Racist white cops aren't the enemy. Young black males are.
I am a black man and I have been living for nearly seven decades. Thus, I am well aware that a considerable number of white law-enforcement officers are racists. However, racist white cops are not the ones making millions of black people's lives miserable. That is being done by a large number of young black males.
Specifically, and opposite of what numerous young black males are doing, racist white cops aren't out there robbing and raping elderly black women; they are not gunning down storekeepers just to grab a few dollars from out of their cash registers; they are not impregnating vulnerable young black girls and simply walking away; they are not defacing buildings and other structures by scrawling graffiti all over the walls; they are not carrying out drive-by shootings in which innocent little children are getting gunned down; they are not misbehaving in the public schools making it impossible for the children who are in attendance to learn; they are not selling large amounts of dangerous illegal drugs to thousands of people whose lives have already been ruined by substance abuse; they are not walking around in the streets in packs scaring the hell out of many of the residents of black communities; they are not killing other youngsters just to take pairs of sneakers and jackets off them; they are not raising hell on public conveyances making life miserable for the passengers, and I could go on.Feenix, what do you think of this video? I'd really like your take on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkpUyB2xgTM
Do you believe the assumptions, attitudes and beliefs expressed in the video will have any impact on the lives of the children featured? And where do you believe those ideas come from? You say that many black people you know do not think of themselves as " strong, thinking people who are fully capable of advancing and succeeding in life". Does this video offers any clue as to why that might be?Don, thank you for sending the link to me. However, the truth is, "studies" like the one shown in the video have been around for decades. I can remember seeing films similar to the one in the video way back in the 1960s.
The reality is, such physical characteristics as white skin, straight hair and Caucasoid facial features are considered to be "superior" throughout the entire world. For example, when I was in the Army and stationed in Vietnam, many of the people in that country, especially many of the females, underwent cosmetic surgery to have their skin lightened, their noses narrowed and their eyes widened. And the same thing was going on in such other Far East countries as South Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines and Taiwan.
And what about all the black women here in America who are wearing hair weaves and long extensions made from the straight hair of whites, East Indians and East Asians?
What those children demonstrated in that video is a microcosm of what exists among a great many, if not most, black people. And briefly, it all stems from the brainwashing that occurred in the US during slavery, and that occurred in much of the remainder of the world under European colonization.I agree, it is indeed the legacy of European colonization, and it has a name: white supremacist ideology. NOT 'white supremacist' as in the people who wear white sheets over their heads, but in its more dangerous form: an idea. The children in the video are unaware that this idea already forms part of their core beliefs. Those children are saying those things because they have been subconsciously programmed to falsely equate black people as 'bad' and 'ugly', and white as 'good' and 'beautiful'. Consume any product from the news media and entertainment industry to see examples of how that programming occurs (and I include the news in that). But I'm guessing you know all of this.
The thing I can't figure out is how you expect black kids to understand they are in fact "strong, thinking people who are fully capable of advancing and succeeding in life" when they are told they are worthless by the majority white society they live in from day one? And then on top of that the older, wiser voices in the black community call them worthless too. I don't think that is your intention, but that is how I think your message is coming across. Lots of black children are stripped of a healthy self-image at an early stage in their lives. Whereas many white children develop a healthy self-image because of their experiences while growing up, many black children develop a healthy self-image DESPITE their experiences while growing up. I consider that to be oppressive. Instead of criticising those kids for being affected by that oppression, how about criticising the oppression itself and trying to stop it.
Surely that starts with educating white people about the whole concept of white supremacist ideology; by teachings kids like those in the video to recognize it; by calling out examples of it within the news media, entertainment, and fashion industries; and by supporting young black people, validating and encouraging them. I think Marilyn J. Mosby did a good job of that this week, perhaps unintentionally. How many young black girls (and boys) gained a role model, or someone to aspire to by watching her this week? How crushed would they would be if Mosby described them as 'the enemy'? I'm not sure sure I'm making any sense here. I hope so. I hope you get what I'm trying to say.Don, the bold truth is, black society is suffering, and even dying, from a very serious illness; however, hardly anyone is acknowledging that blacks are very sick. And when an illness goes untreated, or the suffers are not even aware that they are afflicted with it, their condition only worsens.
And the foregoing is the primary reason why I come down so hard on "my people." I have an unwavering belief that their society, as a whole, is not going to start rolling and overcoming its disproportionate social-and-economic problems until they recognize and accept that they are a "very sick" group of people.
Now, here is an analogy: Back in 2012 I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Well, as soon as I got that news, I went to work. I quit smoking, I drastically changed my diet (I am nearly a vegan) and I started working out at the gym a couple of hours a day (Sunday through Saturday). Now, today, I am not out of the woods, but I am in real good shape. I have two small tumors but they are not growing.
Interestingly, one of my doctors recently told me that if I had not "taken matters into my own hands," I would probably be very sick by now, or even dead.
So, what blacks have to do is recognize that because of the ravages of hundreds of years or slavery and other kinds of cruel-and-human treatment, their society is very ill (e.g. many, if not most, believe that being white is superior to being black) and some radical measures must be taken to arrive at a cure.
In summation, if black society continues to live in denial of the fact that it is afflicted with a very serious disease, it is going to wither and die.
Is this a joke? I take it the bloods and crips truce inspired this post. Its all the rouge agency the police, military, and gangs want peace. The people doing all the crap in this world are paid to do that crap.
