Plans. You make 'em...God breaks 'em. He actually just laughs at them and changes the whole game up. Family Planning. LoL. How many people do you know that have gotten pregnant "by accident?" Teen pregnancy, boyfriends and girlfriends, cheating lovers, married couples who weren't "planning on it"--it just happened. Well, whether you planned it or not, it's never a mistake. Nothing is ever a mistake. Everything happens for a reason. Perhaps there's a lesson to be learned that you haven't yet learned. Perhaps there's a joy waiting to unfold. But at the end of the day...if God puts someone here and lets them stay here....they're not an accident. He easily can take them away. If He hasn't done so yet....you're not an accident. Embrace what is and not what should have been and you'll be much more content with your plot in life.
=)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Attachment
Parents. They're supposed to be like Mama and Papa Bear. They're supposed to lead the way for their little ducklings. Show their babies how to fly. Teach them how to hunt. Demonstrate how to get along with the rest of the pack or run from potential predators. All in an effort to eventually allow their babies to fend for themselves. Well...what happens when they're not there to teach these lessons? Well, in the case of ducklings, they just follow someone or something else as a surrogate. In the case of baby monkeys, they die.
Isn't it the same for people? I mean, parents are supposed to show their children how to do things like love and socialize in attempt to show them how to survive. When a child doesn't get these elements from their parents, what happens? Without receiving love from a parent, a child grows up unable to love others. And there's a huge misconception here. No parent in their right mind could say, "I don't love my child." The discrepancy is that the way you love your child may differ completely from the way your child needs to feel the love. For example, there are a lot of parents who can't spend time with their children because they're busy with work, hobbies, etc. But they compensate by buying their children toys, gifts, etc. Well, the child could care less about that stuff in some instances, because all the child NEEDS is the time of his parent. So, this parent is working so hard at buying nice things but the child still walks away saying, "He doesn't love me." Totally, not what the parent is intending.
What about those who are able to love, but love a little too easily? It's like that little naive duckling without a mom that'll follow you as soon as you walk by. At times, it can be an instance of "Lookin' for love in all the wrong places." For these folks, you have to look around and take inventory of those with whom you surround yourself. I hope there is one or maybe even two people who genuinely do love you back. Love doesn't always come from where you want, but it usually is there. There may be the mother or father of a friend, an aunt, uncle, godparent, grandparent, or just a really close friend. Find solace in that and accept it. Don't place unrealistic expectations on them, but know that you can find love there.
Without learning how to socialize from your parents, you grow up awkward and socially inept. It's important that parents show their children how to care for others, be considerate, call for birthdays, pay visits, maintain friendships, etc. But, the only way you can genuinely teach your kids how to do this is to do this in your own life! Your child will not listen to you preach about how to be a good friend if you never have friends of your own come over, call, invite you to events or anything else. And, if you are unable to do this because you DON'T have close friendships, then perhaps you need to reevaluate your situation, because you are teaching your children how to not have close friendships.
I think that when your family life isn't where you would like it to be, a piece of you does die. Unfortunately for many people, instead of dealing with these feelings honestly, they try and make up for it by partying, shopping, overeating, drinking, cleaning, abusing drugs, being promiscuous, and just plain ol' overindulging.
As "children," we have to understand that our parents have made shameful mistakes and have embarassing regrets just like we do. Many times, they don't come to terms with these or repress these feelings or just plain ol' don't want to talk about certain things with us. So they act weird towards us or blame us for doing things that remind them of what they did. We need to realize that at the end of the day, they're still our parents and we have to love them, whether we like them or not. We don't get a choice to return them and buy new ones because of their defects. I'll say this though. As a "child," you have a mental construct of what your parents are supposed to be. There almost always comes a day when you find out that who you thought your parents were and who they are are two totally different things. When that happens, don't be disappointed. Use it as a learning opportunity to not make those mistakes yourself. If you have a parent that doesn't treat you well, the blessing is that, now you can make the decision to never treat your own children that way. I'm not saying this is easy. It's a process, but a process with a positive outcome in the end. Cuz like they always say..."What doesn't kill you, will make you stronger." And, believe me, it does.
Peace.
Isn't it the same for people? I mean, parents are supposed to show their children how to do things like love and socialize in attempt to show them how to survive. When a child doesn't get these elements from their parents, what happens? Without receiving love from a parent, a child grows up unable to love others. And there's a huge misconception here. No parent in their right mind could say, "I don't love my child." The discrepancy is that the way you love your child may differ completely from the way your child needs to feel the love. For example, there are a lot of parents who can't spend time with their children because they're busy with work, hobbies, etc. But they compensate by buying their children toys, gifts, etc. Well, the child could care less about that stuff in some instances, because all the child NEEDS is the time of his parent. So, this parent is working so hard at buying nice things but the child still walks away saying, "He doesn't love me." Totally, not what the parent is intending.
What about those who are able to love, but love a little too easily? It's like that little naive duckling without a mom that'll follow you as soon as you walk by. At times, it can be an instance of "Lookin' for love in all the wrong places." For these folks, you have to look around and take inventory of those with whom you surround yourself. I hope there is one or maybe even two people who genuinely do love you back. Love doesn't always come from where you want, but it usually is there. There may be the mother or father of a friend, an aunt, uncle, godparent, grandparent, or just a really close friend. Find solace in that and accept it. Don't place unrealistic expectations on them, but know that you can find love there.
Without learning how to socialize from your parents, you grow up awkward and socially inept. It's important that parents show their children how to care for others, be considerate, call for birthdays, pay visits, maintain friendships, etc. But, the only way you can genuinely teach your kids how to do this is to do this in your own life! Your child will not listen to you preach about how to be a good friend if you never have friends of your own come over, call, invite you to events or anything else. And, if you are unable to do this because you DON'T have close friendships, then perhaps you need to reevaluate your situation, because you are teaching your children how to not have close friendships.
I think that when your family life isn't where you would like it to be, a piece of you does die. Unfortunately for many people, instead of dealing with these feelings honestly, they try and make up for it by partying, shopping, overeating, drinking, cleaning, abusing drugs, being promiscuous, and just plain ol' overindulging.
As "children," we have to understand that our parents have made shameful mistakes and have embarassing regrets just like we do. Many times, they don't come to terms with these or repress these feelings or just plain ol' don't want to talk about certain things with us. So they act weird towards us or blame us for doing things that remind them of what they did. We need to realize that at the end of the day, they're still our parents and we have to love them, whether we like them or not. We don't get a choice to return them and buy new ones because of their defects. I'll say this though. As a "child," you have a mental construct of what your parents are supposed to be. There almost always comes a day when you find out that who you thought your parents were and who they are are two totally different things. When that happens, don't be disappointed. Use it as a learning opportunity to not make those mistakes yourself. If you have a parent that doesn't treat you well, the blessing is that, now you can make the decision to never treat your own children that way. I'm not saying this is easy. It's a process, but a process with a positive outcome in the end. Cuz like they always say..."What doesn't kill you, will make you stronger." And, believe me, it does.
