazine.com.
Welcome to urban America in the 21st Century:
[Text of letter begins]
Last week, representatives of Chicago's Southside Catholic Conference held a blind vote, the result of which denied admission of the St. Sabina School to its athletic league of 21 grammar schools.
The vote was close, 11-9, but most of the schools voting against admission were concerned about the safety of children going into St. Sabina's neighborhood, which has a high crime rate (the statistics can be found on the Chicago Police web site at [url]http://www.cityofchicago.org/CommunityPolicing[/url] where you can conveniently display the crime stats for the area around the school).
In Evergreen Park, where several of the conference schools come from, there was one murder, seven assaults and 23 robberies in 1999, the most recent annual crime statistics available. That same year, there were 30 murders, 1,877 assaults and 1,208 robberies in the district in which St. Sabina sits, according to the Chicago Police Department.
In response to the vote, the pastor of St. Sabina's Church, Reverend Michael Pfleger cried "racism."
An article from the Chicago Tribune on June 2nd by Rick Morrissey ("Rev. Pfleger plays race card, and kids lose" at [url]http://chicagosports.com/columnists/content/column/0,2007,153149,00.html[/url]) summarizes the situation nicely: "If those white parents were worried that their children somehow would come to harm in his neighborhood, then they must be racist, he reasoned. Never mind that Pfleger's foster son was killed tragically by stray gang gunfire in the neighborhood. Pfleger says those things can happen anytime, anyplace. Never mind that crime statistics show otherwise."
Yesterday in the Chicago Tribune, there is an article ("2nd Sabina vote urged" at ([url]http://chicagotribune.com/news/metro/chicago/article/0,2669,SAV-0106060264,FF.html[/url]) which states that pastors from the schools involved "will push for a new vote--and this time, not a blind vote--next week." The pastors also intend to involve Sister Anita Baird, head of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office for Racial Justice.
Dare we guess the outcome of this proposed new, non-blind vote?
[B]PS:The result of the second, non-blind, round of voting was 20-0 in favor of admitting St. Sabina.[/B][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]http://catholiccitizens.org/press/pressview.asp?c=4213
Pro-Abort Rev. Al Sharpton Uses Pulpit at St. Sabina's to Blast President Bush As Pro-Life Catholics Picket Outside 2/10/2003 3:49:00 AM By Karl Maurer - Catholic Citizens of Illinois
Al Sharpton: Pro-abortion man of God As pro-life protests go, the demonstration on Chicago's south side Sunday morning was a familiar sight. American flags fluttered in the morning sun. Roman Catholics recited the Rosary, a series of prayers and meditations on the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Protesters held signs with pictures of Jesus and babies, some with captions like, "choose the gift of life." It was a familiar routine for pro-life demonstrators, but there were a few factors that made this protest unusual.
First of all, it was freezing. With temperatures in the teens, and wind gusts of 20 to 30 miles an hour coming off Lake Michigan, the subzero wind chill factor was enough to send even the most winter-hardened Chicagoan scrambling for shelter. In spite of the brutal cold, the protestors stood outside for over an hour. Secondly, this protest didn't take place at an abortion clinic, but on the front steps of a Roman Catholic Church (St. Sabina's Catholic Church, Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor) as pro-abortion, Democratic presidential candidate Rev. Al Sharpton spoke inside during the regularly scheduled 11:15 a.m. Mass service.
The protest was prompted by a series of events set in motion by a February 5, Chicago Sun-Times report that Rev. Pfleger had invited Democratic presidential candidate and Pentecostal minister Rev. Al Sharpton to speak during Mass. This created several problems for local, faithful Catholics and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.
Firstly, Sharpton is pro-abortion and the Archdiocese of Chicago has a long-standing policy that pro-abortion candidates are not, under any circumstances, allowed to use Church property. This policy was explained to State Senator Patrick O'Malley by Cardinal George himself (see 'Chicago Catholics Outraged at Cardinal George Refusal to Stop Pro-Abortion Rev. Al Sharpton from Appearing at St. Sabina's', [url]www.catholiccitizens.org[/url], Friday, February 07, 2003.)
