There is Nothing Else Like It - Black Issues

I am completely convinced that there will always be "black" issues.  The kind of problems that only black folks can relate to.  From being poor, broke and disgusted to those old sayings that follow us from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles.  As much as we would like to move away from discussing "black" anything, the truth is, black people, black dialect, black drama, black music, black anything will always be here in America and throughout our world!  Past posts showed blacks overseas enjoying themselves without the cares that many United States blacks have.

But still...black issues, you can run, but you can't hide!  You can bleach skin, lighten hair, change eye colors, wear high heels,...do whatever you can to fit into groups, categories, compartments and more where some non-blacks would still say (either to your face or behind your back) you don't belong here.  The "issues" will be there, not because of personality, social status, last name, or anything else, you're just black!  End of discussion.  It is a harsh reality.  Some people just don't want to believe it.  They cry behind closed doors, complain to there one black friend they manage to keep from the old neighborhood, scribble their frustration out in artwork, scream about it in song or sleep with it behind closed doors with someone non-black--"Why doesn't the world just accept me?"

We not only live in one of the most coveted lands in the world with wealthy, brilliant, attractive, enlightening and respectable men and women of all shades, sizes, hair textures and the like, but we also live in a shallow, petty, illogical, poor, and ignorant-thinking society with some rude, ugly folks as well!  A planet of good and evil and also still plenty black and white with grays staring off in the distance looking like, "Which way did he go, George?"  Just as dumb as the next person about black people related stuff.

Some of your people and mine (including those beloved, flighty entertainers) have been running away from all things ghetto that they have lost sight of struggles--those that aren't so in your face like racial prejudice tends to be.  These blind folks fail to ask, "Why does ghetto still dominate in television ratings?  Why do despicable people grace magazine covers?  Why does dumbed down music still win awards?  Why aren't leaders from local government to international corporations not held accountable when they screw up?"  The secret clubs win, the masses lose.

Many so-called rich, intelligent or "genius" blacks/African Americans have overlooked the foolishness that they aid!  They turn a blind eye to the stupidity that they endorse.  They "don't know anything" when abuse is experienced by others to gain modern day benefits, but they think they are just getting their 40 acres and a mule, no harm, no foul. The wealthy ignorant pretend as if broken, cheap, and downright disturbing things that they buy are "good" and "worth somethin'"yet they are blind to the facts!  While some of the poor folks support lies and "obey" brainwashing with inexpensive one-eye pyramid t-shirts and similar propaganda, the rich behind the rich only keep getting richer.

The more you bring truth to light the more twisted our ignorant relatives and friends are and the more you are deemed a trouble-maker--I'm a witness!  The either too smart for their own good or the uneducated mix up important things, lack understanding, don't bother doing research, tell half-truths, and call everything "conspiracy" like they have been programmed to do!  Facts are not conspiracy just facts.  If you know something occurred somewhere and you were an eye witness to events, it's not conspiracy my friend, it's facts!

Black issues.  Sometimes black issues aren't black at all.  They are manufactured to look like black issues.  Take for instance drugs, alcohol, and other similar things.  They don't become major problems until someone does something to cause upset for others and if that person just so happens to be black, now it is a black issue that is affecting non-blacks (not necessarily fellow black people).  However, the truth is, who brought the stuff into the community anyway?  Who promotes the products on just about every billboard in the community?  Who is giving black rappers the pass to rap about the harmful substances and showcase them?  Who is advertising alcoholics and drug addicts on reality shows?  There is the black puppet and then the handler behind the puppet, but you knew that already.  So let's take it a step further, who are you really supporting?

The significant issues have a non-black face and affect not just black people, but all!  If more and more blacks would wake up, the perpatuation of ignorance would stop being broadcasted here, there and everywhere--it would gradually die down because it is no longer profitable.  The crazy, wild one in the family could go back in the back room instead of spread his or her poison on the television screen, radio and elsewhere.  But as long as the poor, uneducated, ignorant, mentally unstable, and others are lulled back to sleep with attractive "touched" people, singing, dancing, and making them laugh, why bother to think?

Nicholl McGuire shares thoughts about the spiritual condition of all people on YouTube channel NM Enterprise 7.

On Exploiting the Ignorant

"So you think because you went to school, you can treat me any kind of way, huh?"  I have heard variations of this quote coming from those who are envious because they didn't attend college and also from those who were seriously being taken advantage of by someone who was more educated than they.  "It's a shame how they do us," says an elderly person about a white owned establishment.  But some educated blacks are guilty of lying, stealing, and hurting the disadvantaged in their own communities and surrounding areas and not feeling one ounce of guilt about their actions either.  They are what some call psychopaths, but I digress.