Peace.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Puffy Said Something Intelligent!
Well..kinda..
We all have our guilty pleasures...well...I was watching 106th and Park the other day. I KNOW I KNOW......
Well, Rocsi and Terrence J had Kevin Liles, Puffy & Busta Rhymes as guests. Puffy interjected for a second and dammit...he said something intelligent! So, intelligent, I wrote it down.
"May I? I just wanna thank God for ya'll cuz without ya'll this wouldn'ta happened. I just thank God for ya'll and may God..may, may, may ya'll take full advantage of this. Ya'll have a chance..this man is helping to give ya'll a chance to take full advantage of what he's about to put down. Take full advantage of it. Get up off them corners, just hangin' out witcha friends, go hit them books, get focused, get serious, be about your money, take care of your family and show up on time. We got a Black president--we can't be late to our appointments no more. Let's show up on time. Man, let's represent. Let's represent the Black family. For real, that's real talk."
Ok..so maybe it wasn't so intelligent, but it's tru...............
We all have our guilty pleasures...well...I was watching 106th and Park the other day. I KNOW I KNOW......
Well, Rocsi and Terrence J had Kevin Liles, Puffy & Busta Rhymes as guests. Puffy interjected for a second and dammit...he said something intelligent! So, intelligent, I wrote it down.
"May I? I just wanna thank God for ya'll cuz without ya'll this wouldn'ta happened. I just thank God for ya'll and may God..may, may, may ya'll take full advantage of this. Ya'll have a chance..this man is helping to give ya'll a chance to take full advantage of what he's about to put down. Take full advantage of it. Get up off them corners, just hangin' out witcha friends, go hit them books, get focused, get serious, be about your money, take care of your family and show up on time. We got a Black president--we can't be late to our appointments no more. Let's show up on time. Man, let's represent. Let's represent the Black family. For real, that's real talk."
Ok..so maybe it wasn't so intelligent, but it's tru...............
What We Need to Do Now
This was originally posted to MySpace
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
What We Need to Do Now
We've completed Step 1, but we still have work to do. We have to:
-Read more, listen more & be aware of our surroundings. I remember hearing, "If you want to keep information from Black people, put it in a book." I know that sometimes the information on the news can be a bit dry, redundant and even difficult to understand. But, the more you watch it or read about it, the more you understand. We have to do a better job educating ourselves. If you don't know something…ASK!
-Take back our communities. Talk to your neighbors and start by just saying hello and introducing yourself! Have a sunshine committee to welcome new neighbors. Create a phone chain with your neighbors—if someone needs a dog sitter, is going away on vacation and needs someone to collect mail, check on something, take the kids somewhere, whatever…now you have some more options. Have block parties and create instances where you and your neighbors have to interact. Become more active in our schools & communities. Volunteer your time and services. When you put yourself out there in your community, you make it easier to interject in potentially bad situations. If people in your community know and like you, if you see children acting you, you can correct them and they'll be more likely to respect you. Everyone can't keep an eye on their child at all times, but it's comforting to know that if you can't, you're neighbors have your back. And finally, this stop snitchin' thing is ridiculous. If you see something wrong, it is your duty as a human being to report it. If you're scared, do it anonymously. You wouldn't want someone to witness something bad happening to you and not say anything on your behalf. Return the favor.
-Empower our children to let them know they can do whatever they want but it's not enough to just pay them lip service. We have to equip them with the tools to adequately accomplish their goals. Part of equipping them with the necessary tools is being an example yourself. You can't tell a child, "be the best you can be" while you're throwin' back handles of Henny and sparkin' blunts all damn day long. You can't tell a kid to go to school, but you can't talk yourself, can't read, never speak with their teachers, never check their bookbags, didn't finish high school, etc. Why would they listen to you? Do your best to be what you verbally and physically promote otherwise no one will take you seriously. Let children know not to be afraid of trying hard. That doesn't mean you're acting white. You try hard to do your best because you owe it to yourself to always give it your best shot. Don't be afraid to fail. Every great success was precedented by at least one failure.
-While we need to empower our children, we also need to regain order. The teachers are afraid of the principles, the principles are afraid of the superintendents, the superintendents are afraid of the parents, the parents are afraid of the children and the children ain't afraid of anyone! If young children do not respect their elders when they are physically smaller, what will happen as they begin to physically grow bigger than their elders. Who will they listen to? We need to stop all of this, "I don't need to listen to nobody cuz I'm grown" business.
-Work harder to take care of our vulnerable—young, old & disabled. Perhaps programs can be set up so that communities have interaction between organizations…let the high school and college students work in early childhood, geriatric and mental health settings. Provide incentives for volunteer work within the community. Create provisions where employees must complete a designated amount of community service within a prescribed amount of time.
-Be responsible to our families. Ladies, stop sexin' everyone that pays you attention. If you stop havin' sex with these dudes irresponsibly, then you'll stop havin' these kids for whom you can't provide. Then we won't be complainin' about these dead beat dads. If we spent more time getting to know these men, we'd learn quickly that some are not ready to be the fathers our children need. And fellas, have some discretion. Sex is good. We get that. But, you don't need to hit off every chick that throws it on you or who you think is bangin'. Sometimes they will run game to trap you. Next thing you know, you're stuck in a relationship with some ungrateful kids and a woman you can't stand. Before you know it...you bounce and they're talking about how much of a deadbeat father you are…Stop havin' kids you can't take care of!
-Become more financially literate. Perhaps this needs to start in the schools but at the very least, parents become financially literate yourselves and teach your children what you know. "Kids"...go to the library, Yahoo!, Google or even Barnes and Noble and read up on what to do with that chump change you're making at your part-time job..
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
What We Need to Do Now
We've completed Step 1, but we still have work to do. We have to:
-Read more, listen more & be aware of our surroundings. I remember hearing, "If you want to keep information from Black people, put it in a book." I know that sometimes the information on the news can be a bit dry, redundant and even difficult to understand. But, the more you watch it or read about it, the more you understand. We have to do a better job educating ourselves. If you don't know something…ASK!
-Take back our communities. Talk to your neighbors and start by just saying hello and introducing yourself! Have a sunshine committee to welcome new neighbors. Create a phone chain with your neighbors—if someone needs a dog sitter, is going away on vacation and needs someone to collect mail, check on something, take the kids somewhere, whatever…now you have some more options. Have block parties and create instances where you and your neighbors have to interact. Become more active in our schools & communities. Volunteer your time and services. When you put yourself out there in your community, you make it easier to interject in potentially bad situations. If people in your community know and like you, if you see children acting you, you can correct them and they'll be more likely to respect you. Everyone can't keep an eye on their child at all times, but it's comforting to know that if you can't, you're neighbors have your back. And finally, this stop snitchin' thing is ridiculous. If you see something wrong, it is your duty as a human being to report it. If you're scared, do it anonymously. You wouldn't want someone to witness something bad happening to you and not say anything on your behalf. Return the favor.
