Browsing: Community
Had to run to my computer and shout it from the rooftops. Michael Steele is the new head of the Republican Party. The time of the new fight is upon us. From Steele’s own words. We are no longer fighting to sit at the counter. We are now fighting to own the diner.
I usually start off with a personal story. You know a little look back on my existence to validate my thinking but today I find it hard. See, I was a little prude as a teenager. I thought the worst thing that could happen to me involved having a child. All my friends had kids, even my little sister, and I saw their struggles.
Abortion. I have always believed that a woman has a right to choose. I know if I had gotten pregnant as a teenager, I probably wouldn’t have kept the child. Looking back, I probably wouldn’t have told my mother because she would have made me keep it. It’s all speculation now. Could I really have done it? I guess we’ll never know.
But abortions as stimulus I find perplexing. Until I took a little time to think about it.
Former President George W Bush started us down the path to socialism. (O.K. real fast let me say this. Isn’t it funny how as soon as you bring up Socialism, the Democrats don’t refute it, they only call out Bush as the starting point. Didn’t we all learn as kids, just because one person does something doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. I’m just saying.)
And President Obama is picking up right where he left off. But what does abortion have to do with Socialism? I’m glad you asked.
See, a Socialist society depends on the rich taking care of the poor. What happens when the number of poor people outweigh the pocketbooks of the rich? The society fails. People in government are not stupid. They might believe in Socialism but they know it has to be managed. Meaning they have to be able to control the number of new births, especially in the poorer communities.
The rich are easily controlled when it comes to childbirth. Most rich people got that way because they understand how to manage their money. They know they won’t stay rich having 8 kids in a Socialist society. With excessive tax rates and lack of any real tax relief, most will forgo having more than one or two kids.
But the poor people. That’s a whole different story. They have struggled their whole lives and the added burden of multiple children doesn’t seem to slow them down. You can’t preach self responsibility because the people will start to realize they don’t need the government, the government needs them. So, instead make it cool and easy to get an abortion.
But first they have to convince you that it is not only a Constitutionally provided right but that it also should have no stigma placed upon it.
Now, I’m going to stand up for my sista’s of every race and creed on this one. No one has the right to judge you. If you made the decision that you thought was best for you, I applaud. Taking care of a child is a serious job and if you’re not ready for it, no one should have the ability to force it upon you.
Now, having said that. You don’t have the right to then turn around and place the guilt you feel at the feet of other Americans. Just because it was the right choice for you, doesn’t make it the right choice for every other person. You can’t demand respect for your choices if you don’t give that same respect to choices made by others. Simple. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Now, having said that. Both sides of this issues need to put a hold on proving they are right and look at the effects this could have on our communities. Everybody can agree that Communism is not the best form of government. The only difference between Communism and Socialism is religion.
China has no problem convincing it’s people that abortion is O.k. Hell, they demand it. They even allow for the killing or mass deportation of children to control it’s population. They don’t have a God to answer to, only a government. Is that what we want for America?
I know, I’m taking it too far. I’m trying to turn basic contraception into a fight for our nation’s identity. Or am I the only one willing to point it out. By our own admission, we are at the low end of the totem pole. So who are the real targets of these free abortions?
That’s where Nancy Pelosi comes in. In her press conference, she stated the true intent of adding government funding for abortions to the stimulus bill. Abortions will cut the cost of entitlements at the state level, therefore cutting the federal governments matching of such entitlements. Basically, it’s not about a woman’s right to choose, it’s about the government starting to control how many kids come from which neighborhoods.
Am I taking it too far again, or am I once again the only person that will say it. We rail because every corner in our neighborhoods have a liquor store. What will we say when everyone of our neighborhoods has free abortion day? Or instead of offering food stamps and public housing, they mandate you already have to many kids to be cared for under our current system, so you have to terminate your pregnancy to continue to get benefits.
They wouldn’t do that. Yeah, right. Just look how the system is currently set up. If you get a job, they immediately terminate your benefits. This is the price you pay for allowing government to make decisions that should be left up to the men and women who take care of their children.
Every woman should have the right to choose, but don’t fight so hard for that right that you unintentionally give it up. At 17, you didn’t want a child. But at 25, you no longer have the right to decide because the population of your town has already met the maximum allowed by the state. So now, you are forced into abortion.
