A Message To President-elect Biden

 To President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris...

I'm going to get straight to the point. Your election victory was a historic one for a number of reasons. A victory that doesn't happen without Black people. 

More people voted for your ticket than for any other ticket in American history. Black people did that. Your ticket won GA, a state no one would've predicted you'd win and one Barack Obama failed to win twice. Black people did that. Your victory in PA was critical to you winning the election. Black people did that.

Your victory is the result of hard work and effort by Black women and men in the trenches. Sisters, brothers, and kinfolk who had the foresight to realize that four more years of Trump would've been disastrous.

Mr. Biden. Mrs. Harris. YOU OWE US. You owe us big. You have an obligation to address the pressing needs of our community and to do so in a substantive fashion. Without us you have no power. 

Make good on your promises. Ignore the needs of our community at your own loss. Black people are not going to simply accept lip service this time. We are going to press. We are going to be vocal. We are going to lean on you. Should you ignore us you WILL lose your power and your party will crumble.

Do what you must during this lame duck period. Because come January 2021 it's time to go to work. And we're not taking any shorts this time. The streets are watching...

The Sport of Politics

 The biggest problem is that Americans have become obsessed with the "sport" of politics. Politicians are elevated to celebrity levels and are either demonized or deified. This is how an amoral degenerate reality TV show host with no history in public service came to occupy the highest office in the land. Critical thinking on a political level has become a lost art and has given way to memes that lack nuance and focus. 

I'm long past the point of telling people who they should vote for. I will only say that Black people who vote should be conscious of two things: 1. There are no saviors in politics. When you vote you are mitigating damage to our community. 2. Substantive change doesn't start with government. It doesn't come from government. Government is historically last to the party. It comes from grassroots work. Voting is just one small piece of a very large puzzle. 

All that said, it should be clear to everyone that four more years of Trump could prove catastrophic. Unemployment is above 10%. 210K people have died from COVID 19. White supremacists have become emboldened and aggressive. The economy is on the precipice of collapse. It is in everyone's best interests that Trump be removed.

For many years we've heard the hyperbole of how "This is the most important election"  etc, etc. That said imagine if four years ago I said to you that two hundred thousand people will be dead from a deadly virus. That fifty million people will have filed for unemployment. That movie theaters and restaurants would be closed and those that  opened would be struggling to stay in business. That healthcare would again be a central issue during a global pandemic.  That sports leagues would be playing in bubbles. Would you have believed me?

Now imagine what type of fruit four more years of Trump's incompetence will bear. You are correct that America doesn't run on one man. Imagine the types of people he empowers and what they will continue to do.

As a Black man in America my struggle has been all but ordained. I am not naive enough to believe Biden or any elderly white man will save us. That said, there are levels to this shit. Those who believe it cannot and will not get worse under Trump are dangerously naive IMO. 

Imagine That

Imagine someone holding open rallies with no mask requirements and no social distancing requirements in the midst of a global pandemic. Imagine them standing on a podium and playing down the severity of a virus that killed two hundred thousand people in seven months. 

Imagine them politicizing the virus and using it as a weapon against their political opponents. Imagine them openly and boldly contradicting scientists, doctors, epidemiologists, and virologists in order to protect their image. 

Now imagine them actually contracting the virus after all their obstinance. Now imagine that person is the president. 

It's not even about left or right or conservatism or progressivism or democrats or republicans or any of that shit at this point. Donald Trump is an imbecilic, egomaniacal, incompetent nightmare who is unfit to run a mall kiosk. FThe man couldn't lead rats to a garbage can.

It's almost unfathomable to me even one person is still following him. Almost...

Softball

 Donald Trump was thrown a very slow under hand softball. The kind you throw to small children who are first learning to hit. He was handed a bat a mile wide and given an eternity to swing. It was a pitch virtually impossible for him to miss. All he had to do was look at Chris Wallace and condemn white supremacy.

He couldn't do it. 

He couldn't because white nationalists and white supremacists are his most ardent and fervent supporters. He couldn't do it because that's his base. He couldn't and wouldn't do it because he relates to them as much as they relate to him. Instead of condemnation he sent a message that was so well received by white supremacists they publicly celebrated online. 

The discussion on who and what Trump is ended a long time ago. It can't get any clearer than this. It's time to stop playing in people's faces.

The Simple Reminders

 *I needed a day to gather my thoughts. Had I said what I wanted to say in the moment...

So just so I understand...

Discharging your weapon into another apartment amounts to wanton endangerment. Discharging your weapon and killing an innocent Black woman in her sleep is standard operating procedure. 

Seen.

I'm not surprised. It's not as if I needed another reminder of how this country views Black life. I'm angry though. It fortifies my position and belief that at the end of the day we must look after, provide for, and defend each other. We have no real allies that we can depend on and too many of us have become grifters who have sold their souls to become gatekeepers. 

