current events

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Anerica’s Racial Stain

Once again Americans are out in the streets protesting the senseless, tragic, bombastic, and God-like killing of two innocent, unarmed Black men in the past 48 hours. One in Louisiana, an animalistic style killing; and the other in Minnesota, a cop taking life in his hands and killing a man who open admitted he was licensed to carry and was reaching to get his wallet as instructed.

The details of both killings are sickening and damn right inhumane. We keeping hearing there is outrage and disgust. We keep hearing how things need to change, but the truth is there is change. The change is that the crooked and corrupt cops, which are not all of them, are destroying any confidence that people have in them. See for each picture we see of cops helping people and playing ball in the neighborhood, we get these situations.

Mike Brown, Freddie Gray, Eric Gardner, the list goes on and on and on. We keep adding young, Black men to the number shot dead by White cops and just Cops in general. Why is it that there is a small minority of officers who feel that they’re Gods? Maybe part of the problem is that the so-called Justice system is really only designed to make regular Americans pay, not those that swear an oath.

Maybe part of the problem is that no one wants to accept that there really needs to be oversight for law enforcement officials. Yes it’s very true that all lives do matter, because I’m not going to separate a life taken. But let me be very, very clear when I say that Damn it Black Lives Matter! More important Black Male Lives Matter.

I’m so sick and tired of seeing cops decide when they wanna take our lives because they know they can get autonomy. I’m tired of people thinking that just because we are a minority that we don’t deserve equal treatment under the damn law. Why is it that the amount of violence towards Black people by police is on the rise? No can explain that shit huh?

Maybe it’s time that we put some financial pressure on these communities by not freely spending our dollars. Maybe we need to truly show solidarity and stop being mad for the moment and lets build a coalition that will sustain a movement. It is time that we as a people realize that in order to truly affect change we have to go after the things that mean the most. Money!

When the LGBT community wanted to assert itself into the picture you saw a financial element, an organization element that made those in power pay attention. We wouldn’t settle for second class citizen status. The Black community needs to come together and stop beating each other up.

We need to stop being sideline cause supports, and become full participants. It’s nice to post a status or two on social media talking about the issues and the cause. But the question is what are you doing to help the cause? Are you trying to “each one, teach one?” Translation: are you trying to help your young, black people who are out here struggling? Are you trying to set the example and make sure that you are in tune with the movement?

Stand up damn it. Stop waiting for a celebrity to take the first step. Stop waiting for someone else to organize. Gather your friends, and let them gather their friends, who gather their friends and before you know it, you have a ground swell, and a movement that will take you somewhere special. Come on America we need to take a stand.

#TheCause #BlackMen

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A Final Farewell

As America has wrestled again with the debate about gun safety and the vulnerability of the LGBT community, I’ve sat and been arrested by the disgusting and divisive language coming from the pulpits across America. I’ve been extremely disappointed that many on the “Christian” Right, are still using hate filled interpretations of the Bible to condemn the victims in Orlando. And for a few extreme preachers, going so far as to want God to kill the victims that survived with injuries.

If there was ever a time to abandon being a Christian it could be now. When so many are so bound to the outdated and ill-conceived notions in the bible to crucify a group of people that are already marginalized because of who we are. But, you know I take solace in the fact that churches like mines, Tabernacle Baptist Church, and other affirming churches and inclusive churches across this country are preaching messages of love and compassion for those who lost loved ones.

That tragedy hits so close to home for me because Orlando use to be my home. I’ve been in that night club before on a Saturday night at 2a.m. and God knows the last thing on my damn mind was being shot up by whatever the fuck they wanna call that asshole. I struggle to understand why when things happen to certain groups of people, instead of everyone rallying around to support that group of folks, it exposes the underlying prejudices that remain in certain circles.

I’m tired of hearing some people say that they’re tired of hearing about that massacre. I guess if it’s not affecting them directly they don’t care. They would rather be as bitter as they can be because their lives are miserable, so they don’t care or can’t empathize with those families. But, I bet if happened to their loves ones, they’re the first who want someone to understand their pain.

Thank you to those who refused to leave friends and family behind in that club and sadly lost your life. Thank you to those businesses that have stuck their necks out to pay tributes to, raise money for those victims. So many have rallied around this tragedy to bring another awareness to gun violence and extreme prejudices.

Thank you to all those who really are trying to make the conversation a lasting one. Orlando will not be left alone in their time of sorrow and the world will never forget this horrible tragedy. Stand strong and stand proud.

