Jim Brown & Me, The Serious Dangers of AI, UN Critical of US Police Brutality, Gangs in the Sheriffs Dept., Ted Cruz Investigates Beer, Laura Ingraham Won't Apologize, Paul Simon Sings
Jim Brown & Me, The Serious Dangers of AI, UN Critical of US Police Brutality, Gangs in the Sheriffs Dept., Ted Cruz Investigates Beer, Laura Ingraham Won't Apologize, Paul Simon Sings
kareem.substack.com
My take on news, pop culture, sports, and whatever else interests me.
Dear Mr Abdul-Jabbar, you state that Ted Cruz has adopted the role of a scarecrow. I believe you could also place him in the roles of The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as he lacks a heart, a brain and courage.
So glad I subscribe and that I got to know a bit of the man behind “The Sky Hook.”
I always look forward to these e-mails. Thanks. One correction: Carl Stokes became mayor of Cleveland, not Detroit. Ted Cruz and “Dumb Stuff” are synonymous. Laura Ingraham: ugh. One of my favorite YouTube pastimes is watching sports highlights from the 60s-early 80s. Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Jim Taylor and Dick Butkus are my NFL-viewing favorites.
I read Becoming Kareem about a year ago, so I knew the Cleveland Summit was not just a "rubber stamp" Committee in support of Muhammad Ali. I was one of the poor whites who were drafted and served in '67 and '68. You would have thought the population of the USA was more than 50% black if you went by the amount of black men I was with in basic training and radio operators school. Stationed in Ft Jackson, SC I came down on orders to go to Nha Trang, Vietnam. My brother, who had enlisted in the Marines months before I was drafted, was already in Vietnam. I didn't want to go, and my mother certainly didn't want another son there. The Lt. Colonel I worked under recommended I not go and put in an exemption form for me. He had been there for 2 tours, lost an eye on his second tour, and was really only at brigade headquarters for a few months, to muster out. My brother got back wounded but alive 3 months later. Muhammad Ali and all who protested against the war, had it right from the beginning. Social justice leaders like Jim Brown, Bill Russell, yourself and those at the summit had the courage to come to this conclusion. How ridiculous for black men to fight for a country who did not accept them as equals. The thought of killing another human being is abhorrent to me, just as is war.
I highly recommend Bill Russell:Legend on Netflix. He was someone who could definitely get right to the heart of an issue, as was Jim Brown. Thank you for your writing.
Outstanding Kareem, from the very first word to the last. Thank you! 🙏 And yes, the dog video is a great metaphor. The song selection prompted me to read the lyrics for the very first time. Genius indeed.
Last night I saw Take 6 @ a local jazz club here in Seattle. Their rendition of Stevie Wonder’s Overjoyed made my heart sing & their positivity was what we all needed…in the same way, whenever I read your newsletters, there is darkness, sadness & oh, sometimes such despair for sure, BUT you balance it all out, no, you make it way better as you share your sense of hope & possibility! Even with the death of a life long friend, the craziness of right wing politicians & media wing nuts, your wisdom, life experiences, vision & humanity is what WE all need! THANK YOU!! And thank you to all your like-minded subscribers!! ☮️ OUT!
Thank you for your wonderful tribute to Jim Brown. I am so sorry for your loss of such a great friend. My meeting with him in 1989 at his book signing for "Out of Bounds" was only a few minutes, but was totally memorable & the memories endure with the pictures taken of that event. Still on my wall. What a great man. Even the big bear hug. Always will remember.
And the dog video. Dogs are the most amazing creatures. To see one rescue another this way is nearly beyond belief. And for the rescuer to persist until the other is safe shows that what many believe are only human traits is completely shattered. My personal belief is that animals teach us to be better humans.
Paul Simon is not only a great & talented song writer, but is also a great humanitarian. The Concert for Africa video was terrific.
Later the tour featuring Miriam Makeba & Hugh Masekela came to San Francisco. I saw them at the Warfield Theater. What a great show.
Lastly, and that is where they deserve to be, the Laura person at Faux news will one day be forgotten, as she should be. Those people are as hollow vessels, or perhaps like Shakespeare's "Full of sound & fury signifying nothing." And to Lucifer's twin brother, why are you wasting time and money with your idiotic thinly veiled outrage at Budweiser? Oh, maybe you took a page out of the book of desanctimonious raging at Mickey & are trying to best him because you too are one of those hollow vessels.
Thank you Kareem for all you do and for your words. I am constantly amazed at what you have accomplished and continue to do so. Stay strong. Be well.
Thank you for the story about Jim Brown. In retrospect Ali knew something that even those of us in the movement did not fully grasp at the time: the struggle for civil rights and human dignity and the anti-Vietnam war movement were but two sides of the same coin.
Russell's comment about Ali (he has...faith) is sublime. What a group! You were young then and have proven repeatedly you belonged. Thank you for sharing that history in the excerpt from your book.
