Nationwide Gang: A Man Made Disaster

May 12th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

Yesterday, while I was doing research and watching news simultaneously, I got hit with a revelation. We’d better make sure we know who we are following.

Since Obama’s inauguration, we’ve seen a huge switch from protecting our nation as a whole, to looking out for those that fail. Does this comfort you? With Taliban forces 60 miles from Pakistani Nukes, North Korea and Iran getting closer to missile capability, and budget cuts aimed directly at national defense, do you get flashbacks of 9/11?

There goes those Republicans again, creating fear where none exists, throwing around the word terrorist like there is really someone out to get us, and protecting the very people that cause international situations by using their enhanced interrogation tactics.

I got a dirty little secret for you, the interrogation tactics worked. They were instrumental in keeping us safe for the last eight years. Maybe that’s the source of present complacency. We haven’t been attacked, so why not attack the policies in place if they give up political sway?

The simple answer, go ahead. Attack, attack, attack. That is until Pelosi is caught in a lie, that she knew the tactics were in full use and was complacent in stopping them when the threat appeared “Real”.

Let me link this into something I was reading this weekend, How a gang starts!

First, there has to be a desire or need for protection. This applies to everyone from Hitler to the Bloods and Crips. You must have followers and most of the time these people are the disenfranchised, so all you have to do is make a promise.

Before I go any further I must mention, most groups are started with the best of intentions. They have founders who really believe in fixing a problem. This is evident in the actual work used to put these groups together. Planning, meeting, and community outreach are always the first acts.

Next are the splinter cells, participants in the group who agree with destination but disagree with path to get there. Most black gangs were started in a non-violent fashion. They were set to the teaching of Dr. King and the awakened Malcolm X. They believed we had to stand up for our own communities if we were to change the effects of America’s dark past.

But the splinter groups thought the only way to combat the violence and inequality was to counter with violence. That would show how serious the situation was. It’s wasn’t about our ability to stand on our own, it was about showing people the power we had with guns by our sides.

Now, the average black person had to decide which side to take, the non-violent, slow progression toward equality or instant gratification garnered from “Niggas with guns”. Most people chose the non-violent, slow progression but they silently cheered and respected those with the guns.

Now, the one’s with the guns start getting antsy. How can they still not take us seriously, even though we’re standing here fully armed? They didn’t understand the difference between respect and fear. They didn’t understand the U.S. government wasn’t worried because they had more guns and people to use those guns, not to mention the laws of the land that gave them true power.

I don’t argue about how drugs got into our communities. If you like conspiracies, then I’ll give you government put drugs in black community. If you don’t do conspiracies and you still think the government did it, then I’ll give you that, too. My question always is, Why did they stay in the black community?

Bingo, the one’s with the guns. Upset about the government not taking them seriously and supported by the people in the neighborhood who were tired of suffering, they started talking C.R.E.A.M. If they don’t respect the guns, then we’ll make them respect the money.

The original founders of the “gang” now have a problem. They are trying to build something strong that couldn’t be broken; job training programs, economic industry, and community safety. They wanted to develop the next chapter in the success story of Blacks in America, yet we don’t remember any of their names.

Instead, we look toward the men with guns. We praise Huey Newton as a wrongly convicted black man, harassed by the police for being black with a gun and trying to build up his community. I’ll give you all that, but I’ll up you one.

How did he pay for the free food for kids, the bail for those caught with guns, or the funerals of those killed in shot outs with the police? He didn’t start a business that employed people in the community. He didn’t make the community a beacon for other business owners to come and lower unemployment rates. Where did the money come from?

You and I both know the answer, but let’s not talk about that. Let’s talk about all the wrong that was done to Huey Newton. What about the people that followed him because they thought it would bring a real change into their lives. Why is no one willing to talk about them?

The women who were told they could only date and marry other Black Panthers. The men who had to carry out acts against their own people to keep Huey Newton’s name clean. The mother’s and father’s becoming hooked on the drugs used to pay for Huey Newton’s free food program.

If you don’t want to talk about them, let’s talk about what Mr. Newton himself accomplished. He robbed and stole to get an education. If you’re going to praise him, taunt that. He knew he violated the law, so he learned as much as he could about the law. He was smart enough to know he had to play by the rules of the game.

Enough about one person in particular, that’s how you start to lose the big picture. Now, if you like Huey Newton you’re mad and if you don’t you’re still paying attention. And that’s where we lose the fight.

So, now I ask a deep question. Are our entitlements worth the only jobs in the ghetto encompass drug dealer, pimp, whores, and the “other” hustler? Are entitlements worth an uninspired downgraded education that leads straight to those jobs? Are we to continue accepting what ever is given to us, no matter the consequence?

Yeah, it sounds good. How can he be bad if he gives children food? How can he be wrong for empowering people to know their rights? How can he be bad for bringing people together to fight for a common goal?

I’ll let you ponder those questions, while thinking about this. What legacy did that period of time leave us with? Is that why the baddest dude on the block in an uneducated, pistol toting drug dealer? Instead of the Dr. King type leading us towards legislation in the halls of Congress.

That’s right, back to the point. Here we are again, this time, we’re starting a nation wide gang. The people at the very top started with good intentions. It would be great to give everyone healthcare, pay for everyone to go to college, and alleviate every bit of stress on the American People.

But here’s that nagging question. How do you pay for it? And just like every gang has realized, when you don’t sell a product, you can’t make any money. So what product is the government selling?