Nothing comes for free. Even the Democrats know there is a price to pay for socialism. They just don’t tell you in the future it might include your right to choose. Not whether you want to terminate a child but whether you have the right to keep it.
Yesterday, I took the President Elects advice and committed myself to a day of service. It did not turn out as I plan, which is always the case. I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow. I still have to wrap my brain around the enormous generosity of the American people, even in the hard economics we are currently facing.
Yesterday was special for another reason. I got to tell my daughter the complete history of the Martin Luther King Jr. legacy. Not just the version that was taught to me.
I told my daughter that the liberals hated Dr. King. They thought he was the most dangerous man in the United States of America. A man that only preached non-violence was placed on thewatch list of all major government entities.
My daughter looked up at me and asked “What is a Liberal?”
I responded “most democrats”. Maybe a stroke with a broad brush but it fits.
I thought about going off subject and explaining to her the concept of political parties but this was a moment to teach her a much better lesson. I’m perplexed on how to bring up racial issues to my daughter. If I tell her of the black man’s struggles before she is ready, I could scar her for life. If I wait to long, someone else can get to her before I have the chance.
So, I thought it better to talk to her about the other side on Dr. King’s Dream. We instantly think of Dr. King as a civil rights advocate. But we forget he was a poor rights advocate. See, he realized something we refuse to see. It’s not the color of your skin that holds you back, it’s the lack of money in your pocket.
He realized that most whites that protested against him, were in the same boat as the blacks he stood up for. They to were poor and the thought of having more people to compete against scared them. Put that on top of the words of hate inherited from their parents and you had a recipe for disaster.
Just as when you take a poor black man whose parents have told him nothing about the success he could become, only of the pain they have endured. Then give him little to no opportunity to support his family and what do you get? A recipe for disaster.
By now, my daughter was ready to get away. I use every opportunity to teach her something new. And she hates it. I let her go and found myself watching the Dr. King special. It’s funny the things you don’t pay attention to because you don’t know they are important at the time.
I started yelling at the T.V. It’s one of my favorite pass times. Watching the history channel and yelling at the T.V. Off point. During the last days of Dr. King’s life, he was depressed. Severely depressed. The famous last footage of Dr. King’s birthday was set into place by his followers because Dr. King hadn’t smiled in months.
His “friend” in the White House Democrat Lyndon Johnson had turned on him because he disagreed with America’s role in the Vietnam War. Some of his top black supporters turned on him the moment he went against Democratic Politics. And his practice of non-violence fell on deaf ears to those in the black community.
Then it hit me. We shouldn’t be happy the day a black man gets into office. We should be happy the day a broke man gets into office. Could you imagine? A man with enough character to capture the hearts of the American people without the need for Union support or wealthy donors. A truly broke man with nothing but his morals and values.
Such a responsibility would be great and a real chance at the change we need. See, a broke man would look at the money being spent in Washington and realize it’s being wasted. He would know you don’t get out of debt by going into more debt without their being some consequence. He would say, “We have people losing their homes and you want to pay for wooden arrows”. I have a feeling a lot of bills would get vetoed.
He would remember how he signed papers before reading them and got stuck in a bad loan. So, when Congress demanded fast action on a bill, he would say “No. Fool me once, shame on you.” And Congress would have to fall in line. Oh! How much change would come to our country.
See, the poor man would remember the opportunities he let pass. The jobs he showed up late for, the ones he left early. He would understand job creation means nothing if you can’t capture the soul of the people. What good is it to create thousands of jobs, if a segment of the population is content with letting the government take care of them? He would understand that he needs to make the jobs available but he also has to entice the people who need them most to take them.
Hey! I just got a wonderful idea. Maybe President Obama should have a Broke Czar. He’s created a Czar for everything else. Run the report by the broke Czar with no fear ofrepercussions . Let him get on YouTube and tell the American People this bill is full of stuff we don’t need, without fearing the wrath of NancyPelosi or Harry Reid. That would be change we could believe in.
Or would we ruin it for ourselves? Like those who took advantage of the easy loans but instead of getting something they could afford, they wereBallin while Broke. Or those that blame Former President Bush for their economic troubles. Or parents who complain about their children’s schools, but spend no time working with their children to compensate.