We live in a small city of 100,000 in Colorado. Longmont has a police force directed by a philosophy of community policing that is a model. This philosophy means that there is a multidisciplinary approach to domestic disturbances. The multi-decade leadership of our recently retired director of public safety, Mike Butler, has produced a city that values safety and respect. We do not live in La La Land. We are proud to live right here in Longmont. Keep hoping, look for models that work says this retired, UCLA educated psychologist.
Very sorry for the loss of your friend and mentor. I learned much more about him from your personal remembrance. Your description of grief is powerful.
I was especially interested in your views concerning racial bias in policing. As a former prosecutor I became aware of misconduct among some officers and as a public servant myself saw the need to train and reform . I joined a team established in NJ following a federal consent decree to retrain all members of the NJ State Police, which, as you point out , is an ongoing need. The public deserves protection from errant officers and the officers need the continuing training and monitoring to maintain the high standards required of them.
Hilarious description of the reality of Ted Cruz.
Loved the dog video and learned the Paul Simon lyrics from your post. Thanks!
Excellent. I am so glad my son gave me a subscription.
Re: Police: I know you cannot cover EVERYTHING. However, the militarization of police departments is a cause for concern. In addition, police department can better manage the social work aspects of policing, with how to deal with mentally ill people, for example. Social workers can be of assistance.
I arrived in Lesotho as a Peace Corps Volunteer in November of 1987 with 39 other folks who decided to serve our country in that way. Graceland was then and still remains the soundtrack of our lives. We recently held a reunion in Montana and we danced under the stars there to that album just as we danced under the stars of Africa in our youth! Thanks for sharing that song! It brought back cherished memories!
Your recollection of Jim Brown and the summit you attended at 20yrs of age gave me goosebumps! This post added much flesh to my understanding of exactly what you men were dealing with and what your intentions were. Muhammad Ali will forever be one of my truly American heroes!
As a born and raised Texan who has long left the Lone Star state and has no interest in returning there(mainly because of the shift in politics, but also the shift in climate), I am constantly appalled by the shallowness of Ted Cruz and Governor Abbott. When I was growing up in Texas, Anne Richards was Governor and Texans were not as interested in the kind of oppressive policies being promoted today. Don't get me wrong, there was still plenty of racism, but there was also a large progressive thinking population. I am a liberal progressive thinker because my mother always spoke for and stood with the minority population against oppression and injustice. And she made sure we understood why!!!
Thanks Cap for another great thought provoking newsletter!
Mr Jabbar your 83 years old french fan here, I knew youu T UCLA UNDER THE NAME LEW ALCINDOR!!! Anyways with all due respect, Carl Stokes was the Mayor of Cleveland, not Detroit.....I follow what you say closely, you made quite an impression on a young person at UCLA so many years ago
Dear Mr Abdul-Jabbar, you state that Ted Cruz has adopted the role of a scarecrow. I believe you could also place him in the roles of The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as he lacks a heart, a brain and courage.
So glad I subscribe and that I got to know a bit of the man behind “The Sky Hook.”
I always look forward to these e-mails. Thanks. One correction: Carl Stokes became mayor of Cleveland, not Detroit. Ted Cruz and “Dumb Stuff” are synonymous. Laura Ingraham: ugh. One of my favorite YouTube pastimes is watching sports highlights from the 60s-early 80s. Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Jim Taylor and Dick Butkus are my NFL-viewing favorites.
I read Becoming Kareem about a year ago, so I knew the Cleveland Summit was not just a "rubber stamp" Committee in support of Muhammad Ali. I was one of the poor whites who were drafted and served in '67 and '68. You would have thought the population of the USA was more than 50% black if you went by the amount of black men I was with in basic training and radio operators school. Stationed in Ft Jackson, SC I came down on orders to go to Nha Trang, Vietnam. My brother, who had enlisted in the Marines months before I was drafted, was already in Vietnam. I didn't want to go, and my mother certainly didn't want another son there. The Lt. Colonel I worked under recommended I not go and put in an exemption form for me. He had been there for 2 tours, lost an eye on his second tour, and was really only at brigade headquarters for a few months, to muster out. My brother got back wounded but alive 3 months later. Muhammad Ali and all who protested against the war, had it right from the beginning. Social justice leaders like Jim Brown, Bill Russell, yourself and those at the summit had the courage to come to this conclusion. How ridiculous for black men to fight for a country who did not accept them as equals. The thought of killing another human being is abhorrent to me, just as is war.
I highly recommend Bill Russell:Legend on Netflix. He was someone who could definitely get right to the heart of an issue, as was Jim Brown. Thank you for your writing.
Outstanding Kareem, from the very first word to the last. Thank you! 🙏 And yes, the dog video is a great metaphor. The song selection prompted me to read the lyrics for the very first time. Genius indeed.
Last night I saw Take 6 @ a local jazz club here in Seattle. Their rendition of Stevie Wonder’s Overjoyed made my heart sing & their positivity was what we all needed…in the same way, whenever I read your newsletters, there is darkness, sadness & oh, sometimes such despair for sure, BUT you balance it all out, no, you make it way better as you share your sense of hope & possibility! Even with the death of a life long friend, the craziness of right wing politicians & media wing nuts, your wisdom, life experiences, vision & humanity is what WE all need! THANK YOU!! And thank you to all your like-minded subscribers!! ☮️ OUT!
