Jena 6, One Year Later

Today I as I reflect on the one year anniversary of the Jena 6 March(tomorrow) I can't help but wonder just how better off we actually are. We all (meaning black America) united for that time and rallied around these six young men, Mychal Bell in particular, and swelled our chests with pride. Proud of the fact that we could put aside our differences, proud that we would all burn up vacation days from work to aid someone other than ourselves, proud that we had the ingenuity to mastermind and participate in a march of that magnitude just like the days of King and proud that for a change we were involved in something positive period. Those of us who could not travel for whatever reason organized and held Jena 6 Rallies in our cities. ( Chris, I know, I know...you never got your Jena 6 T-shirt. I'm gonna purchase one just for you.)

This time last year we were all entrenched in black pride, unity and responsibility for our youth and their actions. So, what changed? It seems as though that day black America pushed pause to halt the Bullshit in their lives and pressed play on Socialism. Today, the bullshit meter is running rampit in our communities once again. We have a black man running for the highest office in the free world and we have 80million black folks not registered to vote! And another thing...since everyone is all enthralled in this election, how many Jena 6's have we missed. How many young children are fighting injustice right under our noses while we concentrate on why John McCain picked Sarah Palin and how much money celebrities raised for Barack Obama? Then we have the audacity to not even be registered so we can exercise our right to vote so that these injustices can end? The gall to not take advantage of the right our forefathers fought, bled and died for. But I digress.

Just today, my son came home from school telling me about a fight he had on the playground at recess. Yes he got his ass beat, but that is besides the point. Why are our children fighting each other instead of helping and looking out for one another even at this age. Train up a child in the way he/she should go and he will never depart from it. The children are our future for real. Its not just a Whitney Houston lyric. Who do you think will be taking care of you when you are old? Our children! We owe them the opportunity to grow up and grow up correctly and in the fear of God. They need to know the importance of helping others and standing for what they believe in. We should teach them the importance of a good education and to never forget where they came from, to not have the crabs in a bucket mentality and to strive to be the best in all they do. So many of our children fall through the cracks and are lost. Well, I refuse to let mine fall through even if I have to beat his ass to do it. My child will not be a statistic, he will not be referred to by a number and he will not have premature dates marking his headstone, if I can help it.

I feel like Atlas with the weight of the world on my shoulders and a phoenix as I rise from the flames of this socially inept hell. I will survive, my child will survive, my family will survive, my friends will survive. I will not fail!! I won't, I won't, I won't and neither will you! The power of the tongue is a wonderful thing isn't it?

Paradise Lost

I blog today with a heavy heart and a saddened spirit. Today is the 7th Anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. I'm sad today because I'm remembering that day and the lives that have been eternally altered and because I'm thinking about the thousands of Americans who are still fighting this so-called "War on Terror"and those who have lost their lives. Today is the official commemoration of this tragedy, but for many men and women, "9/11" happens everyday as the officials knock on their doors and deliver the news that their son or daughter has lost their life in the war, sparked by 9/11. 9/11, 5/22, 3/19. etc. These are days families remember everyday as their lives have been altered as well.

When I got up this morning I turned on the television to Fox news and watched their replay of the 9/11 events as they happened that day. I began to weep and soon my weeping developed into a full out cry as I got ready for work. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I thought about each person who died that day without warning. I cried for the families and friends left behind. I started to reflect on what my life was like on that day...

The morning of September 11, 2001 I got up early and drove back to Columbia. I'm from Inman, a little town in Spartanburg County, and I had spent the night their with my cousin from LA. My mom and I had experienced a terrible argument and I didn't go home but spent the night with my aunt instead where my cousin was staying. I woke up early and drove back because I had to be at work at Cingular Wireless Call Center at 10am. So, I left around 6 or so. When I got home, around 8am I watched two episodes of the Sopranos that my VCR had tapped while I was away. I got ready for work, and drove to the call center. There my co-workers were all in an uproar. I asked what was going on and one said we are trying to deal with all these explosions and things. I said, "What explosions?". She proceeded to detail for me the events of the past hour and 1/2. I ran to the break room and watched the news and there it was. "Oh My God, You have got to be kidding me?" I got on my computer and the Internet was flooded with images and stories. How did I miss this? I normally watch CNN as I get dressed in the mornings, why didn't I this morning?

As I think about that day, I am reminded of a time in my life when I wasn't close to my mom. Our relationship was so strained, I questioned if she even loved me at all. Look at how far we have come and how good God is. We are best friends now and talk everyday and constantly tell each other we love one another. God is awesome. Like 9/11, it took a tragedy to bring us together. We rebuilt our lives together though and that made us stronger in and for each other. God has a way of bringing people together with the strength they need to endure tough things. Let us thank God for his infinite wisdom.

Today, I urge each American to unite with the other, encourage someone else today and let them know you are there for them. Don't let another tragedy have to happen to unify is again.

Shame on you McCain!

Okay, I tried so hard to not jump on the bandwagon and blog about this but I couldn't. I have to. What was John McCain thinking by picking Gov. Sarah Palin? I'll tell you what! He thought all the women of America were stupid and could not possibly be interested in the issues and what's best for the country, but that we would vote for him and Sarah because she is a woman! As a woman I am insulted.

The idea behind being able to handpick a VP is to really search and find a person fully capable of being president if something (God forbid) should happen to the current president. I'm sorry, Sarah Palin is not it. This lady has been Gov. of Alaska for less than two years. OK, I give her kudos for becoming Governor because I sit here blogging and not running for political office (yet). So applause to her for this accomplishment. However, this lady has no foreign policy experience have just gone out of the country last year for the first time ( she didn't even have a passport for the ready.) She does not believe in sex education in schools, as a result her state has the highest cases of Chlamydia and her teenage daughter is pregnant. I'm sorry Gov. ignoring sex education does not mean the people of the country will not choose to engage in it. She is also against a woman's right to choose. So the right women fought for, the ability to take charge of their own bodies, is lost with this woman. But you republicans say Gov. should not play such a huge role in the everyday lives of Americans. Hmmm!

Sen. John McCain wrapped up his party's nomination presumably back in March. So why did he wait so long to choose a VP? He could have used all this time to campaign with his VP pick and try to one up the Democrats. He waited to see who Barack Obama would choose because he was not confident in himself enough to carry the ticket. He waited to see if Obama would choose Hillary Clinton, and when he didn't, he chose Gov. Palin to gain those votes, again suggesting we women don't use our brains to think. We fought for our right to vote to be able to choose based on what's best for us. McCain doesn't even know this woman and as a result, they keep showing her family and talking about her High School Career and hobbies. He met her one time back in February and then talked with her one more time last Tuesday and picked her on last Friday. His own party can't even defend her. McCain refused to conduct an interview with CNN because his party rep "Tucker" could not answer a question about her experience and what decisions has she made as Commander in Chief of the Alaskan National Guard. Not only did he not answer the question, he tried to belittle Obama's experience or so-called lack there of instead.

Well, I'll say this, for someone who is not experienced, Obama sure had enough sense to pick a VP who is very experienced in Foreign Affairs and is Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in Congress. Shame on You Sen. McCain for thinking that the women of the world are stupid. I;'m sorry Senator, but your slickness, your so-called strategy, has backfired. Boom!