The Sankofa Bird

A West African Symbol

The Sankofa bird is flying forward while looking backward with an egg in its mouth. The egg symbolizes the future. "We must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we understand why and how we came to be who we are today." "We should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved and perpetuated."

Personal Responsibility

A friend told me that some writers tend to stay in the middle of the road and do not typically point blame towards one side or the other. My friend expressed that in my writings I tend to point blame on other people or people higher up in society. In lecture, my professor stated that people have to take responsibility. After doing some introspection, I realized that is indeed how I have been writing. While I am by no means recanting what I said, I would like to add that people have to take responsibility for their own actions. In my personal life, I try to refrain from pointing blame on others for my actions and decisions. I am grown. I have values, beliefs and ideas, which allow me to make my own decisions regardless of what is going on in my environment. I do believe that circumstances mold and shape people into the person they ultimately become; and that aspects such as family, environment, society, etcetera also influence one’s behavior and personality.

That being said, I am, you are, we are still responsible for our own actions. Yes, I believe that the media portrays false and negative images of the black community and women. On any given channel, one may find a woman dressed in sexually revealing clothing. One may also see people in the black community, typically men, as unproductive, undereducated and mischievous. Yes, I do believe that some images influence individuals to act in a certain manner based upon what they perceive to be reality. All of that being said, it is still not an excuse to act in such a manner. To use something like the media as an excuse for one’s behavior means that they are incapable of possessing logical, rational thoughts and decision making skills.

“Oh, well he was just a victim of his circumstance.” What is that? That states that we do not posses the ability to better ourselves. That means that we are born into a life that we will never be able to get out because we are a victim. A victim is a bad thing to be. A survivor, however, is a powerful tool. Do not be a victim of your circumstances, be a survivor of your circumstances. A survivor continues on in life’s journey, looking back and remembering, but never lingering. Yes, bad things happen in life. I don’t know why things have occurred in mine, but I do know that it has made me stronger and most important, the person that I am today. We cannot blame others if we want to move on, grow and become better in life. We have to take responsibility.

Whose fault is it really???

"Kids nowadays have no sense. They are disrespectful and run around with no clothes on... I remember when I was young... blah, blah, blah." We have all heard or said something similar to this before. Yes, looking at our children and seeing what they are exposed to and their behavior is an issue. It is sad to see youth essentially throw their life away. But who is really to blame, them with their limited knowledge base or us with a more substantial knowledge base? I have yet to meet a teenage cable tv owner. So, it's the adults putting these images into our youths head and then getting confused when they model the behavior. I'm thinking they need to do a little reading about behaviorism and learning theories. Bandura's social learning theory which states that learning occurs through observation and modeling behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. One can not solely learn by their self, so outside forces influence individuals. So let's see here. We have rappers, I know easy target, but whatever. They are glorified even thought they condone criminal activity, objectification of women, and material possessions. So honestly, what do we as "intelligent all knowing adults" actually think the children are going to do? They do not posses a substantial knoweldge base to help them make a more enlightened decision.
So what can we do? We have to teach our children right from wrong. We have to teach them to think critically, cuz Lord knows the school system wont, but that's another blog. Help them understand reality versus perceived reality. Talk to them, love them, be there for them. Tell them the truth. The real truth not the medias truth.

What You Mean I Can’t Pay my Mortgage With my Gucci Shoes???!!!

Yes, I am guilty. I won’t deny the fact that I sometimes buy items because I want them and for no other logical reason. Worst part is sometimes, not all of the time, but a lot of the time, whatever I buy, gets little to no use. What is our fascination with things?

I want to take the poor perspective. I would first like to say that I never had to go without eating because my mom didn’t have any money. I can look back and see that times were hard, but also see how we were blessed because there were times when a bill couldn’t get paid or something broke, but God made a way. By saying “the poor perspective” I mean not being able to have what the world deems to be important such as cars, clothes, etc. You know, the whole western society outlook. Buy, buy big, and buy a lot.