O.K. These are the worse. Take an average High School in an Urban Area. Let’s say the statistics of those who can read at a high school level is 20%. O.K. Yes, the school plays a big part in this but so do the parents. If 80% of the parents don’t know their child can’t read or knows and doesn’t care, why are they spending time complaining about what someone else needs to do. You need to take the time to make sure your child catches up and stop waiting for help to zoom in.
Because you never know what the future holds and Obama may appoint a Poor Czar, let’s all start to get ready for the vetting process. First, we all must make sure we’ve made plenty mistakes of our own in this poor man’s war started by Dr. King over 40 years ago. We must admit to these mistakes and have stiff backbones to learn from them. Next, we have to be unafraid to tell our government what we really think. That means we must pay attention to local elections and hold representatives responsible for the votes they make, no matter the color of their skin orpolitical affiliation.
Most importantly, we all have to remember what it was like to be poor. Remember what it was like when credit wasn’t available to you and you had to pay for things straight out. Remember the pride you felt when you could accomplish this. Maybe that’s what’s lacking. The pride you felt when you worked hard for something, instead of the instant need to want more just because it’s easy to obtain right away.
We can’t forget what the last couple years has taught us. Ballin’ While Broke affects everybody. Further confirming the need for a change of battlefield. Since we now have our first African American President, let’s now fight for our first broke President. The new era of struggle in America.
Funny, how Dr. King knew it in the 60’s and we’re just starting to catch on.
I’m going to do my very best to be good.
Someone very close to me is making really bad decisions. In the current economy, jobs are hard to come by. When offered, an excuse for refusal should never be, “I ain’t working for no white man”. Should I have to say any thing else?
You would think not. But I had this conversation. Yesterday. And today, I am perplexed at the extent holding on to racism is ruining our country. The sad part is the perpetrators are not cloaked in white hoods.
They stand on street corners, not caring about the communities they ruin. They preach from pulpits, unaware the field of battle has changed. They represent political parties that push victimization.
I know, all things I’ve said before. Over and over again, I’ll admit. But it still rains true. Yet, I think I missed the point of how much history this romantic embrace with racism is costing us.
You don’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you came from, so let’s take a look back at history. Let’s imagine our current community mentality was present during the Civil War.
Imagine how we would crucify the slaves that wanted to learn to read and write. Think about this the next time you are watching roots and all the hate bubbles to the top. You have replaced the white man in those scenarios. You know the one you hate because he whipped a slave for having a book. Think about that as you bully a nerd in school.
Imagine how we would crucify Harriet Tubman. Who does she think she is? Uppity Negro thinking she better than us. Thinking she has the right to come and go as she pleases, while I’m stuck in these chains. But what about her struggle? What about her sacrifice? And there you are, safe, in your chains, complaining.
Let this seep into your mind when you are complaining about how they “just trying to hold a brother down”. Who is They? You. Did you laugh because the geek at McDonald’s got robbed of his paycheck? (I’m not going to lie, at one time I laughed.) What are we accomplishing by this behavior? I’ll answer that shortly.
Let’s imagine we lived along side, Booker T. Washington or W.E.B. Dubois. I won’t even evoke such hate on their memory. Instead, I’ll use my own personal experience. The great thinkers of our history would have been called “Uncle Toms”, “self haters”, or “house slaves”. Think about this as you shout about the accomplishments of those great men, then turn around and throw hate at me for attempting to follow suit.
Should I even bring up Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? You know I am. Imagine, if in the height of the Civil Rights era, our current community values took hold. Imagine, if after the dogs had been sicked on Dr. King, all the black people took to the streets and started destroying their own property. I can’t even write that with a straight face. Dr. Kings whole mission was non violent. Yet, think of the violence that occurs on most streets across the country that bear his name. Should I mention it’s mostly black on black violence?
Why was it impossible to stop slaves from learning? Why did Harriet Tubman continue to risk her life on the underground railroad? Why did Booker T. and W.E.B. demand on thinking for themselves? Why did Dr. King not met violence with violence? And why doesn’t our generation have the backbone of our fore fathers?
