Month: September 2016

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A Call to Arms

I’ve been watching, I’m sure like most of the world, as we’ve bear witness to more Police on Civilian killing. Let me more specific, Black Men being killed by White Cops. Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tyre King in Ohio and Keith Scott in North Carolina. Three shootings. Officers not using discretion to assess the situation, rather, using their power to shoot and kill instead.

I’ve heard the folks, mostly Conservative Whites, shouting that Mr. Crutcher had PCP in his car and has a criminal background. Since when the fuck did that provide rationale for a cop to kill a man who is unarmed. By the way, there was no way to know that he had the drugs on him until after the investigation on the car, not during the incident. His criminal past, really? If that’s the case then many people, White and Black should be dead by now. Get the fuck outta here with that rationale.

In case one hadn’t been paying attention, at least we do know that Officer Shelby will be standing trail for Manslaughter charges in this particular case, but the other two situations are a lot less tenable and still all the more troubling. A thirteen year old boy was gunned down by police, in the case of Mr. King. The headlines read that he was “more than likely” running away from the cops when he was killed. And for Mr. Scott his wife has released the video and well, I’ll let you judge for yourself.

Protests continue to occur across the nation, as here in Atlanta there will be three scheduled for today and tomorrow. A protest of the local shopping mall and a request to wear black. And a protest downtown tonight at the Civil Rights Center. I like the idea but there needs to be more. We need to really sit face to face with law enforcement and have a true discussion. Fuck the feelings, fuck the cameras. It’s time to really have this out for the world to see, why do White officers predispose Black men to death, instead of trying to assess and diffuse the situation. Isn’t that part of the oath of an officer, to serve and protect.

Pulling your gun and killing someone is not serving and protecting. It’s taking justice into your own hands. It’s playing the role of God and least we not forget there is only One God. God sits up high and looks down low, so those cops trying to play judge and jury should sit back and think about that. I’m really sick and tired of this happening and then when the sides are taken, it’s always I support the Cops because they have a hard job and Black people need to learn to cooperate and Black Lives Matter.

When do we stop to realize that we are all responsible for this. We as people need to sit down and ask ourselves how do we address this epidemic. You see while we talk about all the other shit going on, this is the real epidemic that’s going unresolved. We let the media and Politicians talk, but where are the every day folks who are really being affected by this? Why is the protest by NFL QB Kap and others so important, because when celebrities being an issue to the table it seems to spread like wildfire and then the regular folks fighting on the front line get noticed even more. It creates conversation in places that regular people can’t get those talks to happen.

It’s time to bring everybody to the table, Celebrities, Police, Law Makers, Regular People, we need to talk. We need to learn the problem and most importantly to solve it. Because we can say what it is all day and the Law Enforcement community can deny it until their purple. The facts are that many cops are scared of Black Men and fear for their lives so they shoot first, conjure up a story second, and speak contrition last. I’m sick of that. Come out in open and dialogue.

We the People demand justice. We the people demand the truth and you the Law Enforcement Community should oblige. It’s time to stop hiding from the ugly epidemic and make in roads to solve the problem and heal our communities. But the truth is, many don’t want that. Because that would be too much like admitting that Black people are equal to Whites. And for many, that’s something they still don’t want to accept. Don’t believe it.. Ask President Obama.

As a resident of Atlanta, GA I heard on the radio that students at two local High Schools staged protests and sit ins to voice themselves.  I love it! Shows that they hear, know and want to be involved. We as adults now need to take that a step further. Continue to protest and apply pressure to be heard and seen, but also come up with real life solutions. Community engagement and damn it voting on election day. You really want to shake things up, go to the polls and remove them folks that’s made a living taking your money but not solving your issues.

It’s time to take a stand for what truly needs to be done. America we need justice. America we need answers. America we need leaders!

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The Truth shows itself…

You know I’ve been reading and listening to the things being said by athletes, coaches and former athletes in regards to Kapernick’s stance on kneeling for the flag and the subsequent protests by other players and team across the NFL. I heard Trent Dilfer called Kap’s move disgraceful and Tony LaRussa questions his sincerity, you’ve had Dabo Sweeney say that the protests are over played and that the Black community has equality to Whites.

