Restoring Honor Reflection: My Right to be Selfish

September 2nd, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

I’m BACK!!!!!!!  I know, I know  I’ve been away to long and you’re all wondering what I’ve been up to.  In a nutshell, I was looking at my reflection in the mirror.  I won’t lie to you, I’ve been going through personal turmoil the last 40 days and the mirror tells no tales.  I’ve acknowledged my tears, smiles, and those awkward faces you make when you’re thinking really hard about something that hardly matters.  Oh yeah, my reflection has been my friend for the last 40 days.

So, how fitting that  this weekend’s Glenn Beck Restoring Honor Rally mentions the true need for reflection and correction in our lives.  What a way to end my 40 days.

And this has to be said on my part.  For the critics of Glenn Beck who question his religion, judge him on his inability to separate himself from his religion, or scoff at his gull of openly speaking about his religion, I will pray for you.  Trust and believe that’s not what I really wanted to say but it will suffice for this article.

With that being said, what did I learn about myself in the last 40 days? 

1. I’ve learned to accept my own growth.  There will always be people who remember me as I once was.  But I have the Right to be Selfish and decide to see only what I am now.  I find no joy in rehashing sins I’ve already turned over to God.  I find no happiness in holding old grudges that God is already in the process of working out.  It profits me none to turn away from God’s word and live by someone else’s memory of who I should be.
2. I’ve learned I’ve alwasy been a problem creator, now I’m a problem solver.  My rebellious teenage years caused me more problems than I realized.  Not only did I act out against my parents, church, and school,  I let it seep into my mental process.  When a problem came along, mostly by my own creation, I could rationalize why it was everyone else’s fault.  But I have the Right to be Selfish and immediately ask of myself, ‘What could you have done differently?’  I don’t care who was wrong or right, it only matters that I fix those things which I control.
3. I’ve learned walking in God’s Will shall reveal false prophets.  No one can tell me what God’s Will is.  I speak to God and ,in his mysterious way, he speaks back to me.  I question my language, tone, and subject selection.  I question my colored hair, short skirts, and the stero-type that comes along with those fashion decisions.  But, in the end, I have the Right to be Selfish and be exactly who God made me to be.  He has had his hand in every other decision I’ve made, so if its not broke……..
4. I’ve learned some arguments are not worth having.  I’m the ultimate debater.  Very rarely is there a conversation that I run away from.  But I have the Right to be Selfish and decide where my time would be better spent.  It would be easy to assume I’m talking about politics but that’s way off base.  I’m talking about those everyday conversations that end up putting a crimp in your day.  The time spent talking about what you’re going to do, while you’re actually accomplishing nothing.  Time spent complaining about the things around you, while not lifting a finger to find a solution.  Time wasted on those who can point out every flaw you have but have this uncanny ability to forget they are also flawed.
5. I’ve learned you can’t help everyone and sometimes the best thing you can do for a person is Pray God comes to their heart.  Always offer a hand when you see a person in need.  Always make yourself available to those who need to testify or need to hear your testimony.  Always humble yourself before trying to give advice, especially if its unsolicited advice.  But never take on someone else’s salvation.  I have the Right to be Selfish and accept that I am not God.  I am not omnipotent and all powerful, I am but flesh and bones.  While I can imagine what I want your life to look like, only you and God can make it a reality.
6. Finally, I’ve learned not to get so wrapped up in your own reflection you forget the impression you leave on other people.  God made you in his image and that makes you beautiful.  Not because of the cosmetics you wear, the name-brands you sport, or the kicks you have on your feet and if that’s where you find your self-worth, those around you probably only see the superficial as well.  I have the Right to be Selfish and decide I want to be remembered for my words and actions.  I want to be worthy of the kind messages, well wishes, and constant encouragement I get from those around me and I can’t accomplish that staring at the mirror waiting for it to speak back to me.

I know all this Selfish talk can seem counter-productive but it’s the only solution we have.  We must make the choice to be SELFISH in following God’s word.   So it doesn’t matter what political party you vote for, they must be subservient to your true ideals and principles because you have left them no other option.  You are so steadfast in what you believe and what you stand for, it doesn’t matter the color of a person’s skin if they step out the boundaries of what you find acceptable.  You are so steeped in Truth that you can smell a lie a mile away and it forces other to be truthful in return.

The real truth is, these acts aren’t Selfish, self-serving, or easy.  These are the hardest paths to salvation.  You won’t get the life you’ve wished for, you’ll get the life God planned for you.  You won’t see progress devoid of any striff or disappointment.  You will relapse to old habits and find yourself on your knees asking what went wrong and praying for strength to make it through.  You will start to feel your life is totally out of control and the hits just keep coming.  But in the moments where you need to step out on faith, in the moments where you must speak up, in the moments when you’ve placed yourself so far out on a ledge you can’t see your way back, God will show up.  And if you can reflect back and know with certainty that every move you made was by God’s Will, you will  have no fear.  You will have no doubt.  And when they say you are trying to accomplish the impossible, you can say: “I Selfishly have the Right to say, All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me.  Amen”

Black Political Fighting Words

June 22nd, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

Willie Lynch came up with the idea years ago.  We must separate slaves from one another.  We can use age, skin lightness or darkness, gender, position, and any other qualification that would cause slaves to bicker amongst themselves.  For the last 200 years we have willingly played this game, judging each other on what we see or hear.