Secondly, IRS rules clearly stipulate that religious groups can jeopardize their tax-exempt status by hosting political events (e.g. the Clinton administration levied a huge fine against a Protestant church that was overtly involved in politics, then closed and auctioned off the church to pay the fine!) Father Pfleger has repeatedly and routinely given the pulpit over to liberal and Democratic political activists in a way that jeapordizes the tax status of not only St. Sabina's, but the entire Archdiocese. The IRS penalties, interest and fines related to 20 years of lost tax revenues resulting from a revocation of St. Sabina's tax exempt status would be millions and millions of dollars based prior cases.
Lastly, Roman Catholic Canon Law -- the rules that govern the Catholic Church -- clearly stipulates that the homily during a Catholic Mass must be preached by a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon. Laymen, especially laymen who aren't Catholic, are precluded from giving a homily.
Sharpton also hauls a lot of baggage. Last week, Jim Bowman of Blithe-spirit.com reported, "Rev. Sharpton, who supports the right to abort a baby, has a checkered past. He gained national fame when he vigorously espoused the cause of a New York woman who falsely claimed that some policemen had raped her and has never admitted he was wrong."
Sharpton told Sun-Times reporter Cathleen Falsani during her interview with him that this was his first time preaching in a Catholic church. "The comfort," however, "is that Father Pfleger is a different kind of a Catholic priest," he said. Different, indeed.
Throughout the week, as the controversy escalated, Rev. Pfleger refused to comment, referring people to comments he had made to the Sun-Times in the prior week. "He (Sharpton) is going to talk about civil rights and black history," said Pfleger. "One of the reasons we have invited Rev. Sharpton, is seemingly the at-home issues of poverty and homelessness and racism and healthcare are not just on the back burner, they're not even being addressed." Sounding more like a political communications director than a pastor, Pfleger went on to say, "While we're obsessed with overseas terrorism, we've kind of ignored the terrorisms we have had here long before September 11."
When asked by the Sun-Times two weeks ago about the political nature of his views, and the potential controversy his appearance would provoke, Rev. Sharpton said he intended to preach about "putting the war in Iraq, as well as the domestic fights around the economy and affirmative action, in a historical context. In my studies of the Bible, people were always challenged by learning and studying history."
Chicago Catholics reacted to the Sun-Times reports earlier in the prior week by flooding the Archdiocese with angry calls and emails demanding that Francis Cardinal George intercede and cancel the appearance.
Finally, late on Friday afternoon, the Cardinal issued a press release indicating his support for the celebration of Black History Month, but that he "does not approve of the invitation because of the Rev. Sharpton's present political candidacy and his pro-abortion stance." In spite of the fact that the Sharpton visit was in violation of Canon Law, IRS regulations, and his own diocesan policy on pro-abortion speakers, Cardinal George's press statement concluded by saying that "making a case of this invitation at this time would be a futile gesture and a waste of effort."
Catholic, pro-life leaders expressed shock and outrage over the Cardinal's refusal to cancel Sharpton's appearance and his defeatist attitude.
Chicago Archdiocese parishioner Tina Mahar left several messages with the Archdiocese and recieved no response. "This is a clear violation of Canon Law," noted Mahar. "Al Sharpton should not be speaking ANY time in ANY Catholic Church!"
Bill Beckman, also a Roman Catholic and Executive Director of Illinois Right to Life was equally outraged. In a letter to Cardinal George, Beckman pointed out that Pfleger's conduct was clearly in contradition to the policies the Cardinal had assured Senator O'Malley were in place. "This subject was raised previously," said Beckman. Beckman went on ask who was running the Archdiocese, George or Pfleger? "Who is in charge of whom? What is so difficult about requiring that Al Sharpton appear in the parish hall AFTER Mass, consistent with norms you cite? How can that be a "futile gesture and a waste of effort'?"