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Deception Doesn’t Pay Off

I was in church today and my pastor said something that verified exactly what I’ve always thought: “Deception in a relationship doesn’t work”. When you lie to the one you’re suppose to be with, it doesn’t protect the relationship, it actually sets the groundwork for cracks in the foundation, which leads to failure.

One must realize that the old saying that you lie to protect those you love, is definitely misleading. Maybe, you keep certain things from them so that they don’t have to be concerned with things that might be harmful, but to purposefully lie or be deceptive about who you are is not helpful.

I think people do it to try and manipulate a situation or individual. There is control in deception, because as long as someone doesn’t know who you truly are, or what you’re truly all about, then there is the opportunity to frame the narrative the way you want it to be.

The only problem with that is usually the reason for the deception is to hide those shadows, or skeletons that you don’t want to be known about. And you know, I guess if you got the money or enough time you can make them disappear without them actually being handled, but I find it to be that those skeletons rear their ugly head when you’re least prepared for them to.

It also leads me to one of my next thoughts, maybe instead of having to be deceptive about the negative choices you made, you might want to think about the choice before you make it. That way you won’t feel so embarrassed as to not to want to tell the truth about your past.

Maybe we should also remember that the past is also just that. Many people have done things in their past that they aren’t proud of, and as long as they’ve moved on from those things nobody should never try to convict them of things they’ve done in the past. I believe sometimes that people hide in the dark because they don’t want their demons to come into the light and be convicted of them.

Here is my solution: everybody mind your own damn business and stop tryna worry about people’s past. And those who have a past, don’t feel so ashamed, we all do things, make mistakes and learn. Let the light shine on it and grow. Help someone else to prevent them from that situation you were in. Maybe then the deception that people feel the need to display can fade away and we call be our own authentic selves.

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Orlando Pride

Once again we’re faced with a horrible, disgusting, senseless, hateful tragedy in America. A ISIS supporter, homophobic ass hole decided that he was gone take lives in his hands and shoot up a landmark Gay Club in Orlando, Florida in the wee hours of the morning.

It’s been said that the motive for this massacre was him seeing two gay men kissing while on vacation in Miami with his family. To this I say, Bullshit! and Fuck you! You are the kind of person that makes this country less safe and that terrorists around the world seek and applaud.

You decided that what you thought was correct was sufficient reason to go into this night club and take 50 lives, injuring another 53. And like the bitch you are, you allowed yourself to be killed rather than have this sit on your conscious, you sorry coward. I’m so sick and tired of seeing people kill in the name of hate.

You kill because you hate a religion, you kill because you hate a cultural group of people, you kill because you hate yourself. Whatever the damn reason I’m just sick and tired of the senseless, hate-filled killings. You can’t go anywhere these days and be safe can you? Church, school, the church, the club, the movies, no damn where.

As a former resident of Orlando, I have visited that club many times before and never before did I have a concern that I something like this would happen. It just goes to show how crazy people are. One thing I do know though, is that that city is extremely resilient and the people there will bounce back from this devastating event.

The one thing I do know is that no matter what, we need to get these Assault Weapons off the fucking streets. I’m tired of watching these stories and it’s always someone with an assault rifle. What the fuck do we need these for? Let’s make a change, if not for the sake of the 103 people affected, then by an entire Community in mourning.

Stand with Orlando, stand with the LGBT Community and damn it, stand for peace and removal of these heinous Assault Weapons. Guns are fine, but these assault weapons are killers, especially in the hands of those who mean people harm. #Pulse #Orlando #United

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Caught In the Trap

Normally I’m a big supporter of Ryan Cameron and what he speaks about, however, today even he must be opened up to what he just allowed himself to fall pray to today. As normal, on my way to work, I was listening to the Ryan Cameron morning show on V-103 and he was doing his segment about him having to speak out again some social issue that’s important to the community. Today’s choice was President’s Obama’s mandate of equal bathroom privileges for the Transgender community.

What his comments strikingly crass, uninformed, and unapologetically right leaning in tone, is the fact that he was very vague with his description of the mandate and then had the dumb ass nerve to suggest that more dialogue is needed on the subject. Hey Ryan wake the fuck up man! This is the Republican playbook if I’ve ever seen it. See they’ve had a strategy since the Supreme Court deemed same sex marriage legal in the United States. Conservative Republicans have systemically gone about trying to introduce legislation to find ways to skirt the ruling and find ways to create legal loopholes to deny the LGBTQ community it’s right granted by the US Supreme Court.

