People must know that I’m very supportive of gun rights in this country. As a licensed gun owner I don’t want to see the Right to Bear Arms taken away. Having said that the shit needs to be changed.

In having the debate over gun control in the wake of another mass killing, this time in Sante Fe, Texas I’m reminded of the position many of our gutless Republican politicians took following Parkland nd Las Vegas. When the fuck will it be time to deal with the gun control conversation. How many teenagers need to get their hands on guns nd senselessly kill their classmates before we say enough. How many perverse grown men do we need mass murdering us before we say no more.

This is not a new conversation but damn it it’s a society changing one that must be had now. We can’t just continue to sit nd wait hoping the bull shit bandaids our leaders put in place hold over. They arent working nd the wound is about to gush.

I sat nd saw the Presidents words yesterday when he learned of the shooting nd honestly it pissed me the hell off. For all of his bluster about being the best President nd not being hostage to Party lines.. Which we kno is bullshit cuz he’s already hostage to Russia.. I did think for a moment after Parkland that Trump would “Do Something” but that was not to be.

As a former High School teacher I am hurt, sad, mad and disturbed that educators can’t teach without the fear of being killed in the classroom. I’m even more disgusted that the children of today can’t learn nd develop their skills for leading without fear of being killed in the classroom. What kinda soceity are we living in nd creating. There is a major link missing from our discourse that is damaging us, the Millennial Generation.

As we now exist in the technology age, gone are the days where kids go outside nd play. Where after doing school work you wanted to be out with your friends. Instead its all computer nd cell phone based. While social media has helped spark change nd exciting new movements, it has also created an age of isolationism nd social bullying that is dismantling the confidence nd minds of young people.

Truth is that guns have been around for ages nd we never had the issues like we do now. This ain’t no foreign terrorist shit either; this is home grown Americans. Young white people nd old white people mostly on these mass killings. Black men. Young nd old in their neighborhoods needlessly killing. We must address our culture nd our system. We must address the ease with which guns are obtained. It’s time to stop sleeping on the issue nd be the leaders that we profess to be. We are the only developed nation with gun control issues of this magnitude. Yet we claim to be the most sovern.

The answer isn’t to look tp Trump nd his allies. The answer is not going silent. Keeping the movement started by those Parkland kids alive. Don’t let this go dark. Keep the light shinning.

God Bless the people of Sante Fe nd those who lost loved ones nd those injured. We are all one people.

I know it’s been a while since I wrote about the outgoing President of the United States, but as we finally come to the end of this election cycle it’s time to help cement the legacy of President Barack Obama. Many are now saying, both privately and aloud, they wish that Obama could stick around just a little while longer.

Now, yes many on the Right are ready for him to go, because in their minds, this Black man has been in the White House far too long for them. They have despised the site of him and his family occupying that place. They have long waited to usher him out and put back in someone who looks, talks, acts and sounds like them. Well in less than 72 hours, we will back to that place. The only question is will it be a White woman or a White man?

I was watching a clip of Obama giving his speech and a protester who’s a Trump supporter came into the rally. The President’s reaction and response was amazing stuff and I only wish that the two candidates would have such grace, style and respect for the office that their running for. See instead of trying to usher the man out himself, or shame the gentleman, the President made the case for why the man should be given respect and stick around.

He reminded the audience that in America we have freedom of speech, he also told them that he appeared to be a Military Vet who has earned our respect, and finally he said that he was an elderly gentleman, which also calls for respect. Then he pivoted back to his speech and reminded folks that they were losing focus by engaging that man. Rather than engage him, he urged them to Vote! Amazing right, he still got his message across about America being distracted by insignificant things and losing focus of what issues each candidate stands for. He quickly told folks that if they don’t get their focus back America could be in trouble.

Imagine if Hillary could do that just once. Can you imagine how she could sway folks and get the public to possibly refocus the conversation on matters of importance. But, that’s part of that Obama mystique that we’re going to miss. He gives you so much of the calm, cool man. Respectful and always mindful of the characteristics of a person before just instigating disparaging remarks.

We may not agree with every decision he’s made. We may not think he did enough for one group or the other, but make no mistake President Obama is a figure that’s needed right now. He has tried to further the conversation nationally about Police brutality, inequality and the stigma in the Black community. He has talked about the opioid epidemic, the injustice in the American prison system, reversing the extreme prejudice from the War on Drugs. I can keep listing things that he’s done without support from a Congress that wants him gone.