What’s more sickening?  I now see this behavior on the side of Blacks opposed to Big Government.  Every one has a story or reason they don’t trust the Democratic Party, yet we still have no trust for each other.

I’m tired of playing by someone else’s rules and accomplishing nothing.  So we’re stepping off the politically correct and stepping into fighting words.

Black Elites- I don’t really care what political party you belong too.  I’m talking about those black people who hold their degrees, experience, and title like a badge of superiority.  The blacks who think they are the exception, not the rule.   The intellectuals, privileged, and those grandfathered in from the Civil Rights age who know how to solve the problems of the black community, if only we’d follow them.

Black Conservatives- Who believe race isn’t a issue anymore.  The Afro-Conservative Vanessa coined the phase, “the Carlton Banks Syndrome”.  Those who have never had to experience poverty and strife.  Their parents are middle-class to rich and they are not ashamed about it.  They grew up around proper dictation and learned at a young age how to manage a checkbook, so they are well prepared for the world, whatever it may bring.

Black Nationalist-  The Farakhans of the movement.  They believe blacks should run and control their own neighborhoods and financial systems because the system is so screwed against them.  It’s not, “You can do it”, it’s more, “You have to do it because the white man will tear you down if you don’t.”  They believe in “Black Power” but spend most of their time talking about “White Superiority”.

Black Libertarians-  The “your fist must stop at my nose” crowd.  These people don’t care how many times you try to bring up race, they only focus on the times it personally affects them.  “I take care of me and mines and shouldn’t have to stand up for anyone else.” 

Then there’s ME.  I talk in Black and White all the time and very rarely does it have anything to do with race.  It’s because I have eyes and a true focus.  I am not an elite who thinks I know all the answers. I’m one part Conservative, one part Nationalist, and one part Libertarian.  There is one distictive part of me that is missing from this equation and our political conversation, I’m one part Hood.

I’m not influenced by the Elites who would tell me “if we just do this, we could solve all our problems”.  Bullshit.  If it were that easy, it would’ve been done by now.   History is filled with brilliant men and women who understood they could solve problems if they started small and let the people build upon their seeds. You can stand on the top of the mountain handing out fish but you will find me in the lake giving instruction.

I’m not influenced by Conservatives who think we walk in a color blind society.  You know why people don’t believe you?  They see in color.  Hell, even in black and white you can tell the difference between the races.  Does this mean they are racist?  No.  It means they are politically incorrect and I love them for it.  I am Black and not afraid to say it.  I know that there are racist white and black people, I just don’t care.  If  you are my friend, that’s all I see.  If you are my enemy, that is what reflects in my mind.  If I’ve never met you, I hold my judgement. 

I’m not influenced by Nationalist who think the world rotates on color.  How are you any different from Klansmen who think being White some how makes you special?  Race is not the major issue facing us today and it’s time we change the subject.  If there isn’t a single situation between a white person and black person where you think the black person is in the wrong, something is wrong with you.  How can you teach empowerment and victimization at the same time?

I’m not influenced by Libertarians who think we can realistically undo 100 years race baiting, social engineering, and government dependence in one fell swoop.   I know there are still some black people alive who remember the sounds of the dogs barking and the sting of their bite.  I know there are still some black people who remember the force of the water sprouting from hoses aimed by armed government officials.  These feelings and memories can’t be overlooked or easily forgotten.

So what does influence me?  People.  Regular everyday people who are mixed with a little Nationalism and Conservatism.  People who consider themselves Elites but want to live in a Libertarian world.  You know, the people we all claim we want to help but we spend so much time arguing and differing ourselves from one another we totally forget they exist.  Yup, those people.

They want to live the Elite life.  They want prosperity and positions of power but they don’t want to walk around with sticks up their……you know.  They want parties, committees, and fundraisers where people aren’t so politically correct they refuse to serve fried chicken.  They want the big house and nice car but I guarantee you Hip Hop will still fill the airwaves.

They want Conservatism.  Fathers want their daughters to graduate High School still a Virgin.  Mother’s want their sons to know how to treat a lady.  Grandparents want to see their family unit still in tact on their deathbeds.  Teenage boys want to live under a supply and demand economy, just with access to a better product.  And most of us have no problem thanking God for the Good moments or falling to our knees praying for help in times of strife. 

They wholeheartedly support Nationalism.  They want to see black owned stores and businesses in their communities.  Barack Obama is proof they want to see people who look like them achieve great things.  They lose interest when the conversation is focused on what someone else is doing.  It’s not “this is how you can start a business”, it’s “this is how you beat the cracker at his own game”.  We don’t like games and are not going to invest time, effort, or investment  in them, period. 

They support Libertarianism more than you know.  They don’t want government to have the right to interfere in their homes.  They don’t want government telling them how to discipline their children.  They don’t want Government influencing their ability to say Merry Christmas or prevent their sons from keeping score in a football game.  They get pissed off after they spend three years paying off a car and still having to pay property tax.  They crave limited government but are assimilated into government dependence.