Some would say; GM, Chrysler, and all the banks. Other’s would say, “My child’s future wages”. And that’s the point where we lose. Because now we’re talking about C.E.O. compensation and taxes. Instead of focusing on the legacy we’re leaving behind.

Popularity and good intentions are one thing but the aftermath of the storm is something totally different. What gang, from Hitler to the Bloods and Crips, didn’t revert to violence? It is impossible to hold on to power when you are robbing the very people you’re supposed to be protecting. And along the way, the people who agree with your destination but not your path, get caught in all the mess.

And here we are, fighting over whether it’s O.K. to get information from terrorist, dare I say, “By any means necessary”, instead of paying attention to what the people at the top are really doing. Will it be to late before we wake-up and realize, just like selling drugs to parents to pay for their childrens’ food is ridiculous and really self serving, so is buying the wish list now and having your children pay for it later?

That’s a “Real” Man Made Disaster. Just look at Any Hood Near You.

The New Black Attitude: First “WHY?”, Now “Who Cares?”

May 9th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

Why? Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? Why am I wasting my time asking silly questions?

Bingo…………..

Why is a question posed by those who chose to do the wrong thing for the wrong reason. Pity should be treated as a season and allowed to past. Hoping spring will bring answers to questions unasked.

A bunch of mumbo jumbo or real talk. I happen to think it’s quite inspiring, especially since I wrote it. LOL

I guess in every thing there are reactive and proactive forces. Shots fired on the block, the reactive question, why? The proactive question, why not start a neighborhood watch to cut back on the crime. But before either gets a chance to act or react, what about the person that fired the shots? Do the same forces hold dominion over him?

Is he being proactive in stopping someone from coming to his block or is he being reactive, retaliating because he was hit first? Or truly, does it matter? It doesn’t.

But those are the “WHY” boys and we give credence to their questions. We grieve momentarily for the victim and his family, but we fight relentlessly to make sure the “shots fired” have an excuse. When the police catch the shooter, it’s the police who were picking on a black man.

So I ask, do you even remember crying for the black mother that lost her black son to that black man?

And for asking this question, I will be called a traitor, an uncle Tom, or a myriad of other names that bounce off my skin like raindrops. I’m prepared for that. I know full well putting a dissenting voice will cause criticism to fly my way.

But where are the rest of the people who aren’t afraid to speak up? Over the last couple months, I’ve found quite a few who are willing and currently fighting to take back their cities, but they have to fight the common sense, get up and go to work everyday people. And the one’s committing the crime are free to roam while we fight amongst ourselves.

I have a very old friend I talked to a couple weeks back. He was the man. When I was sick, I mean spending an entire week every month in hospital, he helped me with my bills. He made sure I got my medicine and he frequently stopped by to see if I was eating properly.

But he also worked in weight. He wasn’t loud or flashy, but he was caked up. Right around the time I was leaving Richmond, he was arrested and sentenced to 4 1/2 years in jail.

This was our first conversation since then. Being that I have changed, I assumed that he had made some changes as well. He made changes all right, but not like I had expected.

He told me he no longer sells to niggers. That’s what got him in trouble last time. Black people just don’t know how to keep their mouths closed.

And of course being the person I am, I question “Maybe you got in trouble because you were selling drugs and that’s what happens to people that sell drugs.” And then I got truth.

He said, “I know what I do. And I know where it’s going to lead me. It is what it is.” His girl’s grandma left them a house and she keep the money he saved, so there was no need to continue hustling. The more I tried to press the issue, the harder he laughed.

Now, I feel like a jackass. I’m praying to God to help me find a way to communicate the destruction in our communities and the criminals are laughing. To make matters worse, he commends he on my efforts and predicts big things in my future.

And I’m wondering, do you know what your asking for? If I succeed, you go outta business permanently. But I let the conversation go and spent weeks trying to wrap my brain around it. Until my breakdown on Wednesday, when I tried to tell this story, and the release of my thoughts in yesterday’s blog, I couldn’t decipher the lesson learned.

If you’re young, black, and in the hood, I’ll give you a free “WHY”? Why does no one care about me? See, we used to start community groups to bring jobs and opportunities into black areas. Now, to take a job that pays you enough to pay for rent and food and not much else is looked down upon. WHY? Because the same groups that once vowed to protect us are now giving crack to mothers, turning sons into runners, and killing anyone who gets in their way. No matter the color.

We don’t cheer for them but we stare enviously when they roll up, decked out. We get up and go to work everyday, just to make ends meet, and they don’t have a care in the world. Until they get hit with the consequences of their actions, then we find outrage and a reason to protest.

And the real niggers are laughing. You work your ass off and then you fight for them like your plight is the same. They count on “Let T-Dog Free” and public outrage so they can get back to the street and back to making money. And we oblige.

So what happens to that kid that wants to do the right thing? He sees the world around him quite clearly and he’s smart enough to know just standing out can get him killed. That’s why in every single group of niggers, there is a pretender. Not in the scared to act sense, but the give me one opportunity to get away and I’m gone.

They do what they have to do to make it and then they become Jay-Z, Baron Davis, and Barack Obama. And we cheer their success. But we point out that they are only the exceptions to the rule. The truth is, if we eliminated their need and necessity to fit in, they would become the rule.

