Views from Point Breeze

I don't know why I decided to read a history book.  I am in my sixth week of reading it.  I have found out about more Indian tribes than I ever knew existed.  The book is called Empires, Nations and Families: A New History of the North American West, 1800 - 1860, by Anne F. Hyde.  I learned about the prosecution of the Mormons and the slaying of their leader Joseph Smith.  Brigham Young was referenced in the book and also their quest to find land that they could call their own.  If only the Indians had been so lucky.  Living on a reservation is not what I call the promised land. The  Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo  ( Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo  in Spanish), officially  Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits and Settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic , [1]  is the  peace treaty signed in  Guadalupe Hidalgo  between the U.S. and Mexico that ended the  Mexican–American War ...

 The massacre at the Westgate Mall in Kenya was horror beyond belief.  Where are Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jason Statham when you need them.  These action heroes are no match for soldiers that are willing to slaughter innocent people for a cause.  There were at least 69 people killed in the attack but at least one person stood out in my mind: Elif Yavuz. Elif was an employee of the Clinton Foundation.  She was Harvard educated, married and eight months pregnant.  It was stated that the terrorists were letting people go that were of the Muslim faith.  Even if I was a cold-blooded killer, I would have let this woman leave the premises.  I guess it would have been a sign of weakness to do this and thus the tragedy of a life well lived cut short before her child could enter the world.  She had earned a Doctorate and was working as a vaccines researcher.  She had completed her dissertation research on malaria in Ea...

It was revealed in the Daily News today that the athletic director, Jim Donato, and the superintendent, Richard Como, of the Coatesville Area resigned from their posts in August due to a nasty string of racially charged texts that were discovered.  These demeaning messages, part of a longer string of vile statements were found during the transfer of phone services.  They referred to African Americans and women in unflattering terms.  Mr. Como had worked for the school district for over 20 years.  I wonder if he openly expressed these opinions during his daily interactions with students.  The population of the Coatesville School District is 42% African American.  The local NAACP was celebrating its 75th Anniversary as the news of the scandal was breaking.  I wonder why these gentlemen didn't use personal phones to express their discontent with the racial makeup of the school district?  I had a city cell phone at one time....

Oscar de la Hoya will always be revered and remembered for his boxing skills.  He was a teenage phenomenon.  He was born in 1973 and won the National Golden Gloves title in the bantamweight division in 1990.  In the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Oscar defeated Cuban boxer Julio Gonzalez and won the gold medal over Marco Rudolph of Germany.  He had fulfilled his mother's dying wish of winning the gold medal and his nickname 'The Golden Boy' lasted throughout his professional career. Oscar's pro career is the stuff that legends are made of.  He defeated 17 world champions and has won ten world titles in six different weight classes.  It was estimated that he generated an estimated $700 million dollars in pay per view income.  His memorable losses include those to Manny Pacquiao, Shane Moseley, Bernard Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather.  The one thing that I like about Oscar was that he fought everyone out their at their prime.  He was a...

The results of the primary for Mayor of New York city are in this morning.  It was a contentious process to replace current Mayor Bloomberg.  Bill DeBlasio won and avoided a run-off by capturing at least 40% of the votes cast.  A lightening rod in the race was the participation of former Congressman Anthony Weiner.  Anthony Weiner served seven terms in the House of Representatives for the 9th Congressional District in New York.  He was a fiery speaker who had established a track record of service.  His career in the House of Representatives was undone by a sexting scandal. Sexting is a relatively new term that has been created by the Social Media revolution in this country.  Politicians used to have to rely solely on political advertising in newspapers, flyers or on television or radio.  In today's world, one can promote themselves via Facebook, Twitter, Vine or Vimeo.  YouTube is also utilized to extend the reach of local candidates....

I am reading a book entitled Empires, Nations, and Families: A New History of the North American West.  It is non-fiction and a nice break from my run of James Patterson and Eric Jerome Dickey Novels.  It is a tough read and focuses on some families that were instrumental in attaining fortunes and helping to 'settle'  present day America west of Saint Louis.  I hate the world settle because it makes it seem like the land wasn't settled before encroachment of Anglo-American settlers. I am amazed by the number of Indian tribes mentioned in the book.  I remember the Comanches, Navajos, Apaches and Cherokees from watching western movies while growing up.  I am presently reading a chapter in which it mentions Osage tribes.  I want to recount a number of other tribes which all have a history that should be told in this country: Umpqua, Clatsops, Cocos, Wacos, Wichitas, Tonkawas, Pawnees, Arapahos, Pascagoulas, Alabamas and Choctaws.  It is amazing th...