So, do we each gather our groups, go to our corners, and come out swinging at each other when the bell rings?  I think I know the answer but we’ll see in Part 2.  I think I’ll give this article a little time to fester before I go any further.

What Jay-Z and Ronald Reagan Have In Common: Rally for Ron Ferrin

June 4th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

History In The Making

If It Talks Like a Bureaucrat and Gets Paid Like a Bureaucrat, Don’t Be Surprised There’s Oil in the Gulf

May 31st, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

One of the first rules you learn as a child is if  it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, It’s a DUCK.  So, are you really surprised at the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or the incompetence behind the clean-up?

Take heed as you read this article and look at the big picture.  This maybe one incident but it is the norm in Bureaucracies.  The bigger the Government grows, the less regulation we actually get.   The Elite of Big Government will always focus on what they want or need for their backers.  The small organizations and agencies propping up big government go unsupervised and therefore are prone to corruption because they hold tremendous power over a localized area or section of the economy.  

Since Obama became President, he has pushed his Agenda full force.  Like him or not, he will have his (SEIU, ACORN, you fill in the rest) will done.  With the Elite of the Federal Government focused on Healthcare, Cap N Trade,  and destroying the United States Financial Standing, are you surprised people at the Minerals Management Services were allowing BP to fill out their own evaluations?  Does it shock  you Elizabeth Birnbaum was fired, I mean “resigned”, even though she was an Obama pick for the position?    Are you wondering why the Federal Government had a plan of action in case an oil rig like Deep Water Horizon did explode, yet they didn’t have the actual materials to carry out that plan?

I’m going to give Obama a break on this one.  He is trying to take over an entire country, how in the world do you expect him to pay attention to an area so small?  He doesn’t have to worry about the workers getting sick off the dispersant’s BP is using to fool us about how much oil is actually under the surface, he’s assured those workers free Healthcare.  Why do I say it’s free?  Because they are now unemployed and their way of life is basically destroyed.  Oh, wait.  We’ve extended unemployment benefits, we’re taking care of them.

At the local level, you have Bobby Jindal.  An honest politician who acknowledges he doesn’t have the answers but knows doing nothing is not a proper course of action.   Governer Jindal wants to build land barriers to block the oil from reaching the shores of Louisiana.  Are you shocked the Federal Government actually OWNS the shoreline and the Bureaucrats in Washington are running test on what might happen instead of actually acting.   Are  you surprised politicians at the local level, with the exception of gems like Ray Nagin, have a far greater staked interest in prevention and clean-up? 

See, I’m not surprised.  I understand they are still trying to push a GREEN bill, even while we are currently facing the greatest Eco-disaster in our country.  In fact, I expect them to try to pass Cap N Trade with some money and resources allotted for the Gulf.  Come on, how could you vote against helping the clean up in the Gulf, even if it means raising energy cost to every single person in the country?  Never let a crisis go to waste.

It doesn’t shock me people at MMS were accepting bribes, sexual favors, and lump sums of cash.  They know they are expendable.  They know how their industries work.  They are going to get all they can, while they can and do you really blame them?  They can take the money, gifts, title and experience and move some where else in the country not affected by the mess they created.  The American Dream, right?!?!?!?

I’m actually glad America is getting to see what an actual executive looks like in Bobby Jindal.  I watch Jindal when he tries to speak on the National stage, nervous and reserved,  but let him talk about the state of Louisiana and you can understand why we need to restore the Republic.  Individuals elected at the local level should have the authority to handle local issues.  Not only should they have the authority, they should have the responsibility.  The Federal Government sticking it’s nose in thinking it knows what’s best, allows situations like Katrina and this spill to occur.  States now wait and some actually expect the Federal government to come in and save them.  What happened to States that legislate, defend, and protect their own boarders because that’s the role allotted to them by the Founders.

Before Obama signed the Healthcare bill we were shouting to the roof tops, do you want your Doctor’s Appointments to be run like the DMV, Social Services offices, or the Post Office.  Now I question, do you want your Healthcare run like this Oil Spill?  What about your energy?  What would happen if the Government controlled all our electricity, a bureaucrat was watching porn, and some how the lights went out.  Forty-Five days later they still can’t solve the problem but some lowly person you’ve never heard of has been fired. 

That is Big Government.  If it walks Like a Duck and Talks like a Duck, you better go and join a Tea Party.

Generation Zero: The Pawns That Lived Through It

May 15th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

When you think of the ’60’s, what’s the first thing to come to mind?  Even though this was the time of Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, when phrased properly, you get an immediate image of “Hippies” and drugs.  Woodstock.  War Protest.  An era of American History where we lost all sense of common decency and affection towards each other.  This is the time period explained in Citizens United’s Generation Zero.

The documentary is a great timeline of how we got to the financial crisis now gripping our country.  It starts with the Hippies of the ’60’s and progresses until those same people began to control Wall Street and the White House.  But you know me, I can’t replay the movie for you.  Check it out at GenerationZeroMovie.com.

Here’s what I learned.  Big Government is sooooooo dangerous because the “Kings” and “Queens” treat every other player on the board like a pawn.  I’m not a GREAT Chess player but I know the rules of the game.  The “King” and “Queen” alone can not win a Chess match, I don’t care how special or all powerful they assume they are.  That’s why they are provided Rooks, Knights, and Bishops to give them support, plus one row of pawns to deflect, protect, and advance the “Kings” and “Queens” influence over the board. 

