The Other Side of Education: “Cupid” and “Nappy Head”

March 17th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

Yesterday, my niece called because she needed some help with her algebra homework. I pick her up and notice she is wearing clothes I know her parents would not approve of. I say nothing and we head to my house. About 10 minutes after we get there, a knock comes tapping at my door.

Not surprised, I open the door to see a little nappy headed boy standing in front of me. My niece shyly hid her face like she wasn’t interested in who was at the door. He manages to mumble out, Did I see “cupid” come in here. I smile and invite him in.

My niece is smiling like she got away with some thing, I let her have her moment. I leave the two unattended for about 20 minutes then I make my return and the real fun began.

When I got back, they had their math books open and were doing home work. They were giving each other little smiles and pokes in between but they were really accomplishing work. I sat at the table and asked if they had any questions.

“Nappy Head” said no. He had a good grasp of math, he just wanted to help “cupid” study. Cupid just looked away, not fully sure how I was going to re-act after the fact. I calmed her fears with a little verbal jabbing and she enjoyed her study date with “Nappy Head”.

“Nappy Head” said “There are two forms of education, knowledge you get from school and knowledge you get from life. Neither is more important than the other.”

I questioned his thought. He informed me it wasn’t his thought, it was his interpretation of a W.E.B. Dubois. (You’ll understand the relevance of this in a couple days.)

I got caught in my stereo-typing. I didn’t assume he was dumb, but I did assume he was broke. The more I chatted with “Nappy Head”, I realized he was smarter than the average bear. He wore plain jeans, an almost white tee, and a pair of boots too scratched to know the brand. I didn’t realize the err of my ways until I spotted the $280 watch on his arm. It was a plain black Citizen Echo, just like the one I got my hubby for Christmas.

So I questioned, “What do you plan on doing with your life?”

He answered, “I’m going to be a millionaire.”

So I questioned, “How do you plan on becoming a millionaire?”

He answered, “When I get enough money, I’m going to open a barber shop and let my uncle cut hair. Then, I’m going to start investing in real estate. It’s the perfect time to come up like Donald Trump.”

So I questioned, “How do you plan on getting enough money to open a barber shop?”

He answered, “Me and my uncle do what we got to do.”

At this moment, my nieces’ whole attitude changed. He parents shelter her so much, she is unaware of things right in front of her. I could tell, the more he talked the more she learned about him. What would’ve happened if she never caught on and got caught out there?

So I question, “Do you know it makes it a lot harder to secure a loan if you are a convicted felon? If doing what you do causes your dream to become harder to reach, is it worth it?”

He answered, “I’d rather take that chance than spend another night hungry, cold, and too mad at life to dream.”

I didn’t feel sorry for “Nappy Head”. But the truth of the matter is, more than likely he’ll be the one that gets popped. They always seem to catch the one’s that do it more out of necessity than greed. But what could I tell him? He picked a path to walk, knew the stakes, but decided it was worth the risk.

I told “Nappy Head” we make dinner at 6:00 every night and it’s always warm in my house. If he decided the risk was to great, he was welcome in my home. He nodded and they said their goodbyes.

Now, it was time to deal with my niece. I gave her no indication of what was to come. I drove her home and walked her into the house. There, I told her parents how she concocted her little meeting with “Nappy Head” by lying and setting me up.

She looked at me like she was shocked. In her mind, I’m sure I had destroyed what ever trust she had in me. Allowing her to sneak and lie with me as a cover was unacceptable and she had destroyed the trust I had in her to do the right thing, no matter how hard it was.

I turned to my niece, in front of her parents, “You did the wrong thing, even if it was for the right reason. If you were my daughter, I would have no problem with you having supervised visits with a boy. I’m not high-strung or over bearing, like some people. But I am not your mother or father, and it’s not my place to teach you how to disobey their wishes.

If you had came to me and said, I like this boy but my parents won’t let me see or talk to him, then I could’ve helped you work it out with them. Instead you chose to lie and that’s not cool.” She was then sent to her room.

