On election night 2008, Ralph Nader said about Barack Obama, "To put it very simply, he is our first African-American president, or he will be. And we wish him well. But his choice, basically, is whether he is going to be Uncle Sam for this country or Uncle Tom for the giant corporations," according to Wikipedia, the free Internet encyclopedia. So the question of the day is, what type of character must you have to be an Uncle Tom or an Aunt Tammy (for black females)?
Wikipedia defines Uncle Tom as "a pejorative (words that imply disapproval or contempt) for a black person who is perceived by others as behaving in a subservient manner to White American authority figures, or as seeking ingratiation with them by way of unnecessary accommodation. The term Uncle Tom comes from the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, although there is debate over whether the character himself is deserving of the pejorative attributed to him. Stowe never meant Uncle Tom to be a derided character, but the term as a pejorative has developed based on how later versions of the character, stripped of his strength, were depicted on stage."
Depending on the background you grew up, any black person who attended college, moved out of a predominately black community into a white one, married someone the opposite of his or her race, and spends time with primarily the white race would be considered an Uncle Tom or Aunt Tammy. So if Barack Obama had a white woman on his arm instead of a black woman then he may have been labeled as an Uncle Tom. As you just read an attempt was made to label him as such. I personally feel that in order to get the label of Uncle Tom put on someone by me, you would have to totally isolate yourself from the black race in almost every decision that you made, gone above and beyond the call of duty for every white person that you met, and did things to your face, hair and skin to make yourself look more European looking. You see to be an Uncle Tom or Aunt Tammy for me, you would have to be willing to play the part in everyway as far as I'm concerned. Although I have personally met some terrible actors in my life's journey. They talk the talk with me, "Hey girl...What??...Dat one...No dos...dis one..." Then when they get around another race, "No, I would prefer that one. Maybe this one with a side order of those." These terrible actors are the same ones who will report you if you are late for work, talk about how you are not up to par as an employee behind your back with someone different than his or her race usually or another Uncle Tom or Aunt Tammy type, and roll their eyes right along with whoever they are trying to impress about you. Then come to you and act as if they did or said nothing, "You know how she is girl..." No, I know how you are!
I met alot of these Uncle Tom and Aunt Tammy types on the east coast. They would have been the ones telling on the rest of us to the master while eating the good piece of chicken and we would be eating the crap letover from the pig. They are the teacher's pets of society and that's okay if you are trying to better us and enable all of us to get ahead, but usually they are doing nothing more than bringing us down. I saw my share on the west coast too. You walk by them and they don't want to make eye contact or speak, so afraid of what they might hear come out of your mouth. "Oh she is one of them...I know her type." The funny thing is that they know nothing about any type, but themselves. There interest "money" bottom line. Don't invite a west coast black to any functions unless you have something worthwhile to give them, because these blacks out here are about social classes. How much money do you make? That's all they want to know. If the money is right, you are in, but if the money ain't right, "do I know you?"
Uncle Tom and Aunt Tammy you may have seen them in your family talking and the rest of your family said things like, "Listen to her talking white...look at the way she cook, what is it that he is wearing..." If they are giving back to you and the community you live in, shut up! They are just educated they can't help themselves, they are conditioned by a society that told them to act and dress a certain way and by acting that way they have been able to get ahead to help you! One day they will wake up and find their true selves, so leave them alone. But if you don't see those other members of your family but once in a blue moon and when you talk to them they act like they have an attitude, that includes those on your job too, watch your back and don't share any details about your life to them, they might be looking for a warrant for your arrest so that they can capitalize off your capture, better yet they may see that you are on your way up and they know there isn't too much room at the top, so they might make it difficult for you to get there!
As for that statement about Barack Obama, only time will tell.
Written by Nicholl McGuire
Showing posts with label martin luther king barack obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label martin luther king barack obama. Show all posts
Friday
African Americans Everywhere Get Ready to Pay: What You Forgot About When You Registered to Vote
"Tell Peaches, Lukesha, JJ, and Rod that the government thanks you for registering to vote and making history, but you need to pay up!" That's right, if you have been hiding from those bill collectors, running from the law, or doing something else to try to keep some cash in your pocket like some of your family and friends, then you may have forgotten that when you registered to vote, your business went out in the street!
According to the California Voter Foundation (CVF), “voter data is widely disseminated to secondary users, including commercial interests in 22 states, typically without any notice to voters that their information will be shared.” This isn’t any breaking news for some readers, because they already knew it. The CVF study was conducted back in 2002, and in that study they report who can obtain your information. Although their findings don’t name specific entities, it does give you general information on who has access to your private information. It also lists the kind of changes they suggest state governments should make to protect our privacy. The study reports, candidates and political parties have access to voter lists, 43 states use the same list as a juror source list, and 22 states allow unrestricted access to the list and permit the list to be used for commercial purposes. There are four states who grant scholars and academics access to voter lists under state statutes and four states grant journalists access to voter lists under state statutes at the time of this writing. The site also reports that some states may distribute phone numbers while others won’t, birthdates, social security numbers, and driver’s license numbers.
