First Awards to Janjaweed, Sudan, China

It was never supposed to be so easy to pick the first annual winner of the P.A.S.S. award. How terrible a human being could you be to win an award of infamy like this one--without competition? Well, we found one, so much so, that although this is the first award, I am willing to back date it for the last five years.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present the Janjaweed. For those of you less in the know, these are the subhuman bastards that not only have murdered more than 200,000 Sudanese, but they revel in doing so. For the sheer delight of it, they chop off limbs, and rape women and children without conscience, They are bestial

In recent human history, there is not another individual or group that can compare to the Janjaweed. Without challenge, they are the first People Ain't Shit Society award winners.

While their brutality makes them stand alone for the award, there is plenty of blame to go around, merely for the group's existence.

To thwart an impending uprising, in 2004, the Sudanese government armed a militia--the Janjaweed-- to attack rebels and black civilian farmers in Darfur. The group began a reign of terror that, current estimates indicate are responsible for the murder of more than 200,000 and forced relocation of 2.5 million refugees into neighboring Chad and surrounding areas.

Immediately following their formation, came horrifying reports of rapes, amputation, and killing by the Janjaweed. By April, refugees began streaming into neighboring Chad, where attacks on them have continued.

A second award to the inhuman Sudanese government.

But, what about the United Nations? Where were they while this genocide was going on?

Ask the host of the 2008 Olympics. That's right China. For it's own purposes and benefits with Sudanese government, the People's Republic consistently blocked any efforts to provide peacekeeping and rescue forces to Darfur . Finally, through the efforts of Mia Farrow and other activists who began to label the upcoming event, "The Holocaust Olympics," China has rolled back some of its political blockade--at a point when UN forces, are largely ineffective.

Well, People's Republic, this award was supposed to be presented in January. But, because of your inhumane, self-serving, Sudanese support activities, we are happy to present you with your own P.A.S.S. award.

May the Beijing Holocaust Olympics of 2008, bring you nothing but shame and disgrace for your inactivity in the face of one of the most horrifying violations of human rights on the planet. You officially, 'ain't shit.'

Simple life advice

The best advice I ever received, on living, came from an improbable person in a club that once was my second home. Paul was merely an acquaintance, although quite popular because of the product he readily provided to anyone with the right price. He was the snowman, a coke dealer.

Because I didn't do the stuff, we always had a guarded relationship. We easily acknowledged each other. And, he knew good friends of mine were some of his best customers. I guess they vouched for my discretion. Still, he was suspicious. And, I, really didn't want to know the coke man.

One, unusually quiet, evening we ended up on adjoining bar stools. I learned he had a fascinating background--former stockbroker, and bond trader. He was intelligent, well-versed and well-spoken. It was a good conversation.

"Life is simple," he said. " Always do the right thing. In most situations, you know what the right thing is to do. Doing it is the hard part."

Initially, I pooh-poohed the whole idea. But, as we spoke and examined several 'what-ifs,' he convinced me of the validity of his point. We agreed that human nature--with all it's temptations, gremlins and egoism wouldn't permit one to do the right thing all of the time. But it made sense to use the idea as a blueprint. I thanked him.

Within a year, Paul died at age 46, succumbing to his gremlins.

Life is in the doing.

Who Makes the List

Automatically, Adolf Hitler makes the list, so does Charles Manson. The 9/11 terrorists. Rush Limbaugh is automatic (because of his self-righteous hypocrisy). Sherry Palmer on “24” is a winner. Child molesters, too—especially those avowed representatives of God on Earth, and the church hierarchy that hides their actions. Anyone other than a Native American who suggests that someone else “leave the U.S. if they don’t like it here.”
Some of these folks are simply not well. Most, however, choose on a regular basis, to be so self-serving that it diminshes the human idea. The most serious violators of the human condition have more celebrity, power, control and influence over more lives. By default, most of our candidates will fall within this group—politicians, elected officials, celebrities, newsmakers. Our hope is that by pointing out unacceptable behavior, we can stop, stem it’s growth in society. Lofty ideals. Yes. But it has to be done.

What's in a name

In response to critical lambasting of a performance, jazz-genius Miles Davis, reportedly, responded,
"People ain't shit!."
For me, no truer words were ever spoken.
Sometimes there is no better word than the word itself. I have tried to come up with a replacement to the profanity so obviously displayed in our name. Even censored it in the logo. Yet nothing says it better. I am now dedicated to this name.
It will be played down, however. in favor of the ‘useful’ acronym PASS.

No Excuses

NOT knowing how to act is no excuse for not knowing how not to act.
In the spirit of Mr. Blackwell, and his dubious honors award the P.A.S.S. will recognize and award (not reward) behavior that is less than exemplary. In fact,, we’ll select behavior we consider despicable.
All of us, at sometime during our lives, have been there. It’s human nature. These awards are not for the average Joe or Josephine, who slips now and then. Instead, PASS will look for and examine consistent “sub-human” behavior.
The mind has the precarious ability to justify anything. Everyone meets people like these.
For them, PASS can be an outlet. Notice how willingly people appear on the talk shows to air their dirty laundry? They too are eligible. The hosts and programmers are better candidates.
But the most serious violators of the human condition have more celebrity, power and control over more lives. This is the stuff of the annual awards.

Drive to make "Human" a verb

People no longer know what to believe or how to act. Too many believe nothing. Belief in nothing, justifies any-and-everything. Just as often, believers in one thing, condemn those who don’t believe as they do. The inmates are, truly, running the asylum.
There is also an epidemic in this country of what I call IME Disease (IMD). IMD is natural self-interest on steroids. It is the complete inability to see from any vantage point other than one’s own. Victims rarely use sentences which do not contain the words ‘I’ or ‘Me.’ People afflicted with IMD cannot conceive or admit that they are ever wrong. They act accordingly. Rudeness runs rampant
As fortunate as I am to be American I have never been free enough. So, you can only imagine the angst with which I have founded an organization that intends to be the behavior watchdog, if not police. It has taken 12 years. As often as you will see our PASS acronym, will be the phrase “Dedicated to the Art of Human Being.”
Human being is our mission. By pointing out—on a grand scale—what doesn’t qualify as acceptable human behavior, maybe we can arrive at some consensus about what does.
Let’s start by admitting that we all, at sometime or the other, have quaified for a PASS award.