Do you see what I see on TV?  Ignorant blacks being exploited to act like fools.  Now those behind the scenes financing these so-called reality show projects wouldn't ever be caught on TV acting belligerent.  But why should they care?   They know that some of our people just love the idea of fame and money by any means necessary.

Now our people, those that don't have the education, you would think that some of that church attendance and Oprah watching over the years would have taught them a thing or two about conducting oneself proper or shall we say, respectful, "I may not have the education that you have, but I do know how to act," an uneducated woman told me once.  But from the looks of things on TV and even on the local street corner, many aren't practicing what has been preached for centuries.  Many blacks still have a long way to go even in soon-to-be 2012!

So what does the educated black, who can't reach to the heights his or her degree or connections was supposed to help elevate him or her do nowadays?  He or she comes up with an "educated" way to take advantage of those who don't know better.  If you don't like to read the kind of things to enlighten you mentally, it doesn't matter if you went to college or not, someone somewhere is going to find a way to get you to hand over your hard-earned cash for a little bit of nothing.  This is why the ignorant is so easily deceived they don't like to read anything that will help them exercise their critical thinking skills.

"Come to this meeting...join our group...visit our temple...sign up for this business opportunity...be your own boss!"  If you don't read, you most likely will get caught up and left out to dry by businesses, civic groups, non-profits and the like.  When the lights are turned off on you, the recruiter is on to someone else.  How much did they take you for in dues, tithes, offerings, commissions, referrals, or wages--hmmm?  The sales pitch is always the same, "It takes money to make money.  God isn't going to give you unless you give him.  I can help you, if you help me."  These statements are so true, but behind them is a long list of twisted philosophies to get you to do one thing and that is to stop asking questions and just do as I say.  Isn't that just what the ignorant do?  "Okay baby, I trust you...no I don't need to read it, I trust you."  

While you are asleep tonight, someone is up late at night creating a plan to get you to sign on their promissory note.  "Let's see, how we can get Ms. Emma and Mr. Tony to invest in my project...What sort of things are brothas in the hood into now...what might sistahs want for Christmas...What are the struggles that are currently facing the poor?"  That's what they do while you are asleep.  Brainstorm, make a list, brainstorm, and then act on the plan.  They find ways to make a dollar out of 85 cents.

So we sit back on our comfy furniture clicking the remote control being bombarded with all sorts of ridiculous advertising.  Marketing groups take the time to survey groups of blacks to see what they like, where they like to shop, and what they like to buy for their children, nieces, nephews and more.  That's how they figure out what advertising to stick in between those award shows, Tyler Perry comedies, and other sitcoms.  They know your favorite colors that will attract you to their packaging.  They listen or read your messages online.  They check those cards you like to get scanned to save you money at the local grocery and drug stores.  They know you, as I mentioned in other blog entries, better than you know yourself!

It's sad but if you give the ignorant a message they will chant it sometimes for the right price, but usually for free.  "Vote or die!"  I'm sure you can think of many chants over the years.  It's unfortunate, but people don't realize that when they go out and try to force someone to get them to join their bandwagon, they are disturbing one's right to choose.  Most of the time, the ignorant doesn't bother to research the messenger or the message ie.) Christmas holiday, Satan I mean Santa.

There are so many scams to shake the money tree it isn't even funny!  From payday loans to renting furniture long-term, the man behind the plan knows that many black folk is living paycheck to paycheck so he is going to find a way to keep us in bondage.  Can we say lottery?  How many tickets does one have to buy to finally hit the big one where you never have to work another day for any man or woman for the rest of your life?  What better way then to use one of the educated or enlightened in the community to sell his rip-offs to his own people?  But why doesn't he go elsewhere to sell his cheap stuff?  Oh he does, but he knows he can make more money with those that he knows and then he can get them to tell their friends and so on.

Now not all blacks, of course with a little or a whole lot of education is in the business of exploiting the ignorant.  Some educated blacks actually try to uplift the crazy, dumb, blind, poor and whatever else.  But these same educated blacks can get a little bit disgruntled with the ignorant too.  "Our people is just lazy...they so stupid...oh they get on my nerves!" they say while at home nursing a headache after a long day of work.  There is always a temptation to throw the towel in and take a fool for any and everything or just let him or her suffer.

