THE COMPLACENCY FACTOR

"As Bernie Sanders would say, "Let me explain to you how we got here". The problem with the NY Primaries is that what occurred is the Law and a common voting practice. No one looked deeply into this issue or even took up the mantle to question it because overall the Independent vote never mattered. There is a historical backdrop as to why this is so, but like all subject matters, no one wants to hear the History. Speaking about Current Events, only Independents know this and not until a REAL and LEGIT Independent candidate became a reality that it mattered. And like all things American, they work up too late to watch two warring Political Parties whom they have all disassociated themselves from as a form of Political Righteousness and Protest, make a decision for the candidate of their choice.

PRIVILEGED AND THE BLIND MAN

 There is no difference between the Privileged and a Blind man eating steak, for no matter how savory, succulent and tasty the meal is, the blind man will never see how the meat is a product of slaughter and butchery. Neither will see this reality upon the first bite nor will either one care. The only interest would be to thank the chef for the time and dedication for its proper preparation. 

 There are many examples of repealed and non-government regulation and its effect on people, communities, society, Nations. The examples exits but are not in the public eye because if it were, Americans would question its principles and morality. The very fact that our private sector is dancing around the World looking for nations to exploit to the level of “pennies per slave” just so that they don’t have to pay Americans a decent wage, benefits for top executives and maintaining a system of trading imaginary capital and empty financial trades is and should be reason enough to stand up and support more Government (People) intervention.  But to do that, you might have to slightly consider the fact that people might have common sense to pay attention to the details.

We can name random countries different in structure and ideology as confusing  and  possessing  corrupt aspects of government, socialist, terrorist or just evil in comparison  with our nation’s Republic  structure; Republicanism at its core, and we can embrace a “free market” with its self-appointed superiority above the principles of equal barter and trade when in truth, it exploits people just as cruelly and effectively as any corrupt system of apartheid, skewed theocracy or terrorist society. An inherited mark placed back upon the World inked deep by Cain's legacy for deviating from his humanity.

Cuba, pre-Castro, and its economics is a prime example as well as many Pacific and Malaysian  Islands, South American, African and Asian nations where America and the Western World exploited people for cheap labor with zero regulations. Once done, they all left those countries devastated, war torn, resource drained and desolate. The economic practices on the surface flourished and looked good on the reflective side of the mirror but in every society that had been done, the division of wealthy to poor increased tenfold. Why? Because you cannot have a growing free market where everyone is a winner and in a capitalist society to maintain this, you will need to have a significant number of have-nots to control, to bottom feed just enough to be used as hors d'œuvre and simple appetizers. What keeps all the people from becoming completely indentured are government regulations. Historically it is because of this that American slaves were freed, children emancipated from sweatshops as well as women, immigrants and migrant workers given protection and an established legal retirement age for the elderly from being exploited into their graves was instituted.

We live in a world of “assumed” privilege where the illusion of “working hard” is greatly rewarded.  Only now are Americans seeing that what they thought was the American Dream is just that … a REM induced dream as deep in mythology as Dante's decent into the Inferno.  It is only when we agreed to fall asleep did we dream of a reality where waking up to a world that is either living to be the exploiter or being the exploited was real. Unfortunately, the rest of the World is wide awake and beginning to catch up to exploit us right back with vengeance, retaliation and purpose (i.e. China, the Middle-east, the European Union, Brazil, Russia). You can thank the Bush years for this accelerated evolution and Obama for setting the alarm clock to get up.

RWANDAN TEARS

In a sea of faces
the untrained eye would blur
but in war torn Rwanda it’s a fight of the races.
Staring at thousands of pictures like a voyeur
it’s all that life has to offer
when looking through the unknowns in a parental posture.

Babies, just babies they are
ripped away and separated by bloodshed and fire.
From hills and arid lands near and far
Some held behind camp fences made from barbed wire
and still others
recruited by force to become mercenaries for heir.

Mothers plead and cry
in African chants and maternal care
praying to the Creator for theirs not to die
or not to be one of the many in the cold lonely air
where the wild had feast
and their small remains baking in a violent sun's glare.

Aunts and uncles share in the pursuit
as well as in the lost.
Generations corrupted by the future commute
across a nation at both spiritual and personal cost.
A task that will be done
in order to find their loved ones before a Death's chilling frost.

"No war in Africa was started by an African".


Rwandan Tears by Shazza Nakim
Copyright © by Peace of Mind Publishings and with permission by Shazza Nakim

THE BODY AMERICA

“Thank you for taking the time to talk with me last week. Unfortunately, we decided to go in a different direction for this position. I was very impressed with your skill set and attitude, but I believe that the position is far below your experience level. Best of luck in your search.

Regards,

XXXX”

This was the end result of an interview for a Contract to set up a New Business. Without going into the "private" details and Name Dropping of the company, the gentleman who contacted me looking for someone to assist him in this opportunity to Start-Up this financial group, the type of company that I have extensive experience and contacts in doing. The gentleman sat quietly on the phone while I detailed my experience and commitment for not only doing the Right thing but my unique ability to be Forward Thinking and Pro-Active for making sure that any costly issues are addressed before it happens and still keep COSTS under budget. Assuring that when it comes to my experience and background I have references that lists a whos who in the the Industry; Financial, Government, Community and past clients of HIGH REGARDS of my work. I then ended the Interview with the gentleman saying, “I will call you next week and we will talk some more”. One week later, I had to call him and left a Voice Mail. The next day, I get an e-mailed, the aforementioned.

Now this might not be a big deal for most people, for some, it would be part of the reality of a broken economy in America but for me, it is different. As a person who can handle rejection, (as a Black Man in the United States, its pretty much coded in our DNA) I get responses like this ALL THE TIME. I have lost count on the number of times when a person's perception of me changes from phone Interview or Paper to meeting in Person. Once seen by people for interviews and they see the nature of my Being and the nature of my background and professionalism, due it tone and tenor, the interest changes. I have been told, “You might come off TOO stiff or TOO serious and that might bother some people”. I use to take that into consideration when I’d get comments back from interviewers such as, “What we are looking for are people who will FIT into what we have.” I would passively let that wash over me when I began to ask, “Well what do you mean by FIT? or “Explain to me what your group is looking for so I can get an understanding about what your Group is like and the piece you are looking for me to FIT into?” Doing that, I was seen as being "Aggressive" and "Confrontational" when simply I was asking to "Define" what my lack of FIT was to them. If I entered into the Interview smiling and bubbly, I appeared "Phony" and "Untrustworthy". So I quickly went back to what I know best, Being Me, Being Honest, Being True, Being Black since I can't be anything else but.