Thank you for your wonderful tribute to Jim Brown. I am so sorry for your loss of such a great friend. My meeting with him in 1989 at his book signing for "Out of Bounds" was only a few minutes, but was totally memorable & the memories endure with the pictures taken of that event. Still on my wall. What a great man. Even the big bear hug. Always will remember.
And the dog video. Dogs are the most amazing creatures. To see one rescue another this way is nearly beyond belief. And for the rescuer to persist until the other is safe shows that what many believe are only human traits is completely shattered. My personal belief is that animals teach us to be better humans.
Paul Simon is not only a great & talented song writer, but is also a great humanitarian. The Concert for Africa video was terrific.
Later the tour featuring Miriam Makeba & Hugh Masekela came to San Francisco. I saw them at the Warfield Theater. What a great show.
Lastly, and that is where they deserve to be, the Laura person at Faux news will one day be forgotten, as she should be. Those people are as hollow vessels, or perhaps like Shakespeare's "Full of sound & fury signifying nothing." And to Lucifer's twin brother, why are you wasting time and money with your idiotic thinly veiled outrage at Budweiser? Oh, maybe you took a page out of the book of desanctimonious raging at Mickey & are trying to best him because you too are one of those hollow vessels.
Thank you Kareem for all you do and for your words. I am constantly amazed at what you have accomplished and continue to do so. Stay strong. Be well.
Thank you for the story about Jim Brown. In retrospect Ali knew something that even those of us in the movement did not fully grasp at the time: the struggle for civil rights and human dignity and the anti-Vietnam war movement were but two sides of the same coin.
Russell's comment about Ali (he has...faith) is sublime. What a group! You were young then and have proven repeatedly you belonged. Thank you for sharing that history in the excerpt from your book.
You, my dear Kareem, are fabulous. I look forward to learning and growing with every email. Keep up the good work!!
We live in a small city of 100,000 in Colorado. Longmont has a police force directed by a philosophy of community policing that is a model. This philosophy means that there is a multidisciplinary approach to domestic disturbances. The multi-decade leadership of our recently retired director of public safety, Mike Butler, has produced a city that values safety and respect. We do not live in La La Land. We are proud to live right here in Longmont. Keep hoping, look for models that work says this retired, UCLA educated psychologist.
Very sorry for the loss of your friend and mentor. I learned much more about him from your personal remembrance. Your description of grief is powerful.
I was especially interested in your views concerning racial bias in policing. As a former prosecutor I became aware of misconduct among some officers and as a public servant myself saw the need to train and reform . I joined a team established in NJ following a federal consent decree to retrain all members of the NJ State Police, which, as you point out , is an ongoing need. The public deserves protection from errant officers and the officers need the continuing training and monitoring to maintain the high standards required of them.
Hilarious description of the reality of Ted Cruz.
Loved the dog video and learned the Paul Simon lyrics from your post. Thanks!
Paul Simon's brand new record is pretty terrific too.
Excellent. I am so glad my son gave me a subscription.
Re: Police: I know you cannot cover EVERYTHING. However, the militarization of police departments is a cause for concern. In addition, police department can better manage the social work aspects of policing, with how to deal with mentally ill people, for example. Social workers can be of assistance.
Kareem,
I arrived in Lesotho as a Peace Corps Volunteer in November of 1987 with 39 other folks who decided to serve our country in that way. Graceland was then and still remains the soundtrack of our lives. We recently held a reunion in Montana and we danced under the stars there to that album just as we danced under the stars of Africa in our youth! Thanks for sharing that song! It brought back cherished memories!
Your recollection of Jim Brown and the summit you attended at 20yrs of age gave me goosebumps! This post added much flesh to my understanding of exactly what you men were dealing with and what your intentions were. Muhammad Ali will forever be one of my truly American heroes!
As a born and raised Texan who has long left the Lone Star state and has no interest in returning there(mainly because of the shift in politics, but also the shift in climate), I am constantly appalled by the shallowness of Ted Cruz and Governor Abbott. When I was growing up in Texas, Anne Richards was Governor and Texans were not as interested in the kind of oppressive policies being promoted today. Don't get me wrong, there was still plenty of racism, but there was also a large progressive thinking population. I am a liberal progressive thinker because my mother always spoke for and stood with the minority population against oppression and injustice. And she made sure we understood why!!!
Thanks Cap for another great thought provoking newsletter!
Peace always, Mike
Mr Jabbar your 83 years old french fan here, I knew youu T UCLA UNDER THE NAME LEW ALCINDOR!!! Anyways with all due respect, Carl Stokes was the Mayor of Cleveland, not Detroit.....I follow what you say closely, you made quite an impression on a young person at UCLA so many years ago
When did “To protect and to serve” become “to protect and to serve ME”?