And that’s where we are. We are telling our kids that we don’t care what happens in their everyday life if it involves people that look like them. We don’t want to talk about black on black crime, we’ll wait until a white person does something and then we’ll fight.

And while we put our heads in the sand, black men are dying, going to jail, or creating situations that will cause them problems for the rest of their lives.

But we don’t care. If they floss, we’ll admire. If they kill, we’ll overlook. If they steal, so what. Let it happen in your inner circle and it’s different. The police don’t care, the politicians don’t care, and the media doesn’t care. But like the initial question, before any of the people above have a chance to act or react, what about you?

Were you proactively trying to make a better community? Where you proactively trying to encourage your friend to stop selling illegal drugs that cause thousands of black to be incarcerated every year? Where you proactively trying to get them to go back to school or to pick up a trade?

Or are you being re-active and questioning “WHY”, even though you are well aware of the answer?

But here’s the kicker. If you are proactive and are trying to put positive influences around those you love. How’s that working out? Are they ignoring you and continuing to follow their own path, no matter how hard you try? Do you feel like it’s a waste of time, even though you continue to encourage and enlighten?

To you I ask, what about when you’re not talking about someone in particular. Say, just some random news story about a murder in your city. Do you question why the victim was there, instead of why that neighborhood has had a murder every weekend for a year? Do you question police tactics, instead of number of crimes criminals get away with because no one is willing to speak up?

The point is, if you tell a black man to get a job and become a part of society, then turn around and justify the actions of those who are doing the exact same thing, why would they listen to you? You tell them to work hard but laugh along with the guys that pick on the poor dude. What are you truly saying to them.

As long as I you’re nothing, I got your back. But the minute you decide to change your life and have to struggle with the consequences of that change, you no longer fit in. Since you no longer have the chain, the whip, the girls, or the dough, you are no longer worth fighting for. Come back when you are the victim of a white crime.

And that’s the black attitude. Who cares how many die, if they die by black hands? Who cares how hard you work if you don’t roll a Benz? Who cares how much you suffer, if it’s not done by the hands of government or the white man?

Gotta go for now, but far from finished.

Katrina Pierson Of Texas: Pink Slips For Washington

April 21st, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

I wouldn’t post Jeaneane Garafalo’s rant on MSNBC but I am pleased to let you meet Katrina Pierson. I can’t say it like her:

American People: Mother Barack Obama: Father Just Read On!

April 11th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

A little story for you.

Once upon a time, a family bought their dream home. Life was good. They had enough room to get a dog, the father had a putting green in the backyard, and the mother could host grand parties in the dining room. They loved their new home.

Over time, the family started living outside their means. The house was no longer enough. The father wanted a full 18 hole golf course, the mother needed classier china, and the kids decided they wanted a cat instead of a dog.

The families dream began to crumble eventually leading to a divorce. The mother fought for the house and won, but she soon discovered the financial situation was a lot worse than she thought. To escape her worries, she went out with the girls for a night on the town.

The mother meets a charming man. She tells him of her plight, and he man shows real interest. Then he offers his hand out to her and promised that he could help change the tide of her life. The woman, so desperate for change, took his hand with very little after thought.

She introduced him to the kids and after promising the boy a scooter and the girl a pony, they were instantly in love. So, she asked him to move in.

The very day he moves in, the man starts complaining about the financial situation. Your ex-husband didn’t know how to keep a balanced checkbook because of him, I’m going to have to hire some one to sort out the finances. My man spent 5 years in jail for laundering money, he’ll know how to clean up the accounts.

The mother had her reservations but the smooth, charming man was still there. And while he was there, she felt safe and secure. She gave her checkbook and statements to him.

The man found that both kids had trust funds. So he decided to borrow against the funds. The mother’s reservations got heavier from this move. The charming man stroked her hair and looked her dead in the eyes and told her to trust him. And she did.

When the money arrived, the woman was excited. She knew she could pay off her debt and start fresh with the charming man. But the man had other plans. He told the mother, you still have a lot of problems with this house. Your ex-husband didn’t properly maintain the gutters, so I’m going to have to hire someone to come and fix them. Your ex-husband didn’t buy energy saving appliances, that’s why the electric bill is so high. I’ve got to replace them all.

And the list continued on. Every problem blamed on her ex and every solution putting her further in debt. But the woman had put all her faith into the charming man, what could she do?

The next day, the man drove home in a brand new car. He had a scooter for the boy, a pony for the girl, and a new china set for the Mom. The mother was so happy, she didn’t even ask how he paid for it.

The man said, let’s throw a party and invite the most prominent people in the city. The mom insisted on keeping her closet friends on the list and the man decided to invite her ex-husbands rivals. The woman once again had her reservations but let his will be done.

The night of the party, the man gave a speech apologizing for the mother’s ex-husbands’ “arrogance” for not inviting many of the guest before now. The mother was shocked. She knew her ex-husband wasn’t perfect, but he had made a lot of good decision too.

But, she held her tongue. She couldn’t embarrass her man in front of everybody. Then they started making their rounds.

They met Sheriff Iran. The mother pointed out that he was planning on letting prisoners out of jail even though they were convicted of crimes. The man chatted him up anyways.

They met Mr. North. The mother pointed out he was planning to tear down the Orphanage, even though the entire city had raised enough money to keep it open. During the conversation, the man actually got the call that the building was being destroyed. He said nothing.

