How to Prevent the Killing of Another Trayvon Martin

A day after the Trayvon Martin hoodie rally is over, a question that is on my mind is what will happen next? After so many hundreds of people band together to show solidarity in acknowledging that the death of Trayvon Martin is an atrocity, what will those people do next? What else will they do to help ensure that justice is reached?

Probably just talk.

A few of them may hold on to their anger about the situation a little bit longer. They may even sign the petition. But the majority are just going to post pictures of themselves wearing a hoodie on Facebook, take pictures with their friends of them all wearing hoodies, or contribute to the water cooler conversation about how they were in the march when they get back to work or school Monday.

This will, unfortunately, end up being another situation like that of Troy Davis. You remember, Troy Davis, the black man that was executed a few months back. Don't you remember hearing how outraged people were the week of his execution? Didn't you see people listen to the radio or watch the news when  the execution became official? And what happened after that?

Absolutely nothing-just more talk.

My point is this-where is action? Where are the families taking the law into their hands and making people accountable? I had not heard about the New Black Libertarian Militia suggested to make a citizens arrest of Trayvon Martin's killer but is that not a good idea? I can see how it may be considered "messy" by some, but could it still not be done? It is going to be messy, regardless of who takes the initiative to do it, but it still must be done! No one should complain that the killer is not behind bars when people who have the power to make that happen won't do anything. If the person who threw flour on Kim Kardashian can elicit a citizens arrest, why can no one arrest this killer?

Fear. The answer, unfortunately, is fear. I take that back-its fear and laziness. People are more concerned that they will suffer some kind of way and less concerned with doing the right thing. People are also invested in a system that has people take care of situations like this so that they will not have to be involved. This is what buying into the dream of the Civil Rights movement in the United States has brought black people-another dream. It's a dream that we have better jobs, better houses, and a better education. We sold ourselves short. In exchange for this dream, black people gave the system closer access to them. It is easier now to harass people-they want to be harassed in exchange for the job. They'll put up with it as long as they're getting paid. It is easier now to imprison black people-black people want the things they we tell them they can't have. We'll convince them they can work hard for it but at the same time, we'll make it hard for them to get and they will get frustrated and try to find an illegal way to get it (and we've created the law which makes it illegal, too). We'll take them out of the fields and put them into our offices where we can still make a profit off of them and take advantage of their labor but as long as they get some trinkets here and there (a paycheck every two weeks), they will be none the wiser.

What am I getting at? Stop aiding the system. It does not do anything except keep you on a short leash. Don't ask for accountability-make people accountable. Don't expect someone else to do something that you are more than able to do yourself. Maybe I am not going to buy a plane ticket to Florida and conduct a citizens arrest of Trayvon Martin's killer but maybe I am planting seeds of wisdom to make whomever reads this see the prison that they live in for what it is-a prison-and convince them to take some action to break out of it. Your action against the system may prevent the killing of another Trayvon Martin.

Where is the History in Black History Month?

Yesterday was a very strange day. I don't know about you but I felt the presence of a very strange energy in the atmosphere. I don't necessarily think that I can fully describe it but I do know that made me feel as if it was a sign of God's anger, God's sadness, and God wondering, "What the Hell is going on!"


I'm not just saying this because yesterday just so happened to be the day that Whitney Houston died. But her death is an example of the symbolism of the strange energy that seems to be in the air.

But what do I mean?

Whitney Houston was a troubled woman who some say died too young. I am extremely saddened by her death but it's not because of the fact that she died at the young age of 48. She was a troubled woman and, regardless of whether or not some people want to admit it, she was troubled long before her marriage to Bobby Brown. She was bred for disaster.

But what do I mean?