Here is what I find sad and disturbing, if we come into money we get caught up in the material aspect, and do not look at the real picture. Okay, we have all heard money doesn’t make you happy, which is true, it should be about family, friends, relationships, which is also true, but when someone is stressing about money, nobody is trying to hold hands and sing Kumbaya. If you don’t have to worry about money, then you will have less stress in your life, which means you can engage in healthier relationships.

Here is the real picture that we miss. These big dogs, Gates, Rockefeller, Trump, etcetera, did not get all their money and power by purchasing things. See the real picture is investing. “Man, my piece cost me 8 g’s.” Well, congratulations?! Honestly, how often are you actually gonna wear that? I know someone who is happy, that man who has your $8,000, and has flipped to make at least $16,000. Do you see were I’m going? Once again, I buy things, I want things, but we have to be careful that we are not sucked into the trap of continually make other people richer while keeping ourselves down.

Okay, let’s say there is rich dad, plastically altered mom, and 3 kids. When the rich parents die, and the kids get married and have children that makes 11 rich people. Those 2 people created and additional 9 rich people.

If I die and I spent all of my money on stuff, my kids are gonna look at the junk and throw it away. I would have left them with nothing to make themselves, the community or the world better. Want to get out the ghetto and make, stop putting your money into another man’s hands. I don’t give a damn if your shirt has a Polo symbol on it our not, and if you mess with folks who do than you need to rethink their purpose. I am not at all saying not have nice things but, be smart and use moderation. Invest, so your money will grow. Look around your place, your room, your car, there is stuff just sitting there not getting used huh? Those pennies add up. Oh, it’s just $5. But how many times do you have in your house that was just a few dollars. I bet if you do the math you would be sick.

We have the power and ability to get out from where society is trying to put us, we just have to first realize we are on a merry go round going no where. On Erykah Badu’s song On&On she said “I was born under water with 3 dollars and 6 dimes,” we have to stop drowning ourselves and stop turning in circles thinking that we are going somewhere and swim our way to the surface.

The Only Way

The only way to have change, is to make changes. Tomorrow isn't promised, but today is.

Gotta Love It

I am in a phase of my life where I pretty much do not like the government and feel that they ALL are only about their self. This thought was solidified during the Texas governor race between Perry and Sanchez. According to Free Public http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/765077/posts
Sanchez and Perry combined spent over $78 million during the campaign. ARE THEY SERIOUS!!?!??
Come on now!!! $78 million??? If they really were concerned for the poor people and the kids, and whatever else garbage they said, then they would have said, hey (Sanchez) I am going to use my $26 million of my own personal money, and put it towards a good cause. But instead, they both gave it the advertisers and whatever else to help them become richer. Well that's great... YAYYY Government!!!
Ok, so, I didn't give you my whole "The Government Sucks" speech, but I think you get the idea.
Despite all of that, I am so thankful that I was born a US citizen and not something else. I was watching a PBS special, I believe it was in the Ukraine, where women are constantly kidnapped and sold into slavery prostitution. I can not even fathom that. I don't have to worry about that kind of stuff here. Yes, women should always be cautious, but it is less likely that we would get snatched up and sold into a sex ring. The worse part is the police do nothing. They just round the girls up, and ship them back to where they came from, and don't even try to go after the pimps and traffickers.
So plainly, there is a whole lot in our society, but at least we don't have to worry about being sold into sex rings, suicide bombers, uncontainable diseases, total lack of food and whatever else.

The Beauty Within

*This is an old 2006 post, that I never posted
Ok, yes, I watch The Flavor of Love. I can't help it, it's hilarious. I suppose that you may think that I am going to say something like Flavor needs love too and don't judge him cuz he looks like crack reincarnated.... Well, that's not it..... We all know, whether you watch the show or not, they just want his money. But I divert... One of the ladies was mad and said that she didn't want to loose him especially not to a "big girl."