Mary Anne Hackett, President of Catholic Citizens of Illinois, was also disappointed. "The comment, 'this is a futile gesture and a waste of effort' is outrageous! I can only hope that Cardinal George has been misquoted. But I can tell you for every baby killed because of Al Sharton's position on abortion, it is not a waste of effort. For every Catholic pro-lifer who expects some moral leadership from the Church, it is not a waste of effort. For every Catholic pro-abortion politician headed for Hell, it is not a waste of effort. We want this pro-abortion preaching in our Catholic Churches to stop. It is already 30 years late."
Chicago based Coalition to Share the Truth (CST) issued a press release critical of Sharpton's abortion record. "He was honored by NARAL Pro-Choice America at their Washington DC 'celebration' of the Roe vs. Wade (anniversary) in January." The release also noted that Sharpton responded to pro-life protesters at that event by saying that he normally did not cross picket lines, but was happy to cross the pro-lifers' picket line. According to the release, Sharpton then taunted the protesters, saying, "the Christian Right needs to meet the right Christians."
The CST release went on to list the statistics on abortions. "Black Americans make up 13% of the population, yet 33% of abortions are performed on black women. These numbers are tantamount to genocide and the leaders in the Black community should be up in arms."
Meanwhile, as the protest went on outside, the parishioners of St. Sabina's were literally up in arms, hands swaying to Gospel music, as Rev. Pfleger led them in spirited song prior to Mass. One of the pro-life protesters who went inside and reported "they were jumping up and down singing like it was some kind of charismatic revival meeting. The place was packed, but it wasn't like any Catholic ceremony I've ever seen."
The protest outside was peaceful and prayerful. Two dozen representatives came from Catholic Citizens of Illinois, the Catholic Archdiocesan Respect Life Office, the Pro-Life Action League, Illinois Right to Life, and Bremen-Orland Citizens of Life.
Upon arriving at St. Sabina's at 10:30 a.m., demonstrators were 'welcomed' by three tough guys who emerged from St. Sabina's and appeared to be security guards. The men, who did not identify themselves, pointed out that the protesters were trespassing on Catholic Church property, and demanded that the entire group move from the sidewalk in front of the Church to an area across the street. When several of the protesters responded that they were Catholics, and weren't going to move, the Chicago police were called. Immediately upon their arrival, the police informed the protestors and security guards that Rev. Pfleger did not want the protestors interfered with.
The demonstrators proceeded to hand out hundreds of pro-life handbills as parishioners began to arrive for the morning service. Several parishioners yelled back to the protesters that "it's a woman's right to choose!" or "who's gonna take care of the babies?" At one point, several parishioners confronted the protesters, who were white, as anti-black racists. The altercation fizzled after the pro-life protesters responded that Jesus Christ died for all humanity, regardless of skin color.
The Sharpton controversy was front-page news in the Saturday Sun-Times, and drew a large media contingent. Local affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, WGN and FOX TV covered Sharpton's speech and the protest. On-line news service [url]www.illinoisleader.com[/url] was also represented.
As expected, Sharpton was allowed to use the pulpit during the Mass, and as expected, he delivered a highly charged political speech. Excerpts were carried on local news stations during the Sunday evening news. The news anchors at those stations also pointing out that Cardinal George had objected to the appearance due to Sharpton's political standing and pro-abortion views.
Sharpton was bitterly critical of George W. Bush's foreign and domestic policies, and even criticized Bush's father, George H. Bush. Sharpton accused the president of ignoring domestic problems and waging a war with Iraq that few in America wanted.
Reporting on the event inside St. Sabina's, Illinois Leader ([url]www.illinoisleader.com[/url]) said today, "Pfleger inferred during his introduction of Sharpton that the controversy had to do with race, saying, 'Contrary to a lot of people’s views, I think it makes sense that a black man should talk to black people during Black History Month'."