I put emphasis on the last statement not because of some false sense of RACIAL pride or blind faith in evidence not seen, I do it because I have the knowledge and understanding of who I am and of my place in America. I also realize that America is at its temper tantrum stage in development and is fighting to understand the CHANGES within its BODY. This is a simple concept to follow but I know many people, specifically American WHITE folk, won’t get it. In conversation and in speaking engagements I describe where I am and how people like myself fit into what I call , "THE BODY AMERICA".

Imagine if you came from another planet and you wanted to know what the make up of the United States consisted of. After you give a “brief"" History of the United States, its economics, its social and religious growth, history and its politics, you then would be asked about its PEOPLE. I would then step forward and break it down like this;

"If you want to know what is the Body America, break Her down in three parts, her Soul, her Spirit and her Mind. America’s Spirit is her Native American People. Where they are, how they subsist and ultimately their social conditions because as People, they are tied to their LAND thus they become the essence of America’s Soul. To kill or diminish Her Soul; you open the door to a Darkness that is capable of doing any and EVERYTHING. Even to Herself.

Her Spirit comes from her Black People. Its creativity, its intuitivism, Her mood and optimism, its facility to come back from atrocity and depravity and still have LOVE for its ideals, they are the heart and RESPECT and interest in the WHOLE Body, Her Black People call for salvation by reminding Her of the void developed by Her PAST deeds and maintains the promise to NOT turn away from it. Her Black People live to Love Her even when she does not always LOVE back.

America’s Mind is Her White People, the Majority, the Power, the Shakers, the Movers, the Managers, the Actors but unfortunately not too bright as Her Thinker; more so She is a Runner and prides Herself as the one which only "REACTS". As the reactor, She often does not look back upon all Her actions and deeds or skips over the DETAILS. Seen only as sitting at the head of the Boardroom, The Mind’s only responsibility is to be “The Decider”, deciding on matters that may feed its Body but rarely, if ever, it’s Soul. "

Now this may seem like HATE LANGUAGE or RACIST, but then again if you enter into this breakdown with a closed mind or have MADE UP YOUR MIND in advanced and are not looking to see beyond a particular perspective prior to reading this, then it is. BUT if you take a moment to hear me out, you will see that I am very PATRIOTIC and a person of Spirit.

Whenever Black and Brown folk bring up the fact that WHITES are the majority in the United States, the hairs on White folk’s necks rise up in anticipation for personal or a racial attack but it is FACT. As the Majority, it is rare if ever Minority issues are considered. Being such as it is, the opportunities of the Majority are shared by all; being Shakers, Movers, Managers and the one’s that do the THINKING – One Thought, One Mind, only One Perception for One Reality. As rule, this has been the very FOUNDATION of the Body America.

Now look at Her today, Native Americans are non-existent in the fabric of America. If a person were to walk the streets without a SOUL, what would you experience? Black Americans are beaten down and beaten back and even ATTACKED for its Spirit, now imagine someone walking down the street without any Spirit? Now imagine a person walking down the street without pause or hesitation randomly doing without purpose or constantly reacting without thinking? Now take all of the above and combined them into one BODY and what would you have? That BODY would be Deaf, Dumb, Depressed, Angry and Dangerous to its SELF and others. This is the Body America, which too often is the acceptable vision and aspiration for its people.

When the Mind does not listen to the Body, there is a disconnect that places the totality of its existence in a state of Slow Burn. This means that the BODY, although shining brightly, its shine shrink and dwindle into nothing. That individual spark that brought about the birth of Democracy with all its freedoms in individuality, religion, law and expression, with the Mind’s ignoring of the Soul and Spirit, this Nation has unfortunately evolved into a Majoritarian Authority, turning what was simple into a Peoples’ Government sacrificed on the Alter of Democracy. More so, the Imperial Bubble this Nation exists in is simply that of a room full of like minded Bodies that collectively reacts to the gun without understanding that if the “heart” cannot handle the drive and the “spirit” isn’t willing, the grand strategy and goal to get to the finish line will ultimately fall short and the RACE to be number ONE will be nothing more than tales of nostalgia told to grandchildren who are more interested in Today than Yesterday.

It is accepted that the “soul’ is the foundation for LIFE and the “spirit” the FIRE that drives the body. Both are so fixed in their connection to each other that when one tries to break the two, separate the two, divide it from the fine line that bonds them together, you plan to create a void, a hole that must be filled. Too often what the Mind uses as filler for the gap created often are artificial elements that infect and grow into a cancer. Like cancers, they are very insidious as it breaks down the natural order of the BODY. Cancer slows down and ages the body, the Body is broken down and it quickly burns itself out, like a slow burning candle. A Mind that is on the run, a Body that only “reacts” and limits its ability to see and or seek the aid needed to heal will eventual stop and die. And yet we also know that in turning to one’s SPIRIT, we can heal Bodily illnesses by drawing on its SOUL. Unfortunately the Body America never looks back or even considers the details even when the solution is natural.

“Unfortunately, we decided to go in a different direction for this position.”

What direction is that? Backwards? Side ways? Down? It can’t be forwards because you had found someone that has all of the core elements you were looking for and THEN SOME. That is ‘if” you are truly looking for someone to assist you in STARING up your company for forward momentum.

“ I was very impressed with your skill set and attitude, but I believe that the position is far below your experience level.”

Impressed so much that you are willing to NOT bring in a talented and or solid professional into the fold to create success and presences in the field you desperately need help in. And then there is the “far below your experience level”, which by it’s sentence structure is an insult. One does not understand that when you use this PHRASE you in essence say, “I look at YOU, I ignore YOU, I laugh at YOU, I fight YOU, and then I WIN over you.”

It is in this Mind, this practice, the REACTION of the Body America, a Nation misses out on the Spirit and the Soul of America and adds further to diminish it. When you look at other societies, they see the examples in America’s Soul and they see America’s Spirit and they make NOTE not to make the same mistakes in ignoring it. If anything, they embrace and invite it into their social make up. This is the primary reason why the International Position of America to LEAD the World is slipping on all levels. We ask why Nations such as China, India, Brazil, London, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Germany even Canada have crept up behind and tapped the Body America on the shoulder and said “ Either Lead, Follow or Get Out of The Way.”