Mama didn't raise no fool, so the old adage goes.  But if your eyes aren't open to the hustle of foolishness, then you are no better than a fool no matter your education or color!  Expose stupidity wherever you are and point out the rip-off.  If you are an educated black, help your ignorant relatives, friends and even a stranger by pointing out the flaws in the contracts, the high percentage rates, the penalties and the like.  Will some listen?  Maybe.  But of course, some of our people won't and that's their own dumb fault!  At least you tried to help a brotha or a sistah not get hustled!  You will be one of the educated or enlightened blacks that can go to bed at night knowing you didn't try to hustle or allow the ignorant to be hustled and for that alone you will be blessed.

Nicholl McGuire

They Know You Better Than You Know Yourself

There are people who have spent years studying how you talk, the way you dress, the way you look, what your interests are and more! If you paid close attention to the scene in Fighting Temptations, when Cuba Gooding Jr. was selling his idea to market malt liquor in black communities to a white board, then you know that sort of thing really goes on across the world concerning us. Well, there are marketing practices not so obvious, but are specifically designed to keep you ignorant.

Non-blacks know that average blacks don't like to study, read books, or do anything to advance their knowledge in the affairs of the local, state and national governments. They know we don't like to spend our money (look how many bootleg copies of media circulate the black community.) They know that we love our music, our hair (thanks to Chris Rock confirming that!), and most of all we like to showboat in our new cars, trucks and houses. So with all that said, some of you will be deceived when the phony images come across the screen about a false Messiah. You will be deceived, like you were when they told you to get the Swine Flu immunization shot. You will be running around asking someone to pray for you when suddenly you are getting attacked financially and mentally because of the high price of food you buy and eat. "Why is this hurting my stomach? It never did before! What is going on why are all these problems happening in my community?" Don't be ignorant!

Racism hasn't left! The powers that be have just found a more sophisticated way to keep you in the dark such as: bombarding you with foolish shows on television to keep you laughing while they have their meetings on what to do with "you people." American blacks aren't the only ones being hoodwinked and bamboozled (as Spike Lee once said,) but blacks all around the world are being deceived out of their traditional ways of living ie.) Haiti!

Wars are ongoing daily. But nowadays rather than making a big scene about them on TV, why not shake the ground up on enemy territory around the world? As long as your world isn't being shaken up you don't question anything and you don't care, right? However, there is a God who does care and He expects those of us who say we believe in him to be concerned! So my friend, you are in error in your thinking like I once was. Notice I didn't say "be worried," because concern and worry are two different things -- look it up if you question what I am saying.

We should be prayerful about what is going on in the world. But how can some of you pray when you don't know what to pray for? As my grandmother once said, "Get your head in a book!" I will take it one step further, get silent before God and ask him, "Lord, forgive me for not caring about my national neighbors. What Lord shall I pray for? What knowledge am I lacking to help do your will?" Rather than playing games on the Internet (like those distractions on Facebook) see what your brothers and sisters in Christ are "exposing" and keep yourself and family safe.

Speaking of prayer, I hear that alot in the black community. "I am praying for you. I am praying for money. I am praying you will be safe." All these general prayers! Where are the "by the blood of Jesus" wailing prayers! The ones that make the ground move where even man would have to expose himself and say, "Look I didn't set that earthquake off!"

Has anyone in the black community ever questioned, "Well with all these so-called spiritual folks praying to their mighty God, why haven't we been coming out on top besides Obama's presidential election (and you see what that was really about or maybe you don't -- better start researching)? Why is it that we are still falling short in health, wealth and more?" I hear plenty of, "I'm so broke...I can't make ends meet!" You have a job! Spend less. Temporarily cut off certain things and habits...you don't want to do that right? Search for ways to cut your expenses.

As the young people on the street say, "I'm just sayin!"

While some of you are walking around singing, dancing, laughing and grateful that you aren't out on the cotton field, remember someone is studying you and your family (and God is watching too) so give them something to talk about, your intelligence. The fact that you are in touch with what is going on around you -- affecting you and your family mentally, physically and spiritually.

I think some men and women are still very cautious about learning, because they don't want to be deemed weird, boring, strange even crazy. They don't want to debate or face controversy because of their views. They don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, so they keep their thoughts to their self. Others don't want to learn more because they are fearful of what that might mean to the world around them.

If you are a believer, like you claim, strap up your spiritual armor and fight the good fight even in your sin! God will use anyone or anything as long as they are open to Him and willing to work toward change. Trust me, I know!

Nicholl McGuire, Author of Laboring to Love an Abusive Mate and When Mothers Cry. Available at Amazon.com
http://www.twitter.com/nichollmcguire