Then they met Mr. Saudi. The mother pointed out he owns the appliance store that sold them the inefficient appliances that cost so much to replace. The man actually bowed before him. Now, the woman was starting to get really pissed.

After the party, the man tells the woman he was talking to a few of the guest and they were trying to put together utopia. Where every household was governed by the exact same rules, since all of them were going through financial difficulties. Every household would pool their money together and decide how to distribute it out.

The woman said are you crazy. You and I are supposed to be the head of this household. No matter what the benefits, I refuse to relinquish that power. The woman was finally starting to get it. This man didn’t know what he was doing. He was paying everyone else to come up with ideas for him, which in the long run, only ended up costing them more.

So the mother started the conversation. The bills are due, how are we going to pay them? The man said, I’ll just open another credit account under each of the kids. It should tide us over until all the plans we’ve put into motion pan out.

“What in the hell you mean open another credit account for my kids?” the mother screamed.

“How do you think I got the boy the scooter, the girl the pony, and you the china set? You weren’t complaining while I was giving you gifts.”

“That’s because I didn’t know where you were getting the money.”

“Don’t blame me. Your ex-husband got you in this mess. I’m trying to get you out.”

“My ex-husband may have left me broke, but you’re leaving me AND MY CHILDREN destitute. I wanted something different, but not this.”

————————————————————————————-

Sound familiar? I thought it might. It’s basically what I’ve missed over the last week of not blogging.

Now the story would be funny, if it weren’t true. If the American People weren’t the Mother, Barack Obama wasn’t the father, and the future of our country was focused on the children’s line of credit.

Back in the day, that was the most trifling thing to do in the Ghetto. I remember, on more than one occasion, the mothers of my neighborhood gathering to discourage damning children into a legacy of debt. They looked down upon gambling your child’s future.

Now we’ve got the U.S. government deciding their future is less important than our current pain. I mean we still have a house, even if it’s not perfect. Bush may have left the economy in shambles, though there is enough blame to go around, but where will the current economic plan leave us.

Yeah, we got the pony but long term can we afford to shelter and feed it. Yeah, we got the scooter but what good is it without the helmet, gloves, lessons, and the ability to maintain if an accident does occur. What about the hidden cost?

If while reading the story you thought the mother was stupid, don’t be so quick to judge. It was our reflection staring us in the face. Faith is amazing, when it is in God or yourself. It becomes something different when you put it in a charming man. Especially, if it goes against everything you believe in.

The Cast

Sheriff Iran: While Obama was talking about nuclear disarmament, Iran was celebrating Nuke Day.

Mr. Saudi: Saudi Arabia is important for it’s oil. The same oil Obama wants to tax to the sky. Why the bow?

Mr. North: North Korea launched a missle even though the entire world was against it and even pulled together to help the North Korean people with aid for not testing missles. I’ve yet to hear Obama even mention this.

Each House Repair: Another Bail out for GM and Chrysler. This time to see if they should go into bankruptcy or not. Shouldn’t that have been the first question you asked before you started handing out the money.

The pony, the scooter, the china: All the things we were promised, that we thought we couldn’t live without. OR All the smoke a mirrors the government is putting up focusing on Rush Limbaugh and other conservative radio show host and journalist. You pick.

A Lesson Learned: Jay-Z, Decisions, and Self Growth

April 10th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

Wow! Where to start?

Decisions

Life is nothing more than a myriad of decisions, most with a simple yes or no answer. The person that refuses to make these decisions will find the road of life riddled with obstacles that could have been removed.

I have the funniest ways of connecting a point. Let’s take one of my favorite songs,

“You must love me” Jay-Z In my Lifetime, Vol. 1

2nd verse Lyrics

We used to fight every night
but I never would suffer
just smile my big brother’s
tryna make me tougher
As we grew fussing and fighting continued
as I plundered through ya stuff
and snuck ya clothes to school
Got intense real intense
as we got older
Never believed it would lead
to be popped in one of ya shoulda
With my rings knew you had it
’cause you took too long
as Mickey, Andy, and the girl that bought it looked on
Huffin’ and puffin’ gun in my hand
told you step outside
Hoping you said no but you hurt my pride
made our way down the steps
maybe you thought it was just a threat
or maybe ya life was just that crazy
and you was beggin’ for death
try to justify this in my young mind
but ya drillin’ it
and my ego hurt combined
drove me berzerk
Saw the devil in your eyes
high off more than weed
confused I just closed
my young eyes and squeezed
What a sound
opened my eyes just in time
to see ya stumbling to the ground
Damn what the fuck I done now
runnin’ around in a circle
thinking I’m assed out
hot gun burnin’ my waist
ran straight to Jazz’ house
Like a stranger damn I just shot my nigga
and ran off into the night as if it was not my nigga
Left the scene how could I go out that way
Still you asked to see me in the hospital ya next day

You Must Love Me

Here’s my point about making tough decisions. Both Jay-z and the brother in the story were faced with decisions. Both were forced to make decisions rapidly because they were under scrutiny of their peers. If either would back down or refuse to act, they would have faced mass criticism.

So both acted. The brother made the decision to stand his ground and Jay-z made the decision to do what the street demanded he do.

But, what did we forget?

We forgot that this was not the first time both were faced with this decision. They’ve spent years fussing and fighting but never made a life changing or relationship altering decision, until the moment the bullet left the gun.