The study suggested what changes needed to be made in states to protect voter information, I guess many states either overlooked the report, didn’t know it existed, or felt it not profitable to protect voter contact information. Some of the Foundation’s recommendations included: “limit collection of data on registration forms, protect sensitive voter data, prohibit commercial use of voter lists and voter registration data, and strengthen enforcement of laws that protect voter data from abuses by secondary users.”
For some registered voters, you will know exactly where a collector obtained your information by the way they address you. If you typically don’t use your middle name, but used it when you registered to vote, well they just may have obtained it from the voter list. There was only one way I filled out my recent voter registration form and I knew immediately where the organization got my information from – you guessed it the voter list! What makes me angry is that this is a collector that I have already been making payments to, but still calls me anyway looking for more money!
It’s only a matter of time that collectors will be contacting you about past due bills, maybe child support you owe, or companies looking to sell you something. I recently heard a radio commercial stating that the IRS has hired thousands more collectors. Mind you this was before Barack Obama had been elected, they already knew there would be a record number turnout; therefore, that meant more people would have updated contact information and they would be able to track them down for money owed. So while we were sending emails, reminding family and friends to register, what we didn’t know is that we were helping the IRS and other organizations, update their databases.
When I conducted more research on this issue of voter privacy, I noticed that websites such as Smart Voter (allows users to find their custom ballot and polling place by entering their street address and zip code) will not reveal your street address to anyone; however that has nothing to do with the registration form you filled out and sent to your local election office. So who gives our information out? I found the answer to that question in an article that was published in VanityFair.com back in December 2007 which reported on a voter registration broker named Aristotle. It turns out that Aristotle provides information about you to political organizations, campaigns, and governmental agencies. They are used to validate your identity. There are other voter registration brokers like Aristotle such as Choicepoint and Axciom who also provide information to the federal, state, and local government about you as well.
When I think of the registration form I filled out, I don’t recall anything in big, black, bold text stating that “…upon completion of this form your information will be shared with federal, state, and local government agencies as well as secondary users.” Now I may still have registered, but then again maybe not. Yes this was an historic election, but I’m sure there were many of us who didn’t know that by registering we would be bothered by companies and organizations from the past and the present wanting our time, money and for some, their freedom.
There was more to electing Barack Obama then meets the eye and the government knew it. Think of all of those people who were wanted by government organizations for one thing or another, so they got caught up in the moment of making history with a single vote, and now their lives will be forever changed in more ways than one. Think of all of the people who will be making payment plans with the IRS, student loan agencies, and other government organizations now that the government has their most recent name, address, and phone number. An economic boost to the economy, you be the judge or maybe jury, because it is only a matter of time you or I will be called.
Obama was going to win whether we voted or not, the government would have seen to it, (if you remember early in Obama’s campaign they caught up with him for some past due bills and he paid them.) Uncle Sam knew what kind of crowds Obama drew and what kind of money he attracted. Both in the states and overseas, Obama is a rockstar, like a name brand product, he brings in cash and a whole lot of it!
Written by Nicholl McGuire, Freelance Writer, Poet & Author
According to the California Voter Foundation (CVF), “voter data is widely disseminated to secondary users, including commercial interests in 22 states, typically without any notice to voters that their information will be shared.” This isn’t any breaking news for some readers, because they already knew it. The CVF study was conducted back in 2002, and in that study they report who can obtain your information. Although their findings don’t name specific entities, it does give you general information on who has access to your private information. It also lists the kind of changes they suggest state governments should make to protect our privacy. The study reports, candidates and political parties have access to voter lists, 43 states use the same list as a juror source list, and 22 states allow unrestricted access to the list and permit the list to be used for commercial purposes. There are four states who grant scholars and academics access to voter lists under state statutes and four states grant journalists access to voter lists under state statutes at the time of this writing. The site also reports that some states may distribute phone numbers while others won’t, birthdates, social security numbers, and driver’s license numbers.
The study suggested what changes needed to be made in states to protect voter information, I guess many states either overlooked the report, didn’t know it existed, or felt it not profitable to protect voter contact information. Some of the Foundation’s recommendations included: “limit collection of data on registration forms, protect sensitive voter data, prohibit commercial use of voter lists and voter registration data, and strengthen enforcement of laws that protect voter data from abuses by secondary users.”
