Cultural IQ

Outgoing State Senator says PA General Assembly Would Support Slavery

What's remarkable is that Vince Fumo is white. Fumo is one of the most powerful politicans in Philly; he was my State Senator when I lived in the city. It should be noted that is Fumo, who is under indictment, has decided not to seek re-election. (Fumo told the Philadelphia Inqurier late Wednesday that he had been exaggerating to make a point.)

Fumo: Legislators would likely enact slavery

By Mario Cattabiani

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

In comments that stunned many who heard them, Sen. Vincent J. Fumo said yesterday that his colleagues in the General Assembly would support slavery if given the chance.

The remarks came during an Appropriations Committee hearing in Harrisburg on a bill that would define marriage as between a man and a woman – a measure Fumo opposes.

"What you are advocating here is that we take away the rights of a minority. And I don't think that's right," Fumo told Gilbert Coleman, Jr., senior pastor of Freedom Christian Bible Fellowship in Philadelphia, during the hearing. ". . . If we introduced a bill on slavery, it might pass. That doesn't make it right."

"I doubt that sir," responded Coleman, who testified in support of the measure.

"Oh, don't bet on it in this General Assembly," the Philadelphia Democrat shot back. "I know some people up here, especially on a secret ballot, it would be almost unanimous."

Read the story

Fumo's controversial remarks follow those by Gov. Ed Rendell stating that some conservative whites would not vote for a black candidate in PA.

The Power of One: A Mother's Tragedy Leads the Weary Flocks to Forgiveness

The late Arna Washington’s legacy was not the daughter she lost but the compassion and forgiveness she ultimately was able to show the man who killed her.

Her daughter Deirdra, known as DeDe to her family, was shot and killed after her date drove her to an apartment complex crawling with drug dealers. She was only 27.

Ron Flowers, the man convicted of the murder, would later tell Mrs. Washington, who lived in Houston, that Deirdra’s date wanted to get drugs but did not have money. The date was chased from the apartment complex, bullets were fired at him, and Deirdra was shot inside his car as it sped away.

Years later, when Flowers graduated from a Bible-based spiritual and moral transformation program in Texas, Mrs, Washington was in the audience to support him.  A prison ministry in her church eventually led her to a meeting with Flowers, and she forgave him, agreeing to serve as his “other mother.”

News stories about retribution shootings and payback violence abound. Away from the limelight, faith-based movements seek to create communities of healing, where victims of crimes, ex-offenders and relatives of ex-offenders can live side-by-side.

The Progressive National Baptist Convention, an association of Baptist churches throughout the world, is putting together a Family Freedom Kit, which is a resource package for pastors who increasingly need to minister to families suffering because they have been crime victims or have been separated from their loved ones who are in jail or prison.

Dr. Vigil A. Wood, chair of research development for the PNBC Commission on Social Justice and Prison Ministry, is spearheading a pilot campaign in Houston

to sign up churches. The Family Freedom Kit rollout is taking place in three cities:

Houston,Detroit and Richmond,Va.“We all want to do all we can to help the incarcerated members of our own church family members achieve a successful re-entry back into the family, the church and the community,” Dr. Wood said. “The Family Freedom Kit is being offered to those congregations willing to become part of a cluster of churches, which will help PNBC refine and finalize the kit as it is offered to congregations all across the country this fall.”

Mrs. Washington’s inspiring story of the power of forgiveness is profiled in the Family Freedom Kit, which will provide guidance to pastors on introducing the re-entry issues to the congregation, and offer recommendations and resources as they launch the ministry.

The rollout comes just weeks after President Bush signed the Second Chance Act of 2007 into law, which will provide additional federal dollars for programs that help former inmates find jobs, housing and a comprehensive network of support.

“The work of redemption reflects our values. It also reflects our national interests,” the president said. “Each year, approximately 650,000 prisoners are released from jail. Unfortunately, an estimated two-thirds of them are rearrested within three years. The high recidivism rate places a huge financial burden on taxpayers, it deprives our labor force of productive workers, and it deprives families of their daughters and sons, and husbands and wives, and moms and dads.”

