As I have watched the coverage of the horrific tragedy that took place in Paris yesterday, my first thoughts are to say my sincere and heart felt condolences to all those affected by this heinous act. I can only imagine just how devastated, shocked, and saddened the people of France must be. To the Americans that were involved God speed and to all those individuals from nations across the planet may you be safe and protected through this difficult time.

Secondly my thoughts immediately go to this: The price of freedom is ever growing and those who disagree with us would rather see us dead than find a harmonious way to coexist. To that thou, I also say Paris, be strong and all of the world be strong. We cannot allow the acts of savages and extremists to control ourselves. I love how the French President has come out with such vigor and strength.

I can remember back to September 11, 2001, when America was attacked and President 43 vowed vengeance. Unfortunately it took until President Obama came to office to get the man who we wanted, but his words were much the same. And the extreme vigor with which we struck back was amazing. But, more importantly, the strength showed by the people of this great nation was amazing. Now France you must respond as a nation united. As a people that can put differences aside to show those who mean you harm that you will not destroy your country.

ISIS, ISIL whatever you want to be called, you may have done damage but remember a painful, damaged nation of people combined with partners who want to take you out can do one big thing: Galvanize the world to want to take your sorry ass out. I guess you never heard of the phrase to “let a sleeping giant rest.” Well guess what, I think you’re about get something that you really didn’t want. And that’s a pissed off nation of people that want to kick your ass.

I fully realize that terrorist have one simple mission and that’s to disrupt the way of life of the people they wish to terrorize. I also understand that fighting violence with violence isn’t the preferred way forward. But when you know that someone doesn’t wish to settle things peacefully and they want all of you to die, well I say give them bitches a taste of their own medicine.

All of this being said, America we must do better. See our politics and the loose and disrespectful nature with which we allow ourselves to talk about the leader of our country and those we disagree with, it creates a climate to foreign nations that say its ok for them to do what they’re doing because we don’t have the common respect that should be given to leaders who aren’t like the majority of our countries leadership.

I have always said that we must be respectful to one another because someone is always looking at what you do to find justification for what they do. And so all this being said, here is what I have to say to all of us. America we must continue to live as we normally do. France and all nations around the world you must continue to act normally. You have to show these bastards that despite their efforts to scare your leaders and you as citizens, you have to stand up and say you will not terrorize us from what we do.

May God and whatever deity you worship continue to bless us all.

Now that a little time has passed since all the goingson at the University of Missouri, I would be remiss if I didn’t offer my opinion and perspective on the situation. One of my co-workers and I were talking about the conflict and she is from Missouri and support all things Univ. of Mizzou; but we talking about how the reality of the situation is that if it wasn’t for the football team stepping up to support the cause and the young, Black student who was spearheading the peaceful protest, this would have gotten very little traction and you would have likely seen even similar to that in other parts of the country when there has been racial prejudice and injustice.

My honest opinion is that if it would have been the drama club or some other campus organization that was not a big time revenue generating group, then this protest would have lasted a lot longer and all the high profile resignations would not have occurred so quickly. It still remains a fact that one, Black folks are still considered second class in certain parts of the country and money will always talk. This is a lesson in peaceful protesting, but also just how powerful a football program, that generates large dollars for a school, can be when they decide to band together for a cause.

I am very proud of the actions of those athletes and of the other students in the school who stood up for what was right in the face of adversity, fear and danger to themselves. I am so excited to see that we could gather together and show the world that not only do we know how to burn shit down to get our point across, but we still know how to organize and rally support. We know how to come together and articulate ourselves, and show everybody that we aren’t second class and we’re not just to be used for our physical gifts.

But one glaring thing is still very obvious, and that is that we are still second class in the eyes of so many. Why is that in 2015 are we still having to deal with the prejudices of College or University presidents and administrations because of their beliefs that we aren’t still equal to our white counterparts. It is a very sad commentary on this country, that as much as people like to stick their chests out and say we’re post racism when you look at all the very public racial incidents within the past couple years, it’s very apparent that we have a long way to go.

Thank you Missouri students, and the football team is included in that students. Remember they are student athletes. What are your thoughts. Lets talk.

As I continue to grow and experience things in my life, I’m beginning to understand even more just how much death, literal or figurative, can impact your life. When someone you know, especially if they were close to you, dies it makes you stop and think, in most cases. You take some time to reflect upon things that you and that person went through together. You think about what that person was like. You wonder if you will be able to find a friend that special again or did you just possibly lose an angel on Earth to watch over you in heaven.

Death is just that. It is a finality to someone’s life. It is an end of communication. Death is one of the few things that we cannot cheat nor run away from. It is inevitable for all of us on Earth. No one can escape it when your number is called. A lot of times I often wonder if those who die really know that their time is coming to an end. Do they get this sixth sense and feeling that their time is up and what about the young babies and children who die so soon.

The emotions that can come from the body when someone you love and care for dies can sometimes be enough to make you fall into a dark, depressive state. It can make you forget who you are and try to hold on to the person that has gone away to be at peace. And yet for some, those emotions can bring them alive. Make them want to live and experience life in honor of their fallen loved one.