Not poor people who struggle enough just to have adequate housing and food daily. Not the middle class people who do not have time to mess with anyone because they are working their lives away. Not the drug addicts who tend to sell themselves or bum money off of society.
It is, however, the people paid to make it "appear" things are worse than they are. The other few who do this are the children who are brainwashed by the same few people who try to make things "appear" a way they are not. So while the parents are out working the corrupt television does its job corrupting the few youth who actually watch it nowadays. I could break it down further to show how the CIA gets busted running drugs from the border of Mexico. I could break it down further to show how MK Ultra has admitted brainwashing. I think I am done, just Youtube the video of a policeman tasing an elderly women to death who was in a wheelchair. It is sad when the media goes to such lengths to participate in rouge government atrocities. I know police and I know addicts they do not do these things, we know who does and why they do it and now so does the world.steve8miller, you are brimming over with a lot of stale information that people in the know (such as I) have been aware of for a very long time. In fact, the "conspiracy stuff" you brought up barely scratches the surface.
And it is quite obvious to me that you spend a whole lot of your time studying the liberal playbook.
Finally, I must that it is because of your types that "my people," are suffering astronomically-high rates of violent crime, poverty, unemployment, HIV-AIDs, impoverished single-parent families and out-of-wedlock births.
Perhaps you should stay in your own lane by giving your attention to such things as Columbine and the Aurora, CO. massacre.
I have the same reaction as Steve Miller, Is this a joke? Feenix while I agree with you, racist white cops are not the issue, some of the things you stated are just plain ignorant and is what perpetuates the racial tension to begin with. "Your people" suffering from HIV-AIDS should have been smart enough to have safe sex, single parent families, out of wedlock births etc really could be attributed to your generation with lack of parenting/educating your children. I am a young black man that grew up in one of the most violent parts of Chicago, Illinois and never robbed an old lady or took anyones shoes. I'm extremely well educated and it was my parents and my life choices that made me successful. All poor, unemployed, uneducated people are not Black. Just because your Black doesn't make you "in the know" and from some of the ridiculous statements you made, you are definitely not "in the know".
Alphadogg, one the key things you wrote about yourself is you are "young."
That said, sometimes it is a good idea for the "young" to pay attention to what the "old" have to say. And that brings me to say that one of the biggest problems in Black Society today, as well as US society as a whole, there are a whole lot of young people (who haven't seen that much action yet) coming off like they are much wiser than anyone else.
And what if the hell do think I am, an ignorant fool! I knew that the vast majority of young black men are good, law-abiding citizens long before you were born, and probably before your parents were born.
And many of the cases of HIV-AIDS among blacks did not stem from unprotected sex. Many of those who are afflicted with the disease got infected by using dirty needles while they were "shooting up."
What the answer is, (1) Blacks have to accept that much of their society is very ill. (2) A new order of black leadership must emerge that will take a wide range of initiatives to motivate and guide all of the blacks who are out there behaving in counter-productive and destructive ways. (3) Blacks must kick off a bold new movement, based entirely on unlimited black enterprise, capitalism, self-reliance and self-determination.
Additionally, you might be well educated and had a good upbringing, but you are not cool -- because if you were cool, you would not be strutting around accusing someone else of making "ridiculous statements" and spouting that they are not "in the know," especially when you don't know a damn thing about who and what they are.
Based on the way that you have confronted me, you must have lived a very sheltered life in the violent 'hood you grew up in, because in the 'hoods, everybody knows that it is not a good idea to come down hard on a person they do not know -- and that is because that person just might pull out a Roscoe and bust a cap on their a$$.
So, please, don't try to come off like you're a real bad dude with me, because I can see right through you -- and the reason why I can is I was born in the ghetto, I was raised in the ghetto, and I am ghetto.Feenix, you come off like you are an old school cool ex-gangster, gang member, drug abuser, mentally disabled war hero, and an all around bad ass scholar. You ain't nothing but a great pretender, you make your hands say anything. You are a dangerous man toward the well being of young black males. Your blanket statement concerning young black males in particular is racist. You must have fell off the wagon again. You have thin skin and short, short term memory. You tried to post this same garbage a few weeks ago and you used the words Blacks Thugs instead of Young Black Males. I ask for your opinion of Young White Thugs and you claimed they were not rapping and killing your people, who in the hell are your people, you seem to be a fool a whole fool and nothing but a fool. Your comments and writing are too toxic for the far right Conservatives here on HP. You need to take a chill pill, you are coming off as ridiculous.
junko, you don't know a goddam about me. And I definitely do not need any advice from you -- and that is because you and I are not even in the same tribe.
Case in point: " you and I are not even in the same tribe"....ridiculous comment. If you want take a chill pill, get some sleep.
junko, let me school you on something.
I look about 20-years younger than my age and I am in excellent physical condition.
And the reasons why that is the case is, God is real good to me, and I do not smoke, I do not drink, I do not use drugs and I do not hang out in places of ill repute.
So just worry about your own wellbeing and pray that you look and feel as good as I do when you reach my age.You can't school me feenix we are in the same school age wise. I am in very good shape for my age also. Are you trying to scare me or threaten my well being? I know for sure you can't handle the truth and a truth teller like me. I will make you cry with words because your skin is too thin to talk about confrontation.