The truth is the more this topic gets discussed, the more we realized that we are still right where we’ve always been. Elite White people have no fucking clue about what’s going on. I’m watching the faces who speak and what they say and it’s clear that we need more conversation about the issues and we need to realize what the purpose of the protests are really for. Kap isn’t protesting the Military vets who’ve served to defend the nation and protect the flag, he’s protesting the injustices that continue to proliferate American society.

The other players across the League that have joined him are standing up for their communities to protest the injustices happening to people of color. And it’s interesting that there are those White people who seem to understand and agree with the movement and others who just look ignant as fuck and that’s a shame. I saw what Skip Bayless of FS1 had to say about Trent Dilfer of ESPN and I’m so glad that Skip gets it. All these players who played with hundreds of Black athletes are giving these Jim Crow opinions are pretty sad to see.

Are we in the same place that we use to be.. Not technically, but are we at a equal place in this country…Hell Nah. Hopefully this debate will continue to center on the issues.. racial inequality and injustice, and not on professional athletes, who are actual human beings, protesting the Anthem of the United States of America. See that distraction is critical to the discussion as a whole. We can’t get caught up in the Act, because you miss the message. The message is we need to get justice for all.

Lastly, let me take this last paragraph to rail again the Owner of my favorite football team, and maybe even chastise them a little. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, man you can tell that you’re out of touch from your players. To have the nerve to say you’re disappointed because human beings chose to protest their outrage in this country with the social injustices is disgusting. You’re the disappointment Jerry. You give women abusers second chances, but you don’t like players standing up for what they believe in? How dare you act like you don’t see it. or maybe you don’t. Maybe because you’re that elite White man who knows nothing but privilege, you ain’t even qualified to open your fucking mouth. A sad commentary on owner who prides himself on giving guys a chance. Maybe you need to spend more time with your Black players to understand why the protests happen as they do.

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The Pain of Moving On

Whenever you’ve spent years of your life participating in someone’s life day in and day out, week in and week out, it’s hard to say good bye and let that go. But there comes a time when you have to read the leaves and allow for the breeze to blow them in another direction. As you see this happening more often in you life, you have to also think if maybe you’re being prepared for the next phase of life.

Seeing someone pull away from a bond you thought would never end is never easy to accept. Watching the friendship whither and end is always difficult, but the truth is, as Madea said best, everybody in your life has a season. I’ve said to folks many times that you have to be able to accept when someone’s season is up in your life. You can want to hold on all you want, but you gotta be able to stiffen up ya back and say farewell. Maybe the wind blows them back after some time and maybe they continue to blow them further away, just know that you did your best the rest will eventually fall in place.

Something else that was also said during one of Madea’s monologues was that if you tell someone that something they’re doing is affecting your friendship/relationship with them and they make an effort to change, you need to hold on to those folks because they’re trying and showing you that they’re a root and not a branch or leaf. I believe that the reason an action like this is so important, is because it shows that the person values you in their life and that’s something that can’t be duplicated. Either someone wants to have your friendship or they don’t.

I understand all the reasons why people hang on and keep believing that whomever the person is will come around. If you spend years sharing moments and adventures then severing that tie is hard. If you have emotional connections that one may feel transcended the relationship and now it seems like there’s a cold distance, you feel obligated to hang around to see if you can find out what’s wrong and fix it. But, the truth is if all these are true and you find yourself in this position, maybe it’s the truest sign that the time has come to let go and let the benediction take it’s place.

Never say never, but sometimes the end is needed for progression with the plan in your life. Sometimes, we have to be ok with understanding that the steps of our lives are ordered and the ending of a long time relationship is part of the path designed for your life. Because we gotta remember, if something or someone is meant to be around in any capacity they will be and there’s nothing that can stop it. So I know for a fact that this is something that affects many and torments a lot, but if you really think about it it’s something that always has to happen.

Live free, be strong and keep moving on, greater and better are only a moment away.

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Open Up to Love

I’ve been a very vocal proponent over the years of allowing yourself to love and be loved. I have also said that you never know when it’s going to happen, how it will happen and where it will come from. Many times we feel like we need to have it happen the “pure” way that the older folks and mostly Church folks say it should happen. You know, meet and talk. Go on a few plutonic dates and have the night end there. No sex for a while in order to see if it’s lust or love, and then move from there.