-Empower our children to let them know they can do whatever they want but it's not enough to just pay them lip service. We have to equip them with the tools to adequately accomplish their goals. Part of equipping them with the necessary tools is being an example yourself. You can't tell a child, "be the best you can be" while you're throwin' back handles of Henny and sparkin' blunts all damn day long. You can't tell a kid to go to school, but you can't talk yourself, can't read, never speak with their teachers, never check their bookbags, didn't finish high school, etc. Why would they listen to you? Do your best to be what you verbally and physically promote otherwise no one will take you seriously. Let children know not to be afraid of trying hard. That doesn't mean you're acting white. You try hard to do your best because you owe it to yourself to always give it your best shot. Don't be afraid to fail. Every great success was precedented by at least one failure.
-While we need to empower our children, we also need to regain order. The teachers are afraid of the principles, the principles are afraid of the superintendents, the superintendents are afraid of the parents, the parents are afraid of the children and the children ain't afraid of anyone! If young children do not respect their elders when they are physically smaller, what will happen as they begin to physically grow bigger than their elders. Who will they listen to? We need to stop all of this, "I don't need to listen to nobody cuz I'm grown" business.
-Work harder to take care of our vulnerable—young, old & disabled. Perhaps programs can be set up so that communities have interaction between organizations…let the high school and college students work in early childhood, geriatric and mental health settings. Provide incentives for volunteer work within the community. Create provisions where employees must complete a designated amount of community service within a prescribed amount of time.
-Be responsible to our families. Ladies, stop sexin' everyone that pays you attention. If you stop havin' sex with these dudes irresponsibly, then you'll stop havin' these kids for whom you can't provide. Then we won't be complainin' about these dead beat dads. If we spent more time getting to know these men, we'd learn quickly that some are not ready to be the fathers our children need. And fellas, have some discretion. Sex is good. We get that. But, you don't need to hit off every chick that throws it on you or who you think is bangin'. Sometimes they will run game to trap you. Next thing you know, you're stuck in a relationship with some ungrateful kids and a woman you can't stand. Before you know it...you bounce and they're talking about how much of a deadbeat father you are…Stop havin' kids you can't take care of!
-Become more financially literate. Perhaps this needs to start in the schools but at the very least, parents become financially literate yourselves and teach your children what you know. "Kids"...go to the library, Yahoo!, Google or even Barnes and Noble and read up on what to do with that chump change you're making at your part-time job..
Texts with a "Friend"
Wednesday November 5, 2008
Texts with a ’Friend’
So, following the good news, I sent out a text message to selected friends that read, "Thank you Jesus." I received a text back saying, "Well, thank him when the next president allows radicals to bomb the shit out of us." So, the only answer I could muster up was, "Lose my number you racist."
I briefly lost sight of Barack's message of unity, so in that respect, I dropped the ball. I was actually embarrassed by my reaction and ended up apologizing profusely to the person. But it sickens me to still see the subtle traces of racism that exist even among those who were raised in multicultural settings. For the most part, you can say that most racists feel the way they do because they don't know any better, or that they don't know any black folks. Because to know a person really well, it's difficult to not like the person at all. So, you would think that if you at least knew someone who was respectable, it'd be hard for you to talk badly about him or her, right? Well, since this person grew up around plenty black folk, I would hope that there's no way for this person to be racist…but……………..
This person's reason for not supporting Barack is because "Barack is inexperienced." This is absolutely right. Barack only attended Occidental College, transferred and graduated from Columbia University as a Political Science major, attended Harvard Law, became the President of Harvard Law Review, worked in corporate America, became a community organizer in Chicago's South Side, worked as a Civil Rights & Neighborhood Economic Development Attorney, was a Professor of Constitutional Law for 12 years and served 3 terms as a Junior US Senator for Illinois. Not to mention that he is inexcusably uncultured—being born to a White teenage mom and African father, had a Indonesian step-father, White and Indonesian half-siblings, he was raised by White grandparents, married his African-American wife, was born in Hawaii, moved to and was schooled in Indonesia, attended college in California & New York, lived in NY, moved to IL, and served in DC. Quite frankly, there's no way he can relate to me or understand my struggle. I mean, what the hell is he thinking running for President without any real indication of being ready to serve the people?
My friend also said whole-heartedly, "I hope people didn't vote for him because he's Black." I totally agree! I hope that poised and graceful lady who doesn't trust Obama because "He's an Arab" didn't vote for McCain because he's white! That would be absurd. And (I don't know if you've seen the pic) that slightly lightly-complected bike rider whose shirt read, "Nigger PLEASE. It's Called a WHITE House," didn't vote for McCain because he's white either. I know one thing's for sure….there's absolutely NO way that anyone DIDN'T vote for Barack HUSSEIN Obama simply because of the color of his skin. Nope. No way.
"Just because I didn't vote for him doesn't mean I'm a racist." Strap on your seatbelts kiddies. Miss Hoque's about to break it down. Obama has expressed from the very beginning of his campaign that he wants to reform early childhood education, access to higher education, health care, taxes, energy independence, the economy, gender issues and foreign relations. His story did not waver, not even in the wake of our stock market crashing, Fannie/Freddy, etc. What did happen was that his plan became more detailed. McCain, on the other hand, ran his campaign on Barack being the son of a Black Panther, an Arab named Hussein, a pawn from Islam to make the country implode, too intellectual, anti-American, a Socialist, someone who fraternizes with radicals and terrorists, morally challenged through his religious associations, doesn't stop his campaign to stand outside of a meeting he can't participate in when it was time to vote on the Bailout, doesn't chose a woman to run as his running mate, won't be ready on Day One, isn't a maverick or a POW, doesn't understand foreign relations, etc. I mean seriously, the list goes on…Please explain to me where he explains how he differs from the bullshit we've been enduring for 8 years? Please explain to me when and where he built a case for why I should agree with his POLICY? What I did hear between the lines of all that bullshit is…."Don't you vote for this Black man. He has some good ideas on how those on the bottom can come up. He may do well and then we won't be able to stop them at all… We'll lose everything we have!" In my opinion..if you voted for McCain, you're either racist or plain ol' ignorant.
Texts with a ’Friend’
So, following the good news, I sent out a text message to selected friends that read, "Thank you Jesus." I received a text back saying, "Well, thank him when the next president allows radicals to bomb the shit out of us." So, the only answer I could muster up was, "Lose my number you racist."
I briefly lost sight of Barack's message of unity, so in that respect, I dropped the ball. I was actually embarrassed by my reaction and ended up apologizing profusely to the person. But it sickens me to still see the subtle traces of racism that exist even among those who were raised in multicultural settings. For the most part, you can say that most racists feel the way they do because they don't know any better, or that they don't know any black folks. Because to know a person really well, it's difficult to not like the person at all. So, you would think that if you at least knew someone who was respectable, it'd be hard for you to talk badly about him or her, right? Well, since this person grew up around plenty black folk, I would hope that there's no way for this person to be racist…but……………..