One of my best friends and her husband, stood in front of me like, “We don’t know what we are going to do with her.”

I looked at my friend, “Let her see boys. She is 14, a good student, and respectful child. But she is also growing up and you have to let her get the other side of her education. The boy she likes sells drugs and she didn’t even know it.

If you make her sneak, she will sneak, and you have no control over the decisions she makes. But if you nurture her through the process, then she will keep you in the loop and you can have some influence over her life.”

I came home and looked at my daughter. She is beautiful, smart and full of attitude. I hope I can heed my own advice when it comes to my child. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and prayers heading to heaven.

Card Check, Union, and Government: Should Workers Really Want More Money?

March 15th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

The title would suggest that I have lost my mind and maybe I have. Everybody wants to make more money, the question is, “Is the union the best way to accomplish this?”

Congress is currently considering re-instating Card Check. To become unionized, 50% of workers have to sign a card saying they want to start a union, and they get a union. Under the current process, the business gets to make it’s case to the workers and the vote is held in secret.

Card Check passing through Congress currently, has another little loop hole tucked in. If the business and the workers can’t come to a resolution, a Washington bureaucrat, with no knowledge of the company in question, will be able to set salary for workers.

Supporters of Card Check say, “How can it be a bad thing to build up the middle class?” If workers make more money, they have more money to spend. They spend more money, our economy booms. Couple that with government healthcare and new green technology, and our country will be set to go into the next century.

Now, I’m self-educated but pretty sharp, so let’s work through this.

First thought, a business’s main purpose is to make money. I know in the current environment, it’s to fail and get a government bail-out, but majority of business’s start with the goal of being successful.

Let’s create a company to play with. How about Liberals Steal Futures Inc. or LSF Inc.

So, LSF Inc. is a national company that produces food products, cleaning products, and the major components of wind power turbines. Great company to be invested in. They are diversified in their holdings, so no one glitch in the market would affect them that much.

50% of their people sign cards requesting the company become unionized.

The C.E.O., unaware a union sign-up was even in progress, was in the final stages of opening his new green construction company. He had poured a majority of LSF Inc.’s recent profits into expanding the company. The expansion would create thousands of new jobs and change the face of the construction business.

Card Check is passed and a union is started before the C.E.O. can even announce the expansion. What should be a wonderful time for the company becomes a fight with the union. Higher wages, more sick days, and health care for part time employees.

LSF Inc. drops in the stock market and a lot of investors lose money. Instead of announcing adding new jobs, they announce they are cutting jobs.

In the current climate, the average American not affected directly by the falling stock price or loss of jobs, doesn’t care about the strain put on the business. They got the money, they should pay their employee’s more.

But here comes the dirty little secret. The C.E.O. is not stupid. He knows that he still needs to turn a profit, so what does he do? He raises the price on your bread, eggs, and milk. The price rises 20% on your dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, and body soap. The wind power they want us to depend on, now goes even higher in price because LSF Inc. is the only company that makes the turbines.

It’s fine if they want to raise the price, I’ll just buy another brand. Just try. All the other American brands went up because they too have become unionized. All that’s left is foreign products three times cheaper than those made in America because they don’t have to deal with such issues.

“You left one important part out of the equation, if the government is paying for health care, the prices won’t be that high for businesses.”

Correct. But where does the government get it’s money? From you. So they will give you a pay raise, put you in a higher tax bracket and charge you more in taxes.

What did you really gain? You pay more in taxes, it cost you more to provide for your family, and jobs are disappearing because foreign companies can provide cheaper products.

I’ll even go one step further for you. What would happen if wind was no longer a worthy source of power? The workers get mad because of lay-offs or benefit cuts and they strike. The Union and LSF Inc. can’t come to a conclusion so they have to meet with a government mediator.

The government mediator decides since government no longer believes wind power is viable, they think the people’s wages working in that division should shrink substantially. So a year ago you were making $20 an hour and now the government thinks your job is worth $11 an hour.

