(REAL TIMES MEDIA)—I have not been a huge fan of Mel Gibson since his film “The Passion of the Christ.” I found it insulting that man so dedicated to re-creating a realistic view of the crucifixion still chose to cast a White European as Jesus, let alone depict Jews as the ultimate evil in his film. Therefore when he was busted for a DUI in 2006 and recorded using racist and sexist obscenities to the cops I was not surprised. However, his recent media debacle is even more offensive to me, not because of the content of his words, which is bad enough, but because of the particular set of celebrities who seem compelled to be apologists for yet another racist Hollywood goon.

(NNPA)—When we study the intense struggle for civil rights in this nation, we quickly—and rightfully so—find ourselves analyzing the life and legacy of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We learn of his tireless efforts to achieve equality and justice for all of humanity as we pass on anecdotes of sit-ins, marches and boycotts to our children. Our schools highlight the selfless sacrifice of Dr. King in rooting out the stains of racism and achieving integration across the country. But what we as a collective sometimes forget to impress upon the next generation is the depth to which Dr. King was an advocate for federal government as he knew it was the only effective way to ensure a unified system of equality in every state. Today, the Tea Party stands to break that national stance on justice and in turn, break the crux of what the Civil Rights Movement symbolized and what Dr. King fought and literally died for.

(NNPA) VIENNA—Unlike any president before him, President Barack Obama has announced a national HIV/AIDS strategy, something AIDS activists had been demanding for more than a decade. Instead of being perceived as a president in a class by himself, however, Obama is being unfavorably compared to another U.S. president—George W. Bush.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest non-government provider of HIV/AIDS medical care, launched an ad campaign against Obama earlier this month. The centerpiece of the campaign is a composite photo—one half of the face of Bush merged with half of Obama’s face—with the inscription: “Who’s Better on AIDS?”

(NNPA)—It was another right-on-time moment that Ben Jealous exercised at the NAACP Convention in calling out the Tea Party for coddling elements of racism within their midst. The convention went on to pass a resolution to this effect, calling on the leadership of the party to repudiate these elements, but it will not become official until approved by the Executive Committee in October.