For some registered voters, you will know exactly where a collector obtained your information by the way they address you. If you typically don’t use your middle name, but used it when you registered to vote, well they just may have obtained it from the voter list. There was only one way I filled out my recent voter registration form and I knew immediately where the organization got my information from – you guessed it the voter list! What makes me angry is that this is a collector that I have already been making payments to, but still calls me anyway looking for more money!
It’s only a matter of time that collectors will be contacting you about past due bills, maybe child support you owe, or companies looking to sell you something. I recently heard a radio commercial stating that the IRS has hired thousands more collectors. Mind you this was before Barack Obama had been elected, they already knew there would be a record number turnout; therefore, that meant more people would have updated contact information and they would be able to track them down for money owed. So while we were sending emails, reminding family and friends to register, what we didn’t know is that we were helping the IRS and other organizations, update their databases.
When I conducted more research on this issue of voter privacy, I noticed that websites such as Smart Voter (allows users to find their custom ballot and polling place by entering their street address and zip code) will not reveal your street address to anyone; however that has nothing to do with the registration form you filled out and sent to your local election office. So who gives our information out? I found the answer to that question in an article that was published in VanityFair.com back in December 2007 which reported on a voter registration broker named Aristotle. It turns out that Aristotle provides information about you to political organizations, campaigns, and governmental agencies. They are used to validate your identity. There are other voter registration brokers like Aristotle such as Choicepoint and Axciom who also provide information to the federal, state, and local government about you as well.
When I think of the registration form I filled out, I don’t recall anything in big, black, bold text stating that “…upon completion of this form your information will be shared with federal, state, and local government agencies as well as secondary users.” Now I may still have registered, but then again maybe not. Yes this was an historic election, but I’m sure there were many of us who didn’t know that by registering we would be bothered by companies and organizations from the past and the present wanting our time, money and for some, their freedom.
There was more to electing Barack Obama then meets the eye and the government knew it. Think of all of those people who were wanted by government organizations for one thing or another, so they got caught up in the moment of making history with a single vote, and now their lives will be forever changed in more ways than one. Think of all of the people who will be making payment plans with the IRS, student loan agencies, and other government organizations now that the government has their most recent name, address, and phone number. An economic boost to the economy, you be the judge or maybe jury, because it is only a matter of time you or I will be called.
Obama was going to win whether we voted or not, the government would have seen to it, (if you remember early in Obama’s campaign they caught up with him for some past due bills and he paid them.) Uncle Sam knew what kind of crowds Obama drew and what kind of money he attracted. Both in the states and overseas, Obama is a rockstar, like a name brand product, he brings in cash and a whole lot of it!
Written by Nicholl McGuire, Freelance Writer, Poet & Author
Wednesday
The History Of African American Magazines
The African American magazines or the black magazines are a source of information and entertainment for the community with a sense of identity, which makes it the most priceless of all publications. To some the African American magazines or the black magazines are considered as a source of discrimination in reverse. There is a segment of blacks who are of the opinion that African American magazines or black magazines have been used by the blacks to segregate themselves from the rest of the community and would only lead to reverse discrimination in the community. The more discerning of critics are of the opinion that this perception could not be further from the truth considering that the black magazines are more of a necessity of the African American community rather than an exercise in discrimination.
The communication wonder - black magic
The black community uses the black magazines as a media to communicate and circulate exclusively black related issues but at no stage does it communicate hate for other communities so reverse discrimination cannot be further from the truth. The mainstream magazines do not cover African American issues - whether it is police brutality or civil rights issues. On the contrary the mainstream magazines focus primarily on all white issues and rarely if ever focus on the African American issues making it all the more important for the black community to publish black magazines. It is in appropriate to believe that the black community excludes the whites from the black magazines - the reality being that when black issues whether civil rights or otherwise are being addressed the whites would be excluded just as when mainstream magazines are published the blacks are naturally excluded
The merging cultures
The concept of having black magazines like Jet Magazines is not racial - rather it is cultural - to have a all black magazine with all black issues being tackled is not racist for all are invited to comment or read - making it cultural rather than racial. To illustrate - a Chinese restaurant serving all Chinese cuisine by a Chinese staff is barely racial - it is cultural. The black magazines are known to be supported by corporate America - coca cola, wal mart and the likes. This only further reiterates that the black magazines are an asset to the blacks community and not racial or an antipathy considering that corporate America would not support a racial movement - regardless of the fact that they are making a profit out of these black magazines.
On the contrary it is a near amazing fact that the black magazines in some instances are published in collaboration with the white community too making it a highly cohesive move with the sole motive of co existence of two ethically different communities in co - existence with mutual respect for each other - be it the blacks or the African American community as they are known and the whites. The commercial sense associated with the black or African American magazines underlines the need for a black magazine, which would advertise black businesses other than addressing black issues. This further enhances the scope of black businesses like printing, publishing, PR firms and the like making a black magazine more than just a source of entertainment - it is a complete way of life for the black community!