So I remind my kinfolk to stay vigilant. Protect yourselves and your loved ones. Do what you must. Take pragmatic and clinical steps to ensure your health, wealth, and safety.

I don't believe in permanent allies. I don't even believe in permanent interests. I believe in my people. That which I do I do for me and mine. That's the long and short of it. These injustices are just simple reminders of the horrible naked truth of our existence. 

"He's No Hero"

I'm really trying to figure out what people are trying to say or attempting to accomplish when they talk about how not all Black people who are shot or violated by police are heroes. It's especially puzzling when they start citing their criminal records.

Do you all see how fucking ridiculous you look when you do this? Let me just clear a couple of things up. When we protest the unjust murder of a sister or brother we are not doing it to deify an individual. We are doing it to remind the rest of you that no one deserves to be unjustly murdered by agents of the state who are supposed to exist to serve and protect.

You see despite what some of you "law and order" types may think police are not judges, juries, and executioners. A DUI from 3 years ago isn't a death sentence.  A prior marijuana charge doesn't justify being shot to death.

Stop doing that shit please. If you love law and order as much as you pretend to then please remember that our civil and constitutional rights are inalienable. We protest and mourn our fallen because we know that could be any one of us. Regardless of our history. Whether or not they were "angels" is immaterial

Dick Gregory Was Right

Dick Gregory was right. You cannot reform a cop.

How do you reform someone who shoots and kills a child playing in a playground? How you do you reform someone who beats a homeless man to death as he screams? How do you reform someone who shoots a little girl sleeping on her couch and blames her elderly grandmother? How do you reform someone who feeds a homeless person feces?

You can't. No amount of sensitivity training is going to fix that. You're not fixing that with community outreach programs. You can't appeal to the morality of someone who would do such things. You can't train someone not to hate. That's not reality and despite what people say we all know it.

You don't reform police. You give them something to lose. You force them to make a choice. Do you hate Black people more than you love your freedom? Do you hate Black people more than you love feeding your family? Do you hate Black people more than you love losing your livelihood and the things closest to you?

Without something to lose racist and corrupt officers have zero incentive to modify their behaviors. Take away qualified immunity. Require officers to be insured. Prosecute corrupt police and send them to prison. Give them something to lose.

That's the only way you'll see change

To Whom It May Concern...

To Whom It May Concern, 

I do not write this in a threatening or intimidating fashion. This isn't tough talk or aggressive posturing or any of that. It is simply a point of fact. 

Black people are watching. Closely. We are aware and we are tired. Please believe that those of us who are concerned about the current climate are preparing. We will have no intentions of being victims and we have no intentions of revisiting days gone that some of you consider to be great. 

I think I speak for many of my kinfolk when I say we will respect everyone. But let me be clear: We will take care of the homefront. We will protect ourselves and our families. We will not suffer dehumanization or disrespect. At all. 

I say this with no anger, malice, or hatred. Black people will do what we must. We always have. We always will. Please make a note of it.

I'm Tired...

I'm tired of it.

Literally all we want is for police to stop shooting and killing unarmed and innocent Black people. That's it. That's literally all we asked for. For agents of the state to stop shooting and murdering unarmed Black civilians. 

Instead we get an unarmed brother shot in the back seven times. We get a sister shot dead in her home as she slept. We get a sister shot dead through a window as police crept through her yard. We get a child shot dead sleeping on the couch. We get a child shot dead playing in the playground. 

On top of that we get gaslighted and told that the shooting and/or killing of our unarmed kinfolk was justified. We watch as these murderers go unpunished. We are expected to accept it as we grieve the loss of our loved ones. 

And you wonder why there is civil unrest. You wonder why people are in the streets.  You wonder why there is protest. You wonder why buildings are on fire. It's because people are tired. 

Enough is enough

Stop It. You Are Not "Pro-Life"

Greetings Sisters, brothers, and kinfolk

Today I want to send a very clear and very direct message to those who feel compelled to defend the draconian, regressive, and barbaric abortion laws that were recently passed in Alabama and Georgia. I want them to know how I feel in no uncertain terms.

You are not "pro-life". Nothing about your position is "pro-life". Nothing you say or do suggests "pro-life". You seek to not only rob women of their autonomy but to ultimately rob people of their civil rights. I have a theory as to why you want this but I'll save that for another post. Suffice to say right now that your position is not about protecting life. It's not about protecting innocent unborn children. It's not about any of that bullshit. All of that is a lie. You are not pro-life. You know it. I know it.