Damn, junko, are you as dense as you're coming off, or are you putting on an act?
Wow, Feenix you are something else, like I said, its people like you that make racial situations worse than what they already are. If Blacks contracted HIV from a needle, its nobody's fault but their own. That's the choice they made, just like rioting, robbing or anything else. Its your choice as an individual. My life was far from sheltered, I am 44 years old, I am young compared to you. I could have made different choices in life, sell drugs, rob and steal like many of my friends and family, but I choose to get educated and make a life for myself, and for my kids. If you are from "the Ghetto' as you proclaim, then you of all people should know life is about choices. You cant wait for someone to give you an opportunity, you go out and make one. You only run out of options when you stop looking. If your a gangster and want to pull out your "roscoe".....that too is your choice.
Alphadogg, you don't know anything about me.
The truth is, I am probably one of the greatest "black success stories" in US history. I rose to the top from nothing, and that is one of the primary reasons why I call myself "feenix."
Finally, I strongly suggest that you read some of the hubs that I wrote a few years ago -- before I took a three-year-long break from HubPages (I just returned here a couple of weeks ago after being away since 2012)
"And many of the cases of HIV-AIDS among blacks did not stem from unprotected sex. Many of those who are afflicted with the disease got infected by using dirty needles while they were "shooting up."
--Feenix, I have an immense amount of respect for you as an elder in our community and I find much of what you say agreeable; however, as I am sure you are aware, there was an all-our war perpetrated on our freedom fighters called COINTELPRO. Much of the drug activity that has ravaged our community came from the dirty dealings in White House, at that time (Nixon), in collusion with the CIA and FBI (Hoover). Also, our children are being herded like cattle into psychologically debilitating special education programs that are being used as a subterfuge toward the efforts of the 1954 decision in Brown vs. the Board of Education which outlawed segregation in public schools. Studies show that most Black males who get stuck in special ed usually drop out early, become unemployable and wind up incarcerated. There are just as many Black males in special ed as there are enrolled in public schools OVERALL. Feenix, please...I need you to admit that we live in a worldwide system of White supremacy that has been perfected so well, that even many White people today are unaware of it. Much of the crap young, Black people are going through today is really not their fault, they've been socialized that way. We need sages like yourself to sound the alarm and let ALL the young people, Black and White, know the truth. Check this out...http://thereelnetwork.net/something-is-rotten-in-the-city-of-baltimore/Actually, kindashy, black genocide is happening right under our noses and it has been going on for a number of decades. And the primary weapon that is being used to wipe out black people is legalized abortion and female contraception. In fact, the rate of abortion among black females is seven times higher than it is among white females -- and since 1974, nearly 8-million blacks have been killed before they were even born.
Second, the huge influx of drugs into the nation's depressed black communities did not get fully underway until the 1980s, during the Reagan administration. And the drug that was unleashed on blacks was what came to be known as "crack" -- which is a substance that was developed in CIA-supervised laboratories.
Now, interestingly, the flooding of black communities with "crack" was not motivated by racial hatred or anything along that line. It happened because the CIA needed to make some fast money to fund its war against the communist Sandanistas in Nicaragua. The US Congress voted against funding the war, so the CIA took matters into its own hands.
Moving on, for "Black America" to survive and advance, its people must turn their backs on, and walk away from, the "African-American" power structure that is in place today, and it must completely break its ties with the Democratic Party.
Now, the time is ripe for America's black society to kick off a bold new movement, based entirely on unlimited black enterprise, capitalism, self-reliance and self-determination.
It is high time blacks stopped moaning and groaning about how unfairly they are being treated, and to stop walking around talking about they under siege by powerful forces.
It is time for blacks to get off their a$$es and jam.Feenix, I agree with you concerning the historical data, actually, Black genocide at the hands of Eugenicists has been prevalent since the early 20th century...and well funded, too. Most Americans have no idea how much of a monster Margaret Sanger really was. Crime, drugs (legal and illegal) and yes, abortion were handy tools used to control the numbers of "undesirables" (i.e. Blacks) from outnumbering and overtaking the White population. I also agree that Blacks need to question the effectiveness of our "so-called" leaders since many of them merely act as spokespersons for the establishment and, sadly, not vice versa. That being said, I don't believe that either political party represents the truest, heartfelt interests of Black people or seeks to truly aid in the advancement of our struggle toward liberation, which is why, I, truly ascribe to neither of them, nor should anyone else, in my opinion.
Malcolm X made a statement to the fact that the White power structure is fully aware of our prurient struggle towards liberation and understands the most intricate dynamics of its foundation. With that level of understanding, one can agree with Malcolm when he states that "nothing goes down unless the MAN lets it go down." With that being said, I must say that I am in total agreement with you concerning the issue of Black self-reliance. My question to you, Feenix is how do you propose we go about this if we live in a perfected system of White supremacy that CANNOT survive or even EXIST without global, pan African subgugation? How are Africans here and all over the diaspora going to seize the reigns of their own personal and racial power by employing the same tactics (ones that you proposed, as well as religion) that our oppressors have used to enslave and oppress us in the first place? It is useless for us to make plans for the future of our race if we plan to exist within the parameters that have been set for us. We tried that already. Somehow, I don't think that DREAM will ever become a full reality if every idea we have is stolen or every move we make, thwarted by those of us who drink of the nectar of the "illusion" of full equality..or maybe by those of us who have no real loyalties, at all. Personally, I'm like you, Feenix, I've heard it all before and Black people need to get into the solution instead of bellyaching and marching over the problems. After awhile, it seems that we end up back pedaling and that's what these "powerful forces" want. Again, what else do you think Black people should do to bring about self-reliance and self-determination under a perfected system of White supremacy?kindashy, when black people were released from slavery in 1865, hardly any of them could read and write and hardly any of them even had a few pennies in their pockets.