The late Mrs. Arna Washington

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On Friday May 2 and Saturday May 3, TLC Jubilee and Catch the Spirit will host a two-day event at

St. John’s Downtown Church, 2019 Crawford. TLC Jubilee says it seeks to create a healing community, where victims and families of offenders can heal together, and all can lead productive lives. “Catch the Spirit is a unique community forum to discuss the problems within our criminal justice system and the trends that lead to the incarceration of particularly lower income and undereducated citizens,” said Reverend Marlon Smith. 

The goal is to lay the foundation to turn Houston into an inclusive community that accepts and supports all its citizens. A panel discussion titled “Confronting Incarceration: A New Civil Rights Challenge” kicks off the event at 7 p.m.Friday.  At 9 a.m.Saturday, a celebration and training workshop is scheduled. On May 3^rd, Rev. Homer Williams, former pastor of Blue Ridge United Methodist Church

in Houston, will be honored for his remarkable healing ministry, which helped to move the late Mrs. Washington to forgive Mr. Flowers. A-Rocket Moving Company of Houston will receive the Jubilee Exemplary Award.

Southern Poverty Law Center Report on Hate Groups: 2007

Sheriff's deputies gunned down by "Aryan" gangsters in Bastrop, La. Tax protesters with bombs arrested in New Hampshire. Gun-toting white supremacists marching in Jena, La. A police officer murdered in Salt Lake City. Nativist leaders demanding sniper teams and mines along the Mexican border. Calls for assassinating politicians, immigrants and Jews. Rapidly spreading racist conspiracy theories. The end of 2007 brought to a close another year marked by staggering levels of racist hate in America. Even as several major hate groups struggled to survive, other new groups appeared, and the radical right as a whole appeared to grow. The latest annual count by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) found that the number of hate groups operating in America rose to 888 last year, up 5% from 844 groups in 2006. That capped an increase of 48% since 2000 — a hike from 602 groups attributable to the exploitation by hate groups of the continuing debate about immigration. And it comes on top of some 300 other anti-immigration groups, about half listed by SPLC as "nativist extremist," formed in the last three years. At the same time, FBI statistics suggested that there was a 35% rise in hate crimes against Latinos between 2003 and 2006. Experts believe that such crimes are typically carried out by people who think they are attacking immigrants. Although there were some signs that nativist hatred may be starting to abate, you wouldn't know that by listening to the furious rants of many groups. "America is being destroyed from within by a modern version of Genghis Khan's army," the Emigration Party of Nevada, listed by the SPLC as a hate group, said. The group's leader, Don Pauly, wants to send government "sniper teams" to the border and forcibly sterilize Mexican women after a first child. "If the Jew government waits, and hell breaks out here in the USA, our citizens will not be asking to see any documentation," added Michael Blevins, the Florida state leader of the neo-Nazi American National Socialist Workers Party. "They will go after anyone they think an illegal alien based on race first." To read more, click here

When Truth Comes Knocking At Democracy's Door

Every time I hear reporters asking Barack Obama why he can't capture the blue-collar vote, I'm a bit puzzled. Funny, isn't it, that we can consider the same facts and yet reach conclusions that are poles apart?

Pennsylvania, my former residence, is a blue-collar state with a large number of senior citizens. People who live there like to say it consists of "Philadelphia and Pittsburgh on opposite ends, and Alabama in the middle." This humorous description covers up disturbing facts. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Pennsylvania has 33 hate or separatist organizations, including 5 KKK chapters and 5 Neo-Nazi groups. (Texas, by the way, has 67 hate groups; California has 80; New Jersey has 34, and Florida has 49: guess which candidate also won the popular vote in each of those states?)

So not many Pennsylvanians (certainly not the Governor) were surprised that exit polls found 13 percent of white Democratic voters said race was an important factor in their decision, and three-quarters of them casts ballots for Clinton. As you news hounds may recall, Governor Rendell said before the election that there were many conservative whites who would never vote for a black candidate: "You've got conservative whites here ... who are not ready to vote for an African American candidate. I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was -- well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking but white instead of black -- that instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so. I think there was that factor there. And that exists, but on the other hand, that's counterbalanced by Obama's ability to bring new voters into the electoral pool," Rendell said.

