This is a picture from today’s rally in Indianapolis regarding Trayvon Martin.  Now that everyone has protested and gotten this out of their system, the next question is now what do they do?  The tragic part about events like this is that while  thousands may show up to protest, unfortunately the only people who end up doing the work and fighting for real change are the people who were there before the protests started.

I have suspected for the past couple years that it may be time for Indianapolis City-County Councilor William “Duke” Oliver to call it a career because he is either completely out of touch with reality or he has completely lost his mind.

The latest evidence of all this occurred at a Saturday gathering of the Concerned Clergy,  a group of ministers which meets regularly to address issues in the city.    Oliver was apparently in one of his many incoherent moods and attacked members of the 10-point Coalition by accusing them of harassing black youth downtown and saying that they did not want them in the area.

Really, Duke?

I’ve heard you say a lot of idiotic things as of late but this one is over the top.  Do you really think the purpose of groups like 10-point is to harass black youth?  I was downtown this weekend and the kids who were down there were so well-behaved and well-mannered that the faith community that was there sent people home early.  The young people are starting to get the message.  This about making sure everyone is safe and can enjoy the city.   This is one of those rare moments where I agree with Monroe Gray who told you during the meeting that you were wrong and need to check out the facts for yourself.

By the way, when it comes to black youth, you don’t necessarily have the best record.  Remember your comments regarding Shamus Patton and Brandon Johnson?  I do.  So how about you do everyone a favor and stop talking.

There is an old phrase you might want to remember the next time you decide to chime in on something like this, it is  “better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

I know some of you may find this hard to believe, but at one point in time I actually was a young black male.  Now granted I was more Carlton and Cosby than Cooley High, but still a young black male nonetheless.  And one of the messages that was always bombarded at me was that I would have to be faced with stereotypes that I was lazy, dangerous and trifling (Look it up).   I always thought that was odd, since none of it was true so I figured at an early age that that I would let my actions speak louder than my words and I figured the best way to beat the stereotype was to not act like one.

So guess what, I did.  I went to school and did well.  I didn’t carry myself in a manner where I could be mistaken for a suspect on Cops.  I never shot anybody.  I didn’t have children with anyone I wasn’t married to. Spoke English like it was my first language. Didn’t wear my pants around my knees.  I didn’t embarrass my parents or anyone else who fought in the civil rights movement. I took personal responsibility for my actions.  And I made it a point to look for a wife with a blue tooth and not a gold tooth. Ironically, I ended up getting more grief from Black liberals because my name is Abdul-Hakim Shabazz and my politics are more conservative than they feel comfortable with, go figure.

Now why I am stirring the hornets nest again?  Well as you guess this all comes in the wake of two incidents that have shown up on my radar screens.  The shooting in Florida of Trayvon Martin and the attempted murder charges filed against Dai-twon Williams in Indianapolis for the shooting last Saturday on the canal.  I fully understand the outrage and anger in the Martin case.  Although I start to worry when Al “Shakedown” Sharpton shows up to the scene.   I am more puzzled that the anger and outrage in Indianapolis over the Williams shooting isn’t as great.  Had his aim been a little steadier he would be staring down five murder charges instead of attempted murder.

Where the two connect is that a lot of folks, including my colleague Erika D. Smith at the Indianapolis Star are saying part of this is the result of young black men being universally labelled with stereotypes like the ones I mentioned above.  Unfortunately, for every Trayvon who isn’t a stereotype there is a Dai-twon that perpetuates it.  If we want the larger culture to know that young black men aren’t dangerous, violent predators, then some of us need to do our parts to dispel the myths.

How do you dispel a myth, well the first thing you do is stop perpetuating it and act like you have some home training.  Secondly, parents need to start acting like parents.  These are your children, you made the decision not to use birth control and have them, so guess what, you need to raise them instead of being out at the club trying make more of them.  And when young people get out of line, Black leadership needs to hold them accountable, not make excuses for bad behavior.  Granted there are some other long term steps that can be taken, such as education reform, but that’s another column for another time. But if we want to break a stereotype, then we need to do our job not to perpetuate it.

New ads are going up in the race for the Republican Primary for the U.S. Senate.  Incumbent Richard Lugar has unveiled this ad accusing challenger Richard Mourdock of  “low rent” politics.

Meanwhile, FreedomWorks, which is backing Richard Mourdock, is unveiling this web-based ad.

It’s gonna be an interesting race, to say the least.