At that moment, a permanent decision was made. Jay-Z finally realized how irrelevant all the bickering was; who cares what happened between us, your my brother. And the brother realized, if the positions were reversed, he would have done the same thing. I mean, where do you think he learned what was expected?

Sometimes, the best decisions are the one’s rapidly forced upon you. Where in a split second, you don’t overcomplicate or reason, you just answer. Most of the time, these moments feel like mistakes the instant they are made. Could you imagine if the brother had died?

But most of the time, especially if you have God leading your path, you were put in that position because a life altering, relationship changing decision had to be made and you were refusing to make it. You were stagnate and God doesn’t like it when you ask for his help, then refuse to make steps necessary to receive your blessing.

Jay-Z got lucky. There were no major ramifications for his actions. The relationship with his brother was stronger because of a rash decision.

But that’s not always the case. Sometimes those rash decisions come with hefty consequences. It all depends on how you look at it. If you are a person who never made a life altering, relationship changing decision, then you probably got a lot of those decisions ahead of you. You’ve got to see the dark clouds, before the silver lining.

If you are a person who refuses to bend on position, then it’s probably the people around you trying to get away. They are making the life altering, friendship changing decisions for you.

But, if you are the person that refuses to go to the hospital the next day, you have decided against self growth. You don’t want to deal with the consequences of your decisions. So to you I say, watch out for the speed bumps in the road. You missed the lesson learned.

———————————————————————————-

Watch For the Stupidity

Some people question my “relating life” to a song. They tell me, it’s just a song. It’s not meant to be taken with the importance you give it.

I’m beginning to think, this is the real problem with Hip Hop. We used to use song to uplift and praise. Now, if we are lucky enough to find a song with real meaning, using the lyrics to show a lesson learned is unacceptable or underappreciated.

Maybe the problem isn’t Hip Hop, maybe the problem is us.

Another Auto Bail-Out or One Final Kick Out: Detroit Pay Attention

March 30th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

In the time of the Bail-Out, when is enough, enough. When will the government realize that our will is not being done? When will they realize we are not in a position to continue spending money we don’t have? And when will American Industry stand and do what it’s always done, adapt to any situation.

That has been our legacy. No matter the challenge or the obstacle, we find a way to turn lemons into lemonade. Along the way, we find out we can take a sour situation and turn it into refreshment when the days get hot.

The continuous bail-outs are stopping that from happening. Barack Obama keeps giving money when the company gives nothing in return. In other words, the tax payers are actually helping businesses stay prehistoric and unproductive. We know better than that.

Detroit has the ear of the Union, the government, and the people who are desperate to hold on to their jobs. How about listening to the ear of the master Lemonade maker. I’m always looking for the silver lining in the dark clouds.

O.k. You have a workforce of people good with mechanics, factories full of machines, a government that wants to pour Trillions of dollars into going green but no one in America makes the parts for the wind turbines or solar plates.

You know if you continue to take government money, they will eventually control every aspect of your business. We’ve learned from Bernie Madoff, sticking all your eggs in one basket isn’t very smart. And history has shown, even in prosperous times, Detroit still struggles when it’s main source of income is the Auto Industry.

Detroit, maybe it’s time you kick the Auto Industry out of your town. You can keep the, “We’re going to hold ourselves up by the bootstraps” Ford, but let GM and Chrysler find new homes. That’s if, they could stay afloat during the process.

We all point and say, you can’t do that. You would ruin the American Auto Industry forever. No, we’d create space for other designers and CEO’s to come up with a new product. They’d place plants in different cities and if the Auto Industry starts to hurt again in the future, the pain will be dispersed over a larger area. It wouldn’t collapse an entire U.S. City with it’s demise.

Well what about the people that depend on their job in one of those plants? I got news for you, your job is already in jeopardy. You have been living in a comfort zone created by the Union. I don’t blame you, but it’s time to get out of your comfort zone. Your comfort is killing your city. Maybe it’s not fair, but maybe it’s the right thing to do.

The people of Detroit have an obligation, just as every other American. We are charged with leaving our city, state, and country in a better position than our parents left to us. You were left with a flourishing Auto Industry, high wages, great benefits, and security. What will you leave your children with?

The stigma of the city that ate a Trillion dollars with no production. How the greedy people of Detroit allowed the Unions to kill the Auto Industry? O.K. I’m smart enough to know the Liberals that write the history books will give you a bail-out and put the blame elsewhere, but the truth is you hold the blame.

You vote for the politician with the easy fix, instead of the one willing to make the tough choices to better your city for the future. You vote in and stand by Kwame Kilpatrick, should I say any more?

Maybe I’m taking this a step to far, but I’m in that kind of mood today. Let’s make a politically incorrect comparison.

Detroit is in the middle of a storm. They can choose to re-act like the people in New Orleans and sit and wait for the government to save them, or the can re-act like the people in Fargo and decide to save themselves. Let’s just say, Fargo is going to be hit by another storm today on top of the flooding they have already endured and there are no cases of people being trapped on their roofs or patients in hospitals being taken of life support because some random person deems them not worth saving.

It’s a choice. People of Detroit pay attention.

P.S. I forgot to mention another huge benefit of kicking out the Auto Industry, you’d find out how much the Unions really care about people. I’m willing to bet they would disappear from Detroit the moment GM and Chrysler left and wouldn’t return until the could rape your next source of industry.

Will you fall for it again?