I’ll give you a hint. I mentioned the answer some where in this article. Think. Bingo. The battle field has changed. It was once us against them. We had a reason to stand and fight together. Now we destroy each other from the inside out.
We are a weak generation. Racism couldn’t stop great men and women from escaping whips and chains. Racism couldn’t stop enlightened minds from sharing information. Racism couldn’t stop thousands of white and black men and women from marching together for equality. Yet, racism can control us from the grave.
We spend so much time thinking about what was done to us, we forget what we accomplished. Even in the face of racism and hate. Why are we so easily broken when those before were so strong?
Sometimes I hating writing blogs like this. I always come up with more questions than I can provide answers. I feel like this should be easy. I mean, all the hard work has been done. We got everything our ancestors fought and died for and yet here we are. In a state of stagnation. Holding on to victim status like it marks our history more than the great people we talk about every February.
We can talk about how Dr. King died, with no mention of how he lived. We can complain about what we don’t have, when people have made it with much less. We can place blame on former slave owners, while copying their treatment of blacks around us.
Then we self righteously walk around like we control all matters of race. We do. And we get all the pitfalls of holding on to such a stigma.
Do you want respect or pity? I can give full respect to my elders who have actually went through the fire. They have the right to hold their memories and anger. It’s not healthy but it’s their right.
I hold an open mind to those slightly older than me that may have felt the remnants of a changing society. I never said racism doesn’t exist. Some people have been through horrible things because of their color.
I haven’t. Most of my friends haven’t. The person close to me making bad decisions hasn’t. What right do we even have to hold this stigma? We don’t. We can use it as an excuse though.
The person close to me has a lot of valid anger. He’s never met his father. His mother was an addict. And he’s spent the majority of his life feeling abandoned. Yet, when asked why he can’t get his life together, it has something to do with a white man.
And the credit for this thinking comes from whom? Dr. King? Harriet Tubman? Or does it come from the pride of holding on to racism instead of dealing with the real problems that plague our society?
When they write the history of our generation, what will they say? What song will they play to take our children back to the days of old? Other than Barack Obama, who will they say helped advance the position of black people in America? Or will the history books remain blank with our accomplishments? Not because racism still exist. Because we have nothing of value to add.
History tends to repeat itself. I’m just waiting for our generation to stand shoulder to shoulder with those before us. Tick Tock Tick Tock
Here we go again. Another Trillion Dollar Plan to help our economy. Yes. More money, more money. Wait. Aren’t we in debt up to our ears right now. Where are we going to get this money? Who is going to pay it back? I’m not a finance major but I do run a household. I know you don’t get out of debt by creating more debt.
So what will the American People receive from this plan? Let’s take a look.
Infrastructure Repair
I listed this first because it is the only part that makes any sense. With bridges collapsing and levees breaking, we do need to invest in our infrastructure. I hate driving over large bridges, that’s before the threat that it could fall from beneath my car.
But is this something that the government should fix? Yes. Local Government. Why? Because local governments can contract to local businesses, therefore helping the local economy. Taxpayer money goes back to the people who payed in the first place. Plus, more local small business job creation.
That can’t happen.
Only the Government Can Fix This Problem
I think this is one of those, ‘If you say it enough times, it’ll come true’ statements. What does the government actually ever fix? This is what kills me about those who follow President Barack Obama so blindly.
He is nothing more than a politician. Not taking away from any of his achievements or his eloquence, he is still a politician. The lower segment of our population has been complaining about the same problems for decades. It’s hard for a poor man to make it in this world.
So show me a situation where the government made it happen. So me one situation where the government took a poor man and made him into a success. It doesn’t happen. Each person makes a decision on how they want to live their lives. The government may step in and assist but the main burden lays with the person developing the wealth.
We, the American People, develop the wealth of this country. Not the government. If anyone is going to fix this problem, it won’t be someone who has spent their adult lives learning how to phrase a statement properly so you won’t know their true intent.
It will come on the back of hard working Americans, the brains of creative Americans, and the fearlessness and belief of all Americans in the American Dream.
What American Dream?
I’m glad you asked. The ones we are taking away from our children to give us temporary relief right now. See, I was taught that each generation should try and leave this country in a better position than the generation before it. We are failing miserably.
