Hot Afghan Summer

Despite current events, I must start with a shameless plug and state, love is in the air! It’s lingering around me like the Delta variant. Recently, I got engaged to my girlfriend, and this has been a very joyous time for us. In addition to my engagement, I’ve been busy writing a full feature film entitled “This Thing of Ours.” It’s a romantic comedy that follows a group of 30ish people dating, marrying, or doing a little bit of everything in between today’s social world of Covid and online dating. 

Given I’ve been surrounded by so many lovey-dovey oriented things, I’ve even thought about current events in relation to dating. Specifically, Afghanistan… and thinking if Afghanistan were a person, she would be Jennifer Lopez. Like J Lo, Afghanistan has had interactions with the greatest and most powerful, yet none have been able to stay. 

And there’s a good reason for this. Afghanistan that is, not the J Lo dating history.   

Back in the summer of 2019, when the world was still innocent and free of being attached to the greatest global health crisis since the 1918 Flu pandemic, Houston-based rapper Megan Thee Stallion released, “Hot Girl Summer.” A catchy little number about… well… being a hot girl in the summer. Meg, (is that what she goes by?), stated the song is simply about “being yourself” and “having a good time.” And like “Hot Girl Summer,” messaging is for people not to follow someone else’s rules for love, but follow your way. A political “Hot Girl Summer” should be applied to Afghanistan. Given the history of the country with constant foreign power intervention, Afghanistan should just be left alone and be single for a while. Let her get a new hairdo, go out for a 60-dollar brunch, even let her post dozens of dog-eared filter pictures, just let Afghanistan be her for a while. 

Dating back to Alexander the Great in 330 BC, nations have tried to either conquer or control the Afghanistan region and people. The latest being the United States, whose involvement with the nation should have only been intelligence and law enforcement… instead, it became another decades-long terrible abusive relationship known far too well to the Afghan people. 

This must end, for there has never been a positive outcome for any nation trying to force their hand with Afghanistan. What should happen is the allowance of an organic government and making it work best for the Afghan people. That outcome might not even be a political science-worthy name for it, but it will be solely for the Afghan people. 

This is true for dating. 

Either a single person themselves or their social networks always will find the need to force a situation on someone, simply to be with someone. Other nations want to force their will on Afghanistan… it’s wrong and should be changed. Some of that “change for democracy” is laced with capitalism and exploitation of resources; however, it doesn’t change the savage nature of the Taliban. The Taliban is one of the most intolerable, hostile, violent, and unproductive governments seen in modern times. With that being said, the nation up until a few weeks ago did experience two decades of some type of freedom and democracy. I just don’t believe a country the size of Texas, with a population bigger than Texas, will simply allow the Taliban to lay rule once again without disruption or outright taking over. 

Love amongst couples is best to be left alone. No matter what you or anyone else thinks, you can’t legislate love. Because one doesn’t like another’s sexual orientation, or the look of their partner, their religion, or whatever, said couple is still going to find a way to be together. No matter how powerful a nation, their people can only be “controlled” or “managed” for so long. They yearn for independence and fate being decided solely by them is the spirit of all people. And if they have to be just “Jenny from the block to do it”, so be it. 

DEZ CAUGHT IT

My initial reaction to Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict for the murder of George Floyd was… “and.” “And” in the sense that, a guilty verdict of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter should have been his actual fate. But as Childish Gambino rapped… This is America, a place where we see blatant injustices carried out against Black people every day, recorded on cell phones, and the agents of the state (police officer) almost always found not guilty. 

Instead of channeling negativity, I’d rather echo the words of George Floyd’s brother, Philonise, “We are able to breathe again.” Philonise would go on to summarize the meaning behind his quote by stating, “I told you, we will get justice. And still, we’re gonna fight for you too. We got to fight for everybody.” And that’s where I hope the verdict leads, not to a historical point, rather a historical trend… a trend in which accountability is held by the state when it commits crimes against Black people.

Sorta like Dez Bryant. 