This person's reason for not supporting Barack is because "Barack is inexperienced." This is absolutely right. Barack only attended Occidental College, transferred and graduated from Columbia University as a Political Science major, attended Harvard Law, became the President of Harvard Law Review, worked in corporate America, became a community organizer in Chicago's South Side, worked as a Civil Rights & Neighborhood Economic Development Attorney, was a Professor of Constitutional Law for 12 years and served 3 terms as a Junior US Senator for Illinois. Not to mention that he is inexcusably uncultured—being born to a White teenage mom and African father, had a Indonesian step-father, White and Indonesian half-siblings, he was raised by White grandparents, married his African-American wife, was born in Hawaii, moved to and was schooled in Indonesia, attended college in California & New York, lived in NY, moved to IL, and served in DC. Quite frankly, there's no way he can relate to me or understand my struggle. I mean, what the hell is he thinking running for President without any real indication of being ready to serve the people?
My friend also said whole-heartedly, "I hope people didn't vote for him because he's Black." I totally agree! I hope that poised and graceful lady who doesn't trust Obama because "He's an Arab" didn't vote for McCain because he's white! That would be absurd. And (I don't know if you've seen the pic) that slightly lightly-complected bike rider whose shirt read, "Nigger PLEASE. It's Called a WHITE House," didn't vote for McCain because he's white either. I know one thing's for sure….there's absolutely NO way that anyone DIDN'T vote for Barack HUSSEIN Obama simply because of the color of his skin. Nope. No way.
"Just because I didn't vote for him doesn't mean I'm a racist." Strap on your seatbelts kiddies. Miss Hoque's about to break it down. Obama has expressed from the very beginning of his campaign that he wants to reform early childhood education, access to higher education, health care, taxes, energy independence, the economy, gender issues and foreign relations. His story did not waver, not even in the wake of our stock market crashing, Fannie/Freddy, etc. What did happen was that his plan became more detailed. McCain, on the other hand, ran his campaign on Barack being the son of a Black Panther, an Arab named Hussein, a pawn from Islam to make the country implode, too intellectual, anti-American, a Socialist, someone who fraternizes with radicals and terrorists, morally challenged through his religious associations, doesn't stop his campaign to stand outside of a meeting he can't participate in when it was time to vote on the Bailout, doesn't chose a woman to run as his running mate, won't be ready on Day One, isn't a maverick or a POW, doesn't understand foreign relations, etc. I mean seriously, the list goes on…Please explain to me where he explains how he differs from the bullshit we've been enduring for 8 years? Please explain to me when and where he built a case for why I should agree with his POLICY? What I did hear between the lines of all that bullshit is…."Don't you vote for this Black man. He has some good ideas on how those on the bottom can come up. He may do well and then we won't be able to stop them at all… We'll lose everything we have!" In my opinion..if you voted for McCain, you're either racist or plain ol' ignorant.
What Barack's Win Means to Me
This was originally posted on MySpace.
November 5, 2008
What Barack’s Win Means to Me
I had the day off but I was anxious all day long. I woke up watching the news and went to bed with the news watching me. I voted around 10am and basically waited around all day long. I probably really started focusing when they began tallying and giving projected outcomes for different states. It became very apparent that the Northeastern seaboard was unanimously voting for Barack. But then, I saw that Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa, who had been previous Republican-voting states had flipped over to voting Democrat. But, there was a period of about 20-30 minutes where McCain's electoral votes were going up and Barack's weren't. But then came 11:00 and California, Oregon and Washington's polls closed and they began flashing on the screen. Well, dammit…they were flashing blue and within like 3 seconds, I saw Barack's electoral votes jump from 207 to 333. I immediately got it! He only needed 270 votes to win! I lost my damn mind…so much to the point where my dog started barking and got a little aggressive (he ended up having to go home for that). All I kept thinking was, "Oh My God…We have a Black President!"
I'm pretty damn proud. I paid attention to the campaigns and process. I donated money. I convinced friends to vote for him. I convinced family members to vote for him. I encouraged others to just get out and exercise their right to vote. Most of all, I exercised my own right to vote. I voted for our first elected Black president! I am a part of history.
When you're little, you're parents say, "Honey, you can be whatever you want to be." In the back of their minds, it was rhetoric and if you dreamed too much, they'd snap you right back into reality. Mainly because it wasn't true—you couldn't be whatever you wanted to be. To this day, in some sectors, I would only make 70% of what a man would make doing my same job. There still has never been a female, Native American, Asian, Latino president. Think back to when you were like 10 years old. If you're friend told you, "I want to be the president of the United States," you'd clown him! He'd be looked at as the geeky kid and if he dressed the part, you'd be callin' him an oreo, cracker, uppity negro, etc. Let's keep it real. So, to some degree, it still hasn't been proven correct that we can be WHATEVER we want to be. But you know what, with Barack winning, we're getting closer and I can't wait to see what happens in the next 25 years of my life...
Barack won because more people came out to vote than ever before. Had only the same people from the past two elections voted Barack would have lost. But, more young people voted, more Blacks voted and more Latinos voted. The outcome? Our voice gets heard and we influence the electoral votes that can either be given or taken away. A lot of people believed that because of the electoral vote, the popular vote was bogus and that the voting system is flawed. It actually works. But it only reflects the votes that have been casted. So, if you don't vote, you're voice will not be reflected in the electorate. I think in the past, we've been hearing, "Vote or Die" and we did go out to vote in the last two elections to no avail. Well, last night proved that when we vote, our voice is really heard. Hopefully this inspires people to keep on voting.
I am truly inspired by Barack. That being said, I won't blindly follow what he says just because I am inspired by him. But if he says something that makes sense to me then please believe I'll do it.
God has his own plans and laughs at ours. But dammit if I wasn't hoping that Barack's grandmother could vote for her grandson and just hang on until around 1am last night. I guess she is watching everything from Heaven. I really feel for him and I think it was apparent during his speech that he was trying to celebrate his win, yet he was mourning the loss of his grandma.
This goes to show that grassroots movements can work. Perhaps they don't pay well. But the fulfillment you get is well worth the pay cut. If you believe in something, go for it whole-heartedly and you never know what kind of journey on which you may embark. Furthermore, grassroots efforts need foot soldiers. I'm proud to say that Barack's foot soldiers were primarily my contemporaries who have been believed to be completely apathetic. It's not that we're apathetic, it's that nothing has moved us enough before. We didn't trust anyone or anything and didn't believe that what we thought mattered. Well..we do care.
I hope this changes the strategies and tactics used during political campaigns. Barack proved that you can carry yourself in a dignified manner, promote your policies and still walk away with your integrity, win or lose. Personally, I don't care to hear you bash another's character. Let me make that decision for myself. Talk about policy, let me see your voting record and make my own decisions. To mudsling is to take the low road. Convince me of why I should vote for you, not why I shouldn't vote for the other guy. If you can't do that, perhaps you shouldn't be running.
Hopefully this stimulates a positive change in race relations because white and blacks and everyone in between view the country from very different perspectives. White people think everything is great...the sky is the limit. Black people think…why even try, White people are going to find a way to mess it up for us. Neither understands the other. One thinks the other is lying and the other thinks the other is knowingly oppressive. We need to get to a point where we can acknowledge this and move forward.