With the election of our first African American President, we will leave the next generation with more acceptance of other races and hopefully religions. But will the large debt we are incurring out shadow this moment when the history books are written?
Will this moment of reverence be nothing more than an asterisk next to the moment the free market died in America? Yes.
During the election, the only thing people thought about was the economy, their money. Why do you think anything will be different in the future? Our children are going to want to create wealth for themselves. Instead, they will be paying higher taxes trying to pay back the Trillions we are spending right now. We are creating the debt that will rob our children of the American Dream. Do you understand? Your child will suffer your mistakes.
No. They will benefit because I am able to work right now.
Fight for a Temporary Job
New Jersey is the highest taxed state in America. Over the last five years, 60% of all job creation came from the state government. I’ll give you a second to think about this. When the government creates all the jobs, the investors in the government, you and me, have higher payrolls.
How long can this last? It’s comes to point where you are paying your own salary or the money runs out and the government has no choice but to have massive layoffs.
What happens when there are no more roads to fix? What happens when there are no more schools that can be turned green?
By then, new industries will have opened.
Are the people that are going to lose those manual jobs qualified for the new jobs that will be available? Just think about the workers at the Auto Plants. Most have family history in Ford or GM. Their mother and father worked there and they are continuing on the tradition. All fine and good.
But what happens when that company fails? The mother and father loses their pension and you lose your job. Now, your stuck with the feeling, ‘what am I going to do next, all I know is cars.’
Are we going to be left with the next generation knowing only manual labor because those are the jobs the government provides?
That should scare the hell out of you. Thinking the government is responsible for providing you with the ability to provide for your family. I’m scared thinking my daughter won’t be able to buy a house because I want to stay in mine right now.
To add insult to injury, think about all the corruption we are hearing about right now. I bet the politicians are all getting their phones checked for wire tapping before the bill is signed. You know that there are people waiting to pay to play with this money. And it only makes sense.
There are thousands of counties in this country. Who will get what money? I’m betting it won’t go to neighborhoods that didn’t raise money for the politician sitting in power. They have people to reward for getting them elected and they will be at the head of the line. We don’t even think of this as corruption anymore. And that’s a shame.
So this Trillion Dollar stimulus will provide the American People with much needed infrastructure improvement, massive debt, numerous temporary jobs, happy politicians, even happier lobbyist, and the death of the American Dream.
One day when our children ask was it worth it, what will we say?
When I was 18, I loved being bad. Hanging with the wrong people at the wrong place. Doing the wrong things for all the wrong reasons.
There was a cop that patrolled my old stomping grounds, Officer Booker. I don’t know if it was his real name or one given to him because of his appearance, but he was a real ass. He once gave one of my boys a ticket for riding his bike the wrong way down a one way street. (I know, I didn’t think they could do it either but he did.)
Well, a couple days after my 18th birthday, Officer Booker pulled me over because I had a broken tail light. He gave the whole riot act, then he got real with me. He reminded me I was now legal and if caught doing what he assumed I was doing, I would go to adult jail.
I’m not going to pretend that I listened. He let me go with a warning and I ignored his words. Within a few minutes, I was getting paged like crazy. 911 behind each beep. I returned to my stomping grounds to find it swarming with police.
They had gotten a search warrant for the apartment next to my boys and knocked hard on the door. My boys thought it was for them and their ass started chucking shit out the window. Which gave the police probable cause to search their apartment. No one lived in the apartment next to them.
They were all arrested and I was on the outside of the building, just watching. One of my boys, who wasn’t in the apartment at the time, arrived and started taunting the police. Of course, at the time I thought it was hilarious. Until he dropped a pack out of his pocket.
Like a dumb ass, I moved to cover up the evidence. You know, gotta protect your boys. Guess who saw me? Officer Booker. I know he saw me because I saw him looking at me. Another officer came to me and asked to see my ID. I told him he had no right to ask and I wasn’t going to give it him. I knew my rights.
That didn’t stop the officer from harassing me. It would’ve been easier if I didn’t have work under my foot or if my boys weren’t still giving the officer such a hard time.
