BLACK COMMUNITY ARE YOU PISSED OFF YET?

People are pissed at the timing of Glenn Beck's event at the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of Dr. King’s "I Have a Dream" speech. However, who's pissed about Blacks not fulfilling Dr. Martin Luther King’s "dream"? Who's pissed about the many Black children inability to read, write, or do basic math? Who's pissed about the Black male prison population? Who's pissed because many Blacks have not lived the "dream" that Dr. King died for? Now, that's something to be PISS OFF ABOUT!

The Black community should be pissed at itself for allowing Black-on-Black crime. The Black community should be pissed at itself for allowing our schools to fail and be closed. The Black community should be pissed at itself for allowing our daughters to pimped by grown men. The Black community should be pissed at itself for allowing our neighborhoods to become overrun by drug dealers. The Black community should be pissed at itself for allowing our Black men to run from family responsibilities. The Black community should be pissed at itself for allowing our families to live off welfare for generations. The Black community should be pissed at itself for allowing television, the latest fashion, the Internet, and hard-core rap and hip-hop to raise our children. ARE YOU PISSED OFF YET? If not, here’s more POISON FOR YOUR POT.

When are we going to take responsibility for our fate? My great-grandmother, Lillie Mae Jackson said it best. She said, “You need to clean your own house before you tell someone else their house is dirty.” How can we get angry with Glenn Beck about his event being held on the anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” when we have not lived the DREAM? So, we need to pick of that “BROOM” and begin to clean our own houses. We need to raise our children to respect authority, which begins with their parents showing respect for others. We can have a differing opinion; but we cannot degrade, cuss out, and spew cruel words about others, especially to our children, and expect our children to treat us and others with respect.

As a Black community, we have failed our children miserably. We need to raise our children to respect education. They should be raised to NOT have the option of NOT going to school. They should know that going to school is the ONLY option. In America, education is free. Yet, the Black community has the worst academic record. Dr. King would be turning in his grave if he knew how we have squandered our educational opportunities. Don’t blame the city, state, or federal government. And, please stop blaming White America. The Black community has (or had) schools in our neighborhoods; but we have allowed them to either close or have our children bussed for hours to attend a school more than an hour away. What’s wrong with us?

We need to raise our daughters to respect themselves and that begins with how they dress. Appropriate dress must be modeled by their mothers and other female caregivers. If the women in their lives dress like hoochies; then, how can we expect our daughters to dress differently? If we are to have young men respect us, then we must first respect ourselves. Our Black women and daughters must know that the words that come out of their mouths define their character and virtue. Foul language just isn’t becoming of a lady. Our daughters’ role models should not be New York, Li’l Kim, or Nicki Minaj. Role models should start at home.

Our sons should be taught to dress appropriately, too. Sagging pants are not honorable. They must know that it is a statement for being in prison; and that is not what we want our young men to aspire to. Our young Black men must know what a tie is and how to tie one. They must know how to dress for a job interview and that wearing braids, jeans and over-sized t-shirts will not cut it. Our young Black men need to be held accountable and responsible for their actions as well. Our Black men must teach our Black sons that Black women (ALL WOMEN) are to be respected. Their role models should not be the likes of Li’l Wayne, Snoop Dogg, or Kanye West. They should be taught that they cannot call women “w-----, b------, and other awful words. Black men must teach our sons that hip-hop and rap do not respect them or the women in their community and that they can write positive messages. Our Black youth must know that it takes more talent and creativity to write positive lyrics without derogatory words.

The Black community has failed in protecting our children. Our children cannot be allowed to wonder the streets at all hours of the night. They must be taught to be responsible citizens. Adults should be the guardians and protectors of our children. The Black community is responsible for what happens to our youth. Our children need and want boundaries. We were children and we tried our parents, too. So, we have no excuse for not knowing how to stand firm and love our children through protection and correction.

Teen parenthood should not be rewarded as if it is a badge of honor. The Black community should teach our children about sex. It should start at home; but if a parent is uncomfortable teaching their child about sex, then reach out and ask for help. We need to stop being so proud that we sacrifice of our children. If teenage parenthood does happen, there must be resources to help them get back on track. We must no longer allow the teen-aged girl shoulder the burden alone. She did not make the baby by herself. We must hold the father equally accountable. The parents of the children should be responsible and accountable for working together to get these kids back on track after the birth of the baby. However, if the baby-daddy happens to be an adult, he needs to be prosecuted and put in JAIL!!! The Black community can no longer afford to be a refuge for pedophiles. We must call a spade a spade. If a teenage girl gets pregnant and the baby daddy is a legal adult, HE IS A PEDOPHILE!!!!!! So, Black woman, this one is for you. Tell your sons to keep it in their pants. If they MUST have sex, instruct them to have safe sex with someone their own age or they will be prosecuted and become a registered SEX OFFENDER!

Being pissed at the timing of Glenn Beck's event at the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of Dr. King’s "I Have a Dream" speech is a distraction from what is really going on within the Black community. We want to blame everyone else except ourselves. It’s a painful notion, but it is real. We have to stop the blame game and start owning up to our failures as a people. To do this, we must step away from the so-called “Black Leaders”. They are just media pimps and the Black community is their money-making whore. They make millions off the miseries of the Black community. They perpetuate the “slave mentality”. They tell us it isn’t our fault for all the bad things that are going on within our communities. They live in their mansions and only visit the “hood” when a sensational media opportunity arises. They drive their fancy cars while many in the Black community cannot get the local government to provide adequate bus transportation so we can get to work. They send their children to private schools while many schools in the Black community fail or are closed. They travel in private jets or first class when many in the Black community cannot afford bus fare. These so-called “Black Leaders” have sold their souls to live off the blood, sweat, and tears of Blacks like Dr. King and Malcolm X who died because they wanted the Black community to be totally independent and self-sufficient. These so-called “Black Leaders” love the fact that many in the Black community are intellectually poor because if the Black community educated itself, we would see right through these pimps and kick them to the curb! These so-called “Black Leaders” are afraid for us to step back, look around, and assess what they have NOT done to help improve our lives. Let’s open our eyes and see them for what they are. If we did, the Black community would be PISSED OFF and REVOLT!

We don’t need to blame the Glenn Becks, Sarah Palins, George Bushes, or the Dick Chaneys of the world. All we have to do is look at the so-called “Black Leaders” and accept the fact that they have failed miserably. Most of all, we have failed ourselves miserably. Just look in the mirror each day and see who is really responsible for the failure of our community. Until we do, we will continue to be like the Old Testament Hebrews - wandering blindly in the desert of ignorance, poverty, and self-destruction.

When Dr. King marched, he did not ask for a lift nor did he wait for someone to initiate freedom. He put on his shoes, tied his tie, buttoned his coat, kissed his wife and kids, and stuck out on his journey toward freedom. Dr. King made life happen. He did not wait for life to happen to him. So, Black community, please stop blaming others for our ills. Let’s put on our shoes, tie our ties, button our coats, and kiss our families as we walk out the door toward reclaiming our children, our neighborhoods, and our freedom.