Here’s where the problem comes in.  The “Kings” and “Queens” of Big Government have convinced the American Middle Class that we are “Rooks”, the outside stabilizing force of the American System and we need to be taken care of.  Yet in the same breath, they move our protective pawns leaving us completely exposed.   An example:  I remember my teenage years under Clinton.  All the black inequality talk at the time centered around black inability to acquire a home loan.  So the “Kings” and “Queens” told us we were “Rooks” and we deserved to have a home.  And we bought it hook line and sinker.  We didn’t pay attention when our protection was removed and we didn’t ask why all of a sudden there was so much movement other places on the board.

 If you came up during this time period, especially with the “Liberal” education provided at public schools, you didn’t see yourself as a sacrificial lamb.  The edict from Big Government told you all this was for your benefit.  So “WE”, the American People, went out and took advantage of these loans.  We didn’t care about Fixed rates vs Variables.  We didn’t bat an eye when Acorn workers told us to lie on applications.  While some of this was wreck less, uneducated, and plain irresponsible, it was also a result of us believing we were way more valuable than we actually were.

WE BELIEVED GOVERNMENT.  We believed our “Kings” and “Queens” held the Rooks at high value or if not, we believed they were smart enough not to bite the hand that feeds them.  This is why I’m not great at Chess.  You have to be sneaky and underhanded.  You have to mask your true intentions behind frivolous moves meant to distract and unbalance your opponent.  I’m more of the lay it all on the table type and so are most of the American People, especially when we realize we are not being treated like “Rooks”.   The Federal Government is playing us like pawns and they are not even hiding it any more.

The Banks got Bail-Outs.  The American People got home foreclosures, great loses in property value, bad credit, and bankruptcy.  The Auto Company got Bail-Outs.  The American People got Car Dealerships forced into giving away their location, cars, and client list to other Dealerships because Government said so.   Obama Supporters got payback in the Stimulus Package.  The American People got 10% unemployment rates.

How will history reflect US?  While we worry about what legacy Bush or Obama will have, what will the future generation say when they look at us through the annals of time?  I hope they will look back and realize what some of us currently here are afraid to acknowledge, America was not built for Big Government.  I hope they look back at us and say that was the generation that refused to be put into it’s place by Government.  That was the generation when the people gained enough to power to win the Chess match without a Queen on the board and without the King moving a single space.  That’s when we started to sacrifice for each other because we wanted too not because the Government forced it on us.

That was the Generation were once again America reclaimed, By the PEOPLE for the PEOPLE.

What Does A Community Organizer Organize? The Fruits of Obama’s Labor

May 13th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

I want to share my thought process with you.  I was listening to my Ipod the other day, and Will Smith “Summertime” came on.  Especially in early spring, this song makes you feel good.  It makes you want to clean out your closet and see what you need to complete your summer look.  It makes you want to take your car to the detail shop to make weekly cleanings easier.  It makes you call up  your family and ask when’s the first cook-out.  Right in my moment of bliss a news story crosses the TV screen “Illionois state legislature calls for National Guard to curb violence”.   Way to mess up a great song with harsh reality.

The first question to come to my mind, Isn’t the President from Chicago?  Wasn’t he a community organizer?  Why are those organizations not helping to curb the violence on Chicago’s streets?  If they aren’t there to help curb murder rates caused by lack of hope and employment, then what are they organizing?  Seriously, take away the politics and just look at the people.  They can organize massive rallies and poke jokes from a Correspondence Dinner to protest the crackdown on Illegal Immigration but there is no mention of the blood being shed on American Streets.  They can push for Amnesty for law breakers but what about the innocent people caught in the middle of gang violence.  Where is their march, protest, or even recognition?

Instead we get a “Summertime” filled lost friends, imprisoned peers, and truly neglected youth.  Jesse Jackson Jr. is the incumbent of the 2nd Congressional District in Illinois, where is the Rainbow Coalition?  The NAACP?  Where are any of these groups that claim they are trying to provide Social Justice or true equality?  Doesn’t that include the right to live in City where there isn’t a murder every week day andtwo on the weekend.  If not, it  should.

Which leads back to the basic question, what does a community organizer organize?  If the President spent the majority of his young career rallying the people of Chicago to stand together, should we count 147 people dead this year as proof of Obama’s success?  While most would think that was an attempt at humor or irony, it is a completely honest question.  It only makes sense once you understand what the Acorns and SEIU’s of America are really organizing.

Let’s see what they’ve already done.  Barack Obama is for the Community Reinvestment Act.    While national averages for foreclosures dropped, the rate in Chicago actually rose.  Barack Obama is for the Unions.  The state of Illinois is near bankruptcy and a huge burden of that cost is the 5.4 billion slated for next years pensions cost to pay members of those unions.   Barack Obama is for Green Jobs.  The Unemployment rate in Chicago is 11.3% and rising.  Are any of these statistics worthy of praise, never mind the Presidency.  These results are lack luster and destructive and the people of Chicago have to deal with its effect.