These approaches to the office of President may seem simple, or automatic, but remember there is one candidate who wants to be a dictator and rule with an iron fist, the other, while no where near as authoritarian, is still slighted to the well connected. Obama showed us how to be a humble President, and that we certainly could use a lot more of in the current candidates.

What we’ve been watching the past week has been a nation that is close to going over the edge. As I’ve heard political leaders, party enthusiasts and law enforcement talk about what’s going on I’m reminded that we are truly a divided nation. What I’ve seen and heard has been a tragedy and if we’re not careful, we about to see the tension bubble bust, and it’s going to unleash violence unlike anything seen before.

The Governor of the State of Minnesota said on national t.v. the other night that if the man stopped would have been a White man, instead of a Black man, he didn’t believe that he would’ve been shot and killed. He even went so far as to say that racism is still alive and very present in this country. Conversely, after last night’s deadly attack in Dallas, Texas, the states Lt. Governor said that the reason the violent outburst happened was because of the Black Lives Matter movement. He said that people expressing their discontent with the crookedness of the system and of some cops was the reason.

We hear the Political right dumb asses, Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin, talking about the Black Lives Matter organization are terrorists and inciting the violence against the police. How fucking dumb can you really be. But I guess when you’re as stupid as Palin and as self absorbed as Limbaugh, you say what you want because there’s a section of the American public that will believe that shit.

You wonder why we’re at the dangerous tipping point? Maybe we need to realize that there is truly a national conversation that needs to be had. We need to talk about the racial tensions and discomfort. We need to talk about the injustice and disproportionate violence against Black people in relation to our White counterparts. We need to talk about how there is still an oppression of the Black community. How we are still very marginalized and picked over for job opportunities.

We need to have the conversation about how when Black folks are murdered by those crooked cops, the first response is well what did they do wrong, or why did they resist. It’s time to talk about all of these topics because the marginalization of the African American community is reaching it’s limits, and a repeat of 1968 may be closer than we realize.

After all of the rash of murders and killings there have been protests. After Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Eric Gardner, and both murders this week, protests. But the truth is after those murders what happens? The answer is nothing. We go back to fighting to have the discussion. The White elite class in this country has doubled down. The White prejudiced class in this country has risen up and we are at a very dangerous point.

Lets talk to our Political leaders too. Donald Trump and your Republican Party need to really dial it back. You talk about going back to the days of civil policing of themselves. We hear talks of building walls, deporting millions, blocking millions from entering the country. We hear how disgusting and disrespectful the tone is towards the nations only Black President and First Lady.

To show you that I’m current in the moment, in my city right now, Atlanta, GA, were are experiencing a protest that could become violent and completely distort the purpose for the movement. We don’t need to have another display of peaceful protesting turn violent because we’re trying to make a point. The point can be made by making your voice heard, protesting and then letting the next day come to do it again.

Please Atlanta, New York, Dallas and everywhere else, don’t let this truly become the tip over point. Hold together, band together and become one voice and one body. Man when I tell you that the moment is coming in America when we have to face the reality that we are in need of change. God America we need to discuss the issues. We need to find solutions and we need to make change a reality.

We must understand that violence begetting violence is not the solution, rather it is another problem that damages the good will of those trying to make things better. I know that there is outrage and believe me, in all my discussions I’ve had I’ve been very adamant and vocal about my disdain and in some cases, hate for the senseless killing and bull shit we see in this country. But please know I don’t think this is the answer.

Make your position known. Make your voice heard. Get arrested in a civil stand. Do what you think in a safe manner that you need to in order to make the point. But remember the more dangerous and violent you get with it, the more you lessen the message. It’s time to be smart and realize that we need to use our voice, money and might to affect change.

Big ups to TIP and all the other folks who are taking themselves into the movement, one nation one fight. I want everyone to realize that this is how we take our country back. One protest, one rally, one movement, one sit in, one boycott at a time. Hold our dollars, hold our support and change will come. America, tell the Politicians we want change. Tell big business we want change.

#BlackLivesMatter #BlackMenMatter #ViolenceWon’tWork #PeacefulProtest #ATLPride