Look At Pelosi!: I’m More Worried About Nukes In Pakistan

May 18th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

For the last two weeks, all eyes in the political realm have been focused on Nancy Pelosi. What did she know and when did she know it? Did the C.I.A. lie or is Pelosi’s nose starting to grow? If she did know and she didn’t say anything, isn’t that worse? Blah! Blah! Blah!

Trust and believe, I am no fan of Nancy Pelosi. I understand the Republicans left in the House and Senate, see this as the first wave in starting to crumble the Democrats lock hold on power. If they can get one of the main faces of the Democratic Party to have to resign, it will create the buzz that maybe she isn’t the only one that’s being untruthful, you know with all the tax cheats and appointees fresh from indictments.

But here’s the catch. While focusing on Pelosi, we are forgetting that the world is still turning and it’s not a pretty picture.

President Obama did his apologetic world tour and they are laughing at us. They see our financial system in ruins and as nations that existed way before us, they already know where we are headed. They know you can’t spend your way into a solid economic future.

Iran is continuing to work towards it’s nuclear ambitions. Isreal is flying run throughs of it’s attack routes towards Iran. North Korea desperately needs money, especially since walking away from six party talks, and are willing to sell in capabilities to anyone willing to pay.

Did I forget the Taliban 60 miles away from Pakistan and it’s arsenal of Nukes? Not to mention, India and Pakistans’ problems that could further escalate the sitiutation.

And we are talking about Nancy Pelosi. Maybe this is the problem with the Republican Party. We know the Democrats are going to self destruct under their own arrogance, pun fully intended. Instead of focusing on making them fail, we should be focused on making sure America doesn’t fail while they are in power.

We should take every opportunity to talk about Nancy Pelosi and turn it into a talk about the dangers going on in the world. Let the C.I.A. handle Pelosi, you know she placed the target on her own back, and let’s talk about keeping America safe in the up and coming struggles ahead.

We allowed our heads to be buried in the sand while we were worring about who Bill Clinton slept with and Al Queda was plotting and planning. We won the White House but we lost the Twin Towers, was it worth it? And any Republican that says it was, you are not a Republican I would associate myself with.

If we are going to be the party of National Defense and Fiscal Responsibility, then we need to make those issues first and foremost. They talk Nancy Pelosi, we talk Islamabad and the world’s refusal to help with the situation.

They say C.I.A., we say while you were apologizing to the world, who offered help with Afghanistan or getting Taliban out of Pakistan. The press is not asking the tough questions, we should be.

Republicans, refuse to talk about Pelosi. Talk about real issues. Let’s learn from our mistakes.

Are We A Christian Nation?

May 18th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

With all the media attention around President Obama speaking at Norte Dame yesterday, I got into a really deep conversation with a very wise woman.

The conversation started with us being on separate sides of the issue. I’m Pro-choice and she is Pro-life. But she’s the Democrat and I’m the Republican, so how did that happen? She broke it down to me like this, “We all have the right to believe what we choose to believe.”

Simple, right? Come on, you know nothing is ever simple with me.

So, we started talking about God and Faith. She brought up taking prayer out of school and not allowing teachers to discipline the students. She places all the blame of our failed educational institutions on those two principles.

I point out, “The extreme left of the Democratic Party are responsible for pushing to take God out of everything and they also rule the unions that allow concessions, like the teacher not being able to defend themselves, to come to fruition.”

Then she came back to her original point, “We all the right to choose what we choose to believe.”

I’m starting to get mad because this doesn’t make any sense to me. If I give you facts and figures, how can you dispute them? Especially if you agree with the initial concept? Especially if you don’t have any differing facts or figures to dispute them?

She repeated, “We have the right to choose what we believe.”

My respect level for this woman is so high, I let it go. I saw where this was headed and I was sure to lose my cool, sooner rather than later.

We stopped talking politics and got back on God. This is where her words really hit me? I said, “America is made up of 72% Christians, We are a Christian Nation.”

She said, “And of the 72%, I bet 50% don’t practice what they preach.”

That’s it. She hit the nail right on the head and got me thinking. That’s the problem. A lot of us choose to believe we are Christians but nothing in our actions prove the point. If God himself came to a random American and said “Let my will be done”, it’s a 50% chance he’d run across someone that questioned what they would get in return.

As a Southern Baptist Christian, I learned you didn’t have to be perfect. You didn’t have to get it right all the time, all you had to do was confess your Sins to God and continue on doing the best you can. And that’s what I believe, heart and soul.

But when I start to think about how I’ve been fighting God, even with absolute faith in his word, I realize this is not as black and white as I thought. Our society is starting to program us into believing what they would have us to believe and we have the right to choose if we want to believe it.