(Editor's note:Obama was not able to bring in the independents - a key constituency - becase they aren't allowed to vote in Pennsylvania state primaries. In addition, he battled against the gender voters. Twenty-one percent of Pennsylvania primary voters said the gender of a candidate was an important factor in how they voted. Clinton overwhelmingly won among those voters, 71 percent to 29 percent.)

Of course, we should assume that the percentage of voters who believe a candidate's race still matters - but declined to say so publicly - is much higher.  One might build a case, therefore, that racial prejudice gave Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign new energy with the big win in Pennsylvania, which is not a feat I'd want on my resume.

Truth just walked up behind us and tapped us on the shoulder: In this historic election where a black man and white woman are seeking the nation's top office, racists and sexists have a glorious opportunity to energize their cause by organizing and exerting political pressure.

A Republican consultant recently was quoted as saying that if Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, McCain will start the race with a 15 point advantage. That is because Republicans gleefully estimate 15 per cent of white voters won't support a black candidate.

America is holding the Super Bowl of politics. Yet, in this championship game, Team Obama has to punt from the goal line. While , in Pennsylvania, Team Clinton got to kick from the 9-yard line. So if Team Obama kick ends up 9-yards behind Clinton's team, is that a loss or a tie? If Team Obama's kick ends up at the same spot, is that a win or a tie?

Our opinion stems from our worldview, our principles, and the degree to which we are wedded to self-interest.

If people who harbor racial prejudices or gender issues seize this golden opportunity to become the "great decider" in 2008, what happens after the election when they approach the winning candidate for payback? Inadvertently, this historic campaign might end up empowering their cause.

A friend sent me a comment this morning from Dr. Maia Ajanaku:"If you reject him (Obama) it is not a matter of who will I vote for in the general election this Fall; it is, however, a matter of what shall I tell my children about staying in school and working hard at earning good grades in citizenship as well as academics?"

Even the winners in an election pay a price when the rules are not fair. The mothers and fathers trying to protect their children on the blood-stained streets in Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Houston know this all too well.  Their children are dropping out of the rat race, and using guns as a way to gain respect. Injustice will only fuel their fire.

Can we lure this lost generation back if this historic election is decided by super delegates who fear that the party might lose the votes of the racists in the general election?

Will we protect democratic principles or Democratic Party interests?

At lot is at stake, my friends. The calls made by Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama down the home stretch may determine whether Team America marches toward the goal line of justice, or gets thrown for a loss.

Aiding and Abetting the "Isms" Is It Not A Victimless Crime

                                                                                                                                                                       

You have a friend who is upset by the number of legal immigrants arriving from Mexico. Every time you see her, she is complaining about Spanish language TV, radio and the cultural influence. However, you are childhood friends so you decide to keep quiet. (Some of your best friends are Latino) Are you guilty of aiding and abetting uncitizenship-like behavior? Are you guilty of aiding and abetting in their crime?

You have a relative who constantly tears down women and undermines his female colleagues. You laugh at his stories and never scold him. You know he is guilty of sexual harassment but you cover up for him. Are you guilty of aiding and abetting sexism?

Every week, you watch the latest crime dramas on TV. You read all the blogs and join the the fan club. Yet when a shooter guns down people at the local mall you are appalled and wonder "What is the world coming to?" Are you guilty of aiding and abetting the culture of violence?

You sit on a jury that is deadlocked and can't reach a verdict. Your vacantion starts next week. For 5 days,  you have been stuck in a tiny room with strangers. The food is awful. You think the defendant is innocent. Your peers think he is guilty so you go along and give in. Are you guilty of aiding and abetting injustice?

You go out to dinner with your boss and his wife. The liquor is flowing and the mood is casual. Your boss, who is black, starts to complain about the white male workers. You are shocked but you say nothing. There is a big promotion coming up. You want it. Are you guilty of aiding and abetting prejudice?

After careful and sound deliberations, you find a candidate who excites you. Yet the candidate is fanning the flames of fear and appealing to folks who wear their prejudices on their sleeves. Exit polls show voters for whom the race of a candidate still matters are supporting your favorite in record numbers. Or that their supporters would never vote to place a woman in the top spot. However, the candidate never raises issues of justice, racism or sexism while with these groups. If we support a candidate (white or black) who is thriving as a direct result of prejudice or sexism, to what extent are we an accessory to injustice?