November 5, 2008
What Barack’s Win Means to Me
I had the day off but I was anxious all day long. I woke up watching the news and went to bed with the news watching me. I voted around 10am and basically waited around all day long. I probably really started focusing when they began tallying and giving projected outcomes for different states. It became very apparent that the Northeastern seaboard was unanimously voting for Barack. But then, I saw that Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa, who had been previous Republican-voting states had flipped over to voting Democrat. But, there was a period of about 20-30 minutes where McCain's electoral votes were going up and Barack's weren't. But then came 11:00 and California, Oregon and Washington's polls closed and they began flashing on the screen. Well, dammit…they were flashing blue and within like 3 seconds, I saw Barack's electoral votes jump from 207 to 333. I immediately got it! He only needed 270 votes to win! I lost my damn mind…so much to the point where my dog started barking and got a little aggressive (he ended up having to go home for that). All I kept thinking was, "Oh My God…We have a Black President!"
I'm pretty damn proud. I paid attention to the campaigns and process. I donated money. I convinced friends to vote for him. I convinced family members to vote for him. I encouraged others to just get out and exercise their right to vote. Most of all, I exercised my own right to vote. I voted for our first elected Black president! I am a part of history.
When you're little, you're parents say, "Honey, you can be whatever you want to be." In the back of their minds, it was rhetoric and if you dreamed too much, they'd snap you right back into reality. Mainly because it wasn't true—you couldn't be whatever you wanted to be. To this day, in some sectors, I would only make 70% of what a man would make doing my same job. There still has never been a female, Native American, Asian, Latino president. Think back to when you were like 10 years old. If you're friend told you, "I want to be the president of the United States," you'd clown him! He'd be looked at as the geeky kid and if he dressed the part, you'd be callin' him an oreo, cracker, uppity negro, etc. Let's keep it real. So, to some degree, it still hasn't been proven correct that we can be WHATEVER we want to be. But you know what, with Barack winning, we're getting closer and I can't wait to see what happens in the next 25 years of my life...
Barack won because more people came out to vote than ever before. Had only the same people from the past two elections voted Barack would have lost. But, more young people voted, more Blacks voted and more Latinos voted. The outcome? Our voice gets heard and we influence the electoral votes that can either be given or taken away. A lot of people believed that because of the electoral vote, the popular vote was bogus and that the voting system is flawed. It actually works. But it only reflects the votes that have been casted. So, if you don't vote, you're voice will not be reflected in the electorate. I think in the past, we've been hearing, "Vote or Die" and we did go out to vote in the last two elections to no avail. Well, last night proved that when we vote, our voice is really heard. Hopefully this inspires people to keep on voting.
I am truly inspired by Barack. That being said, I won't blindly follow what he says just because I am inspired by him. But if he says something that makes sense to me then please believe I'll do it.
God has his own plans and laughs at ours. But dammit if I wasn't hoping that Barack's grandmother could vote for her grandson and just hang on until around 1am last night. I guess she is watching everything from Heaven. I really feel for him and I think it was apparent during his speech that he was trying to celebrate his win, yet he was mourning the loss of his grandma.
This goes to show that grassroots movements can work. Perhaps they don't pay well. But the fulfillment you get is well worth the pay cut. If you believe in something, go for it whole-heartedly and you never know what kind of journey on which you may embark. Furthermore, grassroots efforts need foot soldiers. I'm proud to say that Barack's foot soldiers were primarily my contemporaries who have been believed to be completely apathetic. It's not that we're apathetic, it's that nothing has moved us enough before. We didn't trust anyone or anything and didn't believe that what we thought mattered. Well..we do care.
I hope this changes the strategies and tactics used during political campaigns. Barack proved that you can carry yourself in a dignified manner, promote your policies and still walk away with your integrity, win or lose. Personally, I don't care to hear you bash another's character. Let me make that decision for myself. Talk about policy, let me see your voting record and make my own decisions. To mudsling is to take the low road. Convince me of why I should vote for you, not why I shouldn't vote for the other guy. If you can't do that, perhaps you shouldn't be running.
Hopefully this stimulates a positive change in race relations because white and blacks and everyone in between view the country from very different perspectives. White people think everything is great...the sky is the limit. Black people think…why even try, White people are going to find a way to mess it up for us. Neither understands the other. One thinks the other is lying and the other thinks the other is knowingly oppressive. We need to get to a point where we can acknowledge this and move forward.
Vice Presidential Debate
This was originally posted on MySpace in October...
Sunday, October 05, 2008 4:14pmVice Presidential Debates
*Did anyone else notice that Palin never acknowledged Biden in her opening statement and didn't look at him until she began to answer her own line of questioning?
*Why the hell is Palin always mentioning the fact that she's a hockey mom? She's not the first politician that has children. Therefore it should have no impact on whether we like her or not.
*Palin said that McCain's comments about the fundamentals of the economy being sound were referring to the workforce. The workforce isn't sound because we're foreclosing on our homes, can't afford gas, can't afford groceries and a lot of people have gotten laid off due to mergers, buyouts, etc.
*In referrence to foreclosures, Palin said it was the fault of the predator lenders. But when she was interviewing with Katie Couric about a week ago, she said it's the fault of the consumers and the lenders. So which is it? And at the end of the day, has anyone heard any suggestions from the Reps. about what steps will be taken to help homeowners? I heard Biden say that he wants to go to the banks and adjust both principle and interest....
*When Biden gave clarification on McCain's health insurance plan..Palin never responded. So basically our $12000 premiums will be reduced to $5000 premiums that WE will be paying for. How good can the coverage really be? That's a $7000 reduction in services per person!
*Who the F is Joe Six Pack and what about him makes Palin think that I have anything in common with him? This goes for the whole hockey mom thing too. First of all hockey's not even that popular in the states. But second of all, I'm black, young, have no children, I'm in shape, well-educated and well-versed. You're not appealing to me but using those phrases. Also, saying "Dagnabit, daggonit, gotcha, catcha...etc. sounds extremely ignorant to me, especially when coming from a supposed national leader. To top it all off, this heifer said that she wants to give a "shoutout" to a group of 3rd graders. Now, think about this....if Barack had said that he wanted to give a "shoutout" to anyone...what would have happened? It's like when a white person in power does something like that it's charming. When a black person does it, it's a shame. This is crazy!
*I think that for any debate, the questions should stay on the bottom of the screen so that the viewer can remember and decide whether or not the question was answered.
*Palin said that her and her husband Todd have been middle class all their lives. During the "Charlie" Gibson interview...they showed her private plane and the lake in her backyard, plus the governor's mansion and her own home. That doesn't sound middle class to me.
*Palin can't seem to get her own and her ticket's opinions straight. Palin cut taxes in AK and gave back about $1000 to her constituents. Biden said he and Barack want to do the same thing. I think Palin is playing for the wrong team...lol
*The Republicans are for deregulation. So, why is Palin intervening with the businesses in AK and saying she wants to do the same in Washington? That sounds like an increase in regulation to me. Is she sure she's playing for the right team?