I know it because I know that you're completely unwilling to do anything to aid that "innocent child". Nothing. You are not willing to contribute one cent to the prenatal care of the mother of that "innocent child". You are not willing to contribute one cent to make sure that child has even the most basic of needs. You don't even want your tax dollars, which you must pay regardless, going toward helping that child. You aren't willing to help that child eat. You aren't willing to help make sure that child has decent healthcare. You aren't even willing to help make sure that child has simple things like diapers or blankets. You have zero desire to assist in any way or contribute one shiny nickel toward that child's needs. You have zero desire to aid in that child's LIFE. You couldn't care less about the quality of that child's LIFE.

It goes even further beyond that. Because you're not even willing to invest time or emotional energy into that "innocent child". You're not going to mentor that innocent child. You're not going to help teach that child about love and community. You're not going to take time out to speak to that child. To share your life experiences and wisdom so that innocent child doesn't make poor choices. You're not going to embrace that child and help guide them in the right direction. Things that cost you nothing, save for time and compassion. But you're not even going to that. You don't give a shit about the trajectory of that child's LIFE. You have no interest in preparing that innocent child for LIFE in our society.

How do I know you're not going to do any of that shit? Because I hear you. Because I see you. I hear you when you whine about how your tax dollars are going to "lazy poor people". I see you when you look the other way when our "innocent children" fall victims to the many predators in our society. I see you when you ignore the needs of young people then blame them for what ails society. Again nothing you say or do suggests you give a damn about the LIFE of those innocent children you pretend to champion.

So stop it. Please. Stop saying you are pro-life. Call yourselves something else. Because you're not pro-life. You know it. I know it. We all know it. Stop the bullshit. Please and thank you.

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Stop Appealing To Racist Sociopaths

Sisters. Brothers. Kinfolk.

This morning I watched a disturbing and horrific video where an officer executed a Black woman in cold blood. Yes, I said executed. This woman was lying on the ground screaming "I'm pregnant" when the officer shot her five times at point blank range. The video is as disturbing as it is infuriating. Every time I see these incidents, which happen all to often, it reminds me of the world we live in.

What disturbs me even more is when I saw the video it was posted by a white woman with a caption making excuses for the officer. It brought me almost to my breaking point. Please understand: I will not suffer gas lighting white folks (or apologetic Black folks) who have zero empathy for Black life. I will not appeal to the morality and sense of decency of people who lack a moral center. I will not try to explain that police make a conscious choice to discharge their weapons to those who would exonerate murderers no matter what I say. I've BEEN done with you. You are my enemy. I will address you as such. I will treat you as such. You are sociopaths. I will address you as such. I will treat you as such.

Already there are people trying to justify this public execution by saying she grabbed his taser. I ask why was he struggling with her to begin with? Why did he grab her to begin with? The story is supposedly that he was on a routine patrol and he saw her, knew her, and thought she might have a warrant out for her arrest. If that's the case, there are several ways he could've handled it besides getting into a struggle with her and firing five shots at point blank range while she layed on the ground screaming "I'm pregnant!".

As I said though, I'm long past the point of arguing, explaining, or even discussing this with those who believe shooting a pregnant woman lying on the ground, who may have had mental issues, is justified. I'm past the point of trying to open eyes. I'm past the point of trying to make people understand. If you think it's justified to execute an unarmed woman in the street to hell with you. If you think it's OK to run into a yard and shoot children to hell with you. If you think it's OK to run into someone's home and shoot a little girl sleeping on the couch in the head to hell with you.

I have nothing for you gas lighting sociopaths. Because you have nothing for me. No empathy. No respect. And certainly no love. Discussions have ended. We have now reached a point where we as Black people must come together as a community and decide how we proceed. We are surrounded by tyrannical, corrupt, racist law enforcement. We are surrounded by gas lighting bigots. We are surrounded by boot licking apologists. It's clear, at least to me, that human decency will not win the day. If we are going to stop the assassination of our mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and kinfolk we're going to have to resist them. Because they have proven time and again that they care absolutely nothing for Black life. Arguing or engaging in discussion with sociopaths who couch their racial bias and hated with support for corrupt law enforcement is a waste of time and energy.

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There Are No Lone Wolves

Good afternoon Sisters, Brothers, and Kinfolk,

I want to build on something that has been bothering me for quite some time.  As you may already know a white supremacist in California opened fire in a synagogue killing one and injuring several others. Authorities believe that the young man was a "lone wolf" and that he acted alone. Reports that I have read indicate that the young man left a manifesto filled with typical hateful, bigoted, and racist language.

What's bothering me, aside from the fact that there has been yet ANOTHER domestic terror attack committed by a white supremacist, is this constant desire by the media and law enforcement to label these pieces of trash "lone wolves". I don't know how or when that got started but it's past time for that shit to end. There are no lone wolves and it's time we stop pretending there are. These people are connected and these incidents are connected and I want people to stop pretending they're not.