And there is nothing you or the Union can do, because the government has the final say.

This weekend, I watched bits and pieces of Norma Rae, Sally Fields portrayal of a textile worker inspired to start a union at her company. Very moving story but New Jack City was on another channel. As I flipped back and forth between movies, I got an interesting idea. Be on the Look Out for a very funny story.

Couple Quick Notes: Rush for Education and A Silent Conservative

March 11th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to figure out political manuevers. The one thing I’ve learned this year, nothing in politics is as it seems. A politicians main goal is to tell you what you want to hear, without speaking the things you don’t. It’s that simple.

Rush for Education

This morning I was attempting to read between the lines on a two stories in particular. First, Obama’s new plan to improve education from the cradle to college. Sounds good right. I mean who could argue that most inner city schools need improvement.

But what does he not want us to hear?

He wants government to have a heavy hand in creating a suitable school system. Could it have something to do with the Teacher’s Union that prevents firing of bad teachers? Or is it something less politically motivated, like an actual belief that children need to be educated.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s completely political. I watch Fox News. They have a segment on the liberal bias in public school textbooks. It’s so funny how liberals create our school books and still manage to leave us out. I digress.

Anyways, they point out a lot of commentary past off as actual history. Why does this matter? School Vouchers. Most private schools are religious based. They teach all things are possible through a higher power.

The liberals want you to believe all things are possible through them. They can’t have inner city kids being sent to schools that teach self sufficiency, work-based opportunities, or the actual Socialism agenda. This would hurt the grasp they have on the inner city areas.

So instead they throw money at the problem, like having a computer in a school is going to help the kid that has no desire to learn to read. But that fits their agenda well. See, if they throw all this money at the public school system and it still fails to improve, it will not be the Democrats fault.

It will still be the Republicans fault because the inner city kids still live in the inner city. The problem itself never disappears, only a new strategy on “how to blame” presents itself. And through all these political games, our schools continue to deteriorate, even if they are now completely green.

If you say I’m reading to much into this, Why are the Obama girls in private school?

A Silent Conservative

A hero becomes selfish when he expects praise for his deeds. It’s one of the first lessons you learn as a child. Give because you want to, not because you want something in return.

It’s a proven fact Conservatives give more to charities than Democrats. We believe God helped us succeed and it’s our duty to give back to those around us. What makes a conservative so great is his/her refusal to seek a pat on the back for their deeds.

Former President George W. Bush did more for the people of Africa than any other U.S. President in history. His financial contributions to the AIDS epidemic has helped saved millions of lives. When Kanye West came out and said George Bush doesn’t like black people, Bush didn’t respond by pointing out all the aid he’s sent to the struggling continent.

Bill O’Reily donates all his income, outside of his television show, to charity. He mentions this to let the public know buying a “don’t be a pinhead” bumper sticker is contributing to a worthy cause, both his message and a community. Now, if he listed every charity he contributed to and how much, I’d think he was waiting for his pat on the back.

There is some in fighting amongst Republicans about how to win inner city communities. The Rush Limbaugh’s say don’t target one group, let’s stay on message and we’ll win back the White House. Then you have the new voices in the Republican Party that say, let’s reach out to the community with social based programs, but we’ve got to make sure they are publicized correctly.

I know I’m over simplifying but for the sake of time, just roll with it. There is a girl from the inner city that found dance to be her escape. She is now in the $250,000 range and would love to open a dance school in her old neighborhood. One problem, the new tax hikes are going to prohibit her from opening her studio.

This maybe a little cynical, but I leave in the real world. Which message is more important? A puff piece about a girls dream to open a dance studio or a hard hitting news story about how the tax hikes are going to actually hurt community building?

The puff piece would actually do more harm than good. See, a silent conservative will hear this story and help the woman open her studio. The follow-up story wouldn’t mention the name of the person who donated the money and the silent conservative would be happy. That would be the end.