*Gwen asked Palin about her opinions about the causes for our climate changes. Palin had the audacity to say that she's not here to argue. Heifer...it's a debate! You're supposed to argue (using facts, of course)!
*When Gwen asked both about their ideas on the Iraqi war, Palin started namedropping. Nice job, except the general in Afghanistan is named McKiernan and not McClellan, who was a general in the Civil War!
*Gwen asked about which country is more unstable and more of a threat--Iran or Pakistan. Palin's too funny. She said, "That leader of Al Qaeda and General Petraeus said the War on Terror is needed in Iraq." Honey...who is "that leader?" and why in the world would he tell you where the real problem is? Let's think about this...
*This whole meeting our enemies without preconditions thing is necessary. Clearly what we've been doing hasn't been working. Why would they want to meet with us if we say, "Until you do what we say you need to do, we won't talk." Sitting and talking with someone doesn't mean that you agree with what they are doing, which is the mistake that McCain's campaign seems to keep on making by saying that Barack is associated with such-and-such terrorist, Muslim, preacher, etc.
*Biden said that Bush's administration was a failure and Palin said it was not. That should tell us what we need to know right there. This heifer then follows up by saying that the Obama ticket does too much finger-pointing for anyone to believe that they are really about change. I love how Biden responded. He said, "Past is prologue, right? ...I haven't heard how McCain's policies are any different from George Bush's." It's true, if we don't take a serious look at what happened and what these folks propose should happen in the future, we haven't made a good judgment about where our country needs to be. But furthermore....how many times did Sarah Palin say, "we need to take a look at what McCain was warning about 2 years ago?" What about all of the finger-pointing done by her ticket? Is she serious? Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black...
*Biden made an interesting point. He said that when dealing with terrorism, if we are going to help, we need to help build/rebuild the infrastructure of the area. That's true because that's how terroristic organizations thrive. They're like gangs. They breed off of poverty. Off the hearts of those who are weak, who have nothing and who feel hopeless. These gangs come along and offer folks money and security. What do they have to lose? Well, if they were more educated, healthy and financially sound these "gangs" would have no hold.
*Towards the end, Palin said that we need to remain unapologetic. I'm sorry but I think that in due time the President of the US needs to issue formal apologies to various ethnic groups within our country (Native Americans, Blacks, Asians, Puerto Ricans-look up sterilization procedures on Puerto Ricans, etc.) and various countries of the world (all of those countries who make all of our products but who are still poor as hell). Of course, it won't be that particular President's fault...but there needs to be some type of acknowledgement of the atrocities that have taken place because of our actions.
*Palin said she doesn't want to speak through the filter of any media. So, what kind of "transparency" are you supporting if no one can ask you questions? Even in the debate, you were given specific questions and you chose not to answer a number of them. Why were you there? You can give your own speech during another scheduled time to talk about what you want to talk about. But during a debate, you're supposed to follow the guidelines set forth by the mediator.
FINALLY...She said "Maverick" 5 times. A good friend of mine said that friends of hers were hosting drinking parties and that everytime she said "Maverick" they would take a shot...lol. She topped "Maverick" though with "NOOKULAR" which she said 8 times.
Sunday, October 05, 2008 4:14pmVice Presidential Debates
*Did anyone else notice that Palin never acknowledged Biden in her opening statement and didn't look at him until she began to answer her own line of questioning?
*Why the hell is Palin always mentioning the fact that she's a hockey mom? She's not the first politician that has children. Therefore it should have no impact on whether we like her or not.
*Palin said that McCain's comments about the fundamentals of the economy being sound were referring to the workforce. The workforce isn't sound because we're foreclosing on our homes, can't afford gas, can't afford groceries and a lot of people have gotten laid off due to mergers, buyouts, etc.
*In referrence to foreclosures, Palin said it was the fault of the predator lenders. But when she was interviewing with Katie Couric about a week ago, she said it's the fault of the consumers and the lenders. So which is it? And at the end of the day, has anyone heard any suggestions from the Reps. about what steps will be taken to help homeowners? I heard Biden say that he wants to go to the banks and adjust both principle and interest....
*When Biden gave clarification on McCain's health insurance plan..Palin never responded. So basically our $12000 premiums will be reduced to $5000 premiums that WE will be paying for. How good can the coverage really be? That's a $7000 reduction in services per person!
*Who the F is Joe Six Pack and what about him makes Palin think that I have anything in common with him? This goes for the whole hockey mom thing too. First of all hockey's not even that popular in the states. But second of all, I'm black, young, have no children, I'm in shape, well-educated and well-versed. You're not appealing to me but using those phrases. Also, saying "Dagnabit, daggonit, gotcha, catcha...etc. sounds extremely ignorant to me, especially when coming from a supposed national leader. To top it all off, this heifer said that she wants to give a "shoutout" to a group of 3rd graders. Now, think about this....if Barack had said that he wanted to give a "shoutout" to anyone...what would have happened? It's like when a white person in power does something like that it's charming. When a black person does it, it's a shame. This is crazy!
*I think that for any debate, the questions should stay on the bottom of the screen so that the viewer can remember and decide whether or not the question was answered.
*Palin said that her and her husband Todd have been middle class all their lives. During the "Charlie" Gibson interview...they showed her private plane and the lake in her backyard, plus the governor's mansion and her own home. That doesn't sound middle class to me.
*Palin can't seem to get her own and her ticket's opinions straight. Palin cut taxes in AK and gave back about $1000 to her constituents. Biden said he and Barack want to do the same thing. I think Palin is playing for the wrong team...lol
*The Republicans are for deregulation. So, why is Palin intervening with the businesses in AK and saying she wants to do the same in Washington? That sounds like an increase in regulation to me. Is she sure she's playing for the right team?
*Gwen asked Palin about her opinions about the causes for our climate changes. Palin had the audacity to say that she's not here to argue. Heifer...it's a debate! You're supposed to argue (using facts, of course)!
*When Gwen asked both about their ideas on the Iraqi war, Palin started namedropping. Nice job, except the general in Afghanistan is named McKiernan and not McClellan, who was a general in the Civil War!
*Gwen asked about which country is more unstable and more of a threat--Iran or Pakistan. Palin's too funny. She said, "That leader of Al Qaeda and General Petraeus said the War on Terror is needed in Iraq." Honey...who is "that leader?" and why in the world would he tell you where the real problem is? Let's think about this...
*This whole meeting our enemies without preconditions thing is necessary. Clearly what we've been doing hasn't been working. Why would they want to meet with us if we say, "Until you do what we say you need to do, we won't talk." Sitting and talking with someone doesn't mean that you agree with what they are doing, which is the mistake that McCain's campaign seems to keep on making by saying that Barack is associated with such-and-such terrorist, Muslim, preacher, etc.