Racism, sexism and the culture of violence linger today because many good and decent people think that they are innocent so long as long as other people actually are committing the crimes. The fact that they were there is seen as terrible misfortune, not a result of dubious decisions they have made.

Aiding and abetting any person who engages in "isms" makes us an accomplice.  We can't defend ourselves by saying, "Your honor, I thought it was an awful thing for him or her to do. But I had no part."

Our sentence is a heavy one: Can we say that we are wholeheartedly committed to inclusion if we overlook injustice when it serves our interest?

Photo credit: www.Freefoto.com

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"They came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out.

Then they came for the socialists and the trade unionists, but I was not one of them, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not Jewish so I did not speak out.

And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me." --- Pastor Martin Niemoeller

Human Bridges that Span the Great Divides

Linda S. Wallace In Memphis, a political race has put the relationship between the African American and Jewish American communities to the test. Congressman Steve Cohen, who is Jewish, is battling anti-Semitism and racism in his battle for re-election in the 9th Congressional District.  For decades, the district had been represented by the Fords, a powerful and well-to-do African American family. First, Harold Ford represented the area, and then later his son, Harold Ford Jr. When Ford Jr. stepped down to run for U.S. Senate, Cohen threw his hat into the crowded political ring. He won the election and along with it the right to represent a predominantly African American district. Now up for re-election, Cohen is encountering pushbacks from many factions: an African American minister from outside the district who has circulated inflammatory anti-Semitic literature; and some African Americans who say only an African American person can represent the district. Sadly, in the city that lived through the horror of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, some are not judging Cohen by the content of his character, but rather by the color of his skin and his religion. These are the times that test the strength of interfaith relationships and outreach programs. Connections developed over years of coffee, kitchen-table dialogs and programs can not fall as long as there are human bridge builders who anchor us during the storms. To measure a city’s capacity to build for unity, one has to count the number of human connectors who toil, often in obscurity, to bridge the racial and religious divides.  It doesn’t require much skill to get in front of an angry crowd and fan the flames with fiery rhetoric. Courage and diplomacy are crucial if we step in front of the crowd and urge a return to compassion and reason. Memphis is fortunate to have that sane voice in the Tri-State Defender, the African American newspaper which is calling for a debate on economic issues in the 9th district – not on issues of religion or race. After the staff wrote a front-page story on the minister passing out anti-Semitic flyers (in which some fellow ministers criticized him), the minister began distributing vicious flyers aimed at the newspaper. Doing the right thing doesn’t always produce promising results in the short-term. But isn't that why we call them leaders. They are willing to move forward with their cause anyway. The Jewish community's leaders  (and newspaper) in Memphis need to step up now as well. This year, Jewish Americans are celebrating the 60th anniversary of Israel. So it's the perfect time to ask that community, which sought control of its political destiny with the creation of a Jewish state: Can you understand why African Americans also might wish to have their own members representing their interests? Is that a contradiction of faith? In the three months since I moved to Houston, I’ve been amazed at the sheer numbers of community connectors at work in Harris County. I attended a Jewish-African American-Seder organized by Pam Geyer at Bellaire’s Brith Shalom.  I’ve received invitations to a labor Seder and a Passover Seder for Darfur. I’ve had lunch with leadership of the Anti-Defamation League and others who are working to ensure that the cross cultural and interfaith bridges around them will remain secure and in good working order. The situation in Memphis, a city in which I lived and still am fond of, offers a valuable lesson for those of us working to forge deeper bonds between the Jewish and African American communities. The dialogues on race and healing; the Seders that invite us to share religious and cultural customs; and the interfaith partnerships and collaborations are so much more than just feel-good activities. They are wellness programs that emotionally healthy communities need to keep citizens safe when self-interest divides friends and neighbors.  It’s inevitable. At some point, repair work will be needed in every city. It is far too late then to ask: “Do we have the right crews and tools to get this job done?" So take a community builder to lunch this month. And say, "thanks."

Journalists to Newsroom Executives: You Must Do Better

   

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NABJ to Newsroom Leaders: You Must Do Better

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 15, 2008- The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) urges newsroom leaders to take new initiatives to offer staffs that reflect the diversity of our nation.