They are organizing a revolution.  They are creating division, separation, anger, dashed hopes and unobtainable financial security.  If Chicago is the template for what’s to come in America, then we need not look toward Greece for inspiration to save our country.  We should look right in our own backyards. We should look at our Presidents stomping grounds. 

But let’s change our perspective along the way and this time look at the people.  It’s black kids that are dying.   The same group that comes out and roots for Barack Obama as a savior are the same ones that fear walking the street after dark.  They have Barack Obama bumper stickers on their cars as they drive along funeral processions.  They answer the Democratic call to organize when Acorn funding is at risk but angry mobs of teenagers creating damage to life and property goes unchecked.  They are organizing the first wave towards the destruction of the United States of America as a Democratic Republic.

If you are a black American, or African American if you prefer, and you truly believe America is a racist country then you should be afraid that I’m right.  If you believe with all your heart and soul that the white man doesn’t want you to have anything andwe are on our way to a Revolution, then are you really in a position to dispute what I’m saying?   Black segments of the population will be the first to go.  What we need to understand is the color of your skin means nothing, it’s more about your stature and net worth.  The POOR will be the first to go.  This will mean black, white, brown, and any other classification we use to separate ourselves from the truth of Big Government. 

An all powerful Government will protect itself first and foremost, always.  People be damned.  So just imagine a population that fears no response for their actions because the Government not only doesn’t step in, they encourage rage and anger at the very situations they created.  Take into account we as a black people are predisposed to burning down our own communities, what will happened when Government can no longer provide food stamps, unemployment checks, or social security benefits?  We will be the first group to take to the streets and we will be made into an example and I can assure you there will be no black groups standing up for the atrocities.  Just like they are vying for their place at the table now, they will show their true colors then as well.

We need to wake up and realize Obama’s efforts in Chicago were a success.  The corrupt state and local government has choked the life and spirit out of the city to the point they would actually consider allowing armed Military Forces take over their streets.  If you fear the local police, just imagine Federal Soldiers with the ability to shot to kill.  This wouldn’t scare me so much if most poor Black and Latino men and women weren’t  also brought up with a shot to kill philosophy.  Both entities believing power comes from the barrel of a gun.

Summertime is coming but we haven’t yet began to feel the heat.  When state workers get IOU’s instead of paychecks, beaurcratic jobs start to disappear, and the people realize Hope and Change really meant the distruction of their current way of life then we will see the fruits of Obama’s labor.

He Took Me Away: A Simple Reflection

April 24th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

Whenever things get tough in my life, I start to think back on the past.  I’ve learned there are no new lessons, just lessons learned the hard way and forgotten.  Even the most self-reflective person falls victim to apathy. And it is in this moment God hits you with a dose of reality.

He took me away.  I was only an infant and my mother was addicted to crack.  My father wasn’t ready to  be a single father, so he gave me away.  I found an Angel on earth.  God gave me my mother.

He took me away.  I was always one to question, so he sent me a pastor who welcomed debate.  In the youngest years of my religious up-bringing my pastor preached self-sufficiency, the power of faith, and an always open mind. I had a spiritual guide sent by God

He took me away.  In high school I got Honor Roll without even trying. I did the minimal to succeed and spent the rest of the time skipping. When I was forced to switch schools my junior year, I was awakened.  One old bald teacher asked questions that made me think, this was a foreign concept.  I was used to regurgitation. God blessed me with the true method of learning.

He took me away.  I was surrounded by conservatives that preach liberalism. Single mothers who pay all their bills on time will encourage you to get food stamps. First generation fathers convince their sons abortion is acceptable.  Former felon turned business owner proclaims “The man in trying to keep me down”.   God gave me a sense of humor for irony.

He took me away.  I love a bad boy. A crisp white tee, fresh braids, and an attitude to match.  Crohn’s stopped that fast.  It’s hard to deal with the drama of a hard-headed stubborn male when you spend every other week in the hospital.  God knows better than you, I’ll leave it at that.

He took me away.  Away from his church, away from school, away from my family and friends, and away from my own personal desires.  He took everything from me and I was left wondering what was next. For a long time, I wondered what was the purpose. Why did God put so much time and energy into guiding my life, even when I had turned from him?

Only now that God has built me back up do I understand the wisdom in his plan.  He knew I needed something strong in my life that wouldn’t let me stray to far and he blessed me with Mary. Before she gave birth to me, someone slipped something in her drink.  She hasn’t been right since.  Though I wasn’t perfect, I knew that my actions held consequences.

He knew his church wasn’t what it used to be.  At 16 I began to wonder why the church had never built anything.  Not to be funny but since I was 6 there was a building fund to buy land adjacent to the church.  My Grandmother forced me to attend meetings, so I know the county was selling the land to the church at a reduced price.  To this day, no land.  You get a message, with no real community outreach just judgement, criticism, and a collection plate.

He knew schools were no longer teaching the truth.  I did three book reports on Langston Hughes and was never told he was a Communist.  No books available to me at the time revealed this fact nor did any teacher correct my error.  And don’t even get me started on W.E.B.  I would love to ask just one English or History teacher for the truth about him and the Eugenics movement.