Whitney was groomed to experience failure due to the fact that she subscribed to the wrong kind of faith-the faith of others. She had faith in many things: Jesus, the church, her mother, her cousin Dionne, her voice, Clive Davis, her husband, her daughter, her entourage, her name, her drugs; anything and anyone but in herself. Whitney had what many people were jealous of and would have killed for: natural, God-given talent. Unfortunately, due to the desires of her family to "reach the top," which they instilled in her, Whitney began to walk down a dark and lonely path of selfishness and self-destruction. The walk was long and documented but even Stevie Wonder could see that it was only a matter of time before she reached the end of that road.

Not only am I saddened by Whitney Houston's death, but I am also disturbed. Whitney Houston was thought to have it all: good looks, great talent, money, fame and fortune. Clearly, even Ms. Houston herself couldn't and didn't even see all that she did have. From the outside looking in, at the beginning of her career, she was an idol-so much to the point that she helped to create a wave of female singers in the generation behind hers. But to be that idol and still feel the need to take drugs is a clear indication that something was not quite right. But in her mind and in her heart, she was not happy. There is no telling what she had to endure in order to reach "the top"-that story hasn't been told and maybe it never will. But what has been told: the years of drug abuse, the gradual loss of her magnificent voice-was a well documented spiral of grand proportions. I didn't know Whitney Houston and I could see that she was unhappy. I could see that she was in need of desperate help. I could see that she was living a lie and that she knew it too. The drugs were here release from the fantasy that is called life. She ran away from the chaos to find what she thought was peace. And now, whether accidentally or intentionally, she has reached the ultimate state of peace.

Whitney Houston's tragic story is not the first story ever known to tell the tale of a talented person in the music industry whose life is squandered. My disturbance comes in when I think about the fact that, in the month of Black History Month, Black History seems to be isolated to just the month of February. It is not something that most black people celebrate 365 days a year. It is not something that is truly studied, for both the good, the bad and the ugly. It is just the good news that someone wants to hear about someone doing something that's considered an accomplishment. But what about the history, or mistakes, that people in the past have made? Isn't it important to look at those facts in order to not repeat them? Billie Holiday is a perfect example. She died at the age of 44 in a hospital bed with almost no money to her name. Billie Holiday was a drug addict! She faced the ugly realities of racism and segregation in America and attempted to find an escape from the pain with the use of drugs. Billie Holiday didn't have any role models or mentors to help steer her from following this path. Her life should have set an example for generations to come about the dangers of drugs and the importance of having a strong sense of self. So what the hell happened to Whitney Houston?

No one seemed to teach her about the pitfalls of an industry that uses you and abuses you (especially if you are a woman), instead she was thrown into it for the "fame and fortune".  No one told her that she could still be famous and begin her own record label instead of have to meet the demands and follow the rules  of "the powers that be". No one seemed to instill in her the knowledge of how to love oneself, regardless of the pitfalls that life deals you.

There are definitely people to blame for Whitney Houston's "untimely" death. But if you take a real look to see who is really to blame, you might not like the answer. It's a hard pill to swallow. It might make you angry; you might even deny what you really do see. The History is there for you to see-all you have to do is not be fooled by the drugs that life provides and attempts to cover up what is really real. Let the history speak to you; don't cut it off after February 28 (or 29th this year). Don't limit the history that you experience-go as far back as you possibly can. History will always teach you something at the right time...make sure that you are ready for it! Don't let the death of Whitney Houston be whitewashed as just a sad, isolated event where you only want to focus on the positive things. Look at her whole life and if you look at it long enough, you'll begin to see that her death was a result of incorrect priorities, a wrong placement of values, and a lack of knowledge about avoiding the mistakes of the past in order to insure a sense of peace.

And I hope she now has a sense of peace. She went through a hell of a lot (unnecessarily) to get it.

Using Your Energy Wisely

Tomorrow will be January 1, 2012 and the countdown for the end of the world will begin. Some people will spend each day worrying as if it will be their last and try to use some of their time to perform acts of kindness. Others will be completely selfish and will engage in acts that will only satisfy their needs and forgo common sense or reason. In all seriousness, if 2012 ends up being your last year on earth, how should you act, behave and belief? Will thoughts of 'would of', 'could of' and 'should of' monopolize most of your thoughts and affect your "future"? Will your fear of the world coming to an end influence however many days you have left on this earth?