That is the topic for tonight. I am sick and tired of people judging people on their outward appearance. Now I know we all do it, including myself, but that is not soley what we should be looking at. I do not believe that there is such a thing as an ugly person, just an ugly personality.

Women are Beautiful!!!
All Women are Beautiful!!!
And until we proclaim that, we will continue to be subjected to the medias idea of beauty. Stick thin women. Now, I by no means am attacking skinny women at all, hey, I'm skinny myself. What I hate is that they show all these size zero women and proclaim that to be the norm and it is not. Did you know that the average women is a size 14.
Size should not matter, just health.
Size should be about health and not vanity. If you feel your too big, loose weight to be healthy, not to get a man. Do you really want a man who wont give you a second look for whatever reason, but when you loose weight, show skin or whatever, now he wants to be your bestfriend? Come on now. Wouldn't it be more fulfilling to have someone like you for the person you are and the person that you look like. If someone loves you for what's inside, than you will be the most beautiful person that they have ever laid eyes on. Wouldn't you want them to fall in love with you and not what you look like on the outside, because when the make-up is off and in 10 years, if it wasn't built on the inner person, then they will find the next pretty young thing.

I am tired of the way the media portrays women. Women are suppose to be unique and beautiful individuals, but yet all the ads show women as being tall skinny. Where is the shape, the attitude, hips, thighs, curves whatever??? As a result, some of our poor youth becomes misdirected and thinks that they have to look like the picture on the magazine, I mean the airbrushed picture sorry. These poor girls suffer from low self-esteem and eating disorders as a result. It just hurts my heart that they don't see the real beauty within. I have had a few teenage girls tell me, your so pretty, and skinny or whatever and may say that their jealous or whatever. I always respond with your so beautiful too just the way you are, but they have already been programmed to think that they are not. It's so sad. All women are beautiful, and we as women should start telling each other that we are beautiful just the way God created us.

Looks are just superficial, and as a friend said, some people just "hit" the genetic lottery. I say, you may not have control over you looks, but you definitely have control over your personality.

Happy Black History Year!!!

Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King have both died in the past 6 months, but what they stood for, what all the civil rights leaders, and people of that era stood for and fought for will still live on.

I am very grateful for what everyone did during the civil rights movement, black and white. I think that when we think about the civil rights movement we forget that there were white people who also fought and died so that everyone could have equal rights. Please refer to this site for a timeline http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html

I think that in today’s society with the technology, cell phones, and the ability to just go into any restroom or restaurant with out scrutiny, we forget that the civil rights movement was just yesterday. We take things such as school for granted. Need I remind you of Brown vs. The Board of Education? We can go to any school and apply and go to any college, and better ourself through an education. They fought and died so that we can have that right. We run around here as if someone owes us something and that they should just give it to us. If the people of the civil rights movement had that mentality, where would we be?

Another thing that makes me mad is the constant stereotypes that the black community has and that the black community does not try to abolish. Lets name a few, sex, drugs, and crime. I wonder where the media and others get this stereotype from??? Hmmm, let's just turn on BET, ohh what's that, an ass, the snowman, oh and let's not forget the guns. Are you for real?! Most people know that you can not believe everything you see on TV, but come on, if you are only seeing one thing over and over again, what are you going to think.

Black people were labeled promiscuous when they were enslaved to dehumanize them. And what are we doing, making songs and glorifying multiple sex partners, lets not even address the HIV epidemic in the black community, mainly black women.

Black history month is not February, its year round. Happy Black History Year!!! We are no longer physically enslaved, but don't allow yourself to be mentally enslaved. Oh the white man is just trying to bring me down. The white man put me in jail. Really? So you weren't the one selling or using that drug, the white man was and then framed you? Just don't do it to begin with and then you wont have to worry about getting into trouble. I understand that it may not be total equality yet, but who said it wouldn't be a long fight. We have to continue to prove ourself and rise above the rest. Yes it will be tiring, but what we do now will affect our future generations, and that is who the civil rights movement had in mind, future generation. Not everyone who fought for change was able to see the change, but they fought anyway.