It doesn’t matter if it’s toxic to our future. It doesn’t matter if it contridicts everything we think we believe in. If we choose to drink the Kool-Aid we are bound to it’s results.

And that’s where we find ourselves, having to decide which side to follow. I’ve been under the impression that’s an easy choice to make. But the truth is, you’re cool until you start to talk about God.

Some of us walk around like we are truly Christians, but let the conversation turn to talking about Christianity and people will choose their politics over their God. It’s cooler to be Democrat, than it is to be a child of God.

Out of my conversation, I got these contradictions.

I don’t believe in Abortion, but if President Obama does, I’m sure he has his reasons.

I don’t believe prayer should be taken out of schools, but if Obama agrees, then it has to be the best thing.

I don’t believe in saying “Happy Holidays”, but if Obama said it, I would accept just like he was saying “Merry Christmas”.

What?

Are we a Christian nation? Or are we a nation that likes to believe we have Christian values? Because something has to give. I can understand believing in the fiscal policy of Obama, not really but you know what I’m saying, but I don’t understand how you sacrifice your self held beliefs to do it.

I was told, “you have to do you, first and foremost”, and I laughed. I’ve tried that. I did exactly what I wanted to do, without asking for God’s input. I bent all the rules and didn’t care. When someone came to talk to me about God, I didn’t want to hear it.

Been there, done that. All I got was an empty feeling in the center of my heart and a life that didn’t reflect what I really wanted. One of those, “Be careful what you wish for” moments.

Now when I talk about God, I can get, almost, everyone to agree. They will say God is at the center of their life, but question their politics and they’ll throw God under the bus for Obama.

Maybe Obama was right. Maybe we are no longer a Christian nation. Maybe we are becoming a Government fearing country more than a God fearing country.

The only thing that makes it worse, the Christians who really do believe are making concessions to let it happen. I guess they can choose to believe that’s the same thing as standing up for what they know in their hearts is right. Let’s hope God can see it from your point of view.

Eight Stages of Democracy: This Should Scare You

May 14th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

I was searching random things the other day and I ran across this little gem. I mentioned it on my radio show, WHWDRadio this Wednesday and I’ll share it with you today. Helpless plug, I know. LOL

These eight steps were written in 1787 by Professor Alexander Tyler. The United States was in the planning process of a young and fragile Democracy. So, this Professor took a look at the past and tried to map out the evolution of a Democracy. He determined a time line for these eight steps and an estimate of how long the process would take, 200 years.

The Eight Steps

From Bondage to Spiritual Faith

Do we forget how young of a nation we are? Europe had shaped and reshaped itself so many times before we were even put on a map.

England ruled the young America, not with whips and chains, but with taxes. The people weren’t allowed to build a strong nation because all the money they made was sent back to England. In the beginning, they were cool with that.

They were running from Europe so they would have the right to serve the God of their choosing and the manner in which they would serve that God. To them, at least in the beginning, the sacrifice was worth it. But that didn’t last long because Spiritual Faith is life altering.

From Spiritual Faith to Great Courage

Now, you have spiritual people who fully believe God has their best interest at heart and that translates into the building of courage.

Not in just this case, but in every case. Once you let God into your life, you begin to feel like you can move mountains. When you trust and have faith, fear seems to melt away.

From Courage to Liberty

This may seem funny but the courage you get from God makes you want to fight. O.K. maybe I didn’t say that right. The courage you get from God makes it impossible for you to allow someone to block your blessings. There, that’s better.

Our founding fathers knew we could not prosper with England at the head of our lives. We had to be a nation that put God first, then country, then family.

So NO! We will not bow to your Queen, we will not allow you to rob our country of it’s chance to be great, and no we will not allow you to dictate the lives of our children and grandchildren. We have God on our side and will fight for what we feel is right.

And that’s what we did. We fought and won our independence, our freedom, and our Liberty.

From Liberty to Abundance

And once you put your faith in God and walk through the fire without fear, you receive your blessing. And can’t we all agree, America has been blessed. We sprouted from a young nation into a world leader in record time.

Industry flourished, businesses developed, and the Economy became the envy and standard of the world. We fought amongst ourselves, defended our friends and allies, and built the strongest military force on the planet. We adjust and change our laws, while still adhering to the basic principles of our Constitution.

But all this comes with a price.

From Abundance to Complacency

Complacency- self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers and deficiencies

I think this came around the time of the Great Depression. The New Deal. The belief started to creep in that we had the money to do anything. People were hurting and wanted immediate help, so they turned to the government and the government answered.