However, from 1865 to 1955, America's black society made one of greatest comebacks in the history of the world. And they made that comeback while being subject to such things as Jim Crow laws, prohibitions against their voting, frequent lynchings by white mobs, segregation from numerous aspects of US society, unbridled discrimination in housing, educational facilities and workplaces, and cruel-and-inhumane treatment by law-enforcement officers and wolf packs of white civilians.
And during the period of 1865 to 1955, there were no massive government welfare programs, no affirmative action, no minority set-asides, no big government job-training programs, no government-subsidized housing, no government-sponsored "midnight basketball leagues," and no "enterprise zones."
But despite all of the factors mentioned in the foregoing three paragraphs, by 1955, or less than 100 years after the end of slavery, there was a large, well-established black middle-class; a steady flow of blacks were lifting themselves out of poverty; the group was increasing its average level of education by leaps and bounds, and a considerable number of blacks had achieved fame and fortune in a broad range of fields with many more poised to join them.
Unfortunately though, along came Martin Luther King, Jr. and his Civil Rights Movement. And that endeavor ended up setting black progress back at least a hundred years -- and that is because that movement caused a huge chunk of black society to morph back into the way it was during slavery.
That is true because the public demonstrations, protest marches, boycotts and sit-ins that comprised the Civil Rights Movement were nothing but updated versions of what often took place on slave plantations when the black captives in those places pleaded with the "masters" to cut them a little slack and to allow some of them to live in, or in proximity to, the "Big House."
Furthermore, King's "dream" was nothing but a sermon about something that is both impossible and unnecessary to achieve.
Making matters worse, along came the War on Poverty that emerged in the late 1960s. All of the free money, free food, free medical care and free housing that was provided to millions of blacks through that program mostly only oriented many of them to lazily sit back and allow themselves to be "wards of the state.
And here we are today. The situation for many, if not most, blacks is all F--Ked up.And during the period of 1865 to 1955, there were no massive government welfare programs, no affirmative action, no minority set-asides, no big government job-training programs, no government-subsidized housing, no government-sponsored "midnight basketball leagues," and no "enterprise zones."--
Again, Feenix, I am in total agreement with you on this issue. At this time in American history, Blacks were still under the impression that all they had to do was follow Booker T.'s advice and "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." But, there were these little incidents called "race riots" that kept reminding Black people that White supremists still ran the show. Remember Tulsa? Black Wall Street? White Tulsans burned that soaring symbol of Black self-reliance to the ground and finished it off by fire-bombing it to rubble from the sky! Imagine, fire bombing and American city! Yes, we had our Harlem Renaissance, our Black press, our Black colleges, sororities and fraternities, workers' unions, the Garvey movement, the Black elite...I could go on and on. But, none of it means diddly squat if a Black, WWI soldier can get lynched in his UNIFORM after fighting for his fair share in a country that had him hoodwinked into believing that he would come home and receive his fair shake in the country he fought valiantly for.
All the way up until the 50's, like you correctly stated, Black people worked hard and never complained believing that all they had to do was what was expected of them, to pull their own load. (I know because my great-grands and grands were raised in this generation and I still value their wisdom). But, for the vast majority of us, that wasn't enough. We ALL lived in virtual fear of White disapproval, from the elite all the way down to the impoverished. Many of the inroads to Black self-reliance were engulfed in race-riot flames, dangled at the end of tight nooses and only the Blacks with the best pedigree, the lightest skin and the most education managed to keep some perks and hold on to their stuff, just so long as they didn't try to associate with the darker, less fortunate ones. I say all this to highlight the issue of classism among Blacks. It's the old "divide and conquer" trick. Add the separate and unequal Jim Crow laws on top of all that and you have a group of people who live in constant fear of reprisal and they never take a stand until they, or their children, get fed up. These young people, Beatniks, Bebops, restless youth, etc., began to realize that the root of their oppression lie not in their lack of ability or intellect, but in the color of their skin. Like you stated, this began to take the shape of the Civil Rights movement in the South and the student and arts movements in the late 50's early 60's.
I say all this to reassure you that I am in agreement with you about our conditions, however, much of the things you propose Black people do have been attempted...wholeheartedly and smashed down. Martin Luther King was our last hope before all out revolution...which, by the way, I still believe will NOT be televised because it CANNOT be televised and succeed. We had and still have our last vestiges of The Garvey Movement in the Nation of Islam, but it seems that it has to be at odds with even their own people, at times, in order to maintain its strength and autonomy.
Much of the Civil Rights legislation was an attempt at trying to survive in a society that was built on our subjugation and eventual destruction. Feenix, you make it sound so easy and it should be, in a fair and perfect world. But, for the majority of Black people in this country, to have Black skin means to have a natural liability, which, or course is pure bullshit. However, I believe that the one thing Black people never have to be concerned with is how to end racism and bigotry. We didn't create the system that we live in. If anything, we have continually struggled against it and ultimately, we are not the ones that have to answer for its hatred toward us.kindashy, I "made it."