About the Author
David Chase is a fan of African American Magazines. phone: 323-933-9291offers. Or email him: davidc@magmall.com
The communication wonder - black magic
The black community uses the black magazines as a media to communicate and circulate exclusively black related issues but at no stage does it communicate hate for other communities so reverse discrimination cannot be further from the truth. The mainstream magazines do not cover African American issues - whether it is police brutality or civil rights issues. On the contrary the mainstream magazines focus primarily on all white issues and rarely if ever focus on the African American issues making it all the more important for the black community to publish black magazines. It is in appropriate to believe that the black community excludes the whites from the black magazines - the reality being that when black issues whether civil rights or otherwise are being addressed the whites would be excluded just as when mainstream magazines are published the blacks are naturally excluded
The merging cultures
The concept of having black magazines like Jet Magazines is not racial - rather it is cultural - to have a all black magazine with all black issues being tackled is not racist for all are invited to comment or read - making it cultural rather than racial. To illustrate - a Chinese restaurant serving all Chinese cuisine by a Chinese staff is barely racial - it is cultural. The black magazines are known to be supported by corporate America - coca cola, wal mart and the likes. This only further reiterates that the black magazines are an asset to the blacks community and not racial or an antipathy considering that corporate America would not support a racial movement - regardless of the fact that they are making a profit out of these black magazines.
On the contrary it is a near amazing fact that the black magazines in some instances are published in collaboration with the white community too making it a highly cohesive move with the sole motive of co existence of two ethically different communities in co - existence with mutual respect for each other - be it the blacks or the African American community as they are known and the whites. The commercial sense associated with the black or African American magazines underlines the need for a black magazine, which would advertise black businesses other than addressing black issues. This further enhances the scope of black businesses like printing, publishing, PR firms and the like making a black magazine more than just a source of entertainment - it is a complete way of life for the black community!
About the Author
David Chase is a fan of African American Magazines. phone: 323-933-9291offers. Or email him: davidc@magmall.com
I Am Not An African - American
I am not an African-American. Don’t call me an African –American. I’m an American plain and simple. I was born here as were my parents and grandparents and you would have to search many a generation back before you found anyone in my family who originated from the continent of Africa. It’s time black people in this country stop trying to identify with a land whose culture is not their own. It’s time we stand up and say “This land is our land” and let everyone know we have a right to this country as much as anyone.
I understand the need for black people in America to find an identity all their own. We are as displaced as a people can be. Brought here in the early seventeenth century, first as indentured servants then as slaves the richness of culture these individuals brought from their various tribes was systematically ripped away from them.
Maybe in calling ourselves African-American we feel we can retrieve some of that richness that is lost to us and was stolen from our people so long ago. However the atrocities of the past are just that, the past and trying to identify with lost cultures isn’t going to help us achieve the respect and prosperity that has alluded us for so long in a country that is still hostile to those of African descent.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m in no way suggesting we forget about the past. It’s important to study and learn from your forefathers’ triumphs, mistakes and pain. Continuously changing our identification however, is not the best way to use that knowledge. We’ve had several “identities:” from Colored to Negro, Black and now African-American.
How can we expect anyone else to know who we are if we’re not sure of our own identity? How can we expect to come together as a people if we can’t agree on something as simple as to what to call ourselves? Hell the government is not even sure who we are if the 2000 census form was any indication with their Black, Negro, African-American non-hispanic category.
I say dispense with all of the confusion. We’re American. The sweat of our brow helped build this country. Benjamin Banneker a black man, helped design the white house. Something as simple as the traffic light and as life saving as the blood transfusion were created by black people. Americans. From music, to dance, to literature we have given much more to this country then it has have ever given to us. We can be proud in simply calling ourselves Americans because we have more then earned that right. It’s time we make use of it.
I was once asked if I viewed myself as an American first and black second. The answer is as long as America views me as black first then I’ll always be American second. But I’ll never be anything other then American, plain and simple.
About the Author
Tamika Johnson is a freelance writer and owner of PrologueReviews.com. To read more reviews by Tamika or to have your book, music or film reviewed visit http://www.prologuereviews.com
I understand the need for black people in America to find an identity all their own. We are as displaced as a people can be. Brought here in the early seventeenth century, first as indentured servants then as slaves the richness of culture these individuals brought from their various tribes was systematically ripped away from them.
Maybe in calling ourselves African-American we feel we can retrieve some of that richness that is lost to us and was stolen from our people so long ago. However the atrocities of the past are just that, the past and trying to identify with lost cultures isn’t going to help us achieve the respect and prosperity that has alluded us for so long in a country that is still hostile to those of African descent.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m in no way suggesting we forget about the past. It’s important to study and learn from your forefathers’ triumphs, mistakes and pain. Continuously changing our identification however, is not the best way to use that knowledge. We’ve had several “identities:” from Colored to Negro, Black and now African-American.