These killers are linked to each other in a number of ways. They inspire each other. They are often motivated by each other's actions. They empower each other. They are often moved by the manifestos left by other white supremacists. They congregate with each other. Social media has made it easier for them to link up and share their hateful ideology. We hear authorities and the media talking about lone wolves but when you take a closer look it's easy to see that these beasts run in a pack.

The media in particular seems to be in love with this narrative that these white supremacists are social misfits who were radicalized by movies, video games, or some other nonsense. They often paint them as outcasts who lashed out at a society who didn't understand them(I happen to hate this shit btw). The truth though is that many of these people become radicalized by mainstream news outlets who continually push bigoted and racist narratives(but that's a topic for another post).

If we are truly going to be honest we are going to have to admit that these "lone wolves" are just furthering the bloody racist legacy of America. These "lone wolves" are the terrible children of the bigoted, hateful racists that built this country on a foundation of white supremacy. These "social misfits" are just doing what they learned from their fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers. These "outcasts" are motivated by a system that continues to promote racial bias and continues to perpetuate fearmongering.

So if it's all the same to y'all, I move that we retire the term "lone wolf". There are no lone wolves. There never were. These killers are bound to each other and born of a society that taught them that whiteness is superior to all things. Calling them lone wolves is a feeble attempt to wash one's hands clean and avoid taking responsibility. These wolves are your pups America. Own them.

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Establishment Democrats Are Still Afraid of Trump

Good Afternoon Sisters, Brothers, and Kinfolk

Over the weekend I read an article from the Washington Post stating how democrats should be wary of impeaching Donald Trump. The article implied that impeachment could likely do more harm than good. It stated how impeachment was basically DOA once it reached the senate and talked about how impeaching Trump could rally and energize his base. The article also floated the idea of formal censure as an alternative. Needless to say, with respect to the author, I found this article ridiculous (not to mention typical). The article did everything to reinforce the narrative that democrats are weak and will always back down in the face of opposition. It also reinforced the narrative that democrats, particularly establishment democrats, by and large are still afraid of Donald Trump.

I mean let's start with the idea of formal censure. I tweeted "Who believes that President Twitter Fingers is going to be moved an inch by formal censure?" Why would he even care? Censure is a weak, hollow, pointless gesture that would accomplish little beyond showing Trump that you're not going to do anything and showing your base that you lack the fortitude to hold him accountable. Now some would ask "Isn't impeachment also pointless because it's dead once it reaches the senate?". The answer is no. Impeachment would show Trump in no uncertain terms that democrats are willing to get up in him and fight him. It would show the base that they are not at all afraid and are willing to use every option at their disposal to defeat him. It would place the onus on Republicans to do their jobs and hold their president accountable.

Then there is the even more ridiculous notion that impeachment would rally and energize his base and encourage those who may be on the fence to get behind him. That is a bad joke. Anyone who votes for Donald Trump, knowing who he is, seeing how he has behaved, and knowing full well what he's done over the past 3 years, was going to vote for him anyway. Trump's base is already motivated and energized. They're already eager to vote for him again. Trump remains a habitual liar. Trump remains morally bankrupt. Trump remains a bigoted narcissist. His base and supporters know exactly who and what he is. It's WHY they are voting for him. What establishment democrats should be thinking about is how they can energize their OWN base. Showing you are willing to impeach an unqualified, lawless president would go a long way to garnering some confidence from those who you're counting on in 2020.

In my opinion fear of impeachment and this fear of Trump is rooted in the foolish notion that the path for victory for democrats is down the center. Establishment democrats still believe that they can "win over" independents who voted for Trump and moderate Republicans. This silly idea has been has been perpetuated by many prominent democrats and democratic presidential hopefuls. They are afraid to rile up Trump because they foolishly believe they can peel some of his supporters away. This is nonsense and will do nothing beyond taking the air out of their own base and ensuring another four years of Donald Trump fuckery. Establishment democrats have a long history of shooting themselves in the foot.

If democrats truly want to make a difference in 2020 they are going to have to let go of this irrational fear of Donald Trump and show some backbone. I mean let's be honest. If this were Barack Obama impeachment proceedings would've began months ago. Right now the image of democrats is still one of flaccid weakness and spineless ineptitude and this fear of impeachment is just another highlight. It's past time they take stock and start finding the strength to aggressively challenge Trump. Stop giving the bully your lunch money.

Thank you for reading.

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Aiding and Abetting: Gaslighting Apologists Who Are Still Caping for Police

Good afternoon Sisters, Brothers, and Kinfolk.

I've got some things I want to get off my chest. These days I've taken to writing to exorcise the demons that sometimes attempt to creep up on me. Writing truly is food for the soul.