The Illinois Leader also reported that "during his speech, Sharpton expressed admiration for Pfleger's defiance, saying, 'He's been persistent, he's been courageous, and he's refused to bow to the powers that be.' Regarding protesters, "Pfleger said he was glad (they) came, and glad they were standing up for life, but wished 'they would have marched with us earlier against white supremacists and when the Catholic Churches kicked us out of their league', referring to a time when St. Sabina was denied membership in the Southside Catholic Conference, disallowing the St. Sabina basketball team from competing against the other parochial schools in the conference."
Pfleger also referred to "hundreds" of emails and calls he received "of hate and threats," but said he loved those people anyway, adding that those who sent the messages "are going to have to answer for that some day."
"I also know that if Martin Luther King was alive today and going to speak," said Pfleger, "They would oppose him, too."
Pfleger affirmed that he was pro-life but said his concern was not just "in the womb, it's in the classroom and the boardroom. You gotta take care of them after they come into the world, 'til they leave the world."
Like Pfleger, Sharpton began his remarks by acknowledging the pro-life protest. "We may be on different sides of the pro-life/pro-choice question. But one thing we can agree on is that it is a sin not to love me after I'm here and not to love me 'til I die"
Sharpton went on to criticize President George Bush for focusing on Iraq and not North Korea. "Why are we going where we're trying to find weapons when we already know where there are weapons"
Sharpton also accused the President of taking advantage of "preferences" to get into college, due to his influential family, yet attempting to deny blacks the same advantage. President Bush recently spoke out against the University of Michigan for using racial quotas to determine the composition of its student population.
About the elusive, perhaps dead, Osama bin Laden, Sharpton said, "Explain to me why the CIA with all the pictures they take can't find one criminal in Baghdad."
Sharpton also criticized the black community for falling prey to Hollywood’s portrayal of it. "Women aren't 'ho's' and 'b****es!," said Sharpton, to applause.
(To see a live Webcast of Sharpton's remarks, go to St. Sabina's web site at [url]www.saintsabina.org[/url].)
But it all came back to abortion the Illiois Leader reports. "God didn't tell us to preach against abortion. He told us to preach the Gospel," said parishioner Andrew Lopez. Added his pregnant wife Elizabeth, "We're against abortion too, but everyone has their own choice." (No need to wonder what Father Pfleger teaches in his pre-cana program.)
(For additional coverage of the protest, see [url]www.illinoisleader.com[/url])
If he were to win the Democratic nomination for president, Sharpton would face incumbent President George W. Bush, who is pro-life. The current Bush administration has demanded a ban on late term, 'partial birth' abortions. Bush has also proposed that unborn babies be recognized as citizens entitled to health benefits. This controversial proposal makes an end run around Roe vs. Wade by recognizing unborn babies as American citizens owed equal protection of their Constitutional rights to life and liberty.
As if having pro-abortion speakers at the pulpit giving homilies was a common occurrence, Rev. Pfleger displayed feigned shock for the cameras on Sunday prior to services. Claiming that the opposition all happened suddenly, and Sharpton's announced candidacy came long after he was invited, Pfleger compared Sharpton's Black History Month invitation to last February's speaker, South African Bishop Desmond Tutu. However, the differences between the pro-abortion, racially charged politics of Sharpton, and the peaceful, Christian spirituality of Tutu are substantial.
As the protest concluded, members of the CST called on Rev. Pfleger to clear up the confusion caused by inviting Sharpton to address the congregation at St. Sabina's, particularly in light of the Vatican's recent guidelines, which have clearly indicated that no Catholic politician can be 'pro-choice' when that choice means taking an innocent life through abortion. CST spokesman Joe Scheidler said, "Father Pfleger needs to make it crystal clear that his parishioners cannot vote for a candidate who espouses a pro-abortion agenda."
Rev. Pfleger has given his pulpit to other pro-abortion speakers before, including singer Harry Belafonte this year on Sunday, January 20, when Belafonte chastised Bush for being pro-life and threatening a "woman's right to an abortion."