Make it about policy and you got a whole other ball game. This woman worked hard so she could open a dance studio in her community, not to pay for pig odor research. The government cut after-school activities, financially crippled this woman from starting a studio, and decided the best way to help her community was to build a Waterpark 1,000 miles away.

You go from targeting one group of people of a particular community, to affecting numerous groups of people in a myriad of communities. All with different stories behind the main premise, tax hikes hurt individuals who want to do good in their communities.

A rich Republican that goes to the ghetto to help, then leaves pounding his chest is what the street would call a mark. They are going to take what ever they can get from you and move on. Tell them they loss the local basketball courts to pay for the new court across town and you get a totally different response.

The streets are not stupid and Republicans should stop treating them as such. That’s the Democrats job.

Rhianna’s Back With Chris Brown: The Public Is Outraged

March 9th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

And that show’s your stupidity.

I’m sorry to be so harsh, but it’s the way it is. We are not a society that values every human life. We are giving and strong, we always want to help the victim. The aggressor is overlooked, maybe punished, but definitely overlooked. At least until it’s time to make the movie.

I talked to my niece this weekend. She was singing Chris Brown and I asked her what she thought about Chris Brown and Rhianna. She told me, “I’d take him if she didn’t want him”. So, I asked my cousin what he would do if Chris Brown hit my niece, he said nothing if Brown could hook him up with Rhianna.

I know he was joking but there are a lot of men that would answer that question the same way and be dead serious. There was a time when the men of a neighborhood would beat the crap out of a man that put his hands on a woman. Now we don’t even bring it up, unless we are talking about the woman’s choice to stay.

I have not heard one story telling about the weakness of character of Chris Brown. Not one. It is our fault, he is getting off with a plea deal and no time. We don’t care what He did or the attitude He holds, we only want to look at the victim, Rhianna.

How about this? Let’s make both of them victims. Brown is the victim because Rhianna let him hit her. If she would’ve left the first time he hit her, his career wouldn’t have been affected so much. He is also a victim of a society that teaches him “keeping your pimp hand strong” is a necessity. See how easy it is to become a victim. No matter who you are or what you did, all you need is one person to give you justification.

Now that we’ve got Chris Brown victim status, let’s start the discussion about what makes a MAN so weak he has to show his “Bravado” by beating a woman. I don’t know the answer, but I do know we need a change of focus.

Women are offered help from every direction. Well, isn’t that only natural. She got her ass beat, she needs help. Maybe the best way to help her is to offer her man some help. Like Rhianna has proven, they go back. Help her, by helping him.

We wait until men are forced into help. We don’t crucify them to the point they have no choice but to get help to fit in to society. We pay them no attention. We give them at one dirty look, then we dance to “P.I.M.P.” in the club. And you thought I was the one giving Brown justification.

Ever heard the phrase, You take one step, God will take two or God never gives you more than you can handle. O.K. We’ve taken a giant step, massive unemployment and hard times. Right on the cusp of all this hardship, we get hit with a mega news story about a man beating a woman.

Historically during difficult economic times, domestic abuse rates rise. Men lose their jobs, their ego’s are pride are hurt, and they lash out. Their significant other usually catches that blow.

I think we miss the important opportunities to help ourselves by learning from the mistakes of others. We have not given enough attention to the situation to help curve the numbers to come and that’s our fault. We shouldn’t be outraged, we should be ashamed.

Bye Bye Mr. Terrell Owens: Go Dallas Cowboys

March 9th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

I was mad when Jerry Jones signed T.O. I was mad when T.O. paid for Romo and Simpson’s pre-playoff trip to the Caribbean. I was livid every time a ball flew in Owens direction and he dropped it.

Now, I am celebrating. Jerry Jones signed Roy WIlliams from the Lions and got rid of Terrell Owens. He is gone.