(O.K. I learned something else that day that I would like to share real quick. Don’t hang out with stupid people that do stupid things. One of my boys told the police he makes more money in a month than the officer makes in a year. He told the cop this before he dropped his pack. If the officers weren’t being cautious because of the crowd starting to build, I’m sure the would have searched him right away.)
Anyways, as the cop continued to question me, Officer Booker came to my assistance. He told the cop I was a volunteer at the rec center and I’m constantly down here trying to help the kids. Which was kinda true. I helped all the kids with their homework and braided the girls hair if their mothers didn’t.
The cop left me alone and Officer Booker told me that was his last time offering me assistance.
I changed all my rules at that moment. If you were dirty, then don’t get in my car. If you did and we got pulled over, then I was going to point right at your ass. A myriad of things I used to do were no longer on the table and I give all the credit to Officer Booker.
A couple months later, one of my boys got off on a murder charge. One of the smartest of the group, he had saved alot of money and could afford a real lawyer not a court appointed. The day he got out, I went to see him. Everybody was happy and so was I. Until I saw Officer Booker ride by.
I left after saying hello and catching up a little. The next day, I received the call. My boy, who had just beat a murder charge, was dead. The night before, he had overdosed. Or so we thought.
Within the hour, Officer Booker came rolling by. My boo and I were outside and he motioned us over. I went but my boo did not. Come to find out, my boys drugs had been laced and more than likely so had the rest of the pack. If they sold it, they could be liable for murder.
I’m telling you this because I’ve had a couple of experiences with some real good cops and some real bad cops. Just as I’ve had good experiences and bad experience with black people. Just as I’ve had good and bad experiences with white people. Just as I’ve had good and bad experiences with men on the cloth. Just as I’ve had good and bad experiences with down right rotten criminals.
The bias held against police leads me to question the intent of those who level it. Back in the day, I hated police because I was always doing something wrong and they could be the ones that caught and punished me. Was this valid hate?
I’ve never been called a nigger by an officer. I’ve never been beaten by an officer. I’ve never been falsely accused of a crime.
But I’ve heard my boys being called a nigger. (I hate to admit it but they were acting as though the name fit them.)
But I’ve seen the marks left by an officer on my brother. (Even though he told the cops they were worthless pieces of shit, they still had no right.)
But I’ve seen false accusations lead to death by cops. (One of my boys got into shoot out with cops who wanted to question him for something he didn’t do and lost. What would have happened if they caught him on one of the many crimes he did commit?)
But I’ve also seen cops pull victims out of a burning car. I’ve seen cops try to comfort grieving mothers. I’ve had to ask a cop to help me find my wondering daughter. And I’ve personally experienced a cop changing the life of a young girl.
Maybe we should start placing the blame where it belongs, with the criminals. No matter if the criminal is dressed in a uniform or has his pants hanging down to his knees. They should all be held in the same light.
Let’s take any rap song. You hear the artist talking about pulling out a gun and shooting someone for looking at them wrong and it’s O.K., until that person is a cop. Then all the shit hits the fan. Why? Are cops held in higher esteem. No. They are in a position of power and they abuse that power. I get it.
I’m not finished with this. I have to go and take care of somethings and figure out exactly where to leave this. Come back a little later today and I’ll have this finished. Right now, I’m going to get paid.
For those of you who say I bash black politicians, you are wrong. I bash politicians that rail against free market, family values, self responsibility, and the right to life. This doesn’t come in color, it comes in my values.
With that being said, Yes, I have a black man to support. Michael Steele, the former Lt. Governor of Maryland. I have given my support to the grassroots effort of electing Steele to head the RNC. Here is the interview with Steele hearing our call for new leadership in the Republican Party.
You can throw your support behind Michael Steele. Sign the petition and let the Republican Party know we mean business. Change is coming and this is change I can actually believe in.
Draft Michael Steele
“We are no longer fighting to sit at the diner. We are now fighting to own the diner.” Michael Steele
Once we understand this, we can really bring change.
I remember when I was a child. We would come home from school, change our “good” clothes, and head to the kitchen table to do homework. If you didn’t have homework, then my mother would make some for you. Often making me take timed math test or mock spelling test. And if it was sloppy, the whole paper was ripped and I had to start over.