Thus, as a black man who has "made it," I have an obligation to reach as many disadvantaged black people as I can, in order to set a positive example for them, and to provide them with guidance on how they, too, can "make it."
Now, if tens-of-thousands of black people from all over the country who have "made it" banded together to carry out the things I mentioned above, black society would be able to continually move forward, no matter what.Feenix, I have no doubt that you are a man of your word. I believe you are because you appear to hold strong to your convictions and I respect that. The world is filled with Black intelligencia and people with great ideas and philosophies, my thing is...implementation. I look at people like Oprah, who have made it. I love Oprah and I am proud of my Sister. She built a school in the Motherland to educate African girls. This is commendable and revolutionary in its concept, but Chicago has the one of the worst school systems in the country. Cabrini Green is still a war zone...
To me, it's not so much about "making it" but the choices that we make as Black people with means. I'm educated, I have my own small business, I am an independent contractor and I am a self-published author and blogger...but none of those things affect my tax bracket. Why? Because I say things with my pen that people don't want to read about. Black folks don't read, Feenix and if they do, it's bullshit. They would rather watch an episode of "Empire" and Tweet about that than purchase my book and help this starving artist...my so-called "peeps." But, its all good...
My conscience is clear! All I have to do is try to do what's right the best way I know how and, like yourself, hope that someone sees that struggle and is inspired by it. "Each one, teach one", as the saying goes.
And the struggle continues...
When I reread my post I saw an issue that I want to make clear. The media is the problem. The music is the problem. When the parents are away especially in ethnic neighborhoods music and media play the role of raising our children. I'm no saint I fell into this trap and am now dying because of it I have a disease that will take my life.
Feenix if you want to help the youth of the cities then cease such talks and go into the streets and open the eyes of the brainwashed youth and we support your cause!
I too was raised in a city the city of Dayton Ohio. I have been tased, I have spilled blood, I have been part of the issue. Having been through this, I know the problem. When I see people deflecting the issue it is my responsibility to act. As for the diseases you speak of they were created by the "populationist" who feel that the world's population needs to be reduced. Look at the AIDS epidemic in Indiana. So the CIA brings in the drugs, the government makes them illegal, and the corporate military industrial complex creates the diseases to kill us all.
Then the blame moves to the victims who are being victimized and what do victims tend to do? Victimize. Stop the issue at the source or cease to exist. Blacks are not responsible for white men who seek to destroy the "poor" why is it that every man who attempts to point the finger at the true issue dies?
We now see gangs standing up for the police actually making lines between the paid goons and the police. I see the world changing in a glorious way, no matter what you might say. Fear is what drives your words as we can see. If you come to attack my words it only shows your mentality and it is that mentality that is the problem. I often say the man who attacks his reflection ceases to exist.steve8miller, I do not even know where to start so far as responding to your very long comment.
I will just say that I grew up in 1950s and 1960s in the section of Los Angeles that is now call South-Central L.A. And when I was a teenager, I received "Rodney King-style beatings" at the hands of LAPD officers, L.A. County Sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol troopers four times. In fact, on a couple of those occasions, my face looked much worse than King's did after he was beaten.
In addition, when I was drafted into the US Army in 1965 and stationed in the South, I was frequently "sent to the back door," required to "sit in the back of the bus," intimidated by mobs of white racists, and called "nigger" by some white almost every time I looked up.
So, if you want to hold the opinion that I am "out of touch," go right ahead and be my guest.
Now what has happened to me is I grew up -- but on the other hand, a great many of my black peers (the ones who are age 60 and over) have failed to grow up. They are still thinking in the backwards and unliberated ways that existed among numerous blacks way back in the day.
In other words, millions of contemporary blacks think like slaves, or suffer an affliction that I call the Plantation Syndrome -- and as a result, they view themselves as abused and neglected victims who are being held back by the WHITE BOSSES, rather than as strong, thinking people who are fully capable of advancing and succeeding in life all on their on, and no matter what.God bless you, my friend. No disconnect just get out there and open people's eyes to the real issue. Rich vs. poor it has always been the issue.
steve8miller, here in New York City where I live, I do a lot of volunteer work in a men's homeless shelter, the Manhattan House of the Detention (the Tombs) and the Veterans Administration hospital.
I mostly "preach" to the people who are confined to those places and I do not ever mention that it is all about a "war between the rich and poor," or that the rich are doing everything they can to steal from the poor and middle-class and/or to hold those groups back.
What I "preach" to them is how they can get rich themselves, or at the very least, how they can significantly close the gap between themselves and the rich. And I use myself as an example, because I am definitely a rags-to-riches story. I rose to the top from nothing, and that is one of the primary reasons why I call myself "feenix."
“(3) Blacks must kick off a bold new movement, based entirely on unlimited black enterprise, capitalism, self-reliance and self-determination.” This one bothered me a bit, because I have the opinion that the “bold new movement” part started back in the 1950’s and 1960’s. What seems missing is the right sort of guidance that teaches the young to be ready for opportunity when it presents itself, and presenting themselves in a way that does not discourage others from wanting to help bring opportunity.
