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Kenny Harris listens to Theresa Fields of New Orleans at WEAA studio following fallout of Hurricane Katrina. Kenny had a heart of gold, always trying to help and make a positive difference. He will be missed by all.

Who Will Lead Now?

(BALTIMORE – September 25, 2008) – Word of his death passed like wildfire. As the flame of his life would fade into the deep and permanent dark of eternity, Baltimore … and the world would lose a solemn friend, an earnest champion of the people … all people.

There is much difficulty in expressing our hurt, but the faithful know that Kenny Harris is in a better place now. No doubt, his family, and Baltimore overall, will forever miss the energy, the passion, the stick-to-it attitude Kenny brought to everything he did and said.

He was a different politician. A problem solver. A servant of the people. The Dunbar alumnus was accustomed to hard work, to achieving more, to not accepting mediocrity as the norm, to saying what few had the heart to say. And he encouraged us all to dig deeper through his constant encouragement. He insisted we all ‘up our game’, tighten up those loose screws, address those apparent challenges.

We love you, Kenny. And always did.

Now, as he will be laid to rest, it is time to look to the hills and an impending word from one of our other greats, former state Senator Clarence Mitchell, III.

This Tuesday on our weekly WOLB 1010 AM radio show, Mitchell (a.k.a. C3, a.k.a. The Bear) implored listeners to heed the message of the late Ossie Davis. Mitchell quoted Davis as saying that when we lose a champion, a warrior – we must turn to the next page of the plan.

And now, as if our dear president has had a cataclysmic epiphany of the greatest proportions, Republican Presidential nominee John McCain feels as though the first 2008 Presidential debate ought to be cancelled so that he, Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama, and the Congressional leadership can meet with President Bush over the weekend to discuss our economic status. Memo: It’s the economy, stupid!

On this note, my fellow Baltimoreans and citizens of the world, I pose for the nth time: Who will lead?

A Kenny Harris is not easily duplicated - if at all. However, we, as Americans, find ourselves in dire turmoil desperately in need of leadership. To her credit, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon is returning Baltimore to some civility. At the same time, the purse is low. And with the decisions made by the American government in Washington, DC under the guise and tutelage of President George W. Bush – the amount of money in reserve is getting lower and lower by the hour. Wall Street is about to collapse.

Last night’s speech by the president only stated the obvious: Somebody screwed up tremendously. And now, the average citizen – already burdened with inflated gasoline and energy prices is being asked to bail out the very institutions that have helped to rob us all. And yet, we are to remain docile and oblivious in light of the hurricane headed our way.

In the realm of political economy, I get the opportunity – as many of you know – to share some analysis on Baltimore NBC affiliate WBAL TV 11. And at times, I’m not always sure of what the right thing to say might be. It is then that I look both inside myself and outside to the common man. I was told long ago that politics is best understood by the everyday person on the streets of Baltimore, Compton, Philadelphia, Atlanta, etc.

And the truth is, we apparently have been caught with our hands in the cookie jar of greed. I am no economic expert, but this is a no-brainer. When we borrow money excessively and the feds make interests rates ridiculously low to encourage us to borrow more, the market becomes out of whack. When we spend what we don’t have on what we don’t need and definitely can’t afford, the end result is horrific. As a result, a mortgage lending crisis permeates the American landscape causing foreclosures from East to West. Further, when we make it difficult for American companies to competitively function on US soil and yet export jobs to the Far East, we virtually cut off our own legs.

The sage wisdom of yesterday reminds: “God bless the child that’s got his own.”

Clearly, the economic horizon is magnificently complicated. And truly, it deserves lengthy explanations. But, was today’s fallout impossible to foresee?

When we are building bombs to fight an unnecessary war in Iraq that was based on misinformation at the cost of trillions, there is a price to pay. Yes, President Bush! You have avenged your father’s loss in Iraq. You have killed Saddam Hussein and his two sons. Congratulations, young man! Job well done! 

At the same time, this country’s citizens feel no safer in light of the heavily touted War on Terrorism that is costing tens of billions of dollars every week – dollars that could go to educating American students and supporting small businesses – the true backbone of American economics. And when health care is at a premium where few can afford to get sick for even one day, the days of the healthy economy under President Bill Clinton become but a fleeting memory. What’s more, people around the world despise America for its haughty, arrogant and misguided leadership – all the while longing for our demise.

And now, as if our dear president has had a cataclysmic epiphany of the greatest proportions, Republican Presidential nominee John McCain feels as though the first 2008 Presidential debate ought to be cancelled so that he, Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama, and the Congressional leadership can meet with President Bush over the weekend to discuss our economic status. Memo: It’s the economy, stupid!

Recession, depression, or not: One thing is clear. Somebody really screwed up. And with CEO’s of major American corporations receiving multi-million dollar retirement and severance packages while their workers consider how to get food stamps, is there really any wonder why this nation is bankrupt? Truth be told, greedy corporations have been selling America down the river - piece by piece – for years. And now, the chickens have come home to roost.

So, for the people throughout America – the answer is pretty clear. The message of change by Senator Obama makes the most logical sense. And if you are from Baltimore and have a sense of the tragedy many of us feel for the loss of Kenny, voting for Obama might be even more real. No, Obama is not superhuman. But, unlike our current federal leadership, he is not superstupid.                     

Clearly, we need a president who is going to pay attention to his people, who cares about the common man, who has a vision that includes everybody, including those at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. For certain, this president doesn’t get it. After 8 years, things keep getting worse and worse. And as for his goal of strengthening our nation, he has instead made us weaker, more vulnerable, and less optimistic as The Great Non-Depression of 2008 is quickly making 1929 look like a walk in the park. 

The irony is that today – with immediate access to information and more Ph.D.’s than every before – with our microwave ovens and mobile video games and ipods and blackberry’s – we seem more foolish than ever, seemingly jumping at every opportunity to be greedy instead of wise. What a peculiar people we have become. 

Tags: Politics