A few years back, the National Football League created a problem thought to have been established when the game of football was invented, what is a catch? This became extremely controversial after Dallas Cowboys Receiver Dez Bryant brought the questioning of the catch rule to light in the 2014 playoffs. Though millions of viewers watching the game, and the broadcast booth watching the replay, no way, based on what we thought a football catch was, would Dez Bryant’s clutch touchdown be overturned and not ruled a catch. After the review, it wasn’t a catch, Dallas, and an entire football fanbase for years feared whenever a contested-catch was made, would it be overturned?

Sounds familiar? 

It seems with each controversial killing by a police officer, we the public, even when empirical evidence such as recordings are presented, the ruling goes in the officer’s favor. 

In 2018, years after ruling against it, the NFL ruled Dez Bryant did in fact make a legitimate football catch, and Dallas should have been awarded the touchdown, lead, and possible victory. Since the ruling was reversed and the NFL has since made several rules changes, there has been far less questioning on catches, and the reviews more consistent. 

There is no doubt, the endless crying from Cowboys fans and hashtag #dezcaughtit had a strong influence on the NFL ultimately resulting in them improving the catch rule. Regarding George Floyd, the verdict and case were clearly amplified by everything from the initial cell phone recording to global protesting, showing that those strong influences could lead to change. Hopefully, it’s long-term change.

Similar Read: Chauvin Verdict

Trump for MVP?

We made it! We’re in our third week of 2021, and 2020 has not come back to life yet. 2020 was special and given I’m a sports fan, I could not wrap up 2020 without using a sports analogy. 2020 was a lot, and dozens upon dozens of events, people, and places made it special. And just like in professional sports, there are countless great players who turned in a great season, but there’s always one player who can stand out for a particular reason, that person being the most valuable person of the year. 

Before giving my MVP award for 2020, I wanted to give a backdrop to the thought process. 

We all know Peyton Manning, before Papa Johns and Nationwide Insurance commercials, was once a very good NFL Quarterback. Such a great Quarterback, that he was considered by some to be the 2011 MVP, which was not surprising for an eventual winner of five NFL Most Valuable Player awards. However, in 2011, Peyton Manning DID NOT play a single game. In the 2010 season, Peyton led his Indianapolis Colts to a 10-6 record clinching a then NFL record ninth consecutive postseason appearance. Coming into the 2011 NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts were usual favorites to compete for a Super Bowl, mainly because of the reliant greatness of Manning. In the Spring of 2011, Peyton underwent a series of possible career-ending neck surgeries, given he was 35… the Colts released him. The Colts went 2 -14 without him. A record that gave the Colts the number one pick in which they drafted Andrew Luck. Peyton, he made out okay going to Denver and winning another Super Bowl. 

So it wasn’t Peyton Manning’s actual gameplay in 2011 that made him so valuable, it was what he DIDN’T DO (keep that in mind for later) that made him so great. If Peyton doesn’t get cut by the Colts, the Andrew Luck pick is now for my beloved Washington Football team to pick, and instead of Robert Griffen III, we get Andrew Luck. Denver doesn’t get Peyton and has to seek other QB options, meaning they don’t face the Panthers a few years later in the Super Bowl. And so on and so on. 

Get it??? So now for the actual 2020 part of the 2020 wrap up. 

Like it or not, Donald Trump was a major part of your life in 2020. Yes, Trump literally trumped every person, place, or thing that took place in 2020. 

Like the fly that landed on Mike Pence’s head during the Vice Presidential debate, it took me a while to write a 2020 wrap-up. Just as never in history had a fly and a human-made contact and neither reacted to it, 2020 was simply that, a year in which events unfolded unlike never seen before. The lion share of those events centered around Covid-19 and only one person bears the most responsibility for the United States’ response to the virus… 

Trump. 

He’s the MVP of 2020, and here’s why.

Time magazine got it all wrong. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris should not have been selected as “person of the year.” This is not a slight against them, I voted for them. To be candid, it’s because the Biden/Harris ticket won primarily off the disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by Trump.