How can we expect anyone else to know who we are if we’re not sure of our own identity? How can we expect to come together as a people if we can’t agree on something as simple as to what to call ourselves? Hell the government is not even sure who we are if the 2000 census form was any indication with their Black, Negro, African-American non-hispanic category.
I say dispense with all of the confusion. We’re American. The sweat of our brow helped build this country. Benjamin Banneker a black man, helped design the white house. Something as simple as the traffic light and as life saving as the blood transfusion were created by black people. Americans. From music, to dance, to literature we have given much more to this country then it has have ever given to us. We can be proud in simply calling ourselves Americans because we have more then earned that right. It’s time we make use of it.
I was once asked if I viewed myself as an American first and black second. The answer is as long as America views me as black first then I’ll always be American second. But I’ll never be anything other then American, plain and simple.
About the Author
Tamika Johnson is a freelance writer and owner of PrologueReviews.com. To read more reviews by Tamika or to have your book, music or film reviewed visit http://www.prologuereviews.com
Obama: the Nation's Next Martin Luther King?
Like Martin Luther King moved blacks in the sixties with the civil rights movement is Barak Obama going to move the nation with his presidency? One can only hope.
Martin Luther King had a vision for change and spoke with people about his vision. They organized and they came out in full force to see that things got done. Well, I have a dream of my own and it goes something like this: "I dream that one day Barak Obama will be walking the streets of Small Town USA in full force with senators, state representatives (and whoever else that has power to go from city to city) meeting with local government offering suggestions and holding people accountable. I dream that one day, he won't be walking with these people because of some tragic event or some selfish reasons. He will be doing this because he organized this march. A "March to Change." (Unlike the Civil Right's Movement no one would be foolish enough to spray him or his supporters with a fire hose, get the dogs out to attack him or anything else unless they want to be buried under the jail.)
People will be emotional! Crying tears of happiness and not sorrow! They will hold up all sorts of signs with various issues that are close to their hearts like, "Stop Rising Gas Prices! New Jobs Now! Save the Environment! Universal Health Care Today! Free Education Now!" Others will get personal and controversial like, "Save Marriage! Church and Government are Friends! Get My Money Back from Big Businesses! Find My Mother Tell Her I Love Her!" You know, there is always some wild people among us.
I believe that one day we will see local news media reporting that "President Barak Obama and other government leaders were in Small Town USA today. As a result of this visit, "Small Town USA will be doing XYZ, and a program planned during the visit will be implemented by January 1, 2010, says the Mayor. There are other cities that will be visited in the next few months, stay tuned for a city near you." After the local visit, government will follow up to find out if their suggestions fell on deaf ears and for those government officials that didn't do anything, they will be faced with many consequences." Oh yes, I have a dream!
With his message of change, Barak Obama, has more people supporting him financially than his predecessors. What can we expect from him? I can tell you that my views are simplistic and commonly shared.
I expect a president that is going to be true to his words that he isn't going to tell us one thing and do another like former presidents have done. (Good luck, some of you say! I can't help but wish.) He can stop the lying, propaganda, manipulation and whatever other tactics the ones before him has used beginning with himself. Just because it has always been done, it doesn't have to continue. The same number of people who came out to support him, better go out in droves and make him accountable!
I also expect the president to listen to America first. Let the business at home be a priority everyday! Don't allow the foreign dollar to misguide, threaten, or control you and everyone else! Take a risk and do something different like shake up the 10% of the wealthiest in our country. What do I propose? I propose a universal health care plan that includes a nurse to go home with the mother who just had a baby and teach her a few things about raising him or her! Our nation's foundation starts with mothers! Mothers who are having babies with or without family support. There are plenty who lack support from their mates who are quick to cuss, cheat and leave when the going gets tough (the nurse should also educate fathers as well.) When the mother is stressed due to lack of health care, money, bills, daycare (only if she can afford it and works), etc. her child experiences her stress. This stressed out child will one day become your child's boss, mate, doctor, teacher and so much more with a chip on his shoulder! "Society will pay for what I didn't have when I was growing up!" The dysfunctional child will tell everybody. It all started because mother was stressed. She was stressed about her relationship, mistakes made with choosing a mate and everything else in between! Every psychologist preaches that many of our problems begin with childhood! So why isn't more being done to help these mothers and fathers? Taking money out of their pocket is not the solution! How many have you been raised by a mother who could have been a better mother if...you fill in the blank? So what happens when no one makes child education, marital counseling, and other related support a requirement rather than an option? If people have to read a book and be tested on driving before they can drive, then people should be trained as early as 13 on relationship and parenting issues.