He knew I had surrounded myself with people who had already surrendered.  They are in the same place now as they were when I left.  No progress, no advancement just a bunch of complaints.  I love to talk so I have two options; complain or speak out.  When in Rome……..I’d still be there complaining.

He knew that when I set my mind on something I wanted, or something I wasn’t supposed to have, there was no stopping me.  Even to my own detriment.  The hardest transition is taking your personal desires and pushing them to the side to do God’s will. It leaves you wondering what could’ve been, if you don’t have the faith to put it all in God’s hands.

He took me away and he placed me in this bubble.  In this confined space I have reaffirmed my commitment to God, I’ve captured my history, I’ve build a new group of friends, and now I’m fighting the last step in the process.  Why?  I know what God has in store but I can’t help but want what I want.   God I am a work in progress.  Please keep your hands on me.

Racism vs Elitism: Which Game are You Playing?

April 19th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

This article is weeks in the making.  I’ve actually sat at the computer and started to write four time already, to no avail.  I really don’t want to write another race article, yet God has put it on my heart  so here we go.

What is Racism?  Dictionary Definition- a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.   WOW! 

This leads me to all sorts of questions.   Let’s start with America’s most known racist, the KKK.   The Ku Klux Klan was created by Democrats after the Civil War.   After the Confederates defeat, there were a lot of soldiers and land owners who wanted to maintain White Supremacy.   Why?  If they we’re really Racist, they would be unafraid of giving blacks their freedom.  In fact, they were cowards afraid to compete.

Just think about it.  These white men had been taught their whole lives that they were the cream of the crop.  They were the race that God put here to dominate America but in their heart of hearts, they knew better.  They had seen the Black Men in the fields and they knew they could not outwork them.   They knew the only thing standing in the way of Black People rising to take over the South was lack of education.    Now they were no longer in the position to deny them that right. 

Blacks outnumbered whites in the South, so if they found out they could vote, it was all over.  This is what sparked the KKK.  FEAR!   Fear they were not pre-destined to greatness.  Fear they were really equal to blacks, therefore we had to be put in our place.   Fear of their own inferiority.  So, were they racist or  elitist, thrown from their mis-placed high perch? 

Their mothers and fathers, not God, gave them the feeling of Superiority.  They were Elitist.  Dictionary Definition-  the socially superior part of society or a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence.   As long as slavery existed, they could control the minds of the people and keep their social stature.  Elites are always scared to compete.  That’s why Kings, Queens, and Slave Owners ruled with absolute power.  Who are you to question me?

I’ve run this concept across a couple of people and I get the same reaction from those who disagree, just look at the Nazis’.  Ok but first we have to look at the Jews.  What is the primary argument used to justify hating the Jews?  Most say, “they crucified Jesus”.  Ok, they played their part in God’s will.  What else you got?

The real reason Jews are hated is because they are perceived as the pervayers of money and power.   They are the reason this group is poor or that group is unhappy.  They have  been used as a scapegoat all throughout History to redirect a nation’s hatred away from the “ELITES” that rape and plunder private property and personal funds.  Just blame the Jews.

Now, if you are Hitler and you already have the people, what’s next?  If you were really that secure in the dominance of the Blue-Eyed Blond-Haired race why not build a nation on that dominance?  Like, “German People stand up, strap up your bootstraps and let’s show the rest of the world how a perfect White Society looks”.  Instead, it became “if we could only get rid of the Jews”.  Why?  Are Germans so inferior that you have to eliminate all other ethnicities to be successful? 

This is Cowardice, not Superiority.  Are Germans incapable of practicing frugality?  Are they to stupid to manage, stack, and re-invest the resources and capital within their society?  Why is their whole existence predicated on the extinction of another race?  Nazi’s were not racist, they were Elitist who believed they could forge a perfect society once they became the only strong group.  While all Jews were sought after, those who owned land, businesses, and personal wealth were the first to go. 

This is the part where I really piss some people off.  If the definition holds true, we are the most racist people on the planet and to make it worse, most of our racism is targeted back towards ourselves.   We were taught by our mothers and fathers, “A white man doesn’t want a black man to succeed”.  Does this actually affect a Black Person’s ability to succeed?  Only if that Black Person believes they are inferior.

And as a community, we have brought into this notion hook, line, and sinker.    “They” want Black Communities to fail and we stand and watch as they crumble.  “They” don’t represent us and our needs in Government, so we stand back and let them make the decisions for us.    “They” want to see our Black men in prison, so we sell drugs and shoot each other to make their job easier.  Here comes the million dollar question, WHO is THEY?

Are “They” white men in sheets or are “They” the black people that convinced our mothers and fathers we needed government?  I ask this question because I’ve been learning my history.  When those white men were running around afraid to show who they really were, Blacks were building towns, industry, and healthy, happy families.  While those white men hung us from trees and burnt down our churches, we were taking our rightful place in the food chain of America.  For all the hate and destruction perpetrated by the KKK, in actuality, they were a complete failure as a group.  We beat them by building, when all they could do was destroy.

While white racism towards blacks may still exist in America, is it the true force behind our ills?  Take a look back at the footage of the Civil Rights movement.  Most Blacks were in suits and dresses with their heads held high as they marched through White neighborhoods unafraid.  They didn’t care what White people thought, maybe because they had white people marching along side them, they marched because of their own strength and dignity.  They owned homes, businesses, and were productive members of society, whether a white man wanted them to be or not.