No way, Joe Biden… if “the safe government job you got out of college as opposed to taking that internship at MTV” were a person… even wins the Democrat nomination. The Democratic nomination seemed to be going the way of Progressives like Sanders and Warren; however, once COVID-19 and the dangers of both the virus and lack of leadership from Trump hit, most saw the only goal in 2020 was to vote out Trump. Whoever was most “fit” to make that happen, all who didn’t storm the US Capitol Building… really didn’t care who that was. 

As early as Feb 2020, Trump was made aware of the dangers of Covid-19 and decided, for political purposes, to ignore it. Granted, Trump has ignored any and all relevant issues since becoming POTUS, but 2020 was his Jay-Z’s Blueprint album. He went all out in a classic way… Trump ignored to address the problems of the nation in the areas of health, science, race relations, police brutality, the environment, immigration, energy… the list is too exhausting to continue. All of these elements led to a historic turnout amongst voters, Georgia going blue… twice! Sports arenas and courts dotted with “VOTE” and “BLM” messaging, just to name a few. Trump’s actions of 2020 have seemed to spawn a sense of activism and political awareness not seen since the 1960s. 

Post-election, Trump has acted like a true disgruntled employee. First, by making constant outlandish attempts to overturn the election. Trump and his Four Seasons Total Landscaping Rewards Member friend, lawyer, and hair color expert, Rudy Giuliani, made every attempt to overturn the election claiming fraud. Fraud in which no one on the Trump team could ever produce any sort of evidence proving there was fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election. 

Back to the Peyton and the 2011 Indianapolis Colts… Trump’s 2020 magnum opus year was a year like Peyton’s in 2011. Similar to Peyton never taking a snap in 2011 and it having ripple effects throughout the entire league for seasons to follow, Trump’s inability to lead has effected the entire country… particularly his inability to immediately respond to COVID-19 has led to more than 300,000 Americans dying and counting, not to mention a host of failed policies and procedures in which the ramifications will be felt for years to come. Who knows how different 2020 and the years to follow would have been if the dangers of COVID-19 were immediately addressed by Trump when he was first told.

And then there’s January 6, 2021. An event in which the 2020 MVP became the most dangerous hype man for. An event, at the most, was an outright Coup d’etat, and at minimum, a terrorist mob. An event that shows the 2020 MVP, may not play many games in 2021, but please believe he’s still got some sacks to deliver to the American people.

Similar Read: My Reaction to the Storming of Capitol Hill

Bursting the Bubble

Over the past few years, Los Angeles Clippers Forward Kawhi Leonard has created a basketball resume that has thrust him into being considered one of the best in the NBA. Rightfully so, he is a back to back defensive player of the year and has been named an NBA finals MVP for two different teams. The awards along with his dominance in the playoffs have led some to state he’s now the best player in the league. Ousting LeBron James, who is universally considered the best player in the world for over ten years straight. 

In the words of ESPN college game day commentator Lee Corso, not so fast! 

The epic second round collapse Kawhi and the Los Angeles Clippers suffered at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, is not the only mark against why Kawhi should not (and never should have been) compared to LeBron James as the games best. 

Here’s why.

Even more so than Tim Duncan, the NBA has never seen a superstar as removed from the media and spotlight, as well as his own teams like Kawhi Leonard. He has a global platform to use and doesn’t use it for anything. Not even to promote the game of basketball. He says nothing and we know nothing about him. But that should not count against him for anything basketball related. It does take into account being the best overall. However, to be the best, you must have an on and off-court presence. 

For example…. 

Simply look at the press conferences post the loss to Denver after game 7. Head coach Doc Rivers had true words to say, even Lou “lemon pepper Lou” Williams (a nonstarter for the Clippers) had more substantial words to say. Kawhi, barley nothing. He’s the best player for his team, yet had the fewest words to say about their epic loss to a team after being up 3 – 1. 