Staffing in the nation's newsrooms declined for the fourth consecutive year and efforts to bring diversity to reporting and editing teams remained a challenge according to the annual census released Sunday by the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) at their annual gathering in the nation's capital.

The number of newsroom employees in 2007 dropped by 2,400 jobs or 4.4 percent when compared with the previous year. Journalists of color left 300 positions, falling to 7,100, according to the 2008 census released at ASNE's annual convention in Washington, D.C.

But because of layoffs and hiring freezes, the percentage of journalists of color in daily newsrooms actually grew by a tiny margin, to 13.52% from 13.43% of all journalists. Blacks make up the largest number and percentage of journalists of color with 2,790 or 5.3 percent of the workforce, according to the survey.

That figure has remained near 13 percent for the last four years, illustrating that as the nation's minority population continues to rise at 36 percent, its newsrooms continue to fail that pace of diversity.

NABJ and ASNE have a shared goal of having the nation's newsrooms reflect the diversity of the general population. ASNE hoped to reach that goal eight years ago and later adjusted the timeline to 2025.

"The newspaper industry must stop treating diversity as just an effort, but a vital business imperative," said NABJ President Barbara Ciara. "These veiled attempts to convince journalists of colors otherwise fall on deaf ears as hundreds of our colleagues are forced out, leaving little to no opportunity for advancement. While we applaud the few newsrooms that are making a difference, more action and less promises need to be made."

"We have to find a way to equate diversity with excellence in our newsrooms," NABJ Secretary Deirdre M. Childress said in Washington following the release. "While we applaud newspapers and newsroom managers who make efforts in this area, we also need to look at new ways to prepare journalists of color for multi-media information centers and to keep them in journalism."

For the second year, ASNE applauded newsrooms that embraced diversity. Honored as Pacesetters will be The Grand Forks Herald because of newsroom parity with their community percentage; The El Paso Times for its overall increase in minority staffers; and the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group (West Covina, Calif.) for the largest increase in minority staffing in one year.

At the same time, ASNE reported 423 newspapers responded that they had no journalists of color.

The ASNE figures are reported by newspapers, which show a workforce of 52,598, consisting of 45,485 whites. The journalists of color include 2,790 blacks, 2,346 Hispanics, 1,692 Asian Americans and 284 Native Americans.

This Policy States the Next President Must Be White

The Tri-State Defender in Memphis had a story that every diversity advocate should read. An effort by the local teachers' association to promote diversity and inclusion is taking a lot of heat --- from African Americans. 

This story underscores why we need to gather together and hold thoughtful dialogues about these issues and policies. We have to trust (and expect) each other to do the thing that is best for all.

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Reginald Fentress

Reginald Fentress wants to succeed Yvonne B. Acey as president of the Memphis Education Association, and he is not willing to wait.  However, the Memphis Education Association board of directors has said he must. 

The board voted April 1 not to include Fentress’ name, or that of any other African-American candidate, on the ballot for the 2008-10 presidential term. Since Acey is African American, Fentress was ruled ineligible to run for the office because the next MEA president must be white.

“We voted to follow the bylaws,” said Acey.

According to bylaws formed when all-white and all-black teacher associations joined in the mid-1970s: “The position of president shall alternate from white to ethnic minority.” 

This means that when the president is white, then the vice-president is black, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian or Hispanic. Fentress is not interested in being vice-president, even though he is eligible to be a write-in candidate for that position.

The bylaws are antiquated, said Fentress, a fifth-grade teacher at Winchester Elementary School.

“We are forced to vote for people based on race. . . Teachers are not looking for color of skin.  They are looking for the best person to represent them,” he said.

When black and white associations joined in 1975, such language was deemed necessary to include in the bylaws to ensure minority representation. NEA once had similar guidelines to ensure diversity. Fentress said that now neither the state nor the national association has such stipulations in its bylaws.  NEA amended its policy in 1988 to comply with the Landrum-Griffin Act, a federal statute making it illegal to guarantee minority representation. 

To read more, click here:

10 Easy Ways to Have Really Bad Conversations

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This is a brief message to our presidential candidates. If you happen to know of a particular candidate that needs to read this, please forward the link to the campaign.