We’re temporarily going to give out Social Security benefits, just to get people by until things get better. We’re going to set up Medicaid and Medicare to help the underprivileged and elderly, who just can’t afford healthcare. These are just temporary steps to get us through these hard times.

When did they end Social Security? They didn’t. No politician is going to advocate taking services from the poor and the old. Plus, now government has a huge money supply from all the taxes they collect for Social Security. Great way to get money from you to borrow against for other Government projects.

As the government continued to grow, so did it’s hold on the mind of the American people.

From Complacency to Apathy

Apathy- lack of interest or concern; indifference

Now, we believe we can not fail. We pushed the Nazi’s back and crushed Russia, what could go wrong? The age of drugs spread through America and people stopped caring. It was better to protest than to put yourself into a position to run for office. It was better to make love than resist the up and coming war in our own backyard, the ever growing size of government.

Then, one morning we awoke and realized Government played a role in every aspect of our life. We pay taxes from the moment we get up in the morning to the moment we go to sleep at night. They can tell your teenage daughter it’s O.K. to get an abortion without telling a parent. They can even take away your land and cite “eminent domain”.

And we threw our hands up and said “F it”. It’s nothing we can do, the government runs everything. And we stopped listening, we stopped paying attention, and we stopped holding politicians accountable for their actions. We allowed ourselves to be scared of the Government instead of making the Government scared of us.

This is were it gets really scary.

From Apathy to Dependence

This is were we are right now. We were so indifferent and complacent, the first person to come along and promise us the pot at the end of the rainbow, we jumped. This once God loving nation is starting to worship the Government instead.

The same God that gave our forefather’s the strength and courage to fight is being contested at every turn. God teaches us to rely on him and then on ourselves and the Government doesn’t like that. The now enormous Government, needs to keep feeding itself and it needs your complacency to do it.

They need you to not care they are taking over private industry. They need you to look away while the let the printing press run. They need you to worry about Nancy Pelosi, while the Federal Reserve consolidates power. And there’s only one way that could happen, if you are dependent upon them.

If you can’t keep your house without the Government, then you don’t care how they do it. If you can’t eat without the Government, you don’t care where your food comes from. If you can’t see a doctor without the Government, you don’t care how much it will cost future generations.

We have become the nation of ME, Myself, and I and then anyone else that’s poor. They got us right were they want us, completely dependent on the Government to make the economy work, to solve our individual financial woes, and to just give us that tingly feeling.

Guess what the last step is?

From Dependence to back into Bondage

This is what I don’t understand about America today. There was a time in our history where people were given jobs, houses, food, and healthcare. It was called SLAVERY!

Master controlled everything about the lives of their slaves. They picked the winners and losers, the house nigga and the field nigga. They assualted those that would protest against their actions. They told their slaves when they could and couldn’t procreate. They picked which part of the pig the slaves got to eat.

Now, the government is starting to enlist the same tactics. They pick which people can get their homes refinanced or modified. They pick which companies are to big to fail and which one’s aren’t worth saving. They release terror list for Americans, AMERICANS, that would question the direction of their country. And with Obama’s full support of Planned Parenthood and his plans for national healthcare, population control won’t be far behind.

And we’re letting it happen. We are putting our heads in the sand and all our faith in a Man. A man that came from Chicago politics. A man that has an entire cabinet full of tax cheats and people who at one time or another have been under investigation. A man that down plays Christianity abroad and refuses to pray in front of a nation audience.

We’ve passed the 200 year mark but we’re still progressing straight back to Bondage. The Government never gives up power. All the power the current Government is stacking will now be the norm, how can it get any bigger? It will and they will want more money to make it happen.

But before they come after more money, they will come for our guns. Mark my words. The American people are different from those in the past. We will always believe in our right to protect ourselves.

When the social spending fails and the Government is knocked down a peg, the people at the top will tell us it’s in our best interest to let them handle it. The question will be, will we go back to God and develop the Great Courage to bring our country back from the brink or will hold out our arms and allow the government to attach the chains?

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.

A Great Day

May 10th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

And then on those days

When the sun is hot/ beating down upon your face

You hide and wait for the sun to fade

But so goes the day/ lost to the source of life

Never to be given back

And that day is a sad day

And then on those days

When the rain pours/ seeping into your hole ridden shoes

You refuse to move and let tears soothe a war torn soul

Like a broken heart in playback mode/ soaked and alone

Vowing never to love again

And that day is a sad day

And then on those days

When the winds blows/ forcing more effort into each step

You hide behind a tree to small to give you cover

While you look for another/ when a few steps get you to shelter

You find it better to not try

And that day is a sad day.

