The other day, my cousin told me that I owe the opportunities privilege that I enjoy today because of people like Jesse Jackson and Julian Bond.

He"s right.

I do owe them a debt of gratitude for the hard won battles of the past. I will admit however, that it was much easier back then. Back in the 50"s you knew who the enemy was. Nowdays I find myself threatened not by "The White Man" but by people of my own skin color and simply because I use Standard English am educated and, own a few nice things that education has allowed me to own.

I should have been a rap star.

Let me pose this question however, if Jesse is out having illegitimate children, Julian Bond is out being an ignorant black man , and Al Sharpton continues to breathe what to I owe these men besides my ire?

They represent me right?

They don't. They stopped representing me the minute their agenda deviated from furthering all black people to furthering "their kind" of black people: those for whom they can manipulate and keep down and keep donating.

I would like to think that there is room in the NAACP for black people who are not leftists, ditto for the Congressional Black Caucus. You and I both know there isn't. So why should I look at them for anything else but the embarrassment they are making themselves out to be? It sucks to have to settle some more sensitive people down and make them realize that I personally don't share their views so that they can have productive business relationships with me without fear of my acting like one of them.

So what do I owe them? Absolutely Nothing. They don't want me around anyway. Back in the 50"s you knew who was against you. Today however I have to wonder if its the NAACP and their minions who are opposing me, standing in front of me and calling me (house) nigger today.