On March 26, the United States Supreme Court will begin three days of hearings with six hours of oral argument on the constitutional challenge filed by Indiana and 25 other states against certain sections of the federal health care law: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare.” This historic lawsuit will explore the limits of the power of Congress under the U.S. Constitution.

There has been remarkable public interest in the landmark legislation and the legal challenge that has ensued, and Hoosiers have raised fundamental questions regarding the proper role of the federal government. As Indiana Attorney General, I have an obligation to defend state statutes passed by the Indiana General Assembly from legal challenges; but here I have taken the unusual step of challenging a federal statute. The people of Indiana deserve an explanation of why the challenge has been necessary.

Most of the public attention on the case has centered on the “individual mandate,” by which Congress for the first time in our nation’s history required that almost everyone in the United States purchase a commercial product: private health insurance. This mandate exceeds Congress’ powers under the Constitution, and if left unchecked it will be enforced in 2014 with a $685 fine on the federal tax form of each noncompliant taxpayer. It has been found unconstitutional by the Federal District Court and 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals in the case the 26 states brought.

The plaintiff states also argue that Congress’ geometric expansion of Medicaid coerces states into enforcing federal policy in violation of the Tenth Amendment. These issues required Indiana to join the challenge since they threaten to redefine federalism – the distribution of powers between the federal and state governments – long into the future.

I admit to a bias in favor of states’ authority, as might be inferred from my role representing Indiana. But even when I worked in the federal government, my views always favored individual liberty and limits on federal power and the defense of state prerogatives. In providing limited, enumerated powers to a federal government, our nation’s Founders had grave concerns that a central government would assume greater authority at the expense of individual liberty and state sovereignty. They concluded individual liberty was better preserved by allocating the bulk of government power to smaller institutions closer to the people: states.

In its legal defense of the Affordable Care Act in the lawsuit, the federal government thus far has failed to satisfy the federal courts that it has stayed within its constitutional limitations. Some defend the Affordable Care Act based on the acute need to reform our health care system. Some kind of health insurance reform surely is needed, but invoking the plight of the uninsured misses the point of why I joined in the legal challenge. No matter how great the need for reform, we must respect the constitutional limits of federal power, if our liberty as Americans is to endure for future generations.

While it is not my role to determine the constitutionality of the federal statute, it is my role to raise the question so that the Supreme Court can make that determination with finality. And the Court’s decision-making process will begin during three historic days in March.

Greg Zoeller is the Attorney General of Indiana.

Join me this Thursday, March 22 at 5 p.m. for Cocktails & Conversation at Nicky Blaines Cocktail Lounge in Downtown Indianapolis.

Our special guest will be State Representative Jerry Torr, the author of Indiana’s Right to Work law.

Hope to see you there.

It’s time to be the bad guy, again, and say what needs to be said because a lot of people won’t man up and say it.

Black people, please start getting some of your unruly children under control or do the rest of  us with home training a favor and stop having them.

Five teenagers were wounded last night during a shooting near the Canal at about 10 p.m.  According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department there were all 17 and under, four were male and one was female and all were black.  The story line was pretty simple on this, officers were notified of a fight taking place at 400 W. Ohio, they responded, the next thing you know several juveniles are injured.

As I was out last night with a couple friends and saw the report, all I could think of in the back of my head, was “don’t let them be black, don’t let them be black.”  Next thing you know, I see the police report and all I wanted to do was yell!  And no, I don’t want anyone of any race to get shot, so don’t even entertain going down that road.  However, let me share some stats with you.

• So far this year there have been about 20 murders in the city, 9 were black, about 45%.
• In 2011 there were 94 murders in Indianapolis,  55-60% of the victims were black.
• Between 2006 – 2010 blacks were a majority of murder victims in Indianapolis, even though they only make up about 28% of the population.
• Nine out of ten times the assailant is also Black.

Something is wrong here.  And yes, the shooting last night was gang-related as well.  I am also told the Canal area and Mall are now the new places for young people to start causing trouble.  The city is going to have to step its game and we’re going to have to start holding parents accountable for the actions of their unruly children with no home training. And the people who hand out the crime prevention grant money really need to do a second look at what organizations they are giving funds to, because if last night was any indication, it’s not working.

This may not be polite, but it’s true.  And you all know it!  And no, I am not casting a blanket indictment of all black people in Indianapolis.  I can assure you that there are a lot of people thinking the exact same thing right now, they either  don’t have the forums that I do to voice their opinion or they are afraid of the repercussions of speaking out.  That’s okay, I’ll gladly speak for them.