It wasn’t that long ago that people couldn’t go to any school , apply to any job, go to any restaurant, and etc. Let’s keep what they fought for imprinted in our hearts and minds so that we do not become complacent, forgetful and ungrateful that we have these rights.

The journey has just begun, the civil rights movement just paved the path for us to become all that we can be as a community. Where are our business owners, black fortune 500 companies, community service activists, opera, stage, and I mean the list just goes on. We are not confined to the music industry and basketball. We have a whole world out there, spread your wings and fly!! That’s what they fought for. They didn’t fight for the ability to show our asses on BET or have riot type fights at concerts or other social events.

Let’s stop bringing each other down, and help them up. Don’t look down your nose at someone if you have an education and they don’t. Your not better than them, we are all the same. Let’s not talk about the crack head, let’s talk about how we can help and prevent it from happening.

Exercise the right to vote that they fought and died for us to have. Come together and protest the poor schools in the minority neighborhoods, so that our youth can get an education and compete in society. Protest and rally when the cops do not protect the lower income neighborhoods as they should. Remember, politicians want to keep their jobs, and bad publicity and the risk of constituents not voting for them is not a chance they want to take.

Anyway, I think I will just keep on going on and on. So, in summary, Happy Black History Year!!! Continue to fight and don’t become complacent because there is so much more out there for all of us.

I Don't Know

I tend to be a little sarcastic, and that may not come across in my postings, so just read the whole thing so that you can understand where I'm coming from.

Assisted Suicide... Kill 'em all!!!

If you are unaware about assisted suicide and the Oregon's law, please go here to better understand http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/3594281.html

(Theoretically) Well, I just started my career, and just got married and we really don't have that much money. Taking care of my dad would be such a burden on my life. I mean, there are things that I want to do that I will not be able to do if I am taking care of him. He's sick anyway, so let's just kill him., oh I mean die with dignity. Besides, he shouldn't have to suffer.

Disturbing??? Well it should be. Why are we so stupid and ignorant to just throw away human life. The above argument, and I use the term argument loosely, is the same argument that people use for abortion. It sounds horrible doesn't it? Well, there is no difference.

It's funny that the people who they are trying to kill, or let die with dignity as they like to say, were killing there unborn children, so why not let the kids get a chance to kill the parents, you know fair is fair right.

Some people may say, well, it's just for the really sick people, the ones who the Dr. said only have 6 months to live. So when did Dr. become always right all of a sudden. I know many people now of someone who was told by a Dr. you only have x amount of days or months and they lived past that. Someone I know uncle just passed of prostate cancer, he was battling it for 20+ years!!! Second, who's to say that you wont have Dr.'s, who for just a little extra, wont give the "medicine" to someone just because? Where does it end? The answer, it doesn't.

Let's remember history for a second. I know, I hated my history class too, but history is very important because it paved the way for today. History also repeats itself and we can learn from other people's mistakes. So let's remember together, Hitler killed his own people before he started killing the Jews and everyone else. Where does it end??? It doesn't, so we have to stop it now.

Whose to say in the future people don't decide to kill the people who are mentally challenged the same "argument" can be used. Oh, well that's just disgusting and inhumane to kill the mentally challenged individual, someone might say. Well, that is what people use to say about abortion, and that what people use to say about the elderly.

If we kill our babies, and the elderly, who will we have left??? Nobody!!!

Where does it end??? It doesn't.....

First Day

So, I said I wasn't going to get into the whole blog thing, but look at me now. I was wrong, ok, I can admit to that. I have thoughts and opinions just like anyone else, so I have decided to share those with others. Also, I am not much for keeping up with writting, so there may be times where I am absent. It may be do to school, work a combination of both, or I just don't have anything on my mind. Until then, have a wonderful day!!!!
Oh yes... one more thing. I tend to be a little sarcastic, and that may not come across in my postings, so just read the whole thing so that you can understand where I'm coming from.