How’s this for a catchy phrase? Baltimore opportunity, rightly guided -or- BORG for short. Assimilate, be one with the BORG.Are you kidding me? BORG? I now understand where you stand and what is going on and I am praying for your soul. I would have been done in this conversation, however, I know what's going on in America! Also, your profile says you live in Manhattan?
You say you live in the ghetto better do an edit, funny someone living in Manhattan tells me rich vs poor is not an issue. Wow back to my disconnect comment, you are a materialist you have already stated you judge material wealth as success in life. I do not feel that way so no point in any further debate.
By the way, modern day rappers brainwashing the masses, (not just young black males) believe that material success is of primary importance as well. I do not even recognize the message in most music anymore; sell your soul for sex and money I guess.
These ideas are going to lead to the masses being round up and placed in Walmarts. Do not even bother responding I already know where you will go, I'm done here. Good luck and God bless all these good souls trying to open your eyes. They can finish this and I am happy because this is what is going to happen on the grand scale people are standing up to tyranny!@SteveMiller - If you were ocommenting on the BORG reference, that was my humble attempt at injecting some humor. But I have the feeling more was heard than was said.
@feenix - apologies - I did not see the incoming, and ducked.
What I meant to convey was that most young people have to be taught how to put themselves into a position where they can take advantage of constructive opportunity.I agree we should take responsibility for our lives. We must do that by understanding all peoples and having respect. We are all one.
The major set-back to any person whether white or black, purple with pink polka dots, green with red dots, or zebra stripped, or magenta blending to chartreuse...IS DRUGS!!!!
DRUGS don't care what color or ethnic background you are… they will get you and get you good.
Step away from the DRUGS!
I say!Kathryn, I presently live in a "ghetto" and I have lived in "ghettos" for most of my 69 years, and I agree that such things as drug use, drug dealing and addiction to drugs are at the root of many of society's problems, especially many of the problems among blacks.
However, take if from one who sees, and has been seeing for a very long time, what goes on among the poor and disadvantaged.
The truth is, drug use, drug dealing and addiction to drugs are not the primary cause of such social-and-economic problems as violent crime, impoverished single-parent families and out-of-wedlock births.
What is mostly at the root are such things as widespread disrespect for law-and-order and for the sanctity of life, along with a frequent lack of will to advance and succeed in life.
And the primary reason why the above is the case is, there are far too many politicians and activists on the scene today who are preaching counterproductive messages to the masses.The poor in America have an anti-education and anti-achievement mindset, consciousness, and psychology. They immaturely live for the moment instead of maturely planning for the future. Many of the actions that the poor do are very counterproductive: (1) such as believing that the pursuit of education is not copacetic as other intellectual and/or other academic pursuits; the main premise is street credibility and/or prowess, (2) marrying and having children before one is F.E.P. prepared; smart, intelligent, and/or educated people have children when they are financially, emotionally, and psychological ready, prepared, and stable,(2a) marrying WAY TOO YOUNG-again smart, intelligent, and/or educated people marry when their education is completed and their careers are stable and established, (3) sexual restraint- if one isn't mature enough nor ready to have sex-DON'T- sex isn't everything in life- smart people wait until they are mature and contraceptively ready before engaging in sexual relations, (3a) practice delayed gratification; smart, intelligent, and/or educated people practice future term thinking- THINK before one ACTS, not ACT before one THINKS, and (4) limit family size to 1-4 children, USE FAMILY PLANNING- smart, intelligent, and/or educated people have small to medium size families; they realize that having such families afford children the greatest amount of parental attention and advantages in terms of life opportunities as opposed to having large families of 6 and more children where there are GREATER disadvantages, higher incidences of child neglect, parentified children, socioeconomic impoverishment, and/or diminished opportunities in terms of life opportunities.
gmwilliams you are <personal attack snipped>. There is a job crisis in America and it is having a negative affect on the middle and underclass. The Educated are finding it hard to find decent employment many middle class graduates have to choose "Teach for America" because they need to work even if it's out of their degree field. The poor and underclass have to get it where and how they can by any means. gm the hogwash you write here is nothing more than mis and dis information for conservative consumption.
gm, for quite sometime now, a great-big idea has been floating around in my head.
I believe that I should organize a number of forward-looking black men and black women to establish a nationwide network of finishing schools for black people, especially young black people.
Attending the schools would be free of charge and they would be funded by contributions from major corporations and grants from large non-profits.
And in the schools, the attendees would be taught such things as job skills, how one should behave in public, how to dress for success, the use of proper English, parenting skills, and being responsible in the areas of sex and romance.I think this is a good idea for anyone.
I also have a type of school in mind featuring teachers who work behind the scenes guiding their students to research, discover and explore self-chosen topics based on their interest and motivation. Why couldn't our schools could be for anyone of any race. Can't we just accept that we are all from One Spirit? ...and we all need help in reaching our potentials based on Self-intunement.
Yes?
Dear feenix, I appreciate your point of view and the honesty and guts to share it.
To add to the discussion:
Back in the olden days, my boyfriend, who smoked pot once and a while and drove a hippie VW van, knew that to counteract justified profiling, he would have to be super polite and cooperative.
One time I was with him after hours where I worked. The cops came along and profiled me based on my being with him. I went into a fit of self-rightousness.
I was thrown into the squad car and called every name in the book. etc., etc...