Earlier today I saw two videos on Twitter. In one video police violently assaulted a Black man in an IHOP while his horrified wife looked on. The man committed no crime and it was clear from the video that the police escalated a situation which could've easily been resolved without conflict. At one point the police screamed and shouted in the distraught woman's face as she begged them to stop and not to shoot her husband. In the other video I watched as an officer violently attacked a Taravella high school student. A child. The child was sprayed, slammed face first into the ground, and punched in the back of the head. This is AFTER police attacked another child. Now it goes without saying that I am outraged by this videos and the despicable behavior of these corrupt law enforcement officers. I must say though that these days when I see these videos I'm a bit more outraged than usual. I'm a bit more angry. I'm a bit more frustrated. I'll explain why.

Black people, marginalized people, and PoC are no strangers to police brutality and systemic injustice. We've been dealing with this literally since the founding of this country. We have been fighting and resisting corrupt law enforcement since there has been law enforcement. Not only that but over the last two decades many people like myself have been warning that corrupt behavior by police has been on the rise. We've been warning that white supremacists have been invading and infesting police departments all across the country. We've been warning that the continued militarization of the police represents a clear and present danger to the community. We've been screaming these things for years at the top of our lungs to anyone who would listen.

Unfortunately though, our voices have been drowned out in favor of gas lighting apologists who continue to cape for the police. That's what has me more outraged than usual. The fact that there are STILL people who, after everything we've seen and continue to see, seek to protect and make excuses for corrupt agents of the state. These people are infuriating. I can't stand them. I won't lie. They are the worst kind of enablers. They are enemies of justice. They are enemies of progress. They lend validity to our oppressors. They make excuses for wicked behavior. They are the absolute worst and I can't stand these motherfuckers.

I mean what more do we need to see? We've seen corrupt officers attack children, attack the elderly, attack the disabled, attack the homeless, murder innocent people, and engage in some of the most heinous acts one could conceive. We've seen officers riding through neighborhoods in hummers in full military gear armed with weapons of war as if they are soldiers of fortune in some action film. We've seen them completely disregard the civil and constitutional rights of the citizens they are supposed to be serving and protecting. We've seen them almost gleefully engage in such behavior without any fear of repercussion.

Yet despite this, you still have people attempting to justify or dismiss corrupt behavior. You still have people who pretend that there isn't a problem with policing in America. You still have elected officials who act as if it's just a case of a "few bad apples" and not a nationwide systemic issue. If you are one of these people I hope you realize that you are a huge part of the problem. I hope you realize that you set us all back. I hope you realize that you cripple the efforts of those who are genuinely trying to make things better.

It's hard not to say "Fuck you" to you gaslighting apologists who continue aiding and abetting corrupt law enforcement. So I'll say it. Fuck you. Every last one of you. You do a disservice to the public. You do a disservice to the average citizen. You even do a disservice to law enforcement officers who may not be corrupt. You're in the way. You're holding us back. Your gaslighting fuckery makes all of this shit possible and I want all of you to know how I really feel.

I feel a little better now. Thanks for reading.

You know what to do next. Follow the blog. Follow your brother on Twitter @DocSinn. Support The Pavement on Patron (https://patron.podbean.com/pavementmedia). Oh and the Podcast starts next month so follow that too(https://pavementmedia.podbean.com). One love sisters, brothers, and kinfolk.

The Mueller Report: An Aura of Ambiguity

Good afternoon family.

So unless you've been living under a rock you are aware that a redacted version of the Mueller report has been made public today. Pundits, journalists, news anchors, bloggers, and everyone with even a passing interest in politics has been buzzing about it all day. While I'm still reading it I must express that I'm dealing with a couple of sizable issues in regards to the report. Chief among these issues is that Robert Mueller and his team seem to have clearly gone out of their way to create an aura of ambiguity. After two years of investigation we get neither a full indictment nor complete exoneration. Instead we're getting this hazy kind of "We're not prepared to implicate or exonerate" narrative(at least that's my take).

That shit gets on my nerves if I'm to be honest. Maybe it's just me(and I'm fully willing to admit that it just might be) but after two years I think the public deserves some definitive answers. I mean if you want to say that Mueller's team felt they couldn't prove criminal conspiracy fine. That's a pretty high bar and you're probably going to need a smoking gun if you're going to make a charge like that stick. But just based off of what I've read it should be easy(again a least to me) to make a case for obstruction of justice. In fact much of the language in what I've read all but implicates that Trump himself attempted to obstruct justice. But instead of taking a clear stance Mueller seemed to deliberately back away from making a formal statement. I have no idea why.