And then on those day

When the snow falls/ freezing your bones to their core

You search, and explore, and seek, but never find

The warmth you once thought hid in their lies

And you do it for yourself

And That, That Day Is A Great Day.

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.

My Daughter’s Story: A Lesson at Bedtime

May 8th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

It’s late and I’m trying to write. My daughter has asked if she could write a story for everyone to read and I have obliged. (It counts as her bedtime story) I hope you like it.

The Unicorn and The Princess

Once upon a time a unicorn was crying for a princess. All the other unicorns had beautiful princesses to ride them around the kingdom. This made Butterscotch the unicorn very sad.

Walking in the woods one beautiful day, Butterscotch came across a house. She jumped over the fence and into the yard. She found the beautiful princess Sky gardening pink roses.

Out of nowhere, a ghost appeared and the princess got scared. Butterscotch the unicorn said “Jump on Princess.” Then she used her magical tippy top of her head to take them underground.

But the ghost used a magic spell to follow them. When the ghost finally caught up to them, Butterscotch hid the princess. Then he and the ghost started to fight. They both used magic until they fell to the floor.

The princess ran to Butterscotch and began crying for him to be O.K. Her tears awoke the unicorn and they became best friends. The ghost awoke and saw the special relationship between Princess Sky and Butterscotch. He felt really bad for chasing them.

They all became friends and lived happily ever after. The End

Sky

Now, I’ll pray and go to bed.

Here’s Comes The Test: Following Own Advice

May 8th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

It’s been a crazy five weeks. I’ve been so focused on what I want to do, I’ve forgotten what I was put here to do. Now it’s time I take some of my own advice. Let God be free to run your life.

Let’s start at the beginning.

I went to school for Broadcast Journalism about 5 years ago. When I graduated, I planned on going into sports. BTW, I never follow the anointed star, but damn Lebron James is doing his thing.

But God had other plans for me. He decided to bless me with a baby that doctor’s said I’d never have. And with the fear and uncertainty of being a new mom, I turned back to God. I began to pray again and I saw tiny lessons being put in front of me.

I reconnected with my family, gained a love for politics, and a passion to bring real change into the community my daughter would grow up in.

My sanctuary through all this was writing. I was sitting around with my cousins one day and we were all talking about the perfect job. I said my perfect job would be writing. Just to be able to touch people with my stories or poetry. That would be heaven for me.

And what do you know, a year later, whydidyousaythatgirl.com. And I was happy. I had a publisher looking at my novel, my daughter was healthy and happy, and I was doing what I love. God and I were on the same page and it felt good.

Right in the middle of my comfort zone, God comes storming in, “You ready for your next step?”

Without thought, YES. Because this means my novel is going to be published, my mark will be left, and the future will be full of endless opportunities. So come on, let’s go. I remember getting goosebumps from my excitement.

Bam! Publisher pulls out, editor can’t explain why, and I’m like “WOW”. I thought I was ready?

God said, “You weren’t even paying attention to what I wanted when I asked if you were ready. You had it all planned out in your mind, you weren’t even paying attention to what I was building around you.”

So when I stopped looking at what I thought was going to happen, I began to realize what was happening. My mettle was being tested in another arena. Instantly, I got mad at myself because I had done it again. I slipped back into everyone before me mode.

I was accepting treatment from people, who on a normal day, would catch my wrath. I was seeking advice from people, who had their priority list straight, and were looking out for their own self interest. But worst of all, I had began fighting God again.

He’d make a person show their true colors and I looked the other way. He’d give me hints as to why my book wasn’t really ready and I pounded my feet on the pavement. He presented me with a pathway forward and I procrastinated because of my own fears. God and I were throwing body blows.

You can check my blog for a big block of missing dates and have a perfect time frame for me and God’s little encounter. Fighting God takes so much energy, you have room for nothing else. So I gave up. I went back to praying, let your will be done.

I was in process of planning WHWDRadio but was petrified. I didn’t want to host a show by myself. So I asked my best friend in the entire world to come on with me. Not a good idea, I’ll leave that story for another day. Through all this turmoil and mess, I was writing everyday on my blog. Even though my life was in disarray, God and I were strong.

I get this great opportunity and begin to believe life is getting good again. I show up, do the damn thing, and walk away feeling proud. I had conquered one of my biggest fears, only to be slapped down by the opportunity giver at the next bend in the road.

But God and I were good and it didn’t affect me like it normally would have, instead it gave me a whole new confidence in myself. It was the straw the broke the camels back and the launching pad for WHWDRadio.

Now, to the point. I haven’t been writing on my blog the last couple weeks. I’ve been so focused on what I thought would happen, that I stopped paying attention to what God was building around me.