Now let’s take a look at the NBA Finals MVP in which he rightfully won. The following is to not discredit his accomplishments, rather to put them in their respective place amongst the greatest. In this case, specifically against LeBron James.

Kawhi’s first finals MVP, the 2014 NBA finals. 

In a revenge series with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 Kawhi won the finals MVP. The Spurs had lost a seven-game series classic against the Miami Heat in 2013. In the 2014 Finals, LeBron dropped 28 PPG (points per game) against Kawhi’s defense. The highest PPG total for either team. No other Miami Heat player outside Dwayne Wade averaged more than 15 PPG. Simply put, LeBron was the only Heat player that showed up to that finals. The Spurs on the other hand had four players drop at least 15 PPG in the series. Kawhi won MVP for he was the best amongst a team that played some of the best overall team basketball to date in the NBA finals history. Thus the real reason he won MVP, not cause he “locked down” LeBron James.

Kawhi’s second NBA final MVP, the 2019 NBA finals. 

In 2019… in a LeBron-less Eastern Conference (he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason), Kawhi forced a trade from the San Antonio Spurs and ended up on a “one player away” team in Toronto (the Toronto Raptors had the best record in the Eastern Conference the year before). He won against a hurt Golden State Warriors squad (if Kevin Durrant or Thompson weren’t hurt, GS would have won), whereas the Raptors had everyone healthy and ready to go. Once again, Kwahi just happened to be the best all-around player on a very good, well-coached, and healthy team. 

The here and now. 

Now in the same conference, LeBron took a less talented and older Lakers team to the number one seed over Kawhi and the Clippers, and has beaten the Clippers in their last two outings… before the shutdown and once in the post-shutdown NBA bubble. 

Kawhi’s hand-picked superteam Clippers team had to go six games against the Dallas Mavericks. A team that only had one great healthy player in Luka Doncic. Only to advance and lose after being up 3-1 with a loaded Clippers squad against the Denver Nuggets. 

LeBron wouldn’t be allowed back in the country if that were to happen to him. LeBron losing in the second round with a handpicked team!? It would have ruined his legacy. 

So… a claw (Kawhi’s nickname due to his defense) may be good in a little dogfight, but I’ll take a King for the long haul! 

Black Panther Is Our Solar Eclipse

“The representation of black people in Hollywood, from actors to writers to directors to cameramen, pales in comparison to white representation. However, as when given the right path the Moon can eclipse the Sun, black talent can loom just as large as their white colleagues.” 

Back on August 21, 2017, a lot of folks, mostly white folks, woke up giddy as schoolgirls for what was going to be a very special day. What was all the excitement about? Well for the first time in 100 years the entire contiguous United States would experience a full solar eclipse. [A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, and by doing so the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun.] In the words of Jay Z, it’s “lights out ladies” for about two minutes, and then its back to the regularly scheduled program. Millions of people brought special glasses because you can’t look directly into the Sun (cough Donald Trump), thousands traveled hundreds of miles to certain areas in the country to catch a glimpse of the total blockage of the Sun as opposed to a partial blockage – all of that for two minutes of joy. Granted the next eclipse expected to cover the entire US again won’t come until 2024 and then not until 2045, so one can understand why all the activity. And speaking of Trump, isn’t it really embarrassing our idiot president was out there looking at the eclipse holding his hands above his eyes and painfully squinting looking directly at the sun! With his wife beside him with the proper solar eclipse glasses on!

While the buildup for the solar eclipse was taking place, most didn’t understand the hype around it. A lot of black folk didn’t understand why white folk were getting so excited. The excitement should have been across racial lines; but this is America and there’s always a race factor. An eclipse is not only something to experience because of the rarity of the event, but it’s also the amazement that the Moon being 400 times smaller than the Sun can block the Sun and cause a total blackout – even if only for a few moments.