Some of you are probably thinking, "why should we have to pay for the mother's mistakes?" No one is asking you to pay for someone's mistakes. Instead, what we all should be doing is looking out for one another-- the ones with and the ones without. It isn't guaranteed that you will always have what you have. One day you may be needing someone to help you. There are many good people who did everything "right" so to speak, graduated from college, got married, bought a house, had children and then lost everything! Now they are looking for us to help them, I wonder if they thought like some of you are thinking too, be careful. In the end what you gave to the world and what you and your family now receive, balances out! For instance, if you gave someone $10. You may have received $10 off on a purchase you made. If you gave a donation to your favorite charity, someone may have given your child something they needed. We could go on and on about what you gave and what you have received, but that takes away from the point of this editorial, so I won't go there anymore. The bottom line is we need universal healthcare and the government knows most of us will not visit those countries mentioned in that movie, Sicko, directed by Michael Moore. Therefore, you and I don't know all of the details unless we actually lived there, but I'm sure that those people on the film don't have much to gain for lying considering their faces are everywhere and they are putting themselves out there to be attacked.
While I am thinking about universal health care, let's throw in a universal education plan, and any other plan that's going to rock business as usual! Education that has to be paid for years and years before a young adult has a chance in life is robbery! Why are these students settling for this? You know why because they are told all through high school you don't want to work a blue collar job, set your sights on something higher. Well not everyone can afford to reach higher. When the race began in life, we all started at the same pace if we were poor and middle class, but if you are wealthy you are way ahead of everyone else. Would you watch an Olympic race, car race, or horse race if there were some already ahead of the other racers? So why do we allow these institutions to do that to our children? Parents should be coming out in numbers boycotting everywhere! It's a good excuse to stop paying for college isn't it? But then again, maybe they don't come out in full force because they are too busy planning to change their daughter or son's room into another place to keep their junk. Speaking of junk, isn't that the end result of greed? Which brings us to another topic.
Greed is killing this country and the next president should see that. Look at all of the obese people in the world, dying from food!? What you have is never enough, that's the American way. People who make less than $30,000 are considered poor in California. They can qualify for certain government programs, what? Nothing anyone buys, sells, says or does anymore is ever good enough, look at all of these judges on these reality shows. I see someone doing something better than you, I want ten others just like her or him and I don't find them. So now I have to come up with a way to rob from the least talented to make up for the lack to feed my greed. Let's exploit the ignorant, the unattractive, the rude, and the poor, America likes to laugh at these kind of people, but I digress...
I expect the president to find the power within to start making these gas companies, airlines and any other company that's always playing with the figures from one day to the next to be penalized. I know the president watches sports, he can whisper in someone's ear to form a watch group over these referees who want to make calls on plays knowing full well that they are wrong and have them investigated. Also, he can sound the alarm on these athletes who take performance enhancing drugs. Just imagine a call from the president, "I saw that basketball game the other day. You and I both know that the referee was making wrong calls all night. I want him investigated!" You say that is a petty issue, the president is too busy. I say, he isn't always busy. He may be seated on his throne in the bathroom watching the game, you never know. How long does a simple phone call make, anyway? He just doesn't realize how many women he can save from at least one beating, because her husband was just that angry over a bad call.
I would hope that the president would hold the police accountable too, find a way to humble them when they do wrong! You want to shoot a man, woman or child, use excessive force, harass people because you wear a badge? Then how about putting them in population with the ones they arrested? How about an even more radical idea, I would like to see that these jails are torn down in our community. That's right I said torn down, build a community for the convicts on islands and deserted areas on our Earth, then allow them to act like human beings first such as living in a civilized society (like Norway,) then if they can't utilize the training given to them and make something of themselves on their own island, then my idea is to lock them up on their own island and let them watch their fellow inmates make something of themselves. They need to work just like we do! Let them build their own houses. Why do we have to look at a jail minutes away from home?
Another expectation I have of the president is before you go to some country that most of us have never been to and offer to help and give away our tax dollars, can we vote on it or better yet since that takes too long, how about make the affairs of our country priority? I am tired of hearing about monies being collected for our foreign neighbors, yet we have neighborhoods with good people in them hoping for someone to come in and straighten things out. Instead of giving long speeches in these communities, shaking hands and kissing babies, put some people to work! You know how you can do that? Visit the best communities in America and implement the ideas you learned from those neighborhoods to rebuild the older communities. You can begin by calling people who live in those communities to action. They want the best schools, best housing, best everything, than put them to work! Assign tasks for them to do like assist with tearing down the old buildings in the neighborhood and use their skills to build new ones! Make the police accountable in these run-down neighborhoods for passing by communities they know are notorious for gangs, drugs and everything else! Police, just like the fire department aren't always busy, so get them busy! Why do you think so many came out to volunteer for all these travesties in other areas? I'll tell you why, because many of them felt guilty that their brothers and sisters on the force were busy and they weren't, not only that, they also had a great opportunity to say they had been apart of something bigger than what typically goes on in their communities. Yeah, I believe some just wanted to do something nice from the goodness of their hearts, despite their time was already stretched thin, but that is some. Put them to work too!! Then after all is said and done, if the people of the community still have complaints, at least you did your part. They can look at one another and say, "Barak Obama came out here to help us and look you ungrateful S.O.B.s still don't give a d*mn!"