Pfleger has also hosted Black Muslim firebrand Louis Farrakhan, ridiculer of the Pope and castigator of Judaism as "a gutter religion."
Rev. Pfleger was at the center of contraversy in 2001 over St. Sabina's membership in a Catholic athletic league. Pfleger accused suburban Catholic schools of being racist when they voted not to admit St. Sabina's due to safety concerns traveling into high crime areas of Chicago in the evenings with bus loads of children and young adults.
Buckling to media pressure Cardinal George demanded St. Sabina's be admitted to the league or suburban Catholic schools would suffer repercussions. Later, when the crime statistics -- in particular the murder rates -- for the area surrounding St. Sabina's were made public, the leaders of several suburban Catholic schools let it be known that they were going to opt for the repercussions rather than endanger their students. In the midst of this, Rev. Pfleger suddenly and unexpectedly withdrew St. Sabina's from the Catholic athletic league.
Last year, Rev. Pfleger was given a short term extension of his term at St. Sabina's after he threatened to leave the priesthood if he was transferred from St. Sabina's. Rotation of Catholic pastors to new parishes is standard practice in most Catholic dioceses across the country. On average, pastors serve 5 to 10 years in one parish before moving on to their next assignment. Rev. Pfleger has been at St. Sabina's for 22 years, since 1981.
What Cardinal George will do next as a result of Sharpton's appearance is unclear. He has already suggested to the media that Rev. Pfleger consider a career change. Many observers believe Pfleger is trying to provoke a showdown with the Cardinal, giving him no choice but to relieve him. Pfleger has already indicated that he would seriously consider leaving the priesthood if he were transferred from St. Sabina's. After publicity generated by Pfleger's latest stunt this weekend, the Cardinal may now be ready to take him up on his offer.
Rev. Pfleger's biography is located at St. Sabina's website, [url]www.saintsabina.org[/url]. "As a minister, Father Pfleger has sought to break down the walls of racism and denominationalism by building unity among all people founded on truth and based on Jesus' command to love one another. This holy calling has led him to be a parent, a preacher, a teacher, a lecturer, and an activist."
St. Sabina's website describes its mission as a "word-based, Bible teaching church that believes in the power of praise and worship. We are a spiritual hospital where all are welcome and invited to 'taste and see the goodness of the Lord." Our purpose is to nurture and develop spiritually mature Christians who are not confined by the walls of the sanctuary, but can penetrate the world in order to present God's way of living as a divine option."
St. Sabina's website also includes a calendar of events, for those interested in future speakers. [/QUOTE]
2003-10-14 01:19 | User Profile
[B]'Ghettopoly' Is What Happens When Hip-Hop Is Celebrated [/B] By [B]Mary Mitchell[/B] [B]Chicago Sun-Times[/B] [B]10-13-3[/B]
"How can black people be outraged over a board game when black superstars have gotten rich by promoting those same stereotypes? These performers aren't boycotted. They are worshipped."
By the time I called Urban Outfitters on Rush Street to find out if they had any more "Ghettopoly" games on their shelves, they had sold out.
"I'll have to put you on the waiting list," the clerk told me.
"How long is the list?"
"It's a two-week wait."
I tried another Urban Outfitters, this one at 2352 N. Clark.
"We've got a pretty long waiting list," the clerk said.
Either the clerks were lying, or consumers rushed down to Urban Outfitters to purchase the controversial board game the morning after WLS-Channel 7's Charles Thomas reported that the retailer was selling "Ghettopoly" at its chain stores.
The game is a takeoff on Monopoly. But as Thomas reported, instead of a top hat, cane and mustache, the Ghettopoly guy is a "thuggish, bandana-wearing black man with bug eyes, peering over dark glasses. He clenches a marijuana cigarette, holding an Uzi in one hand and a bottle of malt liquor in the other."