It began with various states writing the so called “Religious Freedom” bills and trying to get those through their Congressional state legislature and subsequently to the desk of the Republican Governor in that respective state. Once the government got wind of this and threated Federal dollars and once businesses threatened to pull out of these states, most of those plans have went down the shit hole. Enter the Bathroom bill passed in North Carolina and attempted to be passed in other states in the country.

What Mr. Cameron seems to conveniently leave out of his ignorant and uninformed talking points is that the Federal Courts have already started weighing in on the situation and deemed bills like the one in North Carolina to be unconstitutional to enforce in public schools because it violates Title IX, which prevent discrimination based on Gender, Sexual Orientation and so on in public academic institutions. Now the fight is whether businesses are allowed to discriminate solely based upon someone’s gender identity.

It is clear that the Obama Administration has said no, you can’t do this, but Mr. Cameron wants to believe that their decision wasn’t based upon conversations, just a rush to protect individuals. How ignorant of you sir. Maybe if you’ve been paying attention to the National discourse over the past year and a half or so, since that historic ruling in favor of same sex marriage, you would know that State Governments across the nation went into panic mode as to how to minimize the impact and find ways to disparage my community.

There has been talk about this for months and months now. This is a way for Republicans to set their agenda and try to attack the Courts ruling by putting in legal, constitutional measures, that say they can discriminate based upon gender identity, which paves the way for an expansion to discriminating because it’s against their religion and before you know it, we, the LGBTQ community, are marginalized yet again. Furthermore to the point, if you really think that transgender folks are the concern with “bathroom” selection you’re wrong.

I dare you or anyone who doesn’t understand to give me the proven data that says that Transgender men or women have been the aggressors in bathroom attacks. Oh and you’re assertion that grown men and women sharing a restroom with a young kid is somehow a no -no, just because they identify with the different sex, is laughable. Have you been in the women’s restroom Mr. Cameron? Do you know if Transgender women are already in the bathroom with girls and vice versa for the men?

I understand that just like with homosexual love and acceptance, some folks will never come to grips with or accept a Transgender person and their choices. But, at the same time how would we feel if we were back in the 1940’s 50’s and 60’s where Black people couldn’t use a White’s only restroom? Or if we have colored only restaurants again? So I guess the conversation is fine as long as it’s furthering your cause, but once it stops, you reject the movement right?

Ryan Cameron I know you’re a better man than to just spew the dumb ass rhetoric you’ve seen and heard. I know you know to do your own homework before speaking on the matter. And I really know, that you know better than to glaringly generalize and paint with a broad brush a National debate that has been very front and center for a while and one that frankly, is about respect and rights.

Maybe this will reach you sir and maybe it won’t. If it does I certainly welcome the conversation with you and if not, anyone who reads this, give me your thoughts. I’m open and ready to have this conversation.

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The Message in a Movie

I finally got watch the third installment of the Barbershop series and I must say it was really a damn good movie. I loved how they really took the time to spotlight the violence going on in Chicago. They went and addressed the young black on black crime. The killing committed by gangs and most importantly the recruitment and brain washing that so many of them do in order to reach these young, impressionable teens.

They really delved into the issue of crimes being committed by us to us, and how we take out some of promising young people because of stupid ass gang shit, and petty jealousy. I truly appreciate also how they touched on the issue of martial hanky panky and how women like to get a man who’s already gotten. They touched on the struggles of a Black man trying to raise his son and provide the best he can. It touched on the diverse personalities of Black men and how just because you don’t act like the stereotypical male, it doesn’t mean you’re gay or  not.

They really did a brilliant job of showing how a marriage needs 100 percent effort on all fronts from both parties, not just one or the other. It showed that as much as the sex, and companionship is needed, that communication piece is just as critical also. I found it to be refreshing that they addressed so many of the issues facing the Black community in major metropolitan cities in America. They showed that in order to truly take our inner cities back, it starts with the common man. Politicians won’t do shit without incentive, motivation, or public scrutiny forcing them to do something about it.

They fully addressed how easily influenced our young men are today by the flashy things, instead of being impressed by the steady things. We see that money and power and popularity, seem to trump smarts, stability and individualism. The movie chronicled  fathers trying their best to raise their sons, being great role models and sometimes that still not being enough to stop the temptation. We see how two friends take different paths. One, because of his previous misdoings stepping up to walk away from the gang and the other needing to be faced with reality to understand that life was dangerous.

