Yes, the tragedy in Haiti is epic and the suffering is immeasurable.

A need that no one seems to be addressing is the inevitable and immediate need for blood and blood plasma. This is one humanitarian gesture that requires a little more than a text message or a checkbook. It will take 20 min of your time and the use of your arm to save lives. The tragic H.I.V. epidemic in Haiti only exacerbates the problem thus making the need for individual sacrifice of critical importance.
If you …

By Andrew Padula
A couple of days after the election last year, I attended a foreign policy seminar in downtown D.C. I had really been looking forward to this opportunity to rub elbows with international political and business leaders while enjoying one heck of a free lunch buffet. Unfortunately, the most memorable part of this day was my commute on the pride of our nation’s rail system, the Washington Metro. Three or four stops had passed by on my trip home. I was sitting quietly by myself …

As I read Andrew’s second essay, I begin to accept that we live in mutually exclusive social realities. And that’s a painful recognition for me. As friends we share revulsion at the exploding deficit, clarity about keeping government out of our bedrooms and the belief that it is an inalienable right to keep guns in our homes. Further, we both do our best to accept each person we encounter as an individual without slathering on layers preconceived notions and expectations of stereotypical behavior.
But on the broader political plane, we’re …

By Andrew Padula
The Democratic party has been very effective at painting Republicans with the label of “racists”. I can understand why we are an easy target and vulnerable to racial persecution. Much has happened culturally in the past half century. Imagine the reaction that people would have today to the uncut images portrayed in Disney’s “Song of the South” or the language of “Blazing Saddles”. Try to visualize the images of urban ghetto life as portrayed in the police shows of the 70’s or …

By Andrew Padula
I never thought that I would see the day when I would voice my support for Rush Limbaugh and Juan Williams in the same sentence. Life has gone from the sublime to the absurd. To me, the question of whether or not Conservatives are Racists is as perplexing as it is vexing. How has such an ugly image become attached to a political philosophy which is based upon the traditional patriotic values of individual liberty, freedom, and opportunity for all.
A question was recently …

By Andrew Padula
I am certain that everyone who has heard of “Gates-gate” already has a fixed opinion of which parties are culpable in the matter. Undoubtedly, these opinions will be based on deeply ingrained personal attitudes and experiences. I am upset with the actions of all parties involved. I am convinced that under the circumstances, as an individual entrusted to protect the public, the officer acted inappropriately. As a wealthy, elitist, race baiting, snot headed, tenured Harvard professor from the school of “ I am smarter than …

by Andrew Padula
I can’t imagine how horrible it must feel to be a parent who had someone on a national stage joke about having their child raped at a public venue. What must be even worse is having people come to the defense of this cur and justify his actions because the child’s older sister had become pregnant as a teen. In my mind, nothing can justify these vulgar attacks perpetrated on the children of the standing Governor of the state of Alaska. But this is not …

by Andrew Padula

I have been preaching for some time now about the Republican parties door being open to all. The only metric for entry is that you believe in America and the opportunity that it provides for all who strive to achieve prosperity and liberty.
At the Lincoln Day Dinner I recently attended, the keynote speaker was a Black man who grew up in poverty on the streets of D.C. He was raised by his widowed mother who out of pride and self dignity worked minimum wage …

I wanted to give the readers an update on my foray into the political arena. I am currently in a knock down drag out with a field of 10 other candidates slugging it out in a special election for the District 4 seat on Montgomery County Maryland’s County Council. In case you think that this is rinky dink office, please allow me to inform you that they control a $4 billion dollar budget.
District 4 is the most racially diverse district in the county and has the …

My friends and readers at AAR,
I want to let you know that I will be jumping in feet first to take on the good fight.
I live in the most racially and economically diverse Council district in Montgomery County Maryland. Montgomery County is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation. Unfortunately, the inequitable distribution of public services and quality zoning/ development is embarrassingly obvious.
A member of the council has passed away and a special election is being held for his seat. Since I have been a resident of …

by Andrew Padula

Etta James, you go girl! You may have dissed me and probably just about everyone else to ever come within one hundred yards of you. You display no couth and little class. But, if you throw down and beat the crap out of Beyonce, you do so with my blessing.
About a dozen years ago, I played the St Louis Blues Festival and this was a biggun’. Artists performing included the likes of Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Rufus Thomas, etc. etc… and Etta James. The …

So just who is looking at the face of the race card? Not Republicans, of that you can rest assured! Michael Steele, the former Lt. Governor of Maryland, was just elected as the head of the RNC. I was watching a call in show covering the event on CSPAN and noticed that all of the Republican callers were commenting on how great it was to have a leader who is a tireless advocate and well versed on the issues, an individual who is steadfast …

So it’s the night before the inauguration and Carmen is taking me to the Netroots Bash outside of Washington D.C. Everyone around me is in a state of paralytic bliss except me… I’m depressed as hell. Oh, thats right, I’m a Republican, all these people hate me, and they were enjoying the opportunity to let me know as much. My subway ride was a sobering and surreal affair. Chanting and clapping in cadence, the hordes of revelers were an unimaginable cult-like mass of humanity, the …

Contributor Andrew Padula has been in situations throughout his life where he’s felt compelled to address racial issues from his unusual perspective. Andrew is a white, politically conservative, blues musician who’s been teaching and touring the U.S. and Europe since 1993. He can be seen with blues legend Bobby Parker on B.E.T. Jazz Central as well as on Carlos Santana’s recent DVD release “Montreux Blues Summit”. His point of view adds plenty to our discussion, so I welcome Andrew and his column The Topsoil to Allaboutrace.com. As Andrew says, “You …

Several months ago, Topsoil Columnist Andrew Padula submitted a piece triggered by TI’s gun insanity. It was a good post, but in it Andrew made the observation that increasingly, there were two kinds of people in America. Beyond black and white or brown, there were those who were striving, adhering to the law and doing their best to fight for a taste of the American dream and there were others engaged in perpetually self and community destructive behaviors. He argued that the gulf between the two cultures was rapidly widening.
I …