A Win Win Situation

March 19th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

“I can’t help the poor if I’m one of them. So, I got rich and gave back, to me that’s the Win Win.” Jay-Z Feel My Truths, Black Album

I’m a stickler for one liners. The whole song has to be good, but the best songs always have one line that is stapled in your memory from the first time you heard it. That phrase has stuck with me since the first time I heard it.

Is only one Win enough for us? I won that fight, I lost that war T.I.

Let’s give a few scenarios:

We rail about making the rich pay higher taxes, but what is that doing directly for you?

We cry about corporate bonuses, but does that get you any closer to making the kind of money those executives make.

We yell about racism, but we do nothing about stopping the self caused destruction in our own neighborhoods.

We complain about how the government is spending money, but we continue to use credit cards and pay day loans.

When are we going to want a complete domination victory instead of excepting small wins, that in the long run have no real long term effect? Have we really gotten to the point where we are satisfied when someone else is brought down a peg or two, instead of being satisfied we have moved up a peg or two?

Do we actually win anything if you put a higher tax on oil and the price of gas goes up? Yeah, we showed that big oil company, but we also hurt the poor and under privileged trying to keep their house warm.

Create an alternative to gas, make it readily available, and then tax the oil companies. Their massive profits get cut, and the small guy has options, and the country gets a Win Win because we are no longer dependent on foreign oil.

Think about that next time you want some one successful to suffer. Who are you hurting by exuding your hate before you make a plan on first how to improve yourself?

We Are A Nation Of Cowards And Are Not Ashamed

February 26th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

The First Black Attorney General Eric Holder stood in front of reporters and called America, “a nation of cowards” when it comes to talking about race.

Rarely do I agree any Democrat but I’m half-way there on this one. I’d make a few changes though. He could’ve said, “We are a nation of cowards when it comes to being broke.” I’d agree. Or he should have said, “We are a nation of cowards hiding behind victimization,” when it comes to race.

Let’s deal with one at a time

Race

I think about the Stars that grace the Billboard charts, Magazines, and television, and we are represented. Not always in the best light, will the real hip-hop please stand up, but we are there. Now, we even have a black face in the White House.

All that means nothing. We can’t have a civilized conversation amongst ourselves without turning it into something ugly. How can we have the conversation on a National level?

When I bring up “black issues”, I’m assaulted because I don’t place blame elsewhere. Even if I give every concession that “the white man” is the cause and root of all our problems, I can never get passed that. Yes, that evil man did it, but what do we do next.

“We make them pay.”

O.K. while we are waiting on them to pay, because it’ll never happen, what do we do in the mean time.

“We make sure everyone knows that they are responsible.”

O.K. but what do we do to better ourselves in the mean time. Why is our entire existence based on what “they” do or don’t do. Don’t we get to make some choices instead of waiting on “them”?

As individuals, most of us have made a choice. We work, raise our families, and handle the stress of it all with pain grimaced through a smile. Life isn’t always fair, but we keep going. But as a collective, we have stopped moving forward. We are patiently waiting for some invisible “white person” to say they are sorry and some how “pouf” away our problems.

Problems we have created waiting. And that’s the problem. We allowed criminals to run our streets with no accountability. We don’t let snitches in and out of our communities. If we stuck together with the same strength towards gangs and dealers, we could police our own streets.

Isn’t that what we crave. To be the big man on the block. How come the big man never wants to create jobs with health care and retirement? And if these are the things missing in our communities, why don’t we give acceptance to the richer people who do?

Why would I give praise to a “white person”? Who says they are white. Russell Simmons, Oprah, Blah Blah Blah I could go on and on, but it would be fruitless. Why?

Because they are surrounded by people afraid to call them on it. A black rapper come out publicly for McCain, career suicide. Yet, AFTER the election Scarface came out and said he voted for McCain, nice and quiet like. Those who disagree with Obama, fear the backlash of a collective of black people stuck and stagnate. The collective is the mob and no one wants to be on the wrong side.

Then you have white people without a racist bone in their body to afraid to stand up. A black politicain can come out and race bait at his choosing but a white politician better watch his words.

We are such a Nation of Cowards

If you think race was bad, Income level is even worse

All my people who have ever been broke and made it out, our time is coming. We all want to look back and remember how good or bad our childhood was. If you were broke, whether it was good or bad, you learned a few tricks of the trade.

You know how to turn one chicken into three dinners and that experience is invaluable. The cowardice of which I speak won’t come from us. It will come from those who had everything handed to them on a silver tray, those that got it the easy way and don’t know how to maintain it, and those who wanted to take short cuts to get to their destination faster.

They will be the ones finding it hard to get assistance because they stomped on so many people along the way. They will waste time worrying about what they lost and not what they still have. They are the one’s clamouring to spend now because they don’t want to suffer.

They are cowards. Being broke isn’t fun, but it is manageable. It takes strength to realize what is necessary and what is not. If I don’t want my daughter to worry about college, I can’t buy a new dress now. How trifling would I be if I bought a new dress in hopes of meeting a rich man to pay for college for her?

Not only trifling, I would be a coward. And through all this, my daughter would be watching. How could I explain?

They say this financial crisis will change the face of Governments all over the world. Once we were the people willing to sacrifice ourselves for our country. Now we will sacrifice our country for ourselves. Is that not the very definition of Coward.

Rhianna and Chris Brown: Why You Should Re-evaluate Situation

February 26th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

Quick story before I get to the point.