Game cards include ghetto stash and hustle cards, a loan shark tray, 40 crack houses, 17 projects, pink slip cards and seven game pieces (Pimp, Hoe, 40 oz, Machine Gun, Marijuana Leaf, Basket Ball and Crack) and counterfeit money.
The fallout from activists in the black community over the board game has been fast and furious.
"It is not only insulting and ignorant, but it's shameful. I'd like to get ahold of the person who is behind it because this is something that should be stopped... It promotes the absolute worst of racism. It's racial pornography. It takes the worst element of race and prejudice and begins to glorify it and raise it up," the Rev. Michael Pfleger told the Chicago Defender.
Getting to the person responsible for "Ghettopoly" won't be easy because the company is apparently running its operation from an Internet site. Phone calls are being handled by an automated voice-mail system. The Web site also advertised other games such as "Hoodopoly" and "Redneckopoly."
Allegedly, the company's owner got his idea for "Ghettopoly" from watching hip-hop videos.
"Well, I'm just not shopping at Urban Outfitters anymore," my saucy 24-year-old daughter told me with fire in her eyes.
"Is this really any worse than the 'Ghetto Prom' images that are being circulated on the Internet?" I asked.
"I knew you'd say that," she snapped. "As far as I'm concerned, that's where the game should have stayed."
Although Ghettopoly.com owner David T. Chang is shielded by the Internet, Urban Outfitters should feel the heat for distributing the offensive game. By the way, the PR specialist for Urban Outfitters did not return repeated phone calls about this subject.
I am more dismayed than angry. Still, this game may turn out to be a good way to show black children how the denigrating, violent and downright nasty hip-hop lyrics they soak up like sponges have tainted the perception of what black Americans are about.
Chang did his homework.
The symbols found in "Ghettopoly" are an accurate reflection of what hip-hop heroes are selling to White America. Ironically, people are outraged about Urban Outfitters' selling a foul board game, but few people of influence seem to care that every record store in America is selling music that glorifies the very stereotypes the game promotes.
How can black people be outraged over a board game when black superstars have gotten rich by promoting those same stereotypes? These performers aren't boycotted. They are worshipped.
There's something else that is sad about all this.
At one point, black people in the media thought they had buried the word ghetto, along with "colored," "Negro," and the "n" word. Many of us made a conscious effort to replace ghetto with "inner city" or "urban center" because we believed ghetto was a bigoted catch-all for black neighborhoods.
That effort was thrown back in our faces as a younger generation paraded ghetto before the world as if being impoverished and stuck in a crime-ridden area was the new status symbol.
Victor Trotter, a reader in Naperville, appears to have a clear understanding of why black people have themselves to blame for the bold marketing of these negative stereotypes:
"It starts with the subject of money," he said in an e-mail. "We pass on an extremely high value of money to our children. They grow up thinking that it is the ONLY thing important. That sets them up to do ANYTHING for money. When the record companies tell a talented artist that they only want music with degrading lyrics . . . they make it. Now the stations are flooded with this poisonous music. The record companies not only rake in huge amounts of money, they get the 'rush' of negatively influencing a whole generation of youth."
The guy who created "Ghetto-poly" is a lot like those record executives.
Only now, real black people aren't needed to play the game.
Copyright 2003, Digital Chicago Inc.
[url]http://www.suntimes.com/output/mitchell/cst-nws-mitch05.html[/url]
2003-10-14 22:49 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Stanley]Hannity and Colmes had Colmes and an Outraged African-American talking to Chang over the phone. When Chang pointed out (quite reasonably, I thought) that rappers talk about this stuff all the time, Mr. O.A.A. said, "But they don't show Martin Luthor King grabbing his crotch and yelling, 'I gots to get me some.'"
:shocking: The horror! What a vile calumny against the sainted Doctor, who as we all know, was as renowned for his virtue as for his scholarship.:lol::pimp::lol:[/QUOTE]
There was a black made movie "Booty Call" had something like this in it actually.
And there have been several other versions of monopoly that made fun of ghetto blacks over the years.