So how did we get to thinking we have to take everything from White People to be successful Black People?  When did our existence start to depend on the extermination or degradation of another racial group?  When did we become Cowards afraid to compete because of our own inferiority?  I don’t believe this is who we truly are.  I believe we are powerful beyond measure when we count on ourselves instead of focusing on tearing down someone else.

Where did our current lack of self-sufficiency begin?  In my opinion, it started in the 1920’s with W.E.B. DuBois.  While Progressives like Margaret Sanger were trying to develop means to destroy the black community, DuBois stepped in and said Wait.  All blacks are not inferior.  There are 10% of us who are equal to white people.  The other 90% can be controlled by us Black Elites.  What percentage of the black vote did Obama receive?

Then the Civil Rights movement began.  We wanted to prove we were equals and all we demanded was an equal playing field.   This movement wasn’t started by the Elite.  It was started by a single black woman, Rosa Parks, who had enough pride and dignity within herself to say enough is enough.  She became a national treasure because she showed the strength of a single American to start a Revolution.

And where were the Elites?  They were negotiating with President Kennedy.  It didn’t matter to them that Kennedy had both Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X under government surveillance, it only mattered that they be the one’s that officially broker the deal of Civil Rights.  How upset the Talented Tenth, DuBois’ Elite 10%, must have been to have the 90% of inferior citizens move mountains.

After King’s Death, the Elite went right to work within the Democratic Party.  They missed their chance to win over the black community, who still voted Republican, and they were hell bent on proving their superiority.   They were now amongst the Elites from the KKK, the Elites from the Progressives, and the Elites of the Unions.   

If you are a White Democrat and you want to secure the black vote, you must now go through the Black Elite.  And this is where we have been for the last Forty Years.  It doesn’t matter if a Democrat has our best interest at heart, it only matters they are accepted by those who presume they are the Cream of the Black Crop.  The Jesse Jacksons’ throw out accusations of a Racist America, when they are Millionaires.  The Al Sharptons’ preach on “fairness” and “social justice”, without explaining what they mean is Socialism.    They make it seem like being Black in America is a plague, yet they are invited to all the parties, galas, and conventions with the other Elites.

And we are left to argue over Race.  We still talk in Black and White, while the Elites have moved on to giving favors to the Unions, Car Companies, Banks, and other Financial Institutions.  Slowly but surely, this generation of perceived Black Elites are learning a hard lesson.  Barack Obama didn’t come up through the traditional “Harlem” channels.  He didn’t seek out Al Sharpton, he had Andy Stern.  He didn’t seek out Jesse Jackson, he had “Chicago Politics”.  And now they are surprised there is no “Black Agenda”.

We must stop talking race and start talking Financial Freedom.  We must stop waiting for Government to be “FAIR” and “SAVE” us, we must begin building the life boats to save ourselves. We must declare our own equality copying those before us.  We must build.  We can no longer play the game of React and Destroy, remember you reap what you sow.  We can no longer accept someone else’s failure as our only access to success.  We’ve done it before, can we do it again?

What I Got From the Tea Party!

April 18th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

Holla at ya Girl.  I did my very first speech ever Tax Day 2010 down in Roanoke Virginia.  There were a lot people there and I was excited to be apart of such a fantastic rally.  The Roanoke Tea Party Coordinators and Participants are AWESOME.

And that’s the question I’ve gotten asked, How did the White People treat you?   Such a moronic question and I’m so tired of hearing it.  Let’s have an adult conversation here.  How do the white people treat you at the bank?  How do the white people treat you at the grocery store, the mall, or any other place in America where there is integration?

Wait!  Isn’t that what the Civil Rights movement was about?  The right for blacks, whites, and every other color or shade to use the same bathrooms, eat at the same restaurants, and YES, PROTEST big government spending at the same rally.  This, more than the election of Obama where most blacks admitted voting on color not character, is a true reflection of Martin Luther King Jr’s dream.

I was unafraid to bring up the issue of race during my speech and the people where not scared to bring up race in personal conversation.  They were a lot like me, they didn’t lie about not seeing color, they just didn’t care about color.   Just Check out the Speech………

Part 1

Part 2

April to Celebrate Democratic Confederacy/May to Celebrate Republican Reconstruction

April 8th, 2010 | By Sonnie Johnson

If I were petty and racially-driven, I would be upset with my Virginia Governor Bob McDonell.  His decision to call April Confederate History Month has sparked anger with Black Democrats across the state.  Black Republicans within the state are now scrambling to answer calls of “Uncle Tom” and “Traitor”.    As the newly named President of the Frederick Douglass Foundation of Virginia, I am left looking at this as an opportunity.

Ironically, a couple weeks ago at the Frederick Douglass Foundation Leadership Summit, I got to ask Va Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli a question on this very topic.  I pointed out the rather large Robert E. Lee Statue is celebrated in Richmond as a part of Democratic History in Va.  I asked the Attorney General when will we start to celebrate Virginia’s Republican History?   I contrasted the Robert E. Lee Statue against the Maggie Walker House and the former Black Wall Street only a few blocks away.