Like all things included in Liberation Theology, we cannot expect an individual, a group, a Peoples or a Nation to grow unless you can accept that like nature, it has to evolve, it has to CHANGE. America is now moving into the adolescence of it existence on the Planet. It can no longer afford to live like a Child Nation in a World of Adults and Elders. We all have a purpose in life, some are here to Do great things, some to Be great things, and still others are here to act as "Guides and Guardians". When a Nation in its REACTION cannot turn just enough to realize that it has forgotten its Guides and Guardians, you will soon find that every Person or as I’d like to say, “Every Cell” in the Body America will be told:

“Unfortunately, we decided to go in a different direction for this position.”

Signed,
THE WORLD

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

There is one thing about being inspired. There is another thing about being inspired for a purpose of doing. Today was one of those days. A day for Doing. I often remind Black folk that our work is not done. Like any job or career pursuit, one does not go into it with just working for that day and then coasting on a days profit. There is  a point in one’s life when we have to choose between what is RIGHT and what is EASY. Today was a day for choosing what is RIGHT.

Twenty-four hours after the damning decision that cast cold stones into the hearts of the Bell family, a community gathered to express that although you were blindsided by the legal system, your community has your back and will not allow New York City, the State, a Country and quite possibly the World to witness how the NYPD and the New York City Justice System to create a separate Black or Brown rule. The role we all will play isn’t that of Revenge or Reretribution but of LOVE; a Love for keeping children alive. The community has decided that Black and Brown children are not and will no longer be defined as Collateral Damage as part of the rule of Over Policing without Accountability.

Policing is never the issue when talking about a community. Communities want Policing and look to law enforcement as part of keeping rule in a Nation of Laws, but the cancer that has grown, maturated and expanded has inflicted deadly damage to Black Families in great numbers and the only people who are most concerned are Black folk. Today’s rally is a reaffirmation that the NYPD and New York City will no longer get a pass. Every death will be deal with a series of political assaults, economic shut downs and civil disobedience. A declaration of commitment from Religious, Social and Community Groups and individuals were signed and a public understanding that sacrifices will need to be made for the many who walk the streets Disconnected from the reality that WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE to save the children of tomorrow.

“April 25, 2008, they killed Sean all over again. I’m still praying for justice, because this is far from over. Every march, every protest, every rally, I’m going to be right up front.”, said Paultre Bell. This is what the public will hear as the universal sound bite, which will be looped over, and over for days to come and as so, forgotten by the media and public often does. What the rest of the world needed to know were the words that followed:

“I may have broken down, but I'm OK. I was bent, but I’m not broken.” she assured the Ralliers, and with those words, the tears flowed throughout the hall.

Valerie Bell, the mother of Sean Bell spoke, “I didn’t go through labor pains with my son because he was born C-section. But on Nov. 25, 2006, that’s when my labor pains started. The pains that come with bringing life into the World. When a mother looses a child to violence or any kind of loss, she experiences those pains all over again. I felt my labor pains then.”, as she explains while holding her stomach.

Through out the rally, Rev. Al Sharpton and the families detailed and answered why it was important and necessary for the methodology before the trail and to the day as well as where the Community goes next. We learned how Youth organizations are helping, partnering and not being absorbed but given free reign to develop their own strategies to enforce change in the community. With emphasis on Non-Violent Disobedience, part of the rally was making it a matter of letting those who plan to participate, understand that people talk about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but people don’t understand him. So as part of the lesson of demanding Massive Civil Rights, we have to look back in history. Highlighted was the legal decision, which lead to the Dred Scott Decision of 1857 where Courts decided that there were no Black Rights that any White was bound to Respect. If you understand the nature of that 1857 decision and how the argument to support that law was applicable to the justification that Justice Arthur J. Cooperman gave as to why the NYPD aren’t responsible for taking innocent life and the reason why obsessive force was merited in the Sean Bell case, the decision sends a message that there is a DIFFERENCE between Black lives and White lives. Black Justice and White Justice. That we value the lives of "caged animals" in zoos more than the freedoms of innocent Black American citizens.

So all the while Black and Brown people were meeting peacefully, the City of New York is pumping millions of dollars beefing up patrols, having armed guards standing outside the homes of the attorneys and offices involved in the shooting, and having helicopters flying over Judge Cooperman’s house and while this happening, in a Peaceful Rally we are discussing meetings with the Attorney General and meeting with Representative John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. So we all sit back and call to our Faith in GOD to give a clear path for Righting a WRONG and in “fear”, the NYPD cling to tax payer dollars to beef up against an enemy that doesn't exist. Clueless in understanding how all the training and military style conditioning has no purpose against a Peaceful people. So what do they do NEXT?

Calling upon biblical text, Rev. Al Sharpton tells stories or in this case, gives examples of what we will all face as people demanding JUSTICE, the rules by which the agents against positive change will use. How the rules change for those that question when the game all of a sudden is skewed against Black folk when their fairness is written out. How there will be times when those dressed to protect will test you by agitation and ridicule, but if you are in the know, if you know the truth in your objective, you can overcome it all without screaming or physical violence. The law is the LAW and Black folk will inquire, challenge, change and keep LAW. That is how it was. How it is and how it will always be because when you rest, somehow, some way, we can go from 2008 to 1875 in the time it takes to send off 50 rounds of bullets.

“It has always been a struggle to keep young men alive when the “wicked” are in change. You can find this in the Old Testament with Abraham, in the New Testament with Jesus and throughout history. Sean Bell was a good YOUNG man and what happened to him was wicked.”, spoken by Rev. Al Sharpton.

So now the commitment begins and from a cross section of Black and Brown New Yorkers are and have made the commitment. Now that Black folk have made the pledge to save Black Babies, it is only a matter of time before Asian, Foreign born as well as other People of Color will come along and JOIN once they realize that their children are next and need equal protect.

SPITZER'S SHAME BLAME AND A WOMAN'S FAME

I don’t have a very close relationship with my Mother. I mean I do have a connection with her. We talk and laugh; I am concern for her health and her peace of mind. Did I tell you we laugh? I can make her laugh in a heartbeat. All I need to do is remind her of my childhood escapades and the tears of joy and embarrassment will fall. She loves those moments. My mother loves our conversations about politics. You don’t want to get into a debate on Politics with her. At times I am held at bay and I have made Politics and Community part of my life. My mother’s history and experiences in the 1960’s makes her a wealth of knowledge and I think because of that, we connect on a cerebral level  and yet I feel that my Mother is more of a friend than anything else. If I had to analyze the reasons, it would most likely be due to my independent spirit. Compared to my younger siblings (me being the oldest), I never was a needy person, even for parents. Since 13 years old, I have worked, traveled, explored the World around me and when I would return home, it was understood that I was just being me having my space and privacy. My siblings seemed to need more of my parent’s attention and for me; I never wanted that type of attention.