Maybe, just maybe, it would be a better idea to use your energy wisely. Living your days like they are going to be your last is not a bad idea. When you put your mind into that perspective, you might appreciate the people and the things in your life that should matter most. You might seek out experiences that give you a sense of peace and tranquility. You might work harder to accomplish all the goals you set for yourself. Or, you may find a sense of purpose in the world that you did not have in the past because you took life for granted or did not take life seriously.

You don't have to believe in a higher power or go to church every Sunday to adopt this new perspective on life. It's just an adjustment-not a simple one but it does take small steps. When you make this change, you must understand that you are beginning you use your energy wisely. You are thinking about your next move before you make it. You are being more thoughtful when it comes to how you act around other people and less concerned with the nonsense that surrounds you. Life becomes more precious. The world becomes more precious.

Illusion and Reality: What You Should Really Be Thankful For

Illusion: The Pilgrims and Indians were "friends".
Reality: The Pilgrims and their descendants took away the land, killed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of their "friends" in order to create the foundation of the American Dream.

Illusion: Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal".
Reality: Indians, Africans, and any other person of color was forced to become Anglicized, discriminated against in their homes, jobs and various other aspects of everyday living, humiliated and dehumanized for hundreds of years.

Illusion: Slavery ended with the victory of the Union over the Confederacy along with Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Reality: Slavery still exists in the United States. Slavery is a global epidemic. Slavery does not look like it use to-it has taken many forms so that it is unrecognizable for the willingly ignorant, sleeping majority. Slavery takes place in your home when you are being forced to pay outrages prices for your rent and mortgages. Slavery takes place when you are harassed on your job in addition to having to work outrages hours for a minimum pay that you have to turn around and pay your monthly expenses with. Slavery takes place when you are being bombarded left and right with advertisements to buy, buy, buy (mostly things that you don't need) which helps to make someone else's pockets richer. Slavery takes place when the 1% control the 99% and the 99% are the ones who allow for it to happen.

It's time to transform yourself from one of the willingly ignorant to willingly educated and proactive. It's time to shatter the illusions of yesterday and take a good look at the reality that's right in front of your eyes. Yes, the reality is harsh, more gritty, more...real. It's not as comforting as the illusion-and it's not suppose to be. The purpose of the illusion is to keep the 99% under control; to keep the 99% into feeding the illusion so that the 1% can remain in power. This needs to be flipped upside down and turned inside out!

It's time to realize that life is simple-it's the complexities that are created by man (the 1%) that make life more complicated and take away from the simple truths of life. There are certain truths that we should all be thankful for: the ability to breath, family, friends, purpose, help out our fellow man and protect our environment. These may sound so simple-cliché even, but it is these simple truths that some "civilized" civilizations are backing away from-even forgetting. This reality is becoming more and more an illusion when you think about it. When you read stories about how shoppers step over a dead body in order to continue their Black Friday shopping, you wonder. When you read stories about prominent, adult men sexually abusing little boys across the country for decades, you wonder. When you read stories about mothers or fathers kidnapping and killing their own children or other family members, you wonder. When you read stories about "reality" TV stars as if they are news and that their lives are more important than other, unheard stories of people who are starving, homeless, jobless, and abused, you wonder.

Or don't you?

I know I do.

Transferring Energy: the Problem with the 99%

Yes, I said it-there is a problem with the 99%. No, I take that back-the 99% are the problem. Yes, that's much better. That makes more sense. Everyone I hear and everything that I read discussing the financial problems of the 99% don't ever mention what the 99% were doing before their problems occurred. That's because they didn't have any. Yes, they may have had problems with getting a flat tire, missing the bus to get to school on time, or turing in a bill to their creditors late. But they were ok with these problems. They were ok with supporting the system that put them into debt. They were ok with contributing to a system that wanted to put them into debt. But now, the system has backfired on them. The system that they taught was so stable is collapsing on them.