If you really want to true picture of why the struggle is so real, I do implore you to watch this movie. You will appreciate the struggle, get some laughs and also relate to many of the characters portrayed on screen.

If you’ve already seen the movie, which I’m sure most of you have, tell me what you think.

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Stop the Rape

I received an alert this morning that completely disturbed me and I heard the story on the radio and I was reminded just how delicate and fragile the relationship is between Morehouse and Spelman College. Again, another story surfaces bout multiple students from Morehouse taking advantage of a Spelman student at a party and gang raping her. Four men on one girl, just because she was drunk.

While that was sickening, the most heinous part was what her school Administration told her to do. According to her story that she posted on Twitter, she was told to give the young men a pass because Morehouse and Spelman are brother and sister schools. I’m sorry but what the fuck is the thought process like at these schools? I just really can’t believe that once again we’re confronted with this dynamic.

Time and time again, I defend my alma mater because I am proud to be one of the privileged to have attended the school and grew up with an extreme sense of pride. While we have our share of issues, I never thought that this would become the epidemic that we became known for. I understand that Spelman has a lot of very attractive women, and Morehouse is filled with very handsome men, but got damn is really that serious that you gotta ruin yourself, your rep and tarnish your schools image.

Maybe, that’s part of the problem though at 830 Westview Dr SW. Maybe, they spend too  much time telling us how privileged and special we were. Maybe some of the students chosen weren’t use to hearing that or the opposite is true. Maybe they been hearing it too much. Maybe we are too stuck on ourselves and think that just because we go to this prestigious school that we’re immune from following the rules of decorum and the laws of the land.

If you know me, then you know that I bleed Maroon and White, but I’m also a man who’s so serious about human rights. Who was the ignorant ass who thought that we can continue to take advantage of the special bond that suppose to exist between these two tradition rich schools? Why do we feel that if we can’t get what we want, we must force our will to be done?

I implore the students of Morehouse and Spelman to come together and have a forum to truly bring an end to this foolishness. I urge the Alumni of both schools to become more involved. I need to see that there are folks who are more concerned with protecting the current and next waves of Morehouse men and Spelman women, than protecting their status within either school.

This type of behavior doesn’t make either school look good. It makes us question why we really have the “brother, sister” bond in the first place. We need to take these Administrations to task also. The Presidents, Dean’s and respective Student Government leadership need to come together to get a handle on this shit. What the fuck will it take in order to truly put a stop to this? Does someone need to get seriously hurt in one of these gang rapes?

The narrative needs to change too. We must open our mouth and not be afraid to challenge that which we know is wrong. Across America college campuses are facing this horrible epidemic and we really need it to stop. So please start the conversation, band together and lets make some changes.

Tell me your thoughts and lets have the dialog.

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Trump’s Republican World

Last night, the Donald did what few thought he was capable of doing when he first announced his candidacy, he clinched the Republican nomination for President. By winning Indiana, he knocked out the last two opponents in the race, Ted Cruz and John Kasich. What an unbelievably ignorant time we’re living in.

I respect those who have differing views than I do on than I on the state of the country and on American politics. But I truly want someone with half a brain to tell me what the fuck Donald Trump has going for him that makes anyone think he really lead this country? Where in the hell does he have the credentials to be President? Because you Republicans want an “Outsider” to lead your party, you turn to a reality celebrity, that really knows nothing about policy. Is he a successful businessman? Surely, can he run an entire nation? Looking at what he’s done and stood for in this nomination cycle.. Hell Naw!

Listen, I get it when it comes to Trump. He has the balls to say things that a lot of people believe. He talks a certain way that a lot of racist and supremacy groups find appealing. He disparages women and think that we should force immigrants that aren’t to his liking, to wait to enter the country. I mean I understand, for those who think that this country has gone down hill because we elected a Black man as President and the Supreme Court made landmark decisions that allowed for more equality in this country.

I guess it never seems to fail that when we think that the country is ready to take steps forward, we see that the country really may not be as ready to embrace change as we thought.  While Progressives, Moderates and Centrists can accept the fact that the world is changing, the base of the Conservative movement still believes that we should be a “Good Ole Boy” network. Whites in control and women taking a back seat. You don’t believe what I’m saying, well just listen to their leader.. Donald Trump.