So what this does is it creates more chaos, creates more questions than answers, and leaves the door wide open for random interpretation. Trump and his cohorts are claiming victory even though the report doesn't even come close to exonerating him. Worst of all, this all but assures that absolutely nothing is going to happen. Without any type of definitive language that implicates Trump committed a crime he and the rest of those grimey pieces of trash he runs with are going to skate. Democrats have already shown they're too shook to challenge Trump. Republicans have basically become Trump's bitches (yeah I said it) so they're obviously not going to do anything. So what we'll get is a week (maybe two) of victory laps from Trump sychophants on the right and conspiracy theories on the left.  But what we absolutely will NOT get is Trump and his criminal cohorts being held accountable or brought to justice.

So with that I'm going to take my time as I read this report. Because nothing is going to come of this and I think everyone deep down knows it. The democrats are too weak. The republicans are owned by Trump have no will of their own. This time next month almost no one will be talking about this (I'd absolutely LOVE to be wrong though). Which is a shame. Because based just on what I've read so far the truth is right there. But so far it seems Mueller and his squad are reluctant at best to stand on it.

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Now Is Not The Time For Tears

I told myself not to watch the recent segment between Anderson Cooper and Van Jones as they spoke about President Trump's deeply offensive and completely tone deaf press conference after the events in Charlottesville, VA.  I went out of my way not to watch it as it aired.  But today I watched it, against my better judgment.  I found myself frustrated and somewhat angry(as I knew I would be).  The thing is though, I was frustrated with Van Jones.

Let me explain.  Donald Trump is a repugnant human being who is completely unfit to be POTUS.  I've said this many times.  We've known this for a long time.  So his statements regarding what occurred in Charlottesville and his attempts to "blame all sides" for the violence that occurred and resulted in the death of a young woman came as no shock to me whatsoever.  Trump is garbage.  That's what garbage does.  But during that segment with Anderson Cooper, as he spoke I found myself very frustrated with Van Jones.  Specifically, I was frustrated with the tears.  As I listened to him I was overwhelmed with the thought "What the fuck are you crying for?".

Please don't misunderstand me.  Racism hurts.  Being hated hurts.  Being marginalized hurts.  I understand that.  I also don't believe Jones is less of a man or a human being for crying.  There is nothing wrong with a man shedding tears when he is in pain.  Sometimes we all must cry.  That said, now is not the time for tears.  White supremacists and Nazis have been emboldened and are aggressively seeking to push their agenda.  They have the open support of a bigoted, narcissistic POTUS who they have rallied behind.  We don't need tears right now.  We need strength.  We need courage.  We need to find the will to resist these people.

We need brothers like Van Jones, who have the visibility and platform to be heard by many, to speak with conviction.  To speak the truth to power.  We have been shedding tears for centuries.  Our tears have not moved our enemies one bit.  Our tears have not melted the hearts of our oppressors at all.  We have cried an ocean of tears and it hasn't changed the hearts who would crush us under the heel of their boots.  We need this strength and conviction right now.  We're going to have to lean on each other a lot in the coming days, months, and years.  We must steel ourselves.

There will be a time for us to shed our tears.  To release our emotion.  To nurse our wounds and to deal with our hurt.  To come together and let go.  To hug each other and cry it out.  But now is not that time.  No disrespect to the Brother Van Jones.  I simply believe now is not the time to be on television crying and acting shocked that Donald Trump is being who he has always shown himself to be.  We will have our time to cry.  Now is not it.   Thank you for reading.

Love, Honor, Respect, Protect

This message is for my brothers.  As a Black man I think that it is important that every so often I remind my brothers of this message.  It is one we need to hear and one we far too often forget.  It is a simple message really.  Yet as I age I'm learning that the simple messages are often the most profound.

Black men.  We have a duty to love, honor, respect, and protect the Black woman and the Black family.  We have a duty to our children.  We have a duty to our communities.  We have a duty to our sisters. It is an important obligation.  It is one of the staples of being a Black man.  We have an enormous responsibility.  It is not always easy.  In fact, it is often difficult.  But as Black men we must rise to the occasion.  Our sons are depending on us.  Our daughters are depending on us.  Our women are depending on us.  Our communities are depending on us.  We simply cannot let them down.

It is unfortunate that many of us are failing to uphold these important tenets.  Love, honor, respect, and protect.  Our women feel oppressed by many of us because far too many of us have mistreated them and not upheld the tenet of respect.  They don't feel safe with us because we've collectively failed to protect them.  In fact, many of our women live in abject fear of us and some of us have become predators in our own homes and communities. Many of our LGBTQ family see us as no different than the white oppressors we face as well.  This is because we greet them with the same hatred, bigotry, and contempt that the white man greets us with.  In this, we have forgotten the tenet of love.  With this behavior we bring dishonor to the Black family.  This cannot and must not continue.