Now they want to complain about it.

Now they want to march and protest.

Now they want to "occupy".

Where was all this enthusiasm before? Simple-it didn't exist. It didn't exist because they were ok with the status quo. But the status quo was flawed. It didn't just happen overnight. The status quo of overworking the lower class to support the bank account of the upper class. The status quo of abusing and ignoring the rights of the majority to support the whims of the minority. The status quo of marginalizing those who create the wealth to support those who will steal the income of the working class.

Well, when I put it that way, I hope you are asking the same questions that I have been asking myself: how can 1% lead 99%? How can the minority rule over the majority? How does that work?

The only answer I can come up with is that the 99% created the problem, not the 1%. The 1% can only take advantage of the 99% if they are allowed to. The 1% cannot be held responsible for the lack of action of the 99%. Who is really at fault here?

It's time to wake up to the truth of the matter: the 99% are responsible for the mess that the world exists in today. The 99% are the ones who don't take action until after they have been negatively affected. They are working hard while the 1% are working smarter. While the 99% are working, the 1% is plotting and scheming of ways to take advantage of the 99%. And the 99% are too busy caught up in things that really don't exist and as a result, they are not paying attention. The 1% do what they do because they are allowed to do it-they aren't stopped and they know this. They know that they will get away with their plotting and scheming because the average person, the 99%, is not going to stop them, and if they attempt to do so, it'll be too late.

It's time to to wake up and start a new routine. Now is the time to start transferring our energy and focus on what's real. Real things like positive relationships between men and women, parents and children, employee and employer. Real things like taking care of our health and our environment. Real things like nourishing our spirit and expanding our knowledge.

But maybe you'd rather continue to point fingers at what other people aren't doing. And maybe you're too afraid to look in the mirror to see what it is that you're not doing. Whatever the case may be,  don't forget that you weren't told that you are apart of the problem and that you need to do something to become apart of the solution. Transfer your energy and become apart of the growing 1% of the people who are genuinely out there to help people and set things right. Transfer your energy from complaining and blaming into growing a backbone and taking action.

Damn Columbus Day

"Columbus Day was not a day to ignore-because Columbus discovered America and he is responsible for the United States having Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day."

"Columbus didn't discover America and the Native Americans were living there first."

 "Native Americans were living there and lived off the land, however Columbus found America and made it so that people in Europe could go and settle the land and created America to be what is is today. And at Thanksgiving, the 2 cultures became friends!"


Now multiply this thought by millions of Americans who believe this myth; mix this myth up in a pot, add genocide, greed and massive exploitation and you will get is what is now known as Columbus Day.

Damn that!

I'd rather wake up to a world where I know truth versus fantasy than be caught up in a lie that has been perpetuated for hundreds of years. And the stories about Columbus are just bad-really bad-so bad a caveman could do better!

Forgive this person, Native American ancestors, who knows not what they are talking about. This person clearly does not know the fact that friends don't kill their other friends and exploit those who are left over in order to build up their empire and their reputation at the expense of others. This person clearly doesn't know the fact that the government of the United States has never kept a treaty between it and any Native American nation. This person clearly doesn't know that the facts...period. Forgive this person, Native American ancestors and all other people who believe the perpetuated myth. They are only concerned about their lives and not the lives that it cost for them to have what they now enjoy. While they spend their day off from their jobs supporting big corporations and being thankful for the blessings of their lives, they do not think about the diseases that were spread to you and killed you. They do not think about your family being devastated by famine and war when the Europeans forced you out of your  homes. They do not think about your nations being exiled into reservations to rot and disappear.