Recently I spent some quality time with my Mother. I have noticed that there is a significant change in our relationship. It’s more “personal”. From what I am sensing, it’s more of an acceptance of getting old, the journey into the ending of one’s life and making the proper spiritual acknowledgment of it. Then there is me, the oldest, the one child that was there first, born and independent enough to be Son, Friend and Private.

Recently we walked and talked while doing our traditional exchanging of life stories when my Mother decided to tell me something very private. A family secret that she felt I was old enough to handle and accept. The news was unsettling and yet I wished that I was told the story years earlier but in my Mother’s collective wisdom, she may have been correct. Only GOD knows if she was right but in the event of that moment, my Mother asked, “Do you now understand?” I did and I assured her that I did but only on the surface. Deep down I struggled with this newfound information about my family and then I thought about how it wasn’t so much the information but the denial of that information for so long.

Several days later I see New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer standing before the press apologizing for his indiscretions with a prostitute. Now it wasn’t that he was standing before me looking POLITICALLY DUMB nor was it major news since in the past 2 years SEX SCANDALS were common place so one more politician getting his SEX on was old News. Also, when the breaking News prior was how the American Water system is contaminated with pharmaceutical drugs and hours later we are talking about BLOW JOBS, I am initially suspect about the timing, especially since WATER is Humanity's Lifeline. Then I heard asked from a woman Reporter that dreded question, “Why would Eliot Spitzer’s wife stay with him after what he’s done to her?”

I then gave long pause to her question of Mrs. Spitzer’s commitment to her husband and vows. I also recall that very same question asked of NJ’s Gov. McGreevey, NBA Player Kobe Bryant, President Bill Clinton, Comedian and Educator Bill Cosby and Sen. Larry “Wide Stance” Craig wives. I look back at all the comments and conversations surrounding the women of these men and what stood out the most were the comments from other Women. I found that Women are harder on other Women than Men and overall the uber ruthlessness sex of a society to condemn a relationship of sexual impropriety, a force often moved by the Women of society; especial if that relationship is tied to Money, Power and Influence.

As I flip the channel looking for follow up stories on the chemical poisoning of America’s drinking water, I get stories of how sad it is for the wife and children to go through THIS. The “THIS”, meaning a husband that is having SEX outside of the marriage. A common refrain, CHEATING, within relationships, is an act documented around the World and throughout History. The AFFAIR, just in American society alone, is a multi-billion dollar industry for entertainment's movie, television, talk shows, print media and song. It is the type of drama that jump starts our passions and pulsates the blood into overdrive. I am counting the days before I see advertised on a "girlfriend" couch session with Oprah Winfrey or a Barbra Walters special, both women jockeying on who can pull down the most tears for that exclusive with Silder Spitzer as she pushes her book on how her marriage was a LIE (because America really wants to know how another Woman was victimized by a Man of Power).

The media’s push to get an explosive reaction out of WOMEN, the on record voices of "The Sisterhood of Scorned Womens Club" gathering in Space and Cyber-space, the mounting of the Feminist Movement gathering their forces to trumpet their Independence and Free Will from Men and in my Man's Chair (the beat up old reclining chair) and you have me sitting quietly asking one question, “Isn’t this all a private moment between the Spitzer’s?”

I can speak personally on the subject of a family scorned. I am a survivor of divorce. As much as I hate saying that, it’s the best and only way to state that as a child, my parents separated and went their separate ways, me going with my Mother. Why I dislike saying that I am a survivor is that I never saw myself as a VICTIM.  To say that would mean I was in a state of mind of being helpless; which I wasn’t. I knew then as I know now, I had nothing to do with my parents separation. Sometimes a split can be a good thing, based upon circumstances and yet the seed left in my mind to contemplate is WHAT IF? What if things were different and my parents had stayed together? Would I have been the same person or different? Would my current relations or past relations had been different? As personalities are defined, we are a totality of our past experiences and physical makeup. We can never say we have no Past Experiences; it’s the unhealthy tweaking of those experiences that soft minds, not mature enough to handle those real events of their past, that can play havoc on people unless there is a structured lifestyle to balance it out. Since I had balance, I never felt held back from becoming a "normal", sane and productive individual.

I look at Silder Spitzer and I don’t even care how the media portrayed her as the wounded victim, how “drained” of life and how she looked (which I think is a shallow and weak politically correct way of stating that she is old and beat down looking), shocked and weak or how mentally she has live an illusion of self-determination, how fate has put her in this position, the sadness of being part of the Political Cheaters Club. No, I look at her and say to myself, "How do you address the breakdown in your family?"

It's obvious that the real PROBLEM in Silder Spitzer’s family isn’t the cheating or the prostitutes, but the nature of the MAN, her husband, Eliot Spitzer. It is apparent that his come uppings in Political Power is a HIGH for him, which required a prize for Conquest. The conquest or the quenching of that subjugation of his Power High which for Men is  SEX. Call it an "addiction", call it a "warrior's" ideology, call it just being a MAN, society has shown throughout history, religion, psychology, a ring full of gladiators or the innate nature of mankind, that this is how FIGHTERS are hardwired. Anyone knowing Eliot Spitzer, his background, his many conquests and accomplishments, a man who was on a FAST TRACK to the United States Presidency (with credentials far better than both Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama) is/was a Man of Power. Being the wife of a Man of Power, any woman should know that with Great Power, come Great Ambition and Great Ambition comes Greater Conquests … this including Women (or Boys for those that swing that way). It is no strange term to hear that someone was "Drunk with Power", will rise up too quickly, stubble and fall to soon have their significant other come with aid as the designated drive to bring them home. As the wife, it is her duty to be an enabler of that intoxicated behavior or risk loosing the benefits that come with Power. This is what the average Woman fail to understand and also is equally as hard for them to understand WHY THEY STAY.

My conversation with my Mother that day of sharing family secrets made this point REAL for me. Some people cannot sell their Soul for that type of POWER, to excuse Personal Responsibility and looking forward to teaching lessons of Accountability to her children. Some women can. Silder Spitzer in hindsight knew this although she was always uncomfortable with it. SHE KNEW this could happen. The question is what did she do to PREPARE and what will they do NOW?