And I think I am when I say, “Negroes, please!!!  It is time to put and end to this foolishness before it gets started.”

Indiana Governor’s decision to pick State Senator Connie Lawson as Secretary of State has implications far wider than just simply restoring a sense of stability to the Office that has been rocked by turmoil for more than a year and a half.

Daniels made the announcement Friday, saying he had called Lawson the day before to formally offer her the position.  He said she was the most qualified person in the history of the Office to step up and take the job, citing her experience as a a former county clerk and serving on the Senate Elections and Local Government committees.  Lawson came to state government in 1996 and said she was proud to serve her constituents and would now be serving them in a different way.

Leon-Tailored Interview: Connie Lawson SOS Appointment (15 minutes)

Lawson’s departure from the Senate creates an interesting dynamic for Senate Protempore David Long.  Over the years the body has become more ideologically conservative with moderates Republicans leaving and being replaced by more hardcore conservatives.  Speaking to reporters afterward, Long says he doesn’t think that is as big an issue as some of in the media may be making it out to be.

Leon-Tailored Interview: David Long on Lawson’s Departure (5 minutes)

In addition, precinct committeemen from Lawson’s district must now gather together to pick her replacement.  Indy Poltiics is told that because Lawson is on the ballot and it is too late for her name to be taken off, there must be two caucuses.  One to fill out the rest of her term and the other to replace her on the ballot.  Some names that have surfaced for replacement and more are expected.  They include Hendricks Regional Health CEO Dennis Dawes, Hendricks County Commissioner Eric Wathen and County Treasurer Nancy Marsh and Brownsburg Councilman Dwayne Sawyer.

Will it ever stop?

First it was the Indiana Election Commission, then it was the Marion County Court, now it is the Marion County Election Board Thursday that will take up a challenge against Lugar’s qualifications to be on the ballot.

Indianapolis resident Greg Wright filed the challenge, saying that Lugar has failed to meet the qualifications to be on the ballot because he has failed to maintain a permanent physical residence in Indiana. Wright also dismisses the opinions of three Indiana Attorneys General that Lugar is eligible to be on the ballot.

The Lugar campaign says he does meet the qualifications and sounded familiar, successful arguments that he never gave up his residency to serve in the United States Senate.

The Election Board will hear the challenge on Thursday.  It has several options at its disposal.  Under state law the Board can…

• Determine that there is substantial reason to believe an election law violation has occurred and no further action is required;

• Determine that there is substantial reason to believe an election law violation has occurred and instruct counsel and staff to conduct further investigation pursuant to the Board’s direction;

• Determine there is substantial reason to believe an election law violation has occurred,find that sufficient investigation has been made, and take appropriate action, such as referring the matter to the Marion County Prosecutor; or

• Take all matters under advisement and reserve action for a later time.

Any decision can be reached by a simple majority.  There are two Democrats and one Republican on the Election Board.  Somehow I get that feeling that no matter what happens, this won’t be over anytime soon.

Ugh!!!

U.S. Senator Richard Lugar and Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller outlined Monday some of the major issues the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearing on the Constitutionality of the President’s health care plan.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear the suit on March 26 in an unprecedented 3-day argument.

According to the Attorney General’s Office the arguments will go as follows..

• Monday, March 26:  The Court will hear 90 minutes of argument on whether the federal Anti-Injunction Act prohibits the states from bringing a challenge to the individual insurance mandate. The 26 plaintiff states contend it does not.

• Tuesday, March 27:  The Court will hear two hours of argument on the constitutionality of the mandate that individuals must buy health insurance or face a financial penalty. The plaintiffs contend the individual mandate violates the U.S. Constitution.

• Wednesday, March 28: In the morning the Court will hear 90 minutes on “severability,” whether other parts of the [law] could remain intact if the Court were to strike down the individual mandate, or if the entire law would have to be invalidated. In the afternoon the Court will hear one hour of argument on the new law’s requirement requiring state governments to dramatically expand their Medicaid programs to cover more recipients. The states contend the federal government’s requirement that states expand their state Medicaid programs or face the loss of federal funding is unconstitutionally coercive.

The audio is below.  It runs approximately 10 minutes.  They were joined by Solicitor General Tom Fisher and Barbara Quandt of the Indiana Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business.

Leon-Tailored Interview: Obamacare Lawsuit