Please check out my thoughts on this which was featured today at the American Chronicle.
Virtual Book Tour for the month of May
Hi all,
I am currently on a VBT all of May and I invite you to follow me on my journey. I have partnered with two amazing dynamos, Cheryl Malandrinos and Dorothy Thompson of www.Pumpupyourbookpromotion.com to coordinate the event. My first stop is at Inspired Author, the link is listed below.
http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/blogs/litekepr/promotional-interview-vina-st-fran-0
Rev. Jeremiah Wright is Coming to town
It was announced earlier today that Rev. Wright would be attending a NAACP annual dinner as a keynote speaker in Detroit on April 27, 2008. So, what I want to discuss is a number of items that popped into my head as this news blared from my car stereo this morning. <p>
Senator Obama is running a campaign based on change, I get that part. I hope that Wright does too. Last Friday, April 4, 2008, marked the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assasination. Could you imagine if Rev. Wright appeared before the group of I am sure a record number of more than 10,000 with a rabbi, priest, and other influential religious leaders and apologized for the offensive sermons he preached in the pulpits?<p>
Within the past 40 years since King’s death, racist issues hasn’t gone away because it has not been addressed in a way that would bring healing. Dr. Wright provoked much anger, yet there seems to be a fascination with the minister and he should use this tool as a way of helping heal the divide across the lines. Granted, Wright isn’t Superman by any means. Albeit, he is one person who could help heal a wounded nation by reaching out to other religious leaders and working hard to come together instead of encouraging divide. Dr. King would be proud.<p>
History could very well be in the making here. However, at what cost? Rev. Wright is a brillant scholar, with exemplary military honor. Yet, I am sure that he has, as many others been subjected to things that have made him angry throughout the years, and as real as those feelings are, they can no longer be allowed to accumulate. It is baggage from yesterday which we cannot take into the present. Let’s keep in mind, lots of us weren’t there when it happened. Yet, because of stories we’ve heard from family & friends, or individual personal experiences, we share a bond of familiarity with Rev. Wright that indeed does hurt at some point, but then, you move on. <p>
So, when Rev. Wright gets up in front of thousands and stands before members of the NAACP and hungry news channels like CNN, Fox, and others, I want him to know that I am looking forward to him being an agent of attitudinal change for the next 40 years, not for the past. He can’t erase that. However, he can bring forth so much more and leave a lasting legacy that is truly bigger than he could have ever imagined it to be.<p>
Detroit is being pulled through the mud because of a selfish, scandulous mayor who refuses to step down from office. It would be best if Wright would concentrate on the nation, and not the city of Detroit’s personal dealings, meaning this should not be a Kodak moment for Kilpatrick. We are the laughing stock of the country and will continue to be until the case is settled in court.
High profile men who cheat and the women who stay with them
2008 has started off with a bang of sorts. In January, 2008, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s affair with his Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty was exposed via text messages sent between the two. Kilpatrick and Beatty publicly denied having an affair repeatedly, even under oath in the Fall of 2007. There was no doubt about the level of intimacy shared between Beatty and Kilpatrick. Beatty was more than a piece of ass to the mayor. She was his friend, lover, and confidante.
Excuse me, but aren’t those traditionally roles held by wives?
Kilpatrick apologized to his wife Carlita and jointly they said they were committed to working on their marriage. There is a certain comfort Beatty provided Kilpatrick that he wasn’t getting at home. This went much deeper than Beatty’s vagina.
Can an affair be forgiven? It will take work, but yes you can forgive.
However, the caveat is that you can’t ask for forgiveness if you happen to love another woman. The affair can stop, but feelings don’t just go away because you say the act of the affair is over.
The sad thing is when children are involved, they become the motivation to remain committed to family. But what message does that send to sons and daughters? Will these hurt children one day afflict this same pain on their spouses because of what they were exposed to as children?
Silda Spitzer appeared sedated and dazed as she stood beside her husband the governor of New York as he resigned from office. In both cases, Carlita and Silda have lots in common. Kwame had affairs, the Governor Spitzer, hired prostitutes. $85,000 of services were traced. I’d like to see an itemized statement of this out of curiosity, I mean really. However, Kwame Kilpatrick, unlike Governor Spitzer continues to blame other people, including the media for exposing his affair. This story continues to play out and is not over. Governor Spitzer was forced to resigned and for now is out of the spotlight momentarily.
I think it would have made a stronger statement if Carlita and Silda had not stood by their husband’s side and stayed home out of sight with their children to shield them from the actions of their father. This reflects the attitude of what most women may have done. Their absence would have sent a message to not only women but also perhaps to some men if not already in a similar position, that they might want to think again before risking it all.
Text Message Scandal in Detroit
This is something I had to write about due to the volume of calls and e-mails I have received from friends, relatives, and business associates across the country.
“What the hell is going on with the mayor in the D?”
This is how one friend put it. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his then Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty lied under oath about their affair. How much did it cost to cover up their affair? $9 Million dollars at the expense of city taxpayers.
Of course, this is a case that never had to make it to trial. Unfortunately, due to the arrogance of the mayor, who believes that the residents of Detroit will believe anything he tells them because lets not forget here, he is Black, just like the majority of the citizens of the city. It is insulting to insinuate that the only people who are repulsed by this situation are not black, they are only white or black suburban residents who don’t live in the city of Detroit and should just keep their mouths closed.
This is such bullshit!
In a recent state of address to the city, Kilpatrick used the n-word to describe racial names he had and his family had been called. Clearly, this was not a place to make this kind of statement. Again, this is the same man who said in an open apology aired locally on ABC, NBC, Fox 2 and nationally CNN, last month to his wife, family and the citizens of Detroit to leave his family alone. Yet, he himself put them front and center when the camera showed Kilpatrick’s wife and sons as he vented on.
Progress in Detroit has been slow, yet business people from all ethnic backgrounds have come together to invest in and build in Detroit and move it forward. Roger Penske, Bill Ford, Mike Illitch, Dave Bing, Derrick Coleman, Jerome Bettis, just to name a few. So what does this mean? Kwame Kilpatrick’s race has not prohibited him from building relationships with influential people to advance Detroit. Race has nothing to do with your actions. Correct me if I am wrong, but there were only two people involved in the affair. Their lies to cover it up, wasn’t worth another black eye to a city Forbes magazine recently named as the most miserable city on earth.
Introduction
Hello Everyone,
Welcome to my blog!
I am excited to have an opportunity to get to know readers from all walks of life as we share an exchange of information, ideas, etc. I promise to make this blog extremely interactive, at times explosive I’m sure, due to my viewpoints, yet engaging as you get to know me. I am opinionated, yet fair and I’m allowed to be that, I mean, C’mon, this is MY blog.
I am in the process of updating more information about me, including my complete bio, on Zam Publishing’s web site so please stay tuned. I’ll let you know when it goes live.
My debut novel, “One Foot Outside The Door” is currently available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and other major book stores. It is a sexy multi-cultural story that has resonated well with book reviewers, as well as reader comments on Amazon B&N and other sites.
I will my uploading the trailer at zampublishing.com shortly. However, here is a link on youtube where you can take a look and let me know what you think:
Welcome to Vina’s Blog…
Welcome to Vina St. Fran’s new home on the Internet.
Hopefully, Vina St. Fran will be posting and updating her Blog and Website soon with important info about her recent book, “One Foot Outside The Door” including upcoming Book Tours, Appearances, and Special Contests and Promotions relating to the book.
Also look for some exciting new pictures of her coming soon from a recent model shoot.