It is often known that in matters of infidelity; Women are more forgiving than Men. This is due to how each view SEX in relation to the infidelity and the historical role of the woman in society. Women attach more ownership to emotion and Sex than Men so when an issue of cheating occurs, the most frequent question asked from a woman is, “Did you love her?” It is within the answer that a Women will build the determining “IF” the relationship can be salvaged. This is the real News and the area where most Women are interested in. Those MILIONS of women whom have been scorned by CHEATING Men have their scorecards ready. Some are hoping Silder can get through this affair for the family; others want her to get half. No matter how the Spitzer family resolves this highly publicized issue, the person who will get the most criticism will be the WIFE. Society will split their viewpoint of her being straight down the middle. She will forever be a DUMB VICTIM for staying and honoring her marriage vows by doing the following:

1. Accessing the Damage
2. Communicate (deviling deeper into what was said and not said)
3. Determine what’s missing in the Marriage and making changes (therapy)
4. The Children and what is best for them using the first three steps
4. Forgiveness (in order to move forward)
5. Trust

If Silder decides to Leave then she will be CHAMPIONED into the SHE WOMAN’S HATE MENS CLUB and go on to sell books, do lectures, talk shows, commentary for the next Politician’s Wife who is cheated on, a Victims Tour and just maybe she will RE-INVENT herself and become an individual separate from the embarrassment of Politics and yet she will still maintain the stigmata of a Woman who married for Power and lost it. Damned if you do Damned if you don’t. And to think that this is all about SEX. I know others will argue it’s about integrity, political harmony, the IRS, hypocrisy or maybe a little revenge but take away all the frosting on the issue and it is still about SEX. Politicians aren’t supposed to have SEX … not even with their WIVES. If this is the case Silder Spitzer’s reputation was doomed from the moment she married. Some families can handle this in private, as part of a family secret, some are cursed to live it in the public eye, I can honestly say for me, some family secrets, in a perfect World, can wait until you are ready.

By the way, I am still looking for the NEWS on the contamination of AMERICA’S DRINKING WATER. I haven’t forgotten.

DRINKING SECOND HAND DRUGS

Two weeks ago I was talking about Honey Bees. A week before that I was avoiding getting into yet ANOTHER Beef Recall debate in the United States. Last year I asked people in my community where the CHICKEN from KFC, Church’s Chicken, Wendy’s, McDonalds and Popeye’s came from and if it was part of the poultry that missed the chicken viral check that affected millions of Americans? As my part of informing people that you are what you eat, I stressed the importance of drinking water to flush our bodies daily. Knowing that tap water was suspect and bottle water that much more, I am not too surprised that AMERICAN’S WATER is polluted. What I wasn’t ready for is the over polluting of bio-chemical and pharmaceuticals and how no one was pro-active enough or even cared to TEST for it.

Knowing that when we pass on, our bodies go back to the EARTH, as it should, I know that recently reported in National Geographic, our bodies hold hundreds of toxins collected in our everyday lives. From the dozens of chemicals in body soap, the chemicals in our clothing, the cooking pans that we use, the plastics and coloring holding our food fresh, the artificial and bio-generated ingredients within our food, the exhausts from cars, buses, planes, and the list can go on. With the announcement of pharmaceuticals in our drinking water; tap and bottled, the theme, “THE POISONING AMERICA” even more real.

Just in April of 2006 we had a public report of Benzene in Soft Drinks and how the EPA’s response was simply that the amounts within were acceptable. According to the properties of Benzene and its long-term affects, we find that this chemical in soft drinks is “an organic chemical compound that is a colorless and flammable liquid. The US Department of Health and Human Services classifies benzene as a human carcinogen. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia. It can also damage the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and depress the immune system.”

Also, the EPA’s public response was the following:

Benzene in our drinking water should not exceed 5 parts per billion.

If the levels of benzene exceed 5 ppb, the applicable water company has to notify the public via newspapers, radio, TV and other means. Additional actions, such as providing alternative drinking water supplies, may be required to prevent serious risks to public health.

To Add:

In 1990, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) learned that certain soft drinks marketed to children contain two ingredients that can mix in the soda to form the toxic carcinogen benzene. The Agency didn't tell the public, but instead merely asked companies to voluntarily change their formulas to eliminate the problem.

So this much we know so far. Fast-forward to today and the Breaking News, more chemicals in the water system to add with the Benzene we just got kicked in the head with. These new additives in our tap water are pharmaceutical residue from medicines and medicine cabinets with body aches, infections, anti-biotics, mood stabilizers, seizures, high blood pressure; hormones for menopause; the active ingredient in a popular sedative, depression and caffeine flowing freely. The problem is, it isn’t medical facilities and chemical processing plants doing the dumping, it would seem we are dropping the muck into the sewage systems that we purge from our systems. The most common drugs we are excreting are:

1. Caffeine - considered the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world
2. Carbamazepine - used to treat seizures and nerve pain such as trigeminal neuralgia
3. Codeine - relief of moderate pain, cough suppression, sedation, respiratory depression
4. Cotinine - metabolite (byproduct) of nicotine
5. Dehydronifedipine – residual byproducts and their metabolites in the body found in (such as plasma, serum or urine)
6. Diphenhydramine - an antihistamine, relieves red, irritated, itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; and runny nose caused by hay fever, allergies, and the common cold
7. Sulfathiazole - used to be a common oral and topical antimicrobial also as an effective and safe treatment for many bacterial, fungal and protozoan infestations in the aquarium
8. Amoxicilin - used to treat infections caused by bacteria, ear infections, bladder infections
9. Azithromycin - used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, such as bronchitis; pneumonia; sexually transmitted diseases (STD)
10. Diclofenac - used for the treatment of inflammation and pain caused by arthritis
11. Prednisone - used to treat allergic disorders, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis and arthritis
12. Tetracycline - used for infections including respiratory tract infections due to Hemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
13. Acetaminophen – Tylenol; a drug used to relieve pain and reduce fever.
14. Meprobamate - used in the treatment of anxiety
15. Sulfamethoxazole - used for the treatment of malaria, conjunctivitis, toxoplasmosis and urinary tract infections
16. Phenytoin - an anticonvulsant drug which can be useful in the treatment of epilepsy
17. Ibuprofen - (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, Medipren) a drug used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation
18. Estradiol - a drug prescribed for the treatment of symptoms associated with menopause
19. Monensin - The Food and Drug Administration approved drug for increased milk production in dairy cows
20. Naproxen - (Aleve, Naprosyn, Anaprox, Naprelan) a drug used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation

People, these are the most common of the drugs found across America. In the State of Pennsylvania, the total count, SO FAR, is 56 different drugs within drinking water and household taps. To build upon this reality, the same water that we think we avoid because of this, is found in our store bought BOTTLED WATER. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, you can’t avoid drinking SECOND HAND DRUGS even if you purchase it at the local supermarket. So what do you do?