He was building a platform for his will to be done, not a showplace for my pride or personal ambitions. So where does this leave me?

Outside the ring, deciding if I want to go another round fighting with God. And even at the exact moment I’m writing this, I still have my boxing gloves on. The only difference, I’m about to go upside my own head for not following my own advice.

But that’s the beauty in asking for God’s will to be done. When you start stepping away from his path he gives the clues to get you back on track.

Lenny McAlister came on WHWDRadio Wednesday and hit me with a reality check. I tried to give him the best interview possible, even though I was struggling with some personal demons at the same time. The whole interview all I could think was “Am I really following God’s plan for me?”

After the interview, I get hit with my answer. The whole time I was trying to plan the show, I was getting stuck. My thoughts wouldn’t come together and nothing made sense, and it came to full bare with my lapse on the mute button. I was once again trying to do my own thing and not letting God work through me.

But God doesn’t leave you hanging, so he gives me a caller. After the fact, I can think of million things I could’ve said to debunk his argument but I realize that wasn’t the point. Yes, I love politics, but I care more about the plight in the black community than anything else. And that’s not a problem that can be solved by either party, it has to be done by the people in those communities. And that’s where my focus should be.

That’s a pretty generic lesson, huh? After all that personal turmoil, that’s what you come up with? Yes! A simple and plain lesson that to many of us take for granted. We know it to be true, but it’s a lot easier to point to policies made than it is to mourn the dead. It’s a lot easier to point a finger at one party or another than it is to make the hard sacrifices to save and create wealth. It’s a lot easier to cheer for the black president than it is to condemn the neighborhood drug dealer, gang banger, or future victim that sits and says nothing.

And as a proud Republican, I give them the ammunition to turn the fight to the easy stuff. I bring up Bush, Civil Rights, and the cost of higher taxes. They bring up racism, perception, and name calling. I can’t figure out why the facts don’t add up to them and they are trying to figure out if the Grinch’s heart is bigger than mine. And nothing gets solved.

And now my mental is once again in turmoil. I’m not heartless but I’m not afraid to talk about the tough issues. I’m not winging it, I’ve got the proof to follow up on everything I say. And yet here I am, pushing forward though my path is murky, dim, and uncertain. Praying for God’s will to be done.

If this is a test, I hope it’s graded on a curve.

Mike Epps: Trying To Be A Gangsta

May 1st, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

First, I’d Like To Say Thank-You

April 27th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

I’m back!!!!!!!!!

In case you haven’t heard, I got a new radio show. Yeah!! WHWDRadio.ning.com

That is the reason I’ve been lacking on my blog writing. I’m trying to stay positive for the show and as you know most of my blogs tend to be more critical. So, I’ve been keeping clean and pure thoughts the last couple weeks.

Last week, I met the first person to recognize me from my blog. Super excited, I immediately began to blush. I’m a simple girl, I like simple things and to be recognized really touched me.

But I speak to soon. He did not heap praises upon me, nor did he ask for my autograph. Instead, he questioned why I’m giving up now.

This hit me like a ton of bricks because I don’t see myself as giving up. I think I’m just elevating the fight. But he did not see it that way.

“You write limited stories on Obama and the destruction he is causing our Country. And what makes it twice as bad, you do it in a nice way. What happened to make you go soft?”

After I picked my lip off the floor, I said “Thank you”.

Not for reading my blog. Not for recognizing my face. I said thank you for caring about the country you live in. Thank you for giving me another black face that is tired of the status quo. Thank you for being one concerned citizen with the power to affect change, I mean real change.

More upset than before he yells, “There you go again. Where is that ghetto girl that snaps and thinks about it later?”

I couldn’t answer. I know I’m not the same as I was a year ago but am I really that different now?

So, to the chocolate covered gum drop that caused me, ME, of all people to go silent I say, Kudos. When I first started writing this blog, I didn’t care what anybody thought of what I wrote. Now, I considering what will be said and how to combat those who would disagree. I’m missing that snap now and think about it later.

But that’s not a bad thing. It shows a growth process. I love to argue but I want actual change more than I want a personal rush for myself. So, right now I may have to play along. Right now, I may have to mind my manners and guard my talk. But right now is not forever.

So Yes, my first response may be grateful and humble, that doesn’t mean I’ve lost my sting. It just means, I’m learning to play the game. You can’t change the rules if you haven’t first mastered the originals.

The lessons of my ghetto still hold strong. I know better than to walk in a room and lay all my cards on the table. I always keep a spade hidden.

So don’t fret, the fight continues. The only difference, you’ll have a better educated General leading the attack. Isn’t that worth the wait?