What do the Native Americans have to be thankful for? What did Columbus do for them? If you want to talk about Columbus Day, let's be honest and look at all the facts before we come out of our mouths with so idiotic lie that only should make sense to a 2 year old. Columbus (and all of those who supported and financed Columbus's expedition to the Caribbean, which is where he really landed!) made Europe rich and destroyed the Native American people. Columbus made Europe rich and created slavery with African people. Columbus made Europe rich and now Europe's financial system is falling apart at the seems.

Was it worth it, Christopher Columbus?
And is it worth it to still believe this lie?

Have a Backbone! (AKA: Tactical Disposition)

Many of you readers seem to understand the importance of being aware of your surroundings. And you have realized that there is more than one type of awareness. There's the kind that makes you see that the world is not the way that is should be; there's the kind that makes you see that the so-called staples or fixtures of our culture cannot sustain our current state of existence; there's a kind that makes you question why things are the way that they are; and there's a kind that make you question why it seems to be that there are only a few people who are actually awake and aware of the same things that you are. Can anyone tell me why this is? 

This is just my opinion but it seems to me that a lot of people are happy being asleep. It's easier and it's definitely a hell of a lot safer. It's more convenient to be concerned with me, my and mine. It's better to believe that the problems of the world that don't affect you individually will simply go away or be solved "one day". You have overcome; you can take care of your securing your luxuries and it's all good.

If you are the person that I just mentioned, then let me let you know right here and now that you are a selfish and sorry excuse for a human being. If you're offended-good (and you should be)! How can you not see that the world as we know it is crumbling apart at the seems and sit there and not do anything! Are you so tuned into reality TV that the real reality passes you by? Are you too concerned with the NFL and NBA lockout that you can't see that many of the established systems that are in place are crumbling right before your eyes? What the hell is the matter with you?

Life is the only game that you should truly be concerned about; not just your own life but the lives of others. You are apart of a community much bigger than your close circle of family members or the neighborhood that you live in. You are apart of a country that, regardless of race, gender or religion that is not for you and is and was designed with the idea of having you fail. I am not exaggerating! 

We are at war! If there are people out there who can get sentenced to death even when there is no proof of guilt, then the system is broken! If there are people out there who are entitled to certain rights are getting screwed over by major corporations, then the system is not in their (and your) favor! If there are people out there who are hardworking getting harassed on their jobs and then getting let go and refused their unemployment, then the system is corrupt! This list goes on and on. Can't you see this happening around you? Can't you? And if you can't, then why can't you? What are you doing?

Really, what are you doing? What is more important than making sure that you are living in a country where its citizen's rights are protected? What are you doing that's more important than assisting the people around you in making sure that their basic needs are met? Are you that selfish that you can't concern yourself with their troubles. Wouldn't you want someone to help you if you were in their position?

Remember when I asked you to think about how you could engage yourself in warfare? I asked you to think about the world around you to see if there was something that you could do to help fix it. By helping to be the solution to a problem, you are engaging in warfare. Whether it is volunteering at a soup kitchen on a regular basis, donating food to the homeless, mentoring a child that needs guidance and support, you are combating the war that's currently going on. These are just some ideas. You could take it a little bit further by not banking with banks who insist on charging a fee just to use their product. You could refuse to buy gas at a gas station that was responsible with contaminating the environment and spend millions of dollars trying to keep this fact out of the news. 

All you need to do is begin with one. Find one position that doesn't just affect you and take a stand. Get some fire in you and fight for truth and justice! Grow a backbone and don't waiver in your fight to accomplish something that benefits mankind on a grand scale. If you don't know where to start, all you have to do is take a look at the stories that the news stations aren't covering and start asking yourself some questions. 

This may sound cliche to you but you really can make a difference. If everyone thought that one person could make a difference, wouldn't we would be in a better position than we are right now? I won't lie and say it will be easy but the goal is to help make it easier for someone who is a prisoner of war. Remember, you don't have to be a soldier in an army to help save lives. Do what you can right in your own neighborhood, in your own state and in your own country. 

Do the right thing for mankind; this is the second step to engaging in war and helping to solve the problem or problems that lie before you.