I had this friend and she liked when her boyfriend beat her. I’m not joking or making light of the situation. On more than one occasion I got into it with her significant other. I finally had to realize, that was her. It never stopped me from yelling at him though.

If she was stupid enough to let you do it, Fine. But if you aren’t Man enough to stop, then you have a serious problem. You will never convince a woman in that kind of love to leave, if she doesn’t already want to.

But you can make a dude mad enough to test you and see if he gets the same results. It works majority of the time and the dude gets to see what it’s like on the other side of the beat down. Beyond that, the situation is out of your control.

Blah! Having said that, when the news broke of Chris Brown’s alleged abuse of Rhianna, every where I looked was judgement and ridicule. Before the pictures of Rhianna were released, it was fun and games to talk about the situation. Talk show host laughing, fans criticizing, nothing but judgement.

When the pictures of Rhianna’s swollen face appear, then it’s outrage. More judgement and criticism.

We all live in glass houses. We should not be throwing stones. Not just because Jesus said, “Judge not lest ye be judged”, let’s try you miss the whole point on the conversation.

In our culture on Sex and Money, these are good conversations to have. I’m sorry it had to come at the expense of two of Hip-Hop’s up-and-coming stars, but they caused the situation. All we can do is learn from it.

A Few Lessons You Might Want To Take

We all wish for money and fame. Do we really understand the cost? Now, we are free to make mistakes with only the scrutiny of those around us. How well would you hold up if the whole world was watching?

Our Little Girls. Our precious females coming up thinking all they have to do is freak the right Musician, sports stars, or any other man with money and they will be set. Once you give control to these men, especially when you don’t have the power to match theirs: KUDOS BEYONCE, they control every thing. Why not make your own money, first.

Instead of judgement, we should all be encouraging Brown to get help. The sympathy will pour for Rhianna, I have no problem with that. But there are so many men to afraid to grow up and learn a better way to deal with women. We have a reality show about everything else, why not how to break the cycle of domestic violence that focuses on the Men. (Men being a relative term)

There is a lesson missing. Well, not so much missing as hidden by the public’s watchful eye. This will definitely cost Chris Brown. I will find it hard for him to write songs to women when they know he likes to hit females. But the majority of cowards that find comfort in beating their significant others, don’t have anything to lose. That’s why they do it.

This teaches them nothing. I’m sure they are cheering, “that’s how you handle a bitch”. I know because I’ve been around them. I’ve challenged them. I’m talking around the Thanksgiving Day Turkey.

We throw so much criticism towards Chris Brown and not the act itself. It’s O.K. to hit a female, we just didn’t expect it from Chris Brown.

I just made a promise for Lent and I’m not going to break it so soon. I personally know 6 men that beat every woman they get. I also know wonderful Men that have stepped in and offered beat downs to those same men. I have been hit by two men, one of them my brother, and both times I gave as good as I got.

And both times I pointed out the cowardice. My brother apologized and promised to never put his hands on me again, but it doesn’t stop him from putting his hands on his current girlfriend. The irony, I had to beg my apologetic brother to stop hitting the second dude that put his hands on me.

Yet, I still call him a coward every time I see the bruised face of another woman. I tell my daughter, in front of him, about the kind of man he is. She challenges him to fight every time she sees him. In addition to my annoying voice, he gets it from the face and actions of his neice. And that’s all I can do.

We need that on a massive scale. We can’t get it from Movies, songs, or any other pop culture. But we can get it from the people behind the culture. Stars are regular people, with regular problems. Learn from their mistakes.

Instead of hurling judgement, use this rectify a serious problem. While we continue to work on women and their value system, we can not allow the opportunity to pass to call out the men who see no problem in Brown’s action. The one’s that thought it was so funny before the pictures and especially the one’s who thought it was even funnier when the pictures came out.

Where is their judgement?

To Blend In or To Stand Out: Does My Choice Make Me?

February 9th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

The same old fight. It’s like I’m the light-skinned well bred negro surrounded by all the thugs and hustlers and I have to prove I’m some how worthy. I’m not going to do it. Instead, I’ll bring the fight to you. That’s what I’m good at.

The more I write on the blog, the more I learn. A lot of people won’t leave a comment but will fill my e-mail with some silly mess. Which perplexes me because you can comment anonymously. So, I’m beginning to think I’m changing some minds or at least planting seeds of doubt about the Democratic Party. If you don’t want to be anonymous on my blog then why send your personal e-mail address to me via message.

You want me to reply to you. O.K. I got you. Just tell a sister you might not agree right now, but you’re willing to listen if I can just convince you. And I shall oblige.

Classic High School Story. The kid who wants to do his own thing is bullied by the kids who want him to know his role. I’ve said this a million times. I know my role. You have no jurisdiction telling me what makes me who I am. Period. That’s all, point blank.

My role is to stand out. Not because I choose to, but because that’s what it is. I believe what I believe and for that I catch flack. I got tough skin, I’ll be O.K.

But there comes a time when the same old arguments need to be laid to rest. This is something that’s been eating on my conscience for a while.

1. I’m damned if I do, Damned if I don’t

In trying to find my own voice, I’ve had to do a mental check on who I am. See, I don’t need your assistance dissecting my own cerebral, I do it voluntarily. You should try it. (I’m sorry, I’m in one of my moods.)