Now this not an attack on my brothers.  This is not meant to shame us or belittle us.  Nor is this meant to make us the avatars for all things that ail the community.  This is a simple call to action. As Black men we are hated.  Despised.  Maligned.  Disrespected.  Oppressed.  I understand this.  As with most brothers, I've lived this.  But we cannot allow this truth, however terrible it may be, to be an excuse for why we  continually fail our women and our families. We are Black men.  We have a duty and an obligation.  We must rise above it. Simply put, we must do better. 

As I said above, this is a simple call to action.  No one ever said being a Black man in America was easy.  But my brothers we need to come correct.  Because too much is riding on this.  Our families need us.  We need to stand by our sisters.  Support them.  Respect them.  Love them.  Honor them.  We need to raise proud sons and daughters.  We need to stop ostracizing our LGBTQ family and behaving like our European oppressors.  We need to hold our brothers who are failing accountable.  We need to decisively deal with those predatory brothers in our community. 

It's not easy, no.  In many ways being a Black man is the most challenging thing you'll ever do.  But you, I, we....we owe it to ourselves and our community.  Love. Honor.  Respect.  Protect.  Don't ever forget these tenets my brothers.  They are the foundation which our community is built on. 

Thanks for reading.
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A Very Uncomfortable Truth

I've often heard folks ask the question "Why do Americans vote against their own interest?".  On the surface it seems like a legitimate question.  American voters tend to consistently vote against their own well being.  They seem almost eager to shoot themselves in the foot and employ politicians who couldn't care less about their needs.  Even when it's obvious that the policies and positions many politicians hold are detrimental to them, by and large American voters still eagerly and often aggressively support those who basically care nothing for them. 

Now the prevailing mindset is that many American voters are simply ignorant.  I admit there is some truth to that statement.  Many Americans are clueless as to how government works. Few take the time to examine the platforms and history of the candidates they support.  Few research.  Many simply vote down party lines. They subscribe to partisan rhetoric and nonsense and eagerly carry water for their party of choice.  So it's easy to see how people arrive at solely at ignorance.

Lately though I've been thinking.  I have a additional theory.  One that leads me to a very uncomfortable truth.  I submit that many Americans AREN'T voting against their own interest.  That many of them are aware of exactly what they are doing.  That many of them go in with eyes wide open when they place certain individuals into positions of power.  It doesn't make sense until you consider one simple truth: That many Americans are completely invested in systemic white supremacy and that is where their interests lie.

Think about it for a moment.  It's often why many Americans vote the way they do.  It's why they gleefully vote for individuals who wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.  Many Americans seem more than willing(almost eager) to suffer if it means marginalized people will suffer more.  It's why despite struggling they'll vote for politicians who consistently rob the poor and give to the rich.  It's why they vote for politicians who wipe their asses with the Constitution and consistently violate their rights. They'll gladly give up every right they possess if it means marginalized people remain subjugated.  As long as they have someone to look down on they can feel good about themselves.  They are voting for systemic white supremacy...and they know it.

They aren't voting for equal opportunity.  They aren't voting for clean air or water.  They aren't voting for education.  They aren't voting to keep our streets safe.  They are voting for systemic white supremacy. It's why they'll support a politician who cuts funding for public assistance but supports using tax dollars for a border wall.  It's why on one hand they'll claim they support religious freedom and in the next breath support a ban on Muslims.  It's why they claim to resist government tyranny but applaud (or look for excuses) when agents of the state kill innocent Black civilians.  They are voting for the bigotry that exists in their hearts, made manifest in government.

Lyndon Johnson said that "if you can convince the cheapest white man that he's better than the best Black man he wont notice you picking his pocket.  In fact, give him someone to look down on and he'll empty his pockets for you".  It was true then, it's true now.  Many Americans aren't voting against their interests.  They know what they want and they are willing to suffer to get it.  Sisters and brothers, that should disturb every last one of us.  Thanks for reading

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Relentless Pursuit of Fame And Wealth Can Actually Kill Your Dreams

 I firmly believe that everyone dreams.  Everyone has something that they want to do.  Everyone has something that they are innately drawn to.  Something that drives them.  That inspires them.  Something that they live for and work towards.  Something they are innately gifted at and want to pursue.  Even if those dreams have been deferred (as they sadly often are) or abandoned for whatever reason, I believe that dreams are the fire that burns in the soul of every sister and brother who walks this earth.

We often encourage people to follow their dreams.  To pursue their passions.  We tell those who we have love for to believe in themselves.  We encourage our children to dream big.  We tell them they can do whatever their heart desires.  We push them to follow their dreams wherever those dreams might take them.  We tell them that if they work hard and never give up their dreams most definitely can come true.