Martin Luther King had a vision for change and spoke with people about his vision. They organized and they came out in full force to see that things got done. Well, I have a dream of my own and it goes something like this: "I dream that one day Barak Obama will be walking the streets of Small Town USA in full force with senators, state representatives (and whoever else that has power to go from city to city) meeting with local government offering suggestions and holding people accountable. I dream that one day, he won't be walking with these people because of some tragic event or some selfish reasons. He will be doing this because he organized this march. A "March to Change." (Unlike the Civil Right's Movement no one would be foolish enough to spray him or his supporters with a fire hose, get the dogs out to attack him or anything else unless they want to be buried under the jail.)
People will be emotional! Crying tears of happiness and not sorrow! They will hold up all sorts of signs with various issues that are close to their hearts like, "Stop Rising Gas Prices! New Jobs Now! Save the Environment! Universal Health Care Today! Free Education Now!" Others will get personal and controversial like, "Save Marriage! Church and Government are Friends! Get My Money Back from Big Businesses! Find My Mother Tell Her I Love Her!" You know, there is always some wild people among us.
I believe that one day we will see local news media reporting that "President Barak Obama and other government leaders were in Small Town USA today. As a result of this visit, "Small Town USA will be doing XYZ, and a program planned during the visit will be implemented by January 1, 2010, says the Mayor. There are other cities that will be visited in the next few months, stay tuned for a city near you." After the local visit, government will follow up to find out if their suggestions fell on deaf ears and for those government officials that didn't do anything, they will be faced with many consequences." Oh yes, I have a dream!
With his message of change, Barak Obama, has more people supporting him financially than his predecessors. What can we expect from him? I can tell you that my views are simplistic and commonly shared.
I expect a president that is going to be true to his words that he isn't going to tell us one thing and do another like former presidents have done. (Good luck, some of you say! I can't help but wish.) He can stop the lying, propaganda, manipulation and whatever other tactics the ones before him has used beginning with himself. Just because it has always been done, it doesn't have to continue. The same number of people who came out to support him, better go out in droves and make him accountable!
I also expect the president to listen to America first. Let the business at home be a priority everyday! Don't allow the foreign dollar to misguide, threaten, or control you and everyone else! Take a risk and do something different like shake up the 10% of the wealthiest in our country. What do I propose? I propose a universal health care plan that includes a nurse to go home with the mother who just had a baby and teach her a few things about raising him or her! Our nation's foundation starts with mothers! Mothers who are having babies with or without family support. There are plenty who lack support from their mates who are quick to cuss, cheat and leave when the going gets tough (the nurse should also educate fathers as well.) When the mother is stressed due to lack of health care, money, bills, daycare (only if she can afford it and works), etc. her child experiences her stress. This stressed out child will one day become your child's boss, mate, doctor, teacher and so much more with a chip on his shoulder! "Society will pay for what I didn't have when I was growing up!" The dysfunctional child will tell everybody. It all started because mother was stressed. She was stressed about her relationship, mistakes made with choosing a mate and everything else in between! Every psychologist preaches that many of our problems begin with childhood! So why isn't more being done to help these mothers and fathers? Taking money out of their pocket is not the solution! How many have you been raised by a mother who could have been a better mother if...you fill in the blank? So what happens when no one makes child education, marital counseling, and other related support a requirement rather than an option? If people have to read a book and be tested on driving before they can drive, then people should be trained as early as 13 on relationship and parenting issues.
Some of you are probably thinking, "why should we have to pay for the mother's mistakes?" No one is asking you to pay for someone's mistakes. Instead, what we all should be doing is looking out for one another-- the ones with and the ones without. It isn't guaranteed that you will always have what you have. One day you may be needing someone to help you. There are many good people who did everything "right" so to speak, graduated from college, got married, bought a house, had children and then lost everything! Now they are looking for us to help them, I wonder if they thought like some of you are thinking too, be careful. In the end what you gave to the world and what you and your family now receive, balances out! For instance, if you gave someone $10. You may have received $10 off on a purchase you made. If you gave a donation to your favorite charity, someone may have given your child something they needed. We could go on and on about what you gave and what you have received, but that takes away from the point of this editorial, so I won't go there anymore. The bottom line is we need universal healthcare and the government knows most of us will not visit those countries mentioned in that movie, Sicko, directed by Michael Moore. Therefore, you and I don't know all of the details unless we actually lived there, but I'm sure that those people on the film don't have much to gain for lying considering their faces are everywhere and they are putting themselves out there to be attacked.