So now for what’s been a trending topic for some time and will continue to be, and no I’m not talking about that terrible rendition of the National Anthem Fergie did during the NBA All-Star game. I’m talking about the release of the movie “Black Panther.” By now you’ve probably read dozens of articles regarding the movie that have quite the range of topics and intent. Most have been lighthearted and fun like comparing “Black Panther” characters to Black Greek organizations, or to the Spike Lee heavy-handed styled articles in which folk are caught in their feelings about moviegoers wearing African garb and not fully knowing their history and purpose of said garb. [Side note, Killmonger would have supposedly pledged my frat, given his Black Panther suit was the flyest outfit in the movie, makes sense.]

For those who have a problem with people wearing African attire to see “Black Panther,” stop it! I can bet dollars to donuts the same people upset about African attire being worn are the same people who only bring that one bag of half-melted ice to the cookout, talks about how overcooked the food is”; yet, walks away with the most plates. So, let’s not mind them.

“Black Panther,” its success, and the celebratory feeling around it got me thinking it was akin to last summer’s eclipse. For months there’s been a buildup of excitement and eagerness for the release of the movie, much like there was for the solar eclipse. “Black Panther,” with a majority black cast filled with subliminal messages as well overt black issues, has already broken many box office records. The representation of black people in Hollywood, from actors to writers to directors to cameraman, pales in comparison to white people. However, like the Moon, when given the right path, black people can loom just as large as their white colleagues. Like the rarity of a solar eclipse in a specific location around the world, in the United States, the rarity for black people to circle around a positive event is sporadic.

Many Black people did not understand the jubilance around the solar eclipse just like many non-Black people will not understand the excitement our community felt when “Black Panther” was released, not to mention the rush to discuss every scene and cultural nuances in detail. Nuances and issues from the division between Black people in the Americas vs Native Africans, to African nations historically having agendas rooted in rarely wanting to mettle in affairs outside their own borders. Many non-Black people and even some Black people will say, “It’s just a movie, it’s not that serious,” and how can all of that be derived from a movie? This is true, inevitably it’s just a Hollywood movie about fictional characters and a fictional place – only so much should be taken from it. In comparison, a solar eclipse has been documented to have little or no impact over the area it passes. Granted, it’s how one judges impact. Impact doesn’t have to be permanent. Impact is equally about the attention and resonation something gives. A solar eclipse quickly happens, and if not timed right one can easily miss it. The celebratory feel for “Black Panther” will promptly leave as well and some will miss it. It will be up to those who traveled far and away, brought special glasses, and wore event T-shirts and saw the spectacle to tell others what they missed out on and why it’s vital to not miss it again. But as history has shown us with the solar eclipse, it usually takes a while for something that special to happen again.

This article was originally published on 22 February 2018. 

Until the Revolution of 1776 is Complete

U.S. Congressman and Civil Rights activist John Lewis passed away last weekend at the age of 80. He famously spoke at the Great March on Washington on August 28, 1963, the youngest of all the speakers that day, before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people. Despite the agony of walking and standing under the scorching August Washington D.C. Sun, history would be made thanks to the speeches given by greats such as John Lewis, Roy Wilkins, and of course, the famous “I have a dream” speech by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

In the present tense, we claim to honor those greats by “continuing their legacy,” but that simply isn’t true. 

We are not doing enough. Period. We, meaning we as Americans as a collective, haven’t done enough to ensure the hard work of Congressman Lewis doesn’t have to be done all over again. 2020 has fully exposed our complacency for pushing for needed change in this country. From the handling of the Coronavirus pandemic to the murder of George Floyd, both expose America’s glaring need to no longer ignore systematic ills. Though the systematic ills of America are nothing new to Black people, the “ills” are sometimes not as clear as we may want to think. 

When Congressman Lewis was figurately and literally (he had his skull mashed into by a Police Officer) fighting systematic racism in the 1960s, the obstacles were more direct. Under the protection of “states rights,” states could enact systematic white supremacist measures like Jim Crow laws. The works of the 1960’s Civil Rights movement led to hallmark acts like the Civil Rights Voting Act, Voting Rights Act, and the Housing Rights Act, VISIBLY desegregated America. However, as we most certainly know, the true work resided in the post segregated America. Measures not so direct and noticeable. You do not “see” a doctor neglecting the prenatal needs of a Black woman in favor of a White woman. You do not “see” qualified Black candidates get passed over by their lesser qualified White peers in the same manner you “saw” a young John Lewis get physically assaulted by a Police Officer. 