This is the SPIN:

“As in other cities, human health risks from trace pharmaceuticals are uncertain, since concentrations in New York source waters are way below medical doses and undergo dilution as they mix with fresh water en route to the city”

Now that might sound like the politically correct thing to say BUT didn’t Heath Ledger just die from a combination of drug? I mean the interaction of drugs in his system did contribute to his Overdose/Death. So what would a long drown out, low-level build of these drugs do to our body functions in combination? Low levels of cyanide or lead will still kill just as a full does would; its all a principle of time.

There are too many questions to ask and far too many people to point to for answers and blame. This goes far beyond the actions of demanding CLEANER WATER STANDARD. It goes beyond politics and accountability. This goes beyond becoming more knowledgeable and conscious of what we put in out bodies. Although you can put a spiritual SPIN on this by infusing it into a Newer, more modern 10 Commandments for a People, the truth and causality still isn't clear as to where the problem of over-abundance of medical toxins lies. The truth is, these contaminates are the residuals of a Drug Addicted Nation, a sickly nation tied to those medicines manufactured in labs, the FDA and the lack of SERIOUS oversight from the EPA. We can also blame out perpetual ignorance to exercise our Common Sense on things that matter about our health and environment.

Our dependency on the Government (ERA and FDA) dictating to a sleeping country what is the “required minimum” of requirements and what is safe thus quelling our nervousness about that we put into our bodies or should know. How can people who work out, eat right, get plenty of sleep and declare they are healthy when daily he or she is consuming 56 or more residual drugs over the years? Add that to whatever toxins already within the air and the skin’s contact with the physical world and you still wonder why or how a person can get cancers or unique ailments that would normally be reserved for an elderly person or someone living in a Third World Country?

So let me leave you with this bit of information, since we know that America’s Tap Water is tainted as much as our Bottled Water that comes from many of our Tap Water Sources, there are other water sources that can be looked upon as alternatives. Just to also drop KNOWLEDGE, some of these sources can be just as tainted, if they are close areas near civilization, dumping, high altitude pollutions, and under group seepage. So before you decide to jump ship and swear off water for LIFE, you need to know what other water sources are out there for an informed decision and better health.

Types of waters

Bottled water is regulated as a food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bottled water companies must adhere to the FDA's Quality Standards, Standards of Identity (Labeling Regulations) and Good Manufacturing Practices and requires beverage companies to label their waters to define where the water came from and if it's been purified or carbonated. Bottled water can be classified with terms such as “purified,” “spring,” “sterile” and “artesian” (or “artesian well” water). All bottled water sold in the United States (whether imported or domestic) must meet all of the same regulations. Here are the classifications:

Artesian water

Artesian well, Bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer (a water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand) in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.

Drinking water

Drinking water is another name for bottled water. Accordingly, drinking water is water that is sold for human consumption in sanitary containers and contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives (other than flavors, extracts or essences). It must be calorie-free and sugar-free. Flavors, extracts or essences (such as lemon-lime) may be added to drinking water, but they must comprise less than one-percent-by-weight of the final product or the product will be considered a soft drink. Drinking water may be sodium-free or contain very low amounts of sodium.

Purified water

Water that has been produced by distillation, de-ionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes and that meets the definition of purified water in the United States Pharmacopoeia (pharmacological code) may be labeled as purified bottled water. Other suitable product names for bottled water treated by one of the above processes may include "distilled water" if it is produced by distillation, "de-ionized water" if the water is produced by de-ionization, or "reverse osmosis water" if the process used is reverse osmosis. Alternatively "_____________ drinking water" can be used with the blank being filled in with one of the terms defined in this paragraph (e.g. "purified drinking water" or "distilled drinking water"). These waters are taken primarily from metropolitan water sources, run through mammoth commercial filters, and purified with chlorine, detritus, and other items inappropriate for drinking water. You may have seen vending machines outside of your supermarket that allows you to fill your own bottle for 25 or 50 cents; this is the water and process that is used and is from metropolitan sources or even the tap adjacent to the machine’s location. They are excellent to cook with when tap water quality is an issue.

Mineral water

Waters containing not less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids may be labeled as mineral water. Mineral water is distinguished from other types of bottled water by its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace elements at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals can be added.

The naturally occurring minerals and trace elements in mineral waters are considered by many to be excellent for health and digestion. Typically, these include iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, silica, chromium, lithium, and copper. While these are healthful, the value of mineral waters versus spring waters is still debated. Available from both domestic and international sources, the prices vary tremendously based on packaging and location.

Spring water

These are waters derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation finding the spring. Spring water collected with the use of an external force (in other words, a pump) must be from the same underground stratum as the spring and must have all the physical properties, before treatment, and be of the same composition and quality as the water that flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Available from both domestic and international sources, spring waters are ideal for everyday drinking as well as to make coffee, tea, or foods in which the quality of the water is a critical ingredient. Prices vary considerably based both on geographic location and packaging.

Sparkling water

Water, which after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide, contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source. (An important note: soda water, seltzer water and tonic water are not considered bottled waters. They are regulated separately, may contain sugar and calories, and by law, are considered soft drinks.)

Carbonated water

The bubbles in these waters can help ease digestion, and are available from both domestic and international sources. Some have slight flavorings added such as citrus, but taste even better plain or with a slice of fresh lime or lemon. If burping is an issue, avoid them, but otherwise, they are excellent to drink after meals as a digestive. Some are heavy in sodium, so those with hypertension or sodium restrictions should drink them only occasionally.

Flavored waters

These may be compared to soda pop, but infinitely lighter in flavor and absolutely lighter in sugars and sweeteners. They give just a hint of flavors like citrus or berries, have either no or modest amounts of sweeteners from high fructose corn syrup to sugars or honey. They are likely not to be completely calorie-free, but are modest in carbohydrates and calories when consumed sparingly.