*Biden said that Bush's administration was a failure and Palin said it was not. That should tell us what we need to know right there. This heifer then follows up by saying that the Obama ticket does too much finger-pointing for anyone to believe that they are really about change. I love how Biden responded. He said, "Past is prologue, right? ...I haven't heard how McCain's policies are any different from George Bush's." It's true, if we don't take a serious look at what happened and what these folks propose should happen in the future, we haven't made a good judgment about where our country needs to be. But furthermore....how many times did Sarah Palin say, "we need to take a look at what McCain was warning about 2 years ago?" What about all of the finger-pointing done by her ticket? Is she serious? Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black...
*Biden made an interesting point. He said that when dealing with terrorism, if we are going to help, we need to help build/rebuild the infrastructure of the area. That's true because that's how terroristic organizations thrive. They're like gangs. They breed off of poverty. Off the hearts of those who are weak, who have nothing and who feel hopeless. These gangs come along and offer folks money and security. What do they have to lose? Well, if they were more educated, healthy and financially sound these "gangs" would have no hold.
*Towards the end, Palin said that we need to remain unapologetic. I'm sorry but I think that in due time the President of the US needs to issue formal apologies to various ethnic groups within our country (Native Americans, Blacks, Asians, Puerto Ricans-look up sterilization procedures on Puerto Ricans, etc.) and various countries of the world (all of those countries who make all of our products but who are still poor as hell). Of course, it won't be that particular President's fault...but there needs to be some type of acknowledgement of the atrocities that have taken place because of our actions.
*Palin said she doesn't want to speak through the filter of any media. So, what kind of "transparency" are you supporting if no one can ask you questions? Even in the debate, you were given specific questions and you chose not to answer a number of them. Why were you there? You can give your own speech during another scheduled time to talk about what you want to talk about. But during a debate, you're supposed to follow the guidelines set forth by the mediator.
FINALLY...She said "Maverick" 5 times. A good friend of mine said that friends of hers were hosting drinking parties and that everytime she said "Maverick" they would take a shot...lol. She topped "Maverick" though with "NOOKULAR" which she said 8 times.
Presidential Nominees
This blog was originally written in October and posted on MySpace.
Saturday October 4, 2008
Presidential Nominees
These are my opinions in response to both Barack's and John's acceptance speeches at their respective conventions. I've posted both in full on my facebook page if you haven't seen them or are not sure if what I'm saying is factual or not.
Barack's nomination is historical! Never in the history of the United States has a major political party ever chosen a black man as their nominee. As I was watching it, I was experiencing a feeling that is really hard to put into words. It was inspiring, overwhelming and most of all I felt like I had really contributed to a major event in history. I was proud and really hopeful to see what other strides we will accomplish in the future. On the other hand I had this feeling of determination in the sense that I want Barack to win, enforce change and have a successful term (and possibly a second successful term). I don't want it to end up being that 1.) something happens to him --because let's be real here, all other agents of change have died prematurely or have been assassinated or 2.) he has to clean up so many blunders of others that he doesn't get a chance to do what he hopes to --which would leave people to say that everything he's been saying is just rhetoric and that he's just a politician. It's like if you're a woman supporting Hillary, you would want her to be successful because she does represent you as a female. If Barack messes up, in the future, his critics are going to be thinking, "see what happens when you put them in office?" That's how I feel about the whole situation. Right or wrong...my thoughts.
I went back and watched both speeches on Youtube today and took some notes on the amount and specific changes that each candidate wants to pursue. I found that Obama made 34 specific promises and hinted at 8 more possible changes. His changes would affect the economy, energy independence, education, health care, gender issues, foreign policy, gun policies and immigration. McCain made 21 specific promises and hinted at 5 more possible changes that would affect the economy, education, energy independence, foreign policy and pro-life policies. Also, let's not forget that McCain's speech came a week after Obama's. Six of McCain's energy independence policies echoed 6 of Barack's exactly. With the exception of Barack having maybe two more specifics drawn out, both men's energy plans are pretty much the same, so it is safe to say that regardless of what McCain's campaign says, they agree--so it appears for now.Obama pointed out a few points also that I'd like to adress. He said that John McCain agreed with Bush 90% of the time. Also, John's been a Senator for 26 years. On these two points alone I'd like to make a point. If for 26 years, McCain's not been able to affect enough change to keep us from getting into the mess we're in now.. and if Bush sucks so much and McCain's voted with him 90% of the time..the why in the world would we give him executive power?!Obama also said that the troops don't fight for a red or a blue America. They fight for the United States of America. So, true and well said. He mentioned investing in investing in Early Childhood Education, which, for anyone who knows me, knows that I am all for it 100%. I also like that he demands personal and civic responsibilities and ensures that in exchange for service to your community, each person will be able to receive a good and affordable college education. I love how he addressed the importance of the roles of each person in a family, because it's true that the government cannot force parents to be parents but that they should do what they need to do and in doing so, they will strengthen the fibers of our country. I also agree with this renewed fervor for whoopin' on Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants. It was to my understanding that that's what the War on Terror was all about. Oh wait..it was about weapons of mass destruction...so explain to me again why we're not in North Korea and Iran?
In McCain's speech, he began by making mention of two strong marriages/families--George Bush's and George W. Bush's. He followed it up by speaking about being indebted to his wife Cindy and his 7 children. Family values are so important for him. If so, then why did he leave his 1st wife for a younger Cindy? He talks about vetoing all pork-barrel and earmark spending. Do you know what that means? If your elected state officials are looking for funds that would benefit you...it won't happen. If you are in college working on research and you look for federal money for grants, it won't happen. Pork barrel and earmark spending are necessarily a bad thing. Of course, there is some that is out of control but to say NO to all of it is ridiculous. And we'll not even mention the earmark that Sarah Palin wanted in her "great state of Alaska" for the Bridge to Nowhere.
I like the idea that McCain is interested in reeducating and supplementing the workforce so that they'd be able to compete in the global economy, but I think it's equally important to increase jobs in the states first and foremost. In terms of education, if you've tried to become a teacher recently, you know that with the current policies, it's very hard. It does prevent able and good teachers from pursuing the profession. I don't think that getting rid of the barriers is the answer. When you are affecting the lives of other people, you should be educated ,mentored and monitored as to what you need to be doing. I think the barriers need to be changed but not eliminated. And getting rid of teachers who aren't good is a wonderful idea. The final comment I'd like to make about his speech is that he commented on wanting to help families that have lost money in investing in real estate. He believes in taking risks. When you take a risk, it's just that, a risk. You might gain, you might lose. That's the risk. What shouldn't be a risk is the fact that when we apply for a job, they tell us we have a pension, but that might not be true. Or that we pay social security 2x a month but there might not be any by the time we're old enough to need it.
Here's my final point...McCain has 7 houses and 13 cars. Obama has 1 house and 1 Ford Escape Hybrid. How in the world does McCain sympathize with Americans who are suffering to pay for a full tank of gas on 1car and their mortgage on 1 home?
Saturday October 4, 2008
Presidential Nominees
These are my opinions in response to both Barack's and John's acceptance speeches at their respective conventions. I've posted both in full on my facebook page if you haven't seen them or are not sure if what I'm saying is factual or not.