2020 has shown the long neglect to address failures in the healthcare system, criminal justice system, and education simply cannot continue. The need to apply true pressure to elected officials to make drastic and impacting change is the legacy Congressman John Lewis wanted to create. He said it best…

“I appeal to all of you to get into this great revolution that is sweeping this nation. Get in and stay in the streets of every city, every village and hamlet of this nation until true freedom comes, until the revolution of 1776 is complete.”

We cannot allow the call for Black Lives Matter, Equality, and Justice to morph into nothing more than a bumper sticker or hashtag. The consequences are too much to allow that to happen. Let’s vote, let’s stay on the elected officials we elect to do their job of progressing the cause of all people and let’s keep doing it… until the revolution of 1776 is complete!

Similar Read: You Are NOT Your Ancestors!

Not What I Ordered

The Washington District of Columbia Football Club…

For the first time in my lifetime, there’s a serious call for changing the nickname of the Washington DC professional football team. The team’s nickname is not one of opinion… it has never been a question of whether or not it’s racist or offensive. 

Real simple, would you ever call anyone a “bleep-skin”? If you didn’t know the team name, would you even know the term existed? No… because it’s a terrible name and needs to be changed immediately. No one uses this term in real life, we all know why, let’s not play dumb. 

Nowhere else in the world do you see sporting teams named after whole peoples. There is no such thing as the “Berlin Russians” or the Paris “Italians,” no because it sounds stupid and without substance. 

So that’s that…

Now what should be the new team name? 

I’ve seen a number of suggestions and they’re all over the place. From the respectable nickname of the “Red Tails” (to honor the Tuskegee Airmen) to the boring and lame “Presidents” and “Generals” to simply being called the “Americans.” 

NOOOOOOOO!!!!

Just call it the “Washington District of Columbia Professional Football Club,” with no gimmicks, no mascot, no cheerleaders, no band. Just the coaches, trainers, scouts, and players. 

Why? 

For starters, we as Washington area sports fans already went through a terrible team name change. The Washington Bullets was a great nickname for our professional basketball team. No one, and I mean no one, hunted down anyone in the name of the “Washington Bullets” and shot them for said reasons. The reason for changing the name due to Washington’s murder rate is one thing, but to change it to the Wizards is just whack. Luckily our old red, white, and blue colors are back. But for years we were the laughing stock of the league due to lack of talent, ugly jerseys, and a terrible nickname. 

Secondly… the new team name NEEDS to be done quickly, to revert the media’s attention and focus back to the game of football. Outside of a couple RGIII’s here and a Sean Taylor (RIP) there, my childhood team has been ridiculously awful. 

A no-nonsense type of approach and new name is exactly what that organization needs to change its image. 

Lastly, the new name should be simple and straight forward, for it may bring some seriousness to Washington as a whole. The past few years we’ve seen the most illogical and asinine stances from people. Flat-Earthers to Trump voters refusing to wear masks amongst a health pandemic, it’s been a lot to take in. Maybe, just maybe, a team in the nation’s capital once named as one of the worst racial slurs in history could turn around and be a symbol of reason and progress. If the team were to change its name, show success, be a lead voice for what’s right, it COULD have an impact and trickle effect for the rest of the NFL and beyond. 

Similar Read: John McGraw, Andy Reid, And Black Quarterbacks

Professional Fear

Quick disclaimer… I’m a former police officer of the Baltimore City police department southwestern and central district. 

“If racism was a butcher, law enforcement is its cleaver.”

That’s not hyperbole, that’s American history. 

From enforcing fugitive slave laws to Jim Crow to today, the continual enforcement of draconian drug and financial laws were created with Black people as the target.