The General Election fight is now here and Hillary and Donald are about to square off in one epic contest. Donald and his machoism. Hillary and her Clinton machine. For the next six months it’s going to be a political war to see who comes out on top. Partial or not, this wasn’t my first idea of who I’d like to see, but this is the matchup we’ve got. So my two questions are: Is Trump planted by the Clintons to ensure that Hillary wins? Are we really dumb enough to put Donald Trump into the White House?

America wake up and pay attention to what Trump’s trying to do. He is an establishment Republican politician. And, now he may be one night away from the White House. Democrats and Independents alike, you gotta come out and make your voice heard in this election. Trump is not who we need running this country.

Gimme your thoughts and feedback

 

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Purple Sadness

I was reading an article that said that less than a day away from death Prince was set to meet with a doctor who could help him deal with his drug addiction. The doctor had sent his son to Prince’s home to prep him on the therapy and treatment he was going to receive upon the doctor’s arrival the next day. Sadly, Prince didn’t make to that appointment, as he died the night before.

Part of this blog is talk about the sadness of how mega celebrities struggle with the fame and often times turn to drugs to deal with the constant pressure to produce and create magical music. The other talks about our incessant yearning for the most amount of detail about their lives and struggles as possible.

Lets deal with the former first. It’s really a shame that three of the biggest musicians in the history of the business, Prince, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, all befell a similar fate: overdose on drugs that eventually took their lives. Michael used powerful sleep anesthetic that wound up taking him out, Whitney was addicted to crack cocaine and Prince’s drug of choice was Percocet. All drugs that when abused cause severe side effects and possible death.

You just have to wonder just how much the pressure to continue to be legendary winds up getting to these mega celebrities. You think about all the other celebrities who have died because of accidental or intentional drug overdoses. Think about Wrestling Superstar China. She died the day before Prince, due to an accidental drug overdose. You can continue to name names and the result is the same. Rick James and on and on. Sad cases of celebrities too caught up in partying, or too depressed to get the help they need.

Now, I’m going to address the sickening later part of the convo and that’s our disturbingly thirsty desire to know all the gruesome details of what happened to cause a legend’s life to be cut short. Remember when Prince first died the thought was maybe it was related to his sickness he had before he came to Atlanta to perform. Now, the media and everyone alike wants to know just to what extent his drug habit played into his death.

I understand the desire for answers, and as a culture we all want to know what happened in hopes that we can tell the story to someone and it will save their life. But, why do we need to dig so deep and get so personal that we need secret sources or family members telling the most private tales of their loved one, that’s no longer here to protect themselves.

Remember the same thing happened to Michael and Whitney. We wanted answers to make sure we knew how they died, but the rabid culture of no privacy pushed until we knew everything about their final months of life, even things that we may not even needed to know. I get it, they’re celebrities and we want to know what happened. We want to feel like we’re able to relate to them. But my damn, can we let the dead just rest.

Fine lets know what happened, but hell after that let the fucking people sleep. Please it’s time to finally stop this stupid ass craze to know what the exact move of our beloved celebrities are and let them have their sweet peace just like the rest of us. What do you think?

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The Purple One

As the news broke last week that Prince had shockingly and suddenly died, I saw tributes galore and read about so many more. The Minnesota Twins “coloring” the stadium Purple and then it just happened to legit rain. The major water landmarks that changed their water and the buildings that did the same. My church gave a beautiful tribute singing the hook to Purple Rain in church. All the folks who wore purple on different days to pay their respect.

I’ve watched many of his videos, seen a few of his performances on the internet and I simply marvel at how he was able to become the cultural, entertainment and fashion icon he was at the time that he did. In the 1980’s and 90’s it wasn’t very common or popular for a man to walk around wearing women’s clothing all the time. But here was this diminutive, in stature, man doing it and becoming a music legend in the process.

He used his fashion prowess to take the focus off the disability he had and damn it, it worked like a charm. He gave you these elaborate and very efeminite looks that made men cringe and women question their look at times. He wore his pumps and ruffle shirts, and on stage he showed you how to rock.

His fashion style I liken to The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in the sense that not many people could pull off the high water slacks, with slouch socks and penny loafers. Much the same, no one could duplicate what Prince was able to accomplish. He will be known as much for his kindness and attention to the social biases, as he will be for the beautiful music he created. He made music to push the boundaries and to make you feel good about yourself.

Oh Beautiful, Purple One, you will be missed and hopefully your sitting up there making jams with the legends like you. The Doves are flying, the skies are purple, the rain is falling and their partying like it’s 1999.