People say, there are two kinds of people. The one’s that give you energy and the one’s that take it away. Terrell Owens took away energy. And I’m not talking about just Tony Romo, Jason Witten, or the whole Dallas Cowboy organization. He sucked the energy out of the fans.

I don’t want to see a Wide Reciever cussing out my quaterback, while he is on the field dropping balls. Don’t talk to my Tight End like that, when he catches every ball thrown in his direction. Nobody wants popcorn when we’re losing.

Nah Nah Nah Nah! Nah Nah Nah Nah! Hey Hey Hey! Goodbyeeeeeeeeeeee

They Say

March 3rd, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

They say she’s special

And I am!

But not for the reasons they think

They see breast and eyes

Ass and thighs

Playboy pin-up up live

And personal

And Versatile

They say she is flexable

And I am!

To a Point, but don’t push it

Willing to see your side

Willing to compromise

Damn right I can make head touch thigh

But realize compromise is a two way street

Or ass and foot can meet

They say she’s mean

And I am!

What’s the excuse you use?

I’m a product of my envirnoment

I’m used to violence

I’m worried in silence

Emotion is an unexperienced pilot

So Yes, I refuse to get on the plane

They say she’s complicated

And I am!

I’m worth it, so work for it

My cook game on point

Massage game on track

Work your feet to your back

Then ESPN and a snack

They say she’s perfect

Have you lost your damn mind?!?

What Made Me Conservative?

March 1st, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

For Lent, I decided to stop judging myself so harshly. Ask how’s that going for me. Not good, not good at all but I’ll push forward. To make up for my inability to give myself a break, I’ve also massively turned down my XBox Live time. I’m sad about this, just give me a minute.

While I was flipping through the channels yesterday, I passed by Fox and Rush Limbaugh address to CPAC was on. In Rush’s first address to a national audience, I found so many reason’s to cheer. I got a different take for you, as I often do.

I questioned yesterday, when did I become “conservative”? I came to one undeniable truth, I’ve been conservative since the first time my mother gave me an allowance. We were on welfare, I’m talking public housing and food stamps. You know what I’m talking about, the peanut butter with just a picture of a peanut on the front, yeah.

Anyways, every summer when it was time for the ice cream truck to roll around, my mother would give us an allowance. We got $2 a week. Back then, the lady on the corner sold frozen Kool-aid for .25 cent and ice cream cost .50 cent off the truck. With $2 you were ballin.

When I got to the age when I was paying attention, something seperated us from the other little kids in the neighborhood. They went to the ice cream truck with food stamps. My mother refused to let us spend foodstamps on anything. If she didn’t have cash to give us, then she would go to the store and buy us ice cream with the food stamps. If I haven’t said this enough, I miss my Mom.

She was so old school. One summer, we were in the store and I saw this set of books I wanted. Yes, I was such a nerd. I knew better than to ask my mother for them, she didn’t play that. I started to save my $2 a week. I did it quitely. I snuck in the house when the ice cream truck rolled around so no one would pick on me for being the only person without a treat.

One day, I went to count my money and it was missing. I lost my mind crying, another thing my mother didn’t tolerate. She would make you completely stop crying before you told her what was wrong. I told her about my money and she was happy.

Not that it was stolen but that I took initaitive to save. She quickly found out my brother had taken my money and spent every single dime. He got a beating but I still lost all the money I had saved.

I was mad as hell. I had saved and he got to spend, why didn’t I get my money back? My mother told me, shit happens and you have to find a way to get past it. I was pissed. I called my dad and told him what happened. He came huffing and puffing and took me to the store to buy those books.

What’s my point?

All I cared about as a kid was, what was fair? It didn’t matter that my mother was trying to teach me a lesson, it wasn’t fair and I wanted no part in it. My dad riding in on his white horse proved that life was fair.

Until I got older and realized, waiting for someone to ride up on their white horse is frivolous endeavor. Not because it won’t happen, but because you lose the experience letting someone else save you.

My mom was trying to teach me how to get up when I fell down. My dad didn’t teach me anything, except if you cry I’ll bend. Which lesson do you think is more effective now that I’m grown?

