Videos

IMAGINE – 1619 (2023)

BEAUTY and the BEAST (2018)

RECOVERY (2018)

Flag, Burning (2017)

Layerist Painting: Acrylic on 2 canvases
*Video animation of flames by Norm Badillo

It’s estimated that currently 1 in every 15 African-American men is in prison. 1 in 3 can expect to go to prison in his lifetime. The number of incarcerated African-American women is rising alarmingly, as well.

Building and running new prisons, to meet the growing demand, is now a very lucrative business, conducted more and more by the private sector.

Instead of building schools, job-retraining centers, child care centers, health clinics, affordable housing, we keep building prisons.

Tragic, shameful and unacceptable!

What are the chances of a young African-American person who did some prison time to be able to get back to society in a productive manner? Wouldn’t he/she most likely be condemned to chronic joblessness, especially in this shaky economy?

Let’s stop talking about building walls to keep illegal immigrants out. Let’s tear down the walls that keep the young, underprivileged American citizens incarcerated forever in their own country that their ancestors helped to build with their sweat and blood!

During the social protests of the past decades, burning the American Flag was quite common, a conduct I would never condone and practice, myself. Yet, I believe, to do so should continue to be part of our freedom of expression, protected by the Constitution. Some of our politicians believe otherwise and want to send those who burn the American Flag to prison. Well, with all due respect, I have news for you:

The American Flag is already burning!

Human DNA: Bases of ME-WE (2017)

DELUSIONAL (2017)

A great Nation which started out with a strong dose of REALISM in it’s DNA is now becoming more and more prone to DELUSIONAL thinking.

Americans electing Donald Trump as their President (Psychologically Unfit and Knowledge-wise Unqualified), now giving encouragement to Oprah Winfrey (Psychologically Fit but Knowledge-wise Unqualified) who has openly flirted with the idea to be the next President.
The latest aspiring celebrity is now reported to be Oscar DeLa Hoya. He is probably Psychologically Fit (hopefully he has not received too many damaging hits to the head in his great boxing career), but he is knowledge-wise Unqualified, nevertheless (His serious interest for running for the Presidency was widely reported on Sept 10, 2018).

These three celebrities mentioned above, all in their own ways, are the willing enablers and beneficiaries of an unsustainable fantasy-world that is the America today. And, of course there are a host of similar actors on stage but with less name recognition and celebrity status trying to get into the action.

Becoming “Delusional” would be a very sad and serious diagnosis for a great Nation, for sure. Now, the big question is: If the diagnosis is correct, is the ailment still curable?
Being a “realistic-optimist” myself, my short answer will be a definite YES.
But we have to recognize the problem and start working on it now. How should we do that will be the subject of another discussion at another time.

NOTE: I highly recommend this excellent book on how we got here:

FANTASYLAND
How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History
by Kurt Andersen
2017, Random House

MOSES, JESUS, MUHAMMAD – May Peace Be Upon Them (2016)

SELF-HATING JEW (2014)

TEARS and FEARS (2014)

Could Eric Garner Breathe in Norway? (2015)

Posted on Jan. 9th, 2015, on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-jmRLVDSSk&t=0s&index=33&list=UUbezYOe00qUOpmzDiHHWHzA

Black White – Christmas (2014)

Posted on December 18th, 2014, on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD8ihhgMyjs&list=UUbezYOe00qUOpmzDiHHWHzA&index=33

Every life matters. Matter does not.
Materialism? It kills life every time.