I hated it, then. When I got into middle school, I began to understand why homework was so important to my mother. I was ahead in all my classes because my mother taught me in advance. When we were studying division, she was teaching me fractions. When we went to the zoo, she made us classify animals. While we were cooking, she made us measure and double the recipe. I began to appreciate her efforts.
I do the same for my daughter. While we are playing hide n go seek, I use different methods of helping her find me; making a sound, leaving a foot exposed, or hide in the dark and make her feel around. Then I ask her which one of her senses she used to find me. We have a relay race where each point is marked with the name of a planet. I ask her to tell me colors in Spanish.
I’m sharing this info because I got criticized for it. I was told, a child is a child and I shouldn’t try to push her into learning. I should wait until she is in school. This is her fun time. To that I say, get real.
I will always be my daughters’ main teacher. Not because I think I’m better than a real teacher. It’s because she is my daughter. It is my responsibility to make sure she gets off on a good start. And I take it very seriously.
During the election, I was constantly watching the news. My daughter hates the news, but she would occasionally watch with me, asking question along the way. Alot of things I just don’t know how to explain to her, but I gave her the just of how our political system works. One person, one vote, and the majority wins. Now we practice this when deciding our plans for the day.
We vote on which playground to go to. We vote on what vegetable to have for dinner. We vote on which area of the house we should start cleaning first. When we first started, my daughter was pissed. She didn’t like having to vote on everything. Then she got the picture when she never got what she wanted. So now, she comes to me in advance and tries to win my vote. I cleaned my room without you asking, will you vote to go to Chuck E. Cheese? I do.
And everyday, I try to create a new learning experience for her. Today, we are going on a nature walk. We are going to try to figure out why all the leaves are falling from the trees and why they change color. She also wants to know why their are so many holes in the leaves she finds.
This requires work on my part. I hate science. By far it was my worst subject in school. But I did my research so I should be able to answer any question she comes up with. If not, then we come back to the house and google it. She knows all the answers are online.
The Point
We all know the status of most public school systems; they are highly ineffective. We have to be the major force behind educating our children. We can’t wait til our children are failing then go to the school and complain. Waiting doesn’t benefit our children. They will remain behind while we are pushing for change. Then if change ever comes, they have to play catch up.
Eventually if they have dreams of going to college, they will be hit with the shock of their lives. They will realize they are not prepared for it. Yes, it may be a reflection of the school system but it is also a reflection on you.
I wrote a paper in high school about the “Scarlet Letter”. I hadn’t even read the book. I just listened in on the talk during class. I got an A on the paper. My mother sent the paper to my uncle, who read it and graded it a D, at best. My mother made me read the book and rewrite the paper. I didn’t get any credit for it at school but I understood why my first paper was no good.
So anytime I wrote a paper, I asked the teacher for her real opinion. That’s when you find the greatness of a real teacher. Give them a student that wants to learn. Give them a student that questions an A. Give them a student that doesn’t understand why they have to be graded on a curve. Then you get teachers that expect more of her students. And that’s what we need.
The want and need for education has to start in the home. Then the students can bring it to school. Then the teachers can do their jobs and not be over glorified baby sitters. Then we can get real change in our school systems because students will start to point out unqualified teachers.
So today, look ahead in your child’s school book. Read the novel your child is reading. Grade their paper before they turn it in. Make them rewrite if necessary. Yes, they will complain. Yes, they will be mad. When they get in high school, they will thank you. They will realize how you set them up for success and find it hard to let you down. Begin to teach your child right now.
Funny story……When I was in high school, there was a math teacher that hated me. I often corrected her and she didn’t like it. I missed her class on test day and another student set the curve. I had to take a make up test and scored a 98. She was pissed because she had to go and adjust the curve for everyone. Most of the students were pissed because instead of their B they got D’s. At the end of the year, the teacher had to give me a certificate for excellence, which she threw at me. It was the best reward I ever got.
I wanted to stay in and play Gears of War 2 all weekend but I’m a mother and it doesn’t work like that. Yesterday I had to go out and run the normal errands.
I was in the Grocery Store and there was a black woman and a white woman walking down the isle. As I was looking through my coupons, I overheard their conversation. They were laughing that white people had been taken down a peg or two when Obama won the Presidency.