While I am thinking about universal health care, let's throw in a universal education plan, and any other plan that's going to rock business as usual! Education that has to be paid for years and years before a young adult has a chance in life is robbery! Why are these students settling for this? You know why because they are told all through high school you don't want to work a blue collar job, set your sights on something higher. Well not everyone can afford to reach higher. When the race began in life, we all started at the same pace if we were poor and middle class, but if you are wealthy you are way ahead of everyone else. Would you watch an Olympic race, car race, or horse race if there were some already ahead of the other racers? So why do we allow these institutions to do that to our children? Parents should be coming out in numbers boycotting everywhere! It's a good excuse to stop paying for college isn't it? But then again, maybe they don't come out in full force because they are too busy planning to change their daughter or son's room into another place to keep their junk. Speaking of junk, isn't that the end result of greed? Which brings us to another topic.
Greed is killing this country and the next president should see that. Look at all of the obese people in the world, dying from food!? What you have is never enough, that's the American way. People who make less than $30,000 are considered poor in California. They can qualify for certain government programs, what? Nothing anyone buys, sells, says or does anymore is ever good enough, look at all of these judges on these reality shows. I see someone doing something better than you, I want ten others just like her or him and I don't find them. So now I have to come up with a way to rob from the least talented to make up for the lack to feed my greed. Let's exploit the ignorant, the unattractive, the rude, and the poor, America likes to laugh at these kind of people, but I digress...
I expect the president to find the power within to start making these gas companies, airlines and any other company that's always playing with the figures from one day to the next to be penalized. I know the president watches sports, he can whisper in someone's ear to form a watch group over these referees who want to make calls on plays knowing full well that they are wrong and have them investigated. Also, he can sound the alarm on these athletes who take performance enhancing drugs. Just imagine a call from the president, "I saw that basketball game the other day. You and I both know that the referee was making wrong calls all night. I want him investigated!" You say that is a petty issue, the president is too busy. I say, he isn't always busy. He may be seated on his throne in the bathroom watching the game, you never know. How long does a simple phone call make, anyway? He just doesn't realize how many women he can save from at least one beating, because her husband was just that angry over a bad call.
I would hope that the president would hold the police accountable too, find a way to humble them when they do wrong! You want to shoot a man, woman or child, use excessive force, harass people because you wear a badge? Then how about putting them in population with the ones they arrested? How about an even more radical idea, I would like to see that these jails are torn down in our community. That's right I said torn down, build a community for the convicts on islands and deserted areas on our Earth, then allow them to act like human beings first such as living in a civilized society (like Norway,) then if they can't utilize the training given to them and make something of themselves on their own island, then my idea is to lock them up on their own island and let them watch their fellow inmates make something of themselves. They need to work just like we do! Let them build their own houses. Why do we have to look at a jail minutes away from home?
Another expectation I have of the president is before you go to some country that most of us have never been to and offer to help and give away our tax dollars, can we vote on it or better yet since that takes too long, how about make the affairs of our country priority? I am tired of hearing about monies being collected for our foreign neighbors, yet we have neighborhoods with good people in them hoping for someone to come in and straighten things out. Instead of giving long speeches in these communities, shaking hands and kissing babies, put some people to work! You know how you can do that? Visit the best communities in America and implement the ideas you learned from those neighborhoods to rebuild the older communities. You can begin by calling people who live in those communities to action. They want the best schools, best housing, best everything, than put them to work! Assign tasks for them to do like assist with tearing down the old buildings in the neighborhood and use their skills to build new ones! Make the police accountable in these run-down neighborhoods for passing by communities they know are notorious for gangs, drugs and everything else! Police, just like the fire department aren't always busy, so get them busy! Why do you think so many came out to volunteer for all these travesties in other areas? I'll tell you why, because many of them felt guilty that their brothers and sisters on the force were busy and they weren't, not only that, they also had a great opportunity to say they had been apart of something bigger than what typically goes on in their communities. Yeah, I believe some just wanted to do something nice from the goodness of their hearts, despite their time was already stretched thin, but that is some. Put them to work too!! Then after all is said and done, if the people of the community still have complaints, at least you did your part. They can look at one another and say, "Barak Obama came out here to help us and look you ungrateful S.O.B.s still don't give a d*mn!"
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African American Planet: Relationships, Education, Products & Lifestyle by Nicholl McGuire is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at africanamericanplanet.blogspot.com.