May I also submit to you that while physical death is very difficult, figurative death can be just as debilitating and in fact, more so. How many times have you “killed” someone off in your mind that you thought was going to be around your life for a long time? That friend that you just knew you would friends until the end, only to have life or some issue make that friendship disappear and you have to move on.

How many times have you thought that you had that one person who you were going to love and marry, spend the rest of your life with. Only to have obstacles that derailed that relationship and in order for you to move on you kill them in your mind. When you do these things does apart of you actually die inside as well? Do you get somewhat recreated and altered from the person you were because you’ve had to change parts of you due to the death of a relationship in your life?

When you’re all alone because of either types of death being experienced how do you cope? How do you allow a part of you to die, while allowing something else in you to be born and be free? Does a little part of you die when you’re left alone on special occasions repeatedly and the excuses tend to come up the same? Man I can only wonder if we truly understand what death really means in all aspects.

America, tell me your thoughts.. Do you feel any of these things? Is it something that’s more in your head and heart?

Before I begin let me say that this post will be very biased and extremely opinionated. I don’t care if you disagree with my opinion. In fact, I welcome the debate about this subject and I wish someone would prove me wrong.

Now that I’ve given my disclaimer let me get into the meat of what I really want to say. I have seen the videos of the White police officer physically removing the young black student from the classroom in South Carolina. First, let me say that I don’t agree with the young lady’s behavior. You cannot refuse to leave the classroom when the teacher and subsequent school administrators instruct you to do so. I’ve been a teacher at one point and I know whenever I’ve had to get a student leave my class they do so, and if they didn’t I called school officials.

That notwithstanding, I damn sure don’t agree with a grown ass man physically assaulting a teenager in order to get her out of the classroom. Now from what I understand she was on cell phone and wouldn’t get off the phone. Again, yes, she should have been asked to put the phone away and the teacher has a right to take the phone if she doesn’t want to listen, but again should this white man abuse her to get her out the classroom….NO.

I also heard the clip from the Sheriff who said he was looking at the actions of the officer, even though he feels that there could have been a partial explanation for why he was forceful because she was hitting the officer. If his dumb ass is watching the same video I’m watching, maybe she’s reacting that way because of how physically aggressive he was towards her.

I do think that this situation has no good solutions because the student chose not to be compliant with the instructions of her teacher. And for her to be disobedient towards the administration official was a little worse. I do think however, that the teacher could have done a better job of handling the situation if all she was doing was talking or texting on her phone. I’m certainly trying to see if I can see a situation where if that was a white student where the officer or teacher would have behaved in the manner that they did.

And for that Sheriff to throw in that the officer is/was dating a Black woman is laughable to me. I’m so sick and damn tired of people trying to use the one or two or three Black friends or lovers, past or present, that someone has for validating their beliefs that their actions were not race related. I mean really?? If you counting the number of people then doesn’t that clue yo dumb ass in even more that there could be something to the story.

Either way this story is very disturbing and I’m very much so looking forward to the outcome. To think that the student is currently facing criminal charges as a result of this situation is ignorant and really suspect. Maybe we should continue to pay attention to these types of issues as much as we pay attention to everything else. Students need to be protected too.

Please understand that I don’t care who agrees or disagrees with my opinion, it is just that.. My opinion and matter how controversial I will still give it.

I was watching Outside The Lines this morning and they were profiling former Rutgers Basketball coach Mike Rice. If you don’t know, google his name and you will see the videos that surfaced when he was coach at Rutgers. He verbally, mentally and physically abused his players. He used insensitive gay slurs and it was extremely disturbing.

But one part that really blew my mind is when they did the interview with the “Whistle blower” talked about how disturbing it was and how distraught the players were. To the point of seeing Psychologists and contemplating suicide because of the coaches harsh treatment.

Now while I don’t doubt that he was completely overbearing, in fact I’ve watched the videos and it pissed me off. Partially because I’m a gay man who hates the use of the word Faggot and also because I despise seeing those in positions of authority bully and belittle those they have the control over.

But let me be expressly clear, this “Whistle blower” is a bitch. I want him to face penalty just the same, because you were there to witness this action every day. You were the recorder of this footage and you chose to wait to make it public why? I guess you were benefiting from having you job as an assistant, right?

How much participation did you have, and caused you to finally come forward? Let me be honest, once the first instance was displayed I would have come forward, once the first kid voiced those troubling and heart breaking feelings, I would have been on the first tv show, in the Athletic Directors office with the proof, screaming to any and every one to get them to see this bull shit.

But this man didn’t do that. And once he finally did, he wants to portray himself in line with the victimized college students in this matter. I’m sorry if I seem pessimistic about this whole situation, but I feel that all of them need to be banned. Why do I want to now do an interview with a man who continually allowed this to happen, knowing the reactions of these athletes.

My opinion is blow the whole damn thing up and stop using these Whistle Blowers and heroes. If they participated in such allows long term, and allowed them to happen until their “moral compass” caught up, I say tell them thank you for your information now go away or else you will be prosecuted with the rest because after all, unless you were the mail guy or janitor that stumbled upon a conversation and told what you knew, you were and are complicit in matter.

I’m done now, I’ll let this sit here and let it marinate.