1)      Instead of seeking a discussion of facts or truth, shut down the conversation right away by announcing you take offense at a remark. This tactic makes you the center of attention. Communication now is focused on  your beliefs rather than on a discussion of the original speaker's statement. It is a verbal version of the old bait-and-switch routine. Use it as often as you can.

2)   Never ask open-ended questions to clarify another speaker's position and promote discovery. For example, you would never say: "I want to be certain that I understand your point. Am I restating your position correctly?"  Questions such as these remove you from the spotlight.

3)      Always attach labels to others and throw around words such as elitist, racist, conservative or liberal when describing them. This transforms conversations into chess games of defensive maneuvers. All productive communication shuts down, making dialogs a game of skill rather than an free exchange of  ideas and opinions.

4)      Don’t listen with the purpose of understanding another speaker’s intent.  Instead create confusion and misunderstanding by questioning their motives and explaining what they really meant.

5)      Call in the media in to provide around-the-clock interpretation and analysis. This is helpful to them as it serves to build larger audiences and help ratings.

6)       When responding to ideas you don't happen to agree with never EVER say: "That's an interesting take on the issue. However, I see it a bit differently. May I explain?"  After all, the purpose of communication is to gain power or seek a better position, not to better understand one another's backgrounds and cultural challenges.

 

7)      After a speaker admits making a mistake and offers you an apology, steadfastly refuse to move forward in the conversation.  The longer you stay in the spotlight, the more points you earn. If the public gets turned off, well, there are fewer votes to count on election day. You won't have to stay up so late.

8)      When discussing mistakes, never ever use yourself as an example. It is better to criticize opponents, critics or family members than to share your mistakes and life lessons. Parents use this tactic all the time. A parent who used drugs as a teen might say to his child: “Don’t use drugs because you might end up like Uncle Paulie. He's done awful things to this family.”

9)     Attack people who are not in the same room or same place as you. This is a good way to win an argument. OK, so It shuts down meaningful communication and creates opportunities for cultural tensions and unrest. Fortunately, you can then tell others, "We are in a real mess. I'm just the person to resolve these  problems." (This tactic works with humans as well as dogs, I've discovered. If dogs aren’t in the same room, they ignore you so you can always get the last word. Problem is the dog really wasn't listening, so it doesn't matter to her that you now think she has agreed to pick up her toys. )

10)  Whenever possible, focus the conversation on what’s wrong with (1) the world, 2) your family, 3) your neighbors or 4) the nation) rather than their strengths. If I held a dialog to discuss racial problems, a handful of people might show up. If we held a dialog to discuss how talented and intelligent cultural families might build a community where all have rights and possibilities, dozens, perhaps even hundreds might attend. So attack, attack, attack. If fewer people are in your discussion circle, you'll have more time to talk =======================================================================

For those of you prefer to know how to do this job right, check out my earlier post: Art of Communication

An Expensive Way to Learn About Your Customers

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Creative people have many ways of getting information that brings more opporrtunity and less drama into our lives.

We might engage in daily interactions with neighbors and colleagues. We might take cross-cultural classes in college. We might travel the world to better understand cultural differences. We might get into embarrassing cultural collisions and learn as a result of the penalties we pay.

What's interesting is that the last approach is ever so popular in a business world that is constantly cutting costs.

Sweden's Absolut Vodka is the latest company to be tripped up by a cultural deficit. It recently pulled an advertisement that showed portions of California  as being in Mexico.  The ad had a headline that read: In an Absolut World.

In the background were parts of an 19^th century map showing parts of what is now California as Mexican territory.

It's easy to understand why Mexicans might like it; and Americans might hate it.  What's harder to comprehend is whether Absolut executives ever considered  how fast news and messages travel facross the border. A number of American groups have since called for a boycott against Absolut.

"In no way was it meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues," Absolut said in a voice message on a consumer inquiry phone line

These corporate drama underscore the need for new cultural competencies in our global village -- where news travels faster than people on jets.

Let us all take a cue from the U.S. Army, which has emerged as a leading cultural competency educator. These U.S. Army skill sets are worth repeating and sharing again:

If Absolut executives knew what the US Army knows, their explosive advertisement might have been disarmed without collateral damange. You see, often the people with the most to lose (their lives) are the first to learn the lessons of survival.

U. S. Army description of Culturally Literate Soldiers :