Unfortunately we live in a society that can rob you of you passion.  A society that can crush your will.  A society than can (and often will) hamper and arrest your ability to succeed.  Whether it's negativity from hateful individuals or adversities that seem insurmountable, we live in a world that will choke the life from your dreams. Ours is a society of dream killers.  It is a sad truth. One such dream killer though is one that we often don't talk about.  This killer in particular is largely one of our own creation.  That killer is the relentless pursuit of wealth and fame

Here is what I mean.  When we think of fulfilling our dreams we almost always think in terms of money and fame.  We define our success by how much we gain financially .  It almost instantly sets us up for frustration and failure.  If we aren't rich and famous or on our way to being rich and famous then it's difficult for us to see success.  Rich and famous is almost always the end game.  Because we funnel our dreams through what capitalism deems as success we often find ourselves distraught, angry, and frustrated.  Especially when the pursuit of our dreams doesn't instantly translate into wealth and notoriety.

What's sad is that even when we demonstrate brilliance and mastery we still often don't feel fulfilled or successful.  No matter how proficient we are at what we do, how dedicated we are to our dreams, or how knowledgeable and skilled we become.  It's why gifted individuals often feel like failures no matter how good they are at what they set out to accomplish.  A singer could bring down the heavens with her majestic voice.  An artist could create a masterpiece with his brush or pencil.  A writer could stir the souls of everyone who reads their work.  But if they aren't rich the prevailing mindset is that they aren't successful. Because of this many of them give up.

Now please don't misunderstand me.  I'm not at all saying we shouldn't pursue financial success or that financial success is not important. Not in the least.  We should all look to feather our nests and strive to improve our economic situation.  There is also nothing wrong with using your skills and gifts to enrich your life. Also I want to point out that EVERYONE DESERVES COMPENSATION FOR THEIR WORK(caps for emphasis).  I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about that. Get your bread up.  There is nothing wrong with that and nothing wrong with pursuing that. I simply want people to understand that you are not a failure because you aren't rich or famous.  These things do not define you.

In the end what I'm saying is don't let the pursuit of fame or wealth kill your dreams.  Because it can and it will if you let it.  We all want to be recognized and we all want to live well.  That said, you are no less the person you are because you aren't famous or fabulously wealthy.  You are no less gifted or talented.  Don't funnel the fulfillment of your dreams through fame and finance. That my friends, is a short road to unhappiness.  Thanks for reading.

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100 Days of Failure and Foolishness

The first 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency is pretty much what we all expected from him.  Of course when I say "we" I mean those with common sense who have not buried their heads in the sand and committed themselves to defending Trump no matter what.  I mean those who are willing to objectively look at his presidency.  It's pretty obvious to anyone with eyes that Trump's first 100 days has been a clowned filled circus.  No one should be surprised of course.  I mean we knew going in that Trump was ill equipped to be POTUS.  Still, it's worth noting for those that continue to pretend that we aren't seeing what we are seeing that Trump's presidency is the abject train wreck we all knew it would be.

Trump's first 100 days has been nothing but failure and foolishness.  His only significant accomplishment(if you can call it that) is using the "mother of all bombs" to blow up some tunnels in Afghanistan.  I mean we can talk about the fact that his approval rating is abysmal.  We can talk about the fact that he is currently under investigation by the FBI.  We can talk about how the courts blocked his bigoted and unconstitutional travel bans not once but twice.  Or we can talk about the fact that even with the GOP holding the house and the senate Trump was unable to rally enough support to dismantle and repeal the ACA.  This after conservatives spent the better part of the last decade demonizing it and making it's repeal their signature platform.

Even Trump is aware of how bad his first days in office have been.  He recently tweeted that the 100 day milestone was ridiculous and that no matter what he accomplished the media would attack him.  Now as we all know Trump has a very tenuous relationship with the truth and will quickly take to Twitter to protect his fragile image.  He clearly is aware that his first 100 days has been disastrous and that folks would rightfully be calling him to the carpet.  Too bad he doesn't care enough to get his act together.

Here what's really sad(and a bit pathetic) about all this.  Despite all of this, his diehard supporters DON'T CARE.  They don't care that Trump is a pathological liar who seems completely clueless on how to govern.  They don't care that Trump has been one embarrassing failure after the next.  They don't care how the US looks on the world stage.  They don't care that his cabinet is a dysfunctional mess.  They don't care about any of that.  As I said in another piece Trump's followers would happily follow him into hell, gleefully wearing gasoline underwear.

The first 100 days of any presidency is supposed set the pace, tone, and standard for the remainder of the term.  If that's true, we're in for some serious shit over the next three and half years.  Donald Trump is a joke absent a punchline.  His presidency is an embarrassment.  His first 100 days have been rife with failure, foolishness, and general fuckery. 

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