Barack's nomination is historical! Never in the history of the United States has a major political party ever chosen a black man as their nominee. As I was watching it, I was experiencing a feeling that is really hard to put into words. It was inspiring, overwhelming and most of all I felt like I had really contributed to a major event in history. I was proud and really hopeful to see what other strides we will accomplish in the future. On the other hand I had this feeling of determination in the sense that I want Barack to win, enforce change and have a successful term (and possibly a second successful term). I don't want it to end up being that 1.) something happens to him --because let's be real here, all other agents of change have died prematurely or have been assassinated or 2.) he has to clean up so many blunders of others that he doesn't get a chance to do what he hopes to --which would leave people to say that everything he's been saying is just rhetoric and that he's just a politician. It's like if you're a woman supporting Hillary, you would want her to be successful because she does represent you as a female. If Barack messes up, in the future, his critics are going to be thinking, "see what happens when you put them in office?" That's how I feel about the whole situation. Right or wrong...my thoughts.
I went back and watched both speeches on Youtube today and took some notes on the amount and specific changes that each candidate wants to pursue. I found that Obama made 34 specific promises and hinted at 8 more possible changes. His changes would affect the economy, energy independence, education, health care, gender issues, foreign policy, gun policies and immigration. McCain made 21 specific promises and hinted at 5 more possible changes that would affect the economy, education, energy independence, foreign policy and pro-life policies. Also, let's not forget that McCain's speech came a week after Obama's. Six of McCain's energy independence policies echoed 6 of Barack's exactly. With the exception of Barack having maybe two more specifics drawn out, both men's energy plans are pretty much the same, so it is safe to say that regardless of what McCain's campaign says, they agree--so it appears for now.Obama pointed out a few points also that I'd like to adress. He said that John McCain agreed with Bush 90% of the time. Also, John's been a Senator for 26 years. On these two points alone I'd like to make a point. If for 26 years, McCain's not been able to affect enough change to keep us from getting into the mess we're in now.. and if Bush sucks so much and McCain's voted with him 90% of the time..the why in the world would we give him executive power?!Obama also said that the troops don't fight for a red or a blue America. They fight for the United States of America. So, true and well said. He mentioned investing in investing in Early Childhood Education, which, for anyone who knows me, knows that I am all for it 100%. I also like that he demands personal and civic responsibilities and ensures that in exchange for service to your community, each person will be able to receive a good and affordable college education. I love how he addressed the importance of the roles of each person in a family, because it's true that the government cannot force parents to be parents but that they should do what they need to do and in doing so, they will strengthen the fibers of our country. I also agree with this renewed fervor for whoopin' on Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants. It was to my understanding that that's what the War on Terror was all about. Oh wait..it was about weapons of mass destruction...so explain to me again why we're not in North Korea and Iran?
In McCain's speech, he began by making mention of two strong marriages/families--George Bush's and George W. Bush's. He followed it up by speaking about being indebted to his wife Cindy and his 7 children. Family values are so important for him. If so, then why did he leave his 1st wife for a younger Cindy? He talks about vetoing all pork-barrel and earmark spending. Do you know what that means? If your elected state officials are looking for funds that would benefit you...it won't happen. If you are in college working on research and you look for federal money for grants, it won't happen. Pork barrel and earmark spending are necessarily a bad thing. Of course, there is some that is out of control but to say NO to all of it is ridiculous. And we'll not even mention the earmark that Sarah Palin wanted in her "great state of Alaska" for the Bridge to Nowhere.
I like the idea that McCain is interested in reeducating and supplementing the workforce so that they'd be able to compete in the global economy, but I think it's equally important to increase jobs in the states first and foremost. In terms of education, if you've tried to become a teacher recently, you know that with the current policies, it's very hard. It does prevent able and good teachers from pursuing the profession. I don't think that getting rid of the barriers is the answer. When you are affecting the lives of other people, you should be educated ,mentored and monitored as to what you need to be doing. I think the barriers need to be changed but not eliminated. And getting rid of teachers who aren't good is a wonderful idea. The final comment I'd like to make about his speech is that he commented on wanting to help families that have lost money in investing in real estate. He believes in taking risks. When you take a risk, it's just that, a risk. You might gain, you might lose. That's the risk. What shouldn't be a risk is the fact that when we apply for a job, they tell us we have a pension, but that might not be true. Or that we pay social security 2x a month but there might not be any by the time we're old enough to need it.
Here's my final point...McCain has 7 houses and 13 cars. Obama has 1 house and 1 Ford Escape Hybrid. How in the world does McCain sympathize with Americans who are suffering to pay for a full tank of gas on 1car and their mortgage on 1 home?
The Most Important Election of Our Lifetime
I was posting on MySpace, so this blog was originally written in October.
Saturday October 4, 2008
The Most Important Election of Our Lifetime
A.) This is my first blog so go easy.
B.) I'm not a political junkie until about maybe 5 months ago so go easy.
I'd like to start off by saying that I am a proud Obama supporter. I don't know if I ever really sat and thought about the possibility of a Black person ever truly having a chance at being the President of the United States. Let's be real here, racism is not dead. Those folks who owned slaves and treated them as chattel, pumped their ideologies into their children, who did the same to their children, who continued the process. Today, maybe things aren't as clear as "Nigger, you can't sit here," but they surely aren't gone (read up about the Jena 6, listen to Don Imus' description of the RU Women's Basketball Team, see how fast White Flight happens as soon as some blacks folks move into your neighborhood, etc.) So, it's not that I believed that as a people we are not [educated, personable, forthright, poised] enough to secure the position, it's really that I believed that the rest of the country would not yield enough votes to support. That being said, in a way I was right because let's say that Barack was a white man....There would absolutely be NO competition! At this point, McCain would just be wasting campaign money even continuing on in the race! But, solely because of the color of Barack's skin are the Republicans even able to continue this buffoonery. more to come...
Saturday October 4, 2008
The Most Important Election of Our Lifetime
A.) This is my first blog so go easy.
B.) I'm not a political junkie until about maybe 5 months ago so go easy.
I'd like to start off by saying that I am a proud Obama supporter. I don't know if I ever really sat and thought about the possibility of a Black person ever truly having a chance at being the President of the United States. Let's be real here, racism is not dead. Those folks who owned slaves and treated them as chattel, pumped their ideologies into their children, who did the same to their children, who continued the process. Today, maybe things aren't as clear as "Nigger, you can't sit here," but they surely aren't gone (read up about the Jena 6, listen to Don Imus' description of the RU Women's Basketball Team, see how fast White Flight happens as soon as some blacks folks move into your neighborhood, etc.) So, it's not that I believed that as a people we are not [educated, personable, forthright, poised] enough to secure the position, it's really that I believed that the rest of the country would not yield enough votes to support. That being said, in a way I was right because let's say that Barack was a white man....There would absolutely be NO competition! At this point, McCain would just be wasting campaign money even continuing on in the race! But, solely because of the color of Barack's skin are the Republicans even able to continue this buffoonery. more to come...
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