Waters with healthful additives These waters contain everything from additional minerals, vitamins, and other ingredients that make these more a health drink than “just water.” If this is the only way to get your spouse to drink water, great; otherwise, it’s a very expensive way to get your H2O; and in some cases the packaging and the labeling can be misleading. Remember that most Americans do not have vitamin deficiencies and buying waters to add vitamins to your diet might be little more than a waste of money.

Distilled water

These waters are mineral-free, so they’ re perfect for curling irons, clothes irons and steamers, humidifiers, and any appliance that requires water. By using distilled waters, you can avoid the mineral muck that often clogs up appliances. Some people view distilled waters as good to drink because it is so pure, but naturally occurring minerals in waters are actually good for you.

Tap water

Many municipal water supplies, such as New York City, boast water that is as tasty and pure as the most expensive bottled varieties. By law, municipal water supplies must supply its customers a chemical analysis of their water composition. If you haven’t received yours, contact your local water supply. (Many now post their analysis on their Web sites.)

Water filters

Consumers can filter their municipal water by attaching a commercial filter to the tap, using a pitcher with a carbon filter in it, or buying refrigerators with built-in filters that make both filtered ice and filtered water. These are very good, but be sure to change the filters as recommended.

THE FATE OF BLACK LOYALTY

This election has created a major rift within the Black Community. The affects aren’t quite evident as of yet but it is there. Look at it as the BIG PULL BACK of a tsunami wave. That one wave that rolls back about one or two miles then rises up fifty feet to then crash and destroy everything in its way. I wrote an observation of a Harlem altercation over one BLACK man’s support of Hillary Clinton over Barak Obama (I'm Gonna Kick Your Hillary Lovin Ass). The scene was centered upon members of the community physically beating up a man who worked for the Hillary Clinton campaign based in Harlem. I will admit, based upon the tensions in the air, the history of the community, the legacy of activism plus the fact that many people felt betrayed by Bill Clinton’s presence in the community and the economic incentive he brought in relation to the continued political and financial down turn of Black and Brown people in Harlem, any reminder of the OLD GUARD would be seen as being a JUDAS to one’s race. It did not matter if the man was exercising his right to choose or even work for a candidate of his choice; he was in enemy territory and as a result, paid the price.

It’s been a few weeks since then and I really didn’t concentrate on that event until now. Since we are entering into the last round of Preliminary votes to determine who the Democratic Presidential candidate will be, words and actions for or against one candidate over the other is quickly becoming more than just a debate of words but THREATS to more than just the livelihood of people, particularly Black People and Black Community Supporters.

I have stated on many occasions, not only is the United States venturing into new territory of Political participation, so are Black people in America. The ability to effect this type of Political change has not been seen since the days of American Reconstruction, an era no one Black person alive has experienced but was the foundation for Black Intellectualism which sprung wells of purpose and direction for generations. Black people did not just talk about politics; they SPOKE to it in ways that was NEW and exciting, the inaugural seeds for inclusion in modern America growing into Black communities or at least the potential of it.

The drawback of this inclusion of political vigor was that many were not necessarily searching for all the required information and or only accepting information from bias sources. Taking this part of past history and applying it today. the price for accepting bad political advice diminishes any person voting and the process limits where one can find the complete information needed for future consideration. Granted, Black people are still behind the starting line and slowly inching toward the “Merge Here” lanes of the Information Highway, they are, however, are quickly moving to get into the flow with the help of Black youth and those few that have taken advantage of technology and willing to get the information out to an information starved community. As a whole, like all things involving Class and Black America; those opportunities are slightly below the National average. Just the nature of knowing HOW the political machine works is below average enough, almost POOR. So while this campaign continues to CHANGE and TRANSFORM a Nation, America is on the other side of the ethnic line while others are looking to Black People to catch up with their numbers at the same time they are looking for their active VOICES. Not saying that WHITE America and other ethnic groups are better as a whole, but it is statistically true that other groups, by their numbers, positioned themselves in AMERICA as practicing their political participation more efficient and more effective for their community needs with better results. This meaning, ethnic groups POLITICALLY know when to be heterogeneous in living the American Dream and homogeneous then voting as a BLOCK for a desired goal for Self and Community. The closest Black Folk have come to this phenomenon was the 1960’s and even then, Blacks were not monolithic enough to move forward as a block to effect complete CHANGE. So when Michelle Obama says that, "for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is making a comeback", her words reflect not only her political history but her social reality in relation to her History as a Black person living in America. The Civil Rights Movement transformed an OLD America but it did not evolve enough to move with a continuing advancing America. To question this as a non-White experience and you know that the naiveté of it is rooted in one’s lack of knowledge of Black struggles. To question it as a White American, you sense that the question comes from a rejecting and or resisting the importance of Black "struggle". So that there is no mistake or clarity issue for those reading this with a Conservative or Republican slant, I define “struggle” as, a means by which Black people pushed for equality and fairness Politically, Economically, Legally, Socially and Ancestrally to be on par with those Groups that have benefited from constraining Blacks as a whole from evolving in America as human beings with full citizenship. This would include individuals, groups, businesses, religions and countries.

I define “struggle” this way because too often I have been asked by WHITES and challenged by Conservative BLACKS that Black people in America should be Proud to be in America. If not for the “sins” of America, Black people as a whole would still be in Africa and not part of the Greatest Country in the World. To which I quickly remind them BOTH, “So who holds PRIDE for all those hundreds of thousands of Africans thrown overboard during the Trans-Atlantic Middle Passage? What you seem to be arguing is much like kidnapping 300 people in America and sending them all by plane to Europe and half way over the Atlantic Ocean the plane explodes or crashes. When asked my reaction, I respond that they all should be happy they had “experienced” what it was to fly on an air plane.”

This type of response would be in total IGNORANCE, total ARROGANCE and ultimately a total DISCONNECT with people’s lives and history, their family and their potential. Especially since the practice of African slavery extends beyond 500 years with America constituting the worst of its practice. The nature and existence of America is in the writing off people's existence as insignificant no matter who they are. This is why I use the word, ”struggle” because it takes work to CHANGE the perception of people who do not SEE, even when the limitation of vision comes from within one’s Race.

So as Black folk continue to “struggle” through this election, we are finding not all are familiar with the terms and terminology that comes with a complete understanding of elections and government. Blacks that are new to the process (be it a young generation with a lack of history to base sound judgment upon or an older generation plagued with apathy and betrayal) all are not astute in the thought process just to prepare, judge, question and finally decide on issues and or candidates. I basically refer to this as missing the prerequisite VOTING 101’s course. Distressingly so, this is also an American phenomenon (excluding the foreign born and naturalized citizens for most often they come from countries where voting is not a Right and once in America their responsibility to voting is exercised as strongly as their Faith).