If you know me, you know I say that’s pure bull shit in todays age. Yes, there can be harmless dates and courtship and flirting, but the reality also is that people wanna fuck and see if they like the dick or ass or pussy as much as if they like the person. Disagree with me all you want, but that’s just the truth of the matter. I don’t really care if anyone agrees with my last statement, but if you’re honest about it, most times that’s exactly how it goes. There might be a couple dates thrown in there, but I can also bet that sex will come to the front of the list sooner than later.

I get so tired of people meeting up and trying to sound the alarm of the wholesome guy who’s never done anything and they always need to know you before they fuck you, when in their minds they thinking of how can they make the sex happen before the end of the first month or two. LOL! One of the most critical elements of love is truth. Whether it’s a freak speaking their truth or a conservative person speaking their truth. Love will allow for you to be open and honest enough to express all that you want and letting the chips fall where they may.

As I like to say, you never know when love will strike and most times it happens when you truly least expect it. You can think you about to have a normal hookup. Just a nut and before you know it you and that person realize that you truly might be meant to be. That’s when you have tune out the naysayers and ignore those who say that it’s just lust that will fade. You gotta believe that things happen for a reason and what you feel is truly real. If you think it won’t be tested, you can think again. Love is always tested. Relationships are always challenged. See that’s how you find out if it’s truly real. The challenges and tests let you know if the person is really for you. If the love is truly real or just a means to survive.

Yes it’s scary and creates a vulnerability that you have to accept, but the reward is better than any fear you can have. The reason that you gotta open yourself is because no one wants to spend their life alone, and if you find someone that fits into your puzzle, why would you keep them out just because you’re afraid. Just always remember, you’re love between the two of you is just that yours. No one can tell you how to love each other nor how to show it. If you like to display your affection in public do it, if you like to please your lover do it. Because always remember they love you because who you are and what you aren’t. Open yourself and let your soul be free to get caught up in the mystery. Love, feel, breathe and enjoy. The journey will reward you if you stay true to your soul.

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The Clinton Effect

Many reports I’ve read over the past few days has Democratic political pundits concerned and wondering why Hillary can’t pull away from the idiot and racist that is Donald J Trump. I can give you a litany of reasons why and in this post I will do just that lol. It’s a simple and also complex set of situations that have the American public skeptical of the Democratic candidate. So lets dig in..

First, there is the underlying Trump effect. No, I’m not saying that people are secretly supporting Trump, as much as, they are secretly agreeing with his positions. See, we are absolutely kidding ourselves if we think that racism, sexism and homophobia doesn’t still exist in America today. A big reason that Clinton can’t and won’t pull away is because there are Millions of Americans who are undercover racists, sexists and all around White dominant people. They reject the notion of Obama being the first African American President and equally reject Hillary Clinton’s attempt to become the first woman President.

Second, Hillary Clinton herself makes people very skittish. She has been in the political limelight for more than three decades and America has seen so many shady dealings, sketchy affairs and just blatant lies come from this career politician. From the Lewinsky scandal to the crisis in Libya, from Clinton Foundation issues to Emailgate. Hillary has not been able to keep a clean nose, nor explain the poor judgment shown with some of these issues. And before you say the Lewinsky scandal was about Bill, there was a portion of the scandal where Hillary seemed to be trying to submerge the women who came forward, while she claims to be a champion for women’s rights. That’s the part that has her in hot water.

Third, people just don’t trust her. For whatever the reasons are that people can’t stand Hillary, and honestly I can think of a few, she remains the second most unlikable President candidate, second to Donald Trump, in American History. I want you to understand just how significant that is. She has probably as much experience as any candidate and is one of the most untrusted and unliked in History. Yes, I can say her “privileged ” lifestyle has definitely been a detractor for many and more than that, her seemingly shrug disposition in the public light makes it hard to root for her. She’s the first woman candidate to lead either major party and nobody cares really, because opinions on her are so etched in stone. And, many people wonder how helpful will she be to the little guy, since her life has only been with the elites of the world.

So you put all of this together and mix in a say anything type candidate in Trump and you get the conundrum that Democrats see themselves in. Had this been Obama, Trump would’ve been dispatched before he began. If it had been Bernie, honestly this race would be over. Hillary, not so much. So now she must work really hard to refine her image and make people believe that she will be the best candidate, warts and all.