Black people have a rightful fear, not in the sense of being scared of the police officer as a person, but fearful as the police officer as the profession. And that their PROFESSION will give them credence over their life. 

I’ll repeat that. 

Black people have a fear of law enforcement not because they’re tough bad boys, hardly, because their word will have a say over our lives. Not because we’re wrong, but because we’re Black. 

This comes down to a very basic thing. Too many White police officers fear Black people. They see our skin color representing the need to be controlled and thus no regard or respect or life, which is evident by the terror they’ve inflicted on us over centuries. 

It’s that simple. 

Now, what’s to be done about it?

Well, this is not a call to remove law enforcement. No, but to have a proper relationship between citizens and police, we MUST recreate a balance of the people against policing powers. 

What are police powers?

Policing is a state and local issue. The federal government has little to do with it outside passing its own federal laws to be enforced and the occasional federal money and assistance to state and local law enforcement departments with strings attached. Police powers give officers the right to do everything from having their weapon issued to being able to tow your car and lock you up if you don’t sign a traffic ticket. That power also gives them the ability to do a criminal act, under the guise of policing, and go home and watch SportsCenter that evening while another person dies because of their lack of judgement. 

That’s a PROBLEM! And that’s THEE first problem of policing. No consequences! 

Without any true federal laws on the conduct of policing, each and every police department carries out the business of policing very differently. 

You see, there isn’t a federal statute or law or anything to protect citizens from the abuse of policing powers. There is no universal defense as a citizen against a law enforcement officer upon their interaction with you. 

This is not democratic. This is not due process. A police officers’ profession stops at a certain point, and their actions become the actions of a person, not a cop. And they should not be protected with their police powers. This is exactly what happened when Minnesota Cop Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, while Mr. Floyd laid defenseless and handcuffed. 

I guess that’s fear of life. (emoji shrug) 

You see, if I worked at an Applebee’s one of the Trump supporters wanted opened, I cannot beat up a rude guest or slap away someone’s food because they didn’t like it. All in the name of Applebee’s…. none of us have that luxury. 

No organization has the luxury of hiding the criminal acts of its members like the police. The job of police officers, to protect and serve, is essential to society… we get that. But what we will not do is allow them to use that as an excuse to reign terror on citizens. 

A federal law needs to be put in place to protect citizens in regard to their interactions with officers… essentially what an officer can and cannot do and say to you. The other is the swiftness of action against an officer when a criminal act has taken place. 

What Derek Chauvin did was murder. Chauvin went home that night. What Amber Guyger did, the woman who shot and killed Botham Jean in his own apartment in Dallas, that was murder. Guyger went home that night. 

Amber got off because of her profession, getting a ten-year sentence for killing a man in his own apartment is getting off. Chauvin will too. If the flames are to ever begin to settle, and tensions calmed, swift and immediate action is needed by our so-called leaders. Reformation of law enforcement is not an issue, but a crisis. A crisis our current leadership is woefully inept to handle. 

Similar Read: Conversation With a Black Man

It’s Okay to Just Dribble (Perspective on Jordan’s The Last Dance)

If you’re a sports fan like me, you’ve been fixated on ESPN’s The Last Dance documentary. Outside the NFL draft and free agency, not much is happening in the world of sports. Sure, there’s entertainment elsewhere, but you can only laugh at hearing “Carole Baskin” so many times and as funny as it is, it cannot replace sports. Nothing can… except when the context is about sports. And the Last Dance delivers what we secretly love the most about sports… drama!

The Last Dance primary focus is the coverage of the Chicago Bulls 1998 championship year, a third in a row, and their second set of three-peat championships of the 1990s. The ten-part documentary series chronicles the 1998 season in addition to that championship season. The documentary examines several aspects of Michael Jordan’s years spent with the Chicago Bulls. The series reviewed the first three-peat championship years spanning from 1991 to 1993, only to have Jordan retire for the first time the following season to pursue baseball. There’s even coverage dating back to his college basketball days at the University of North Carolina under legendary coach Dean Smith. 