I had to admit afterwards that it was my arrogant self-righteous attitude that pushed their buttons.Kathryn, I can definitely identify with the experience you had. Way back in the day when I was a young stud in L.A. who looked like a thug and behaved like one, the cops were always "on my case."
However, when I returned to L.A. after serving in the U.S. Army for five years, I looked like an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, and that was exactly what I was.
And voila, I never got hassled by the cops again.
Dear Alphadogg.
Which of these explanations do you think is most accurate? Or neither?
In his book "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Close Encounters with Addiction," Canadian physician Gabor Maté looks at the issue of drug addiction through the lens of early childhood brain development. Hard-core substance abuse in later life, he concludes, can often be traced to early childhood trauma: abandonment, nutritional deprivation, battery, rape.
The majority of chronically hard-core substance dependent adults lived as infants and children under conditions of severe adversity that left an indelible stamp on their development," Maté writes. "Their predispositions to addiction were programmed; their brains never had a chance"
He notes that humans are hard-wired to need strong connections with other humans, and that children need "an attachment connection with at least one reliably available, protective, psychologically present, and reasonably non-stressed adult."
VERSUS
What Feenix wrote: "What is mostly at the root are such things as widespread disrespect for law-and-order and for the sanctity of life, along with a frequent lack of will to advance and succeed in life.
And the primary reason why the above is the case is, there are far too many politicians and activists on the scene today who are preaching counterproductive messages to the masses."Hi Kathryn,
I really do not agree with either. Drugs do not know what color you are or if your poverty stricken in the ghetto or living well in the suburbs. Nor do I believe anyone is genetically/psychologically predisposed to do them. There are many wealthy people with drug addictions just as there are poor. Of course with an indigent drug user, crime and violence will naturally come hand in hand because they will not have the financial means to support their habit as a person with money will have. Robert Downey Jr is a perfect example of the rich with several drug addiction lapses. I do believe the way you are brought up will play a role in the life choices/decisions you make, but it is still your choice.Thank You Alphadogg:
Please Note: He did not say a word about heritage, culture, color, socioeconomic status or psychological / genetic predisposition.
Observe:
"Hard-core substance abuse in later life, he concludes, can often be traced to
early
childhood
trauma:
abandonment, nutritional deprivation, battery, rape."
Do you think this is accurate?
"Canadian physician Gabor Maté looks at the issue of drug addiction through
* the lens of early childhood brain d e v e l o p m e n t.*
The majority of chronically hard-core substance dependent adults
lived as infants and children
under conditions of severe adversity
that left an indelible stamp on their
d e v e l o p m e n t."
In my opinion, this is accurate.
You talk about choices…
But sometimes these early experiences cause people to search out a cure for internal stress and anxiety. Who knows how these early experiences affect the human mind. I also believe that genetics plays a part too. The farther away we get from healthy natural lifestyles, the farther away we get from naturally firing brain synapses and the balance of the brain. Don't forget the brain is pretty much the next unexplored frontier. There is a lot we do not know, surprisingly enough.
My conclusion: Our (humans in general) compulsions to self-medicate through drug use are due to early child hood trauma and somehow unhealthy brain functioning.
We want need demand to feel good. Why?
I think this problem has a spiritual basis. We come from Bliss and we want to go back to Bliss.
The problem with drugs is,
1. The Bliss is temporary
2. It hurts the brain and psyche even more,
3. it hurts the body.
Dear Feenix: You wrote:
"And the primary reason why the above is the case is, there are far too many politicians and activists on the scene today who are preaching counterproductive messages to the masses."
What do you say these messages are and who is delivering them?Kathryn, it's real late here in NYC, and I am ready to have a snack and hit the sack. But I promise to respond to your comments and question tomorrow, as soon as I return home from the gym and running a few errands.
Katherine, the ones I am talking about are such individuals as Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, the heads of the NAACP and National Urban League, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, various black entertainers, prominent black-liberal journalists, numerous black educators, left-wing black activists, and a whole lot of black preachers.
That collection of poor-old-broken-down slave negroes is out there telling millions of black people that they are victims of the "system;" that blacks cannot advance and succeed in life unless they are provided with a steady stream of government handouts; that white racism is lurking around every corner; that thousands of white law-enforcement officers are out to brutalize and kill blacks; that blacks are not being treated justly and fairly in the criminal justice system, and I could go on.
Well, I say, Instead of constantly telling blacks how difficult things are for them, Obama and all of his well-fed, financially-secure black chums should be out there telling blacks, especially the youth, the ways in which they defied the odds and made it to the top.
After all, that is what I have been doing for nearly five decades, and as a result, I have oriented numerous disadvantaged black people towards dramatically elevating their status.No, they are not victims. It is a powerful ILLUSION. Ignore whatever does not make YOU happy, I say.
Thank You for looking for, finding and presenting a solution. I have never seen the problems you are discussing first hand. We have our beloved, singers, movies stars and and sports stars. I mean why don't blacks identify with the myriad of personalities who brought and continue to bring the best of their culture... and SOUL to fore? Just change the focus, I say. It is also an illusion that we are not from One Spirit. If only we could get that TRUTH.
Maybe not all can get on board with the success ethic you would like to see… They can live simpler, yet regal lives… as I am doing on $30,000 a year! Am I a victim of poverty? I never feel like that! EVER.
Here is what I think:
Find what you like...
and what you love...
and contribute how you would like to contribute.