As an educator, the lack of the basic understandings of the American political structure is not due to any malignant force or hidden agenda group (or maybe so); it has more to do with the direction the American educational system had evolved into. The moment ETHICS, GEOGRAPHY, PHONICS and CIVICS were removed from the core curriculum of schools, the need to know “the what and the who” of the REPUBLIC became moot. Couple this with age and complacency and you have several generations of Government Illiterates pulling leavers for unfamiliar names with unfamiliar agendas come election time. With Black folk leaving the line, thus leaving all other Americans behind a BIG 8Ball to move from behind. Although History is fundamental for understanding American’s past, it is Civics and Ethics, which makes clear it’s present.

There are many reasons why it is important to question everything about voting and our candidates. Politicians have for years come to Black communities with promises of contributions and economic incentives only to fall short of many. Elections have placed political pawns that depend upon the PORK from Top Government to skim while giving the gristle to the reserved few. Black communities have seen career Politicians live out several generations of stagnation only to leave in shame and scandal. Many of these Politicians enter with a genuine interest in Civic Duty and grow into self-satisfied Political Royalty throwing crumbs to a hungry community. Wrap it all in the traditional clothe of Spirituality and you have bonifided stereotypical Leader of Blacks as oppose to the Self-Proclaimed Black Leaders for an extended lease on a community. And yet, this can only happen when a community has a HANDS OFF approach to their voting and voting knowledge.

For years you had Politicians in New Jersey’s largest city of Newark plunder and deprive the citizens of improvements and social gains. In a period of over four decades, the city had two mayors, Kenneth Gibson and Sharp James, each holding on to that title without CHANGE or challenge. The mantra for each was that of Change and Hope and Renaissance but it was all code for VOTE FOR ME BECAUSE I LOOK LIKE YOU. And Black folk did. This, for years, was the standard TOP DOWN way of doing Politics and a sure way to guarantee the success of the DREAM KILLING MACHINE and deter any “Excitement of the New”. No one could challenge the establishment because no one KNEW how or even if they could. No one knew the rules. No one knew what the mayoral title and responsibilities entailed. In not knowing, no one questioned how a Mayor of the largest city of the State can simultaneously hold a seat on the NJ State Legislature or questioned if it was a conflict of interest for the City of Newark. So when a community doesn’t know the basics, the VOTING 101’s, voting and politics, government becomes a perpetual machine that is self sustaining and hostile to its citizens. Long story short, a gentleman OUTSIDER, by the name of Cory Booker who no one knew, arrived with EXCITEMENT AND A MESSAGES OF HOPE AND CHANGE. No one initially trusted or wanted to take a chance on the unknown, untested Politician. Who was this Man who wasn’t even a Newark native? Words where exchanged and the politics got ugly but after his second attempt, Booker eventually replaced Sharpe James as the Mayor of Newark (who is at the time of this posting is under indictment for several charges of impropriety).

Booker, a schooled Politician with a DOWN TOP style of governing, is now working to undo almost 40 years of political abuse. Part of that undoing is bringing People to the table and making sure they understand the inner workings of the Government, the very basics of how a City works. The task is great and the issues deeply rooted as well as his criticisms on the time and speed of his results but it had to be done and can only be done with the help of the people.

The moral of the story; knowledge of the political system, no matter how basic, is a community’s saving grace. Unfettered “passion” can do more harm than logic because even in the absence of logic, COMMON SENSE should kick in and rule. But in the rare cases of the absence of logic and common sense, PASSION can be a "wicked bed fellah" if the people serving up the EMOTION, also controls the OCEAN. It was passion that kept the previous mayors in office, it was trust, which grew into Hope, and then CHANGE to move the city forward; SLOWLY, to get this one in the driver's seat.

What Black folk currently lack with this new found Political energy is "Sophistication". I say this meaning that when you compare the Latino vote (which is near 15% of the Nation’s population, surpassing the 13% that make up Black Americans), there are inherent differences, which should be acknowledged, but the major social and economic concerns are shared with Black Americans. The diversity within the Latin communities speaks volumes and yet when it comes down to voting, as a collective, their vote always comes with DEMANDS, even from their own Latin Officials. Demands that regardless of the region of the Americans they come from; the Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America, South America, the boughs of New York, the barrios of LA, the end result is “all Latinos” move that much closer in closing the Brown “struggle”. How does this affect Black folk? Well, it depends.

There is no doubt many of the social achievements of Blacks have benefited many other People of Color. Many of those benefits have opened the door for whole groups to move quickly to the front for social and economic gains. The only difference when it comes to voting is that Black folk traditionally VOTE for the Rights for “ALL” and other groups vote for benefits of the “Group”. While Black folks are politicking for fair and affordable housing, education, equal opportunity in employment, other group’s vote for the zoning for specific businesses within their ethnic communities, language inclusion, Green Card and VISA extensions, Grants dedicated for specific cultural reparations that will collectively aid in the growth of their community. It doesn’t matter that Blacks win fair housing because the result will benefit all communities (Asian, Black, Latin, White) but those groups politicking for economic gains win for their communities WITH the additional benefits of fair housing. Blacks fall short with their GAINS and often see the small gains of other ethnic communities as SELECTIVE TREATMENT and not their POLITICAL SAVVY. Again, like the Latin vote, no politician will get it without a solid DEMAND by them. To Black folk, this may appear unfair and showing favor, especially when all groups benefit with their demands and in the end, it shows how much Black folk are slow at catching up in their Voting 101’s.

This political practice from other ethnic groups (LATINS, ASIANS, EASTERN EUROPEANS) has clearly defined their “Sophistication” to the politician and Political Party Groups. Politicians know going in that they are not loyal to any one Party. Bi-partisan is a fantasy for what is real to non-Black folk is WHO IS IN THE MAJORITY. It is in their lack of LOYALTY which lies their political POWER. Black Americans aren’t there yet. In the 1960, Malcolm X prior to his assassination preached to Black people in Harlem that as a collective, the Negro should change his political affiliation to Independent. This would allow the Negro to be courted by both Republican and Democrat. This would also place the Negro in a position of bargaining and thus economic positioning within his own community to own property, expand business and self-determination from under White domination. Almost 50 years later, the idea maybe slightly different, but Black people are on the precipice of getting it.


Continue to THE FATE OF BLACK LOYALTY pt.2