I thought to myself, damn this white girl must really want to fit in. She was white and allowed her black friend to openly express bigotry.
When is it O.K. to be a racist? Here are a couple scenario’s, tell me which one’s are acceptable.
Are you starting to get the point?
Race doesn’t matter to me. In no shape, form, or fashion. I have five brothers. One is married to a white woman and they have 2 kids. One has two mixed kids with another on the way. One doesn’t care what color a girl is as long as they are fly. The other two love black women. And I love them all.
About ten years ago, I moved in with my Aunt. My best friend at the time was a white girl. I asked if my friend could visit and my Aunt said yes. When she found out she was white, she told me she had to go home. I was shocked. I didn’t know she even harbored feelings like that, especially since she shares her home with her husbands’ three mixed kids. And thanksgiving is going to be interesting because her son just had a mixed child. Will the baby be allowed, even though the mother is rejected?
The whole point is there is no excuse for racism. If you want to judge me for not caring about the color of a man’s skin, then judge on. But please do not complain when there are people just like you on the other side. Think about it like this; for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Don’t expect racism to cease while you still perpetrate it.
So for those who call me names because I look at policy not color, I waiting for you to come to your senses. For those who hate me because I’m black, hate on. For those who don’t consider themselves racist, stop using the words that show different. Let go of your racism and then we can throw stones because we don’t live in a glass house.
Most of us know someone that has been locked up. I’ll even share a memory with you from my youth. One of my friends, at the time, was being released from a 2 year bid. The boys got him a limo, complete with strippers. They even bought him a new mink coat. They rolled up to the Jail in the limo and picked him up. That night, he went back out on the street.
Before he did though, we all went out to eat. I pulled him to the side and asked when would he be going back. He told me, “probably the next time so one test me”. There is nothing you can say to someone with that mind set. It was really the beginning of my dissent from my group. I loved these guys. They had my back and I sat and watched as they ruined their lives.
My heart is a little lighter today. A new site was launched, www.reentrypartners.com. The site combines businesses and organizations that help with assimilating the once incarcerated back into the community. It’s a wonderful start. Please check out the site and let those around you know to support it.
With that being said, there is also more you can do. You can do what I was a afraid to do in my youth. Tell the people you love that are doing things you know will get them in trouble to stop. I know it’s not easy and I know most won’t listen but at least try.
I didn’t want to be the person that stopped what they assumed was progress. They had pockets full of money and that was success to them. How could I stand up and say any thing different? Easy. I could have told the truth. If you are already a felon, why would you carry a gun. And the answer would come, “to many people want what I have, I need a gun.”
I wasn’t strong enough then to continue the debate, but I am now. They only want what you got because you flaunt it. You ride around in your big car, while the ghetto is hurting. Yes, they are going to look for the people with money that won’t call the police after being robbed. And you put yourself into that category when you have that easy money.
If you want to be the King Pen, don’t complain when you get all the comes with that. The crucial moment will come when we demand more.
I never thought I would reference this movie because when I went to see it in the movie theatre I was so disappointed. It was movie about skating, what the fuck. Anyways, in ATL, the uncle is a prime example. The older brother was trying to convince the younger brother not to sell drugs. The uncle thought it would be O.K. to have a little extra money in the house.
Which would you be? Would you fight with your brother to keep him from going to Jail or ending up shot? Or would you allow him to walk that path you know will end in incarceration or a tombstone? We are waiting for someone to solve our problems when we have the ability to take little steps to move us forward.
The site above is great, but if no one goes for the assistance, who will it help. Convince your friends and family or just the neighborhood boy on the street that people are there willing to help. Convince your friends and family that opening businesses will help the situation because you can hire these people and give them a second chance. Convince yourself that you have a role to play in helping these people before they are caught up. Because once they are felons, they can’t vote to help their communities.
If we start, we can get others to follow. But we have to start. We have to be strong enough to critcize and point in right direction. Let me warn you, you will catch flack. I’m sure I’ll get the messages after writing this that tell me I hate my race.
I want to stop young black men from dying or going to jail. How can I hate my race? The people who encourage you to continue on the same path, knowing exactly where it leads, really don’t give a damn about you. At that’s the truth.