One more little story before I tie them all together. My mother had friends of every color. Race never bothered her. For those of you who don’t know, I was adopted, so I didn’t look like the other members of my family. I was lighter and skinnier and stuck out like a sore thumb.

I was often ridiculed. My sister and brother would call be ‘yellow’, ‘red’, and ‘orange’. I hated it. My mother would always pull me aside and ask if I thought I was beautiful. I was an awkward kid. I didn’t think anything about me was beautiful, but my mom made me constantly ask myself what I saw when I looked in the mirror.

Being the typical kid, I just wanted her to make them stop. She would, but not before she made me realize nothing they said changed who I really was. I was high yellow and skinny and that’s how God made me. The rest was irrelevant.

These are the lessons that make me conservative. I thought about all this yesterday as I watched Limbaugh speak. My mother never wanted us to go on welfare, she didn’t even want us to use foodstamps. My mother believed you will get knocked down, it’s only important that you get up. But most importantly, she taught me only you can make yourself a victim.

My mother made me conservative.

You think that’s all, don’t you? Not by a long shot. I moved with my dad when I was 11 or 12 and everything changed. No one checked my homework, made sure I went to school, or gave me a time to come in the house. I did whatever I wanted. All I had to do was keep my grades up.

So, what did I do with no one pushing me forward, I stood still. I made all the wrong choices and with each mistake, my father was there to bail me out. No questions asked, no long drawn out speeches about what I did wrong; just complaints about how he had to miss time at work to deal with me.

Now, my boys, they kept me quite conservative as well. I was trying to think of a single situation where Obama’s plan of government would fly on street level, and it does. Except by fly, I mean bullets wheezing through the air looking for a target. Imagine telling the top drug man on your block, he has to re-distribute his wealth.

Think about it. Imagine another crime family telling Scarface, you make to much money, you have to give us some. The street level dealer can’t make it without you. What would happen to the street level dealer? (I’m going to make up a story like that soon, I got some other points to add.)

He wouldn’t get a dime and if by some chance Scarface would’ve given him the money, nobody would’ve liked Al Pacino anymore. He would be soft and un-gangsta. The only respectable way to get Scarface’s money would be to take him out.

If we applied the same principles to real life, instead of complaining for the top to give up some of what they have, we would go and take it from them. I’m not talking about killing rich people. I’m talking about creating the businesses and technologies to take their place at the top.

Instead we stand back and hate on what they have. When did we become haters? When did we start hating the players and not the game. What’s even worse, we invented it and still can’t live up to it.

I know I get off subject, but the truths are still there. No one member of your group is going to pay for everybody no matter how much money they have and they shouldn’t have to . And you know your boys, would they continue to hang out with you if they always had to pay your way? Would you keep floating someone you know doesn’t even try?

No, but you expect the Government to.

The streets made me conservative.

Most importantly, above my mother and every friend I’ve ever known, God had made me Conservative.

All things are possible through the Lord that strengthens me. Not through Barack Obama, the Democratic Party, and the United States Government. God said we should only worship one Savoir and to beware of false idols. They will come claiming to have all the answers, all you have to do is follow.

I choose to follow God. When everything in my heart tells me that something is wrong, I trust it. When I pray for guidance and these are the words I type, they are not from me alone. I won’t let my heart be troubled by those who criticise and judge me for always, and I do mean always, stepping out on faith.

Faith that God has his hands on us and this to shall pass, as long as we are willing to stand up and give him praise.

In these trying days, are we putting more faith in a Man, than in the Lord. If only Barack can save us, then where is God’s part in all this? I know the politically correct thing is to separate church and state, but I have a problem with people that can do that. I can’t cut off my belief in God for anything. I can question his word but never just place it on the back burner.

Is this the ultimate step in taking God out of our society? We are a nation that prays and worships. When did we start praying to Obama, Pelosi, and Reid instead of the God for help with our mortgage, children, and everything else? When did we establish false ideals it was O.K. to worship?