I realized, I didn’t fully appreciate how much I learned from being poor and black in America. I lived in a house with no bathroom or running water; being broke could never break my spirit. As long as I got Tupac, Jay-z, Mary J., Rick James, Earth, Wind and Fire; should I continue? It’s O.K. Sprinkle in a couple people that love me and a bank account the reads zero doesn’t matter. My mom made it and I will too.

But that’s not enough. I also want to be educated. Not by the ignorant masses that follow self-interest serving black faces, but by the actions of those who were given nothing and achieved something.

So, I follow Nannie Helen Burroughs 12 rules but speak like an uneducated hip hopper. What color does that make me? I get hit with this from both sides. The older people in my life agree with principles of which I speak. They just wish I would change the phrasing of certain things, you know make it sound more educated. Then my peers hit me with, your a self hater because you think we need to fit in.

I’m laughing at both. Does it matter how I say it, if I’m passionate about it in my heart? Does it even matter to you that Nannie Burroughs was black? Or did I just choose to be a thorn in both their sides because I don’t fit in?

I think the latter. I don’t care if you think I’m ghetto. Dispute me on the facts. The natural me will come out and she isn’t proper and petite and she doesn’t like being handled or put in her place. When, not if, my southern drawl and sometimes improper language comes shining through, that’s me. So complain from both sides, I love being the center of attention.

2. Who Allows You To Fit In

In the full swing of another Awards Season, I thought I would point this out. Am I the only one who doesn’t watch the Movie Awards because they never nominate black movies I think were excellent? I know I’m not the only one.

So, let’s think about this. We all know Hollywood is run by the Left, the Democrats. They are the party of black people right? Why are we still complaining about no black movies getting attention. I mean in the natural progression of things, shouldn’t we have started to garner more awards and accolades?

Gay marriage is the current topic of discussion and so goes their focus. Does this negate great black stories from having a role? Or did they give us one for Hallie and one for Denzel and think we should be satisfied for now?

And this is where you want to fit in? I would think most blacks would be insulted by some of the job creation in the stimulus bill. These jobs were available during the housing boom, they are mostly in construction. They weren’t filled by low income Americans, they were filled by illegal immigrants. Now that the jobs have dried up, the illegals have started returning to Mexico.

What happens when you can’t build another school or fix another road? You are going to go home unemployed just like the illegal immigrants. Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. It’s not ancient history, it’s currently happening.

And this is what you want me to fit into? It’s not encouraging people to start a business, it’s encouraging people to be laborers. I know this had to come from a movie. The white guy ruins the plans of the black character and then offers him a job cleaning out the stables. That what this is. Except the white guy is the Government.

No thank you! If I have to render myself incompetent and needing of government assistance to fit in, you can start sticking post-it notes with “kick me” on my back. I’m looking forward to the first person that tries.

Now, I have no compassion for the situations of millions of Americans. You are wrong. I know millions of Americans are struggling. But millions of Americans have been struggling. Why start choosing which places are in most desperate need of Assistance? Why not start with the communities that have needed the assistance the longest?

I’ll tell you. They already have most of those communities addicted to assistance. Now they are trying to branch out. Why put money into an area where your vote is assured? Instead, money will go to areas that are currently weak and ripe for government take over. All they need; you to fit in and let them take over.

3. Black People can’t be racist

Racism– The belief the race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to another

I was told that black people can’t be racist because white people have more power. Then today, I get hit with the same comment, this time with Barack Obama in the White House. I should stop there but I won’t.

What is the argument against blacks ability to be racist? We are in fact inferior and racial feelings are justified by our inadequacies? We lack the human character and ability to think we are better than another race? I can’t even believe I had to write that.

Does the comfort of having an excuse make you over look the obvious insult you condemn us to? While complaining of stereo-typing, you clutch on to it for dear life.

Black people are not immune to racism. To say we are, puts us in the inferior position. We are somehow lacking the fortitude to think we are better. I could be a racist, I choose not to be.

I feel cheap having to say that.

4. I Love My Master

Not all slaves hated their masters. Some were willing to die to protect them. Not out of fear, but out of gratitude. Other slaves were beat and their families were split apart, but some masters were good. They gave their slaves nice living quarters, good food, and didn’t mingle in slave affairs. That’s all well and good, but they were still slaves.

They were told where to work, when to procreate, and were still subject to the master’s whim. I’m speaking in generalities here. I think you love your master more.

I don’t want to be subject to Master’s whims. He can give me a nice house, money for food, and a job building schools in a district in which I don’t live. As long as I fit in. As long as I agree that he knows what’s best for me. And since I can come and go as I please, everything is all good.

Since it’s Black History Month, let learn some history.

sharecropper- A tenant farmer who gives a share of crops raised to the landlord in lieu of rent

Was the age of sharecropping any better than slavery? Yes, blacks were able to come and go as they pleased, generally, but most did not own what they worked for. They did the labor and were forced to give a majority of what they made to someone else. Dare I say, like a tax.

And this money wasn’t redistributed back into the community. It lined the pockets of greedy and corrupt men. Does this sound familiar? It should. It’s happening again today. To many individuals have money. Let’s gather it and put it in the hands of Master (the government) and we’ll handle it all.

All I have to say is, where is the money from the first T.A.R.P.? Buying private jets and expensive vacations for the same people that caused the problem? And this is your Master.

I pass. I’ll be the master of my own destiny. You sharecrop away.

———————————————————————————-

I did it again. I fell into the trap of answering my critics. I’ll give myself a pass this time. It was fun.