He gave the best non-answer a person can give, he plainly stated he didn’t know about the History of which I spoke.   O.K.  I’m giving him to much credit.  He rambled on and on until it was plain to see he couldn’t answer my question because he didn’t know the History of which I spoke.  Yet, I held no ill will.  It would be like inviting me to a fancy dinner and asking me to point out the salad fork, not going to happen.

Most of the Black Residents of Virginia don’t know the Republican History in this State.  Since most of that History is centered around Blacks, maybe we can play a little game.  April is Confederate History Month, where we learn how Virginia Democrats seceded from the Union to keep their slaves and May can be Reconstruction History Month, where we learn what Black Republicans did during that time period to enhance Va culture, education, and financial freedom.

We all know the name Langston  Hughes but very few know the name, John Mercer Langston.   He was the famous poets Great Uncle and one of the first Black Republicans to obtain a United States Congressional Seat.  Since this happened after the Civil War, it won’t be celebrated by McDonnell’s little proclamation.   And there in lies the problem.  We give the preception of celebrating Southern History with Southern Pride,  yet we leave out Southerners of color who stayed to improve the conditions of the newly freed slaves. 

So, my question is “Why celebrate and give notice to the Democratic Legacy in Virginia, if you are a Republican Governor?”  Where is your Republican Southern Pride?  Now, I can understand why White Republicans don’t officially go after the Black Population.  I’ll give credit to McDonnell.  He had multiple Black Republicans working on and supporting his campaign but did he stop to think how this decision would affect them?

Before I follow the racial path and shout, “Don’t these White Republicans know what us Black Republicans have to go through just to represent our party,” I’ll instead offer a different point of view for the Republicans in power.  If you don’t know how to communicate with the black community, then how about reaching out to the young Conservatives on College Campuses?

Maybe you can point out how Hampton University started with classes under an Oak Tree by a single teacher, Mary Smith Peake.  Explain how, under Union protection as “Contraband”,  free blacks flocked to Republican Strongholds for Safety and Education.   Enlighten Virginians on how Rich and Affluent Republicans gave huge donations that turned that tree into an Emancipation Oak.  Then that Emancipation Oak into a little brown cottage.  Then that little brown cottage into  Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, and now it’s Hampton University, a proud HBCU.  Just for kicks, add the fact that Booker T. Washington, an abolitionist entrenched in the Republican Reconstruction graduated from Hampton University.

Since I brought up John Mercer Langston earlier, let’s see what we can say to college students at Virginia State University.  Let me bring up another name most Virginians, black or white, don’t know; Robert Russa Moton.

   The next morning I asked my father about the school for coloured people, which was being projected under the influence of General Mahone at Petersburg, now a State Normal School. He told me much about it. It was to open the following fall. The Hon. John M. Langston, he said, a coloured man who was as well educated as any white person that he knew of, was to be the president. He said I might go if I wished and that he would do what he could to help me. It being a state school, and he having certain strong friends in the Republican Party (General Mahone among them), Hon. B.S. Hooper, a member of Congress from the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia, would probably arrange for me to have a scholarship.”

When VSU was still Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, blacks seeked out Republicans to help them aquire an education.  No wonder J. W. Langston became the schools first President.  You know, the same man who broke Virginia’s racial lines to become an elected official.  Because of Republican efforts in education, Robert Russa Moton was able to follow in Booker T. Washington’s footsteps to become Principal of the Tuskegee Institute.

We can stop by Virginia Union University.  We can show how Religious Groups, along with the Republican Party, stood up to Virginia Democrats to teach released slaves about their heritage.  Slavery had ripped the titles Father, Mother, and Family from the black vernacular and VUU played an important role in returning the family unit.  Then we can go to St. Paul’s College and Norfolk State.  Same message for every school, the Republican Party has played a major role in establishing some of the most prominent colleges in Va.

So why is Confederate History Month so important?  Who is McDonnell really trying to impress with this edict of respect?  This is my only problem with Reaganomics.  It leads modern day conservatives to believe the Republican Party started with Ronald Reagan.  What about Carter Woodson, Sojournor Truth, and how many more that held the Republican label as a badge of Honor long before the Cold War.  Is there any importance in this History, while you are picking and choosing which History to celebrate?

This whole mess has presented me with the answer to a long held question.  Why is the Republican Party unable to connect with the Black Community?  I’m convinced I’ve come up with an answer.  Most Republicans don’t know the full extent of Republican History, as demonstrated by my Attonery Generals’ lack of an answer, and most Blacks don’t know the full realm of Black History, as evident by the majority of Black Citizens assuming Democrats have their best wishes at heart.  If both groups would brush up on their History, they would realize it’s one in the same.  You can’t celebrate the Republican Party without Blacks and you can’t celebrate Black History without Republicans.

With all that being said and as a precursor to insults and judgements sure to be hurled my way, I offer this bit of solace.  I am a Revolutionary, not a reactionary.  I won’t accept Foodstamps as a solution to poverty because Bob McDonnell wants to celebrate the Confederacy.  I won’t accept Obamacare because he didn’t mention slavery in his declaration.  I will not be led by the collar on the basis of race by either party.  Instead I will do what those great black Republicans did before me and make a way when elements on both sides are praying for my downfall.