God made me conservative

I purposely didn’t point out the one time in my life when I was liberal. I mentioned it, but I didn’t bring notice to it. Can you pick it out?

Bingo. When I let my dad solve all my problems for me. It was the unhappiest time in my life. Want to know why? When I should have been planning for college, I didn’t have a care in the world. When I should’ve been building a network of close friends, all my friends were being arrested or killed. When I should have been dreaming about a bright future, I was failing to prepare for any future at all.

Why? My dad was there to ride up on his white horse when ever I needed him. I don’t have to worry about college, my day will take care of it. He always has. It took me 7 years to go back to school and it wasn’t because my dad made it happen.

It came when I lost my mom and realized all the lessons she had taught me made strong enough to make it. It doesn’t matter if Bush or Obama is in office. I’ll be O.k because I’m not afraid to fail. Even though I hate failure with the passion of a thousand burning moons, I know I can get back up. I’ve done it a hundred times.

I guess I could say, Life has made me Conservative

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?

Knowing Your Faults, Maybe Accepting Them: Giving Up For Lent

February 26th, 2009 | By Sonnie Johnson

I’m going to make this short and sweet.

Every year around this time, I’m forced to re-evaluate myself. My mother maybe gone, God rest her Soul, but her words stick with me. “You can’t constantly look back, you have to more forward, but every once in a while turn around and see what you have left behind you. ”

Now, that was just a paraphrase. Her speech would involve more cursing and strict talk. I miss my Mom.

Easter is fast approaching, Spring in close pursuit, and the chance for ultimate rebirth and renewal is charging upon us. What better time to pick something about your self to work on?

I was thinking about what to give up for Lent. Before I started writing this blog, I was content on giving up Video Games. I just finished Fable 2, more on that to come, and I would’ve been content to wait 40 days and nights before I picked up the controller again.

As I wrote the first title and erased it, I realized the immaturaty of vowing not to play the video game. Is that the main source of conflict in me? No, so maybe I should take this time to do some thing a bit more fruitful. You know, something that will have results that last me a lifetime.

In my self anaylsis, I realized that’s my major downfall. I take an action. Then instead on immediately taking another, with careful planning, I judge the first. Which is not that bad. Except the spotlight of my mind is bright and far reaching. Nothing could live up to that kind of scrutiny.

For 40 days and 40 nights, I will not critize myself.

I believe you have to look at yourself for happiness because looking elsewhere will lead to nothing but disappointment. You also have to trust yourself enough to believe that all your prayers and hard work will guide your path.

The problem comes with people who have made so many mistakes and learned from them. I have made so many mistakes. <-(Place 200% emphasis on that line) I’ve even repeated the same mistakes multiple times. Hell! I’ve created new mistakes trying to stay away from the old ones.

Mistakes are neccesary, but at what cost?

I’m not going to answer that question. Why? Because I would break my promise.

Instead, I’ll offer this. Prepare yourself. This could be one bumpy ride.

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I encourage every body to try making a minor sacrifice during this time of Lent. I don’t care if your not Christian or you don’t believe in God. It matters not. Make up a new name for it and roll on.

Make sure to take the time and think about what ails your life.

If you are in financial debt, lock down the credit cards and only use cash.

If you over eat, elimate all snacking. (you don’t have to stop eating regular food. Small steps.)

If you are in a shaky relationship, start a serious dialoge and no response is a definate response.

If you are a addict, give up the places you go not the vice itself.

If you are a death and damnation Christian, walk amonst those who live in hell.

If you are a non-believer, talk to Me.

If you are broke, try to find beauty is something with no cost.

If you are rich, search for the great responsibility held in your wealth.

If you are just plain unhappy, Smile. Just fake it and Smile.

More importantly, add my vow on top. Don’t look back for 40 days and 40 nights. Then, we can all look back and pray we have learned a lesson to last a life time.