It takes allowing oneself to find oneself. It really does come down to each individual. And no one should stand in another's way.
Sigh.
I am thinking of the brutal competition out there…It makes it hard for us all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVkGS5mDlEU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEwwt6Z … 6Z9IRA#t=0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfnPfvbyQTU
Dear feenix while you were snoozing, I've been over here in So Cal pondering stuff.
You wrote:
"However, racist white cops are not the ones making millions of black people's lives miserable."
No one said they were.
!
When the gov't is militarizing the police and allowing them to have too much power and abusive authority, the people of every color have the right to protest. When the behavior of cops reveal insufficient training, the people have the right to protest. If the protests are honest uprisings, then fine…message to the cops: Act better. We are people too!
No, they are not trained to be social workers… but if they are carrying guns they better have a lot of self-control and they better know how to whip out their bullhorns and /or tasers first. If they are dealing with injuries such as a broken leg, they better know to get a stretcher / ambulance and not drag the suspect into their vehicle and then proceed to do who knows what under the influence of their own adrenline rush...
However, if the uprisings are people bussed in to increase traffic, so to speak, it makes you wonder…
I believe we need to get off the black and white issue. We are all running in the human race. And welcome to it.
The black and white issue is leading U.S. astray.
If the aliens were coming to destroy the earth we would have to help each other and we would.
We cannot afford to breed animosity toward each other based on one stupid difference! Color!
If we are talking culture we have to accept and respect each others' cultures…
We have to accept. We have to accept each other as children of God… and this is what should be stressed.
Thanks for the topic and this freedom of speech.Feenix wrote:
" (1) Blacks have to accept that much of their society is very ill." Their BLACK society????
"(2) A new order of black leadership must emerge that will take a wide range of initiatives to motivate and guide all of the blacks who are out there behaving in counter-productive and destructive ways." NEW ORDER? I don't think ANY order of BLACK leadership is needed!
(3) Blacks must kick off a bold new movement, based entirely on unlimited black enterprise, capitalism, self-reliance and self-determination." BLACKS?
No. Simply No. it will not work.
You are breeding exclusivity. Haven't we had enough of that???
My Opinion Only But' Maybe Others Agree
MOO B' MOA
PS I am all for individual power as the Constitution has set forth ALREADY!
We just need to ALL get on board…together.
PLEASE!
PSS I actually think we were progressing in this direction before UNO HOO took office….Don W wrote:
"when they (BLACKS) are told they are worthless by the majority white society (WHITES) they live in from day one?"
Who told who what and when?
Surely, we are currently RECOVERING from the dark ignorance of the past.
If we aren't, I don't want to know.To be clear this is about EXCESSIVE negative representations of black people, and a LACK of positive representations. It's so widespread, it's probably easier to show you. It would be impossible to list every instance, but some examples include:
A useful primer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representa … s_in_media
And something a bit more in depth: https://library.uoregon.edu/sites/defau … ations.pdf
Advertising
https://goingbacktoafrica.files.wordpre … cleoo1.jpg
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/sRzA78of-TI/0.jpg (apparently that's a peice of artwork)
http://money.cnn.com/blogs/browser/uplo … 724850.jpg
http://penciledin.com/wp/wp-content/upl … ntelad.jpg
News
http://tif.everythingsoul.com/wp-content/loot.jpg
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/fi … /04/1a.jpg
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/fi … /04/21.png
Film
Chose a year at random, then searched for a list of movies for that year. How many do you count with either an African American hero, or a person of color featured prominently? I chose 2014, the result is below:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls058691935/
And here is a list of 'top 100 kids movies'. Same question, how many movies feature African Americans heroes or prominent characters?
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls000764734/
Books
Again choose a year at random. I did a search on "List of kids books 2013". I chose a list of "under fives"
https://s3.amazonaws.com/bankstreet_web … r-five.pdf
I did an individual Google search of the books listed, and counted how many books have either an African American protagonist, or a person of color featured prominently (Amazon has a "peek inside" feature). I gave up after 18 books (I stopped on a book called "Demolition"). The result was: out of 18 books counted, 6 did not feature humans. Of the 12 that featured humans, 1 had an African American character. Choose any year at random and do the same exercise. See if you get a different result.
Why is this significant? Because of the message it sends to young people (black and white) whose beliefs and attitudes about the world are developing. Excessive negative representations of black people, or simply an absence altogether have a profound effect in children, as the video in the other post shows. It damages the self-image of African American children. Combined with individual personal experiences (black children are 6 times more likely to be suspended form school for the same actions as white children: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/0 … de-island/) then you start to see the problem.
So who is telling who what and when? Society (black and white) is telling children (black and white) that black people are either not important enough to be represented, or if they are represented, are subordinate to white people. That distorts children's attitudes and beliefs about who they are and their relationship with others in society, and it also instils distorted assumptions that are so ingrained that as adults we have to de-programme and un-learn it. That's exactly what these people are trying to do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuXWJDyGct4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdHJtyf7TB0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH_oCyt3_js
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMEaEdsTb0Y
Sorry there's so much in here, but you did ask. I hope it's useful to you in some way.
But, we are all from One Spirit… which resides in us all.
We can just focus on what is TRUE/REALITY.
It'll be so much easier.
and more fun than focusing on all this ILLUSION.
Yes?
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