The series also gives us the in-depth insight on Jordan’s relationship with his fellow teammates. From possibly the most underrated star in NBA history in Scottie Pippen to the man who said Carmen Electra wasn’t cute enough, Dennis Rodman. Relationship focus goes beyond the locker room with references to the 1992 US Men’s Basketball Olympic “Dream Team,” arguably the greatest collection of talent on one time of all time, and how Jordan the super-star related with other stars at the time.  The “Dream Team” included not just basketball stars, but legendary figures such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Charles Barkley. With the inclusion of those greats and others came forever the controversial omission of Isaiah Thomas from being a member of that team, a feud he carries with Michael Jordan till this day. 

The documentary brilliantly showcases how talented Jordan was, and how his drive combined with his talent led to him being the greatest basketball player of all time. Yes, this coming from a team LeBron guy, Mike is the greatest. 

Michael Jordan has had the most successful career as a professional athlete in the history of all professional sports, and it’s not even close. His on-court dominance of winning six championships while never losing one and being the MVP of each championship season to his basketball brand of shoes and appeal being the premier brand worldwide will simply never be matched. 

However, there is a matchup Jordan has not competed well against, and that’s social activism. And that’s OKAY. Yes, it is perfectly fine and okay that Michael Jordan is not thee face and champion for social change in the likes of Muhammad Ali and Lebron James. 

It’s okay for Michael Jordan to simply dribble. 

Back in 2018, FOX News Host Laura Ingraham stated Lebron James was stepping out of line for openly denouncing the actions of President Donald Trump. And that Lebron should focus on making millions playing basketball rather than being a political activist. 

Lebron turned her comments into a full fledge documentary about activism amongst Black athletes. 

What Laura Ingraham and others don’t understand… for Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and many other prominent athletes, social activism means just as much to me as their talent on the court. Definitely a passion of theirs. 

That was and is not Jordan. And that’s ok. It isn’t as if Jordan didn’t CARE about being on the right side of history, it just wasn’t his PASSION. 

Michael Jordan also isn’t the biggest hip-hop fan. Shocking right! The man whose shoes have literally been the standard footwear of every rapper from Rakim to Da Baby. Air Jordan’s (J’s) are mentioned in every other rap lyric. 

And though MJ could easily sing deep tracks of an Earth, Wind, and Fire record before acknowledging Da Baby and Lil Baby aren’t the same person, he and his Jumpman brand are still very much a part of hip-hop culture. 

This is because the greats like Mike know what they’re good at, and what they’re not. He knows the difference between voting and supporting a man like Harvey Gantt for Senate in North Carolina over Jesse Helms, the epitome of a segregationist. He even donated money for Gantt’s cause. Jordan never has nor never will be the one on a podium trying to excite the crowd about a candidate. He’s excited the crowd through his play, the best ever. And him simply being great at dribbling is great enough. 

No Horsing Around

Even with the national shutdown and suspension of our normal way of life, most pastimes can still be enjoyed. If you have reliable internet service, you pretty much can get anything you need. Is it the same? Of course not. Seeing a movie meant for a theater release isn’t the same as streaming… no matter how big and new your television screen is. Yes, you can still order the Surf and Turf platter via delivery; however, it simply isn’t the same served in styrofoam. Considering it costs the same, you want the same taste and experience you’d get in the actual restaurant. 

But it’s something. 

Prior to this shutdown, I was in a gym rat groove. I still can run outside and use my dumbbells at home (don’t worry about the weight of the dumbbells). Is it the same as a full-fledged gym??? No. 

But it’s something. 

One aspect of society that cannot be modified, and for good reason, is sports. 

Yes, ESPN is currently airing a HORSE basketball tournament between current and former NBA and WNBA players. I get it, they’re trying something. And I tried watching it. I really tried, it just simply wasn’t appealing to me. Aesthetically, it looked like it was shot on an Iphone 4. It was little action and mostly interviews with the players, the competitiveness was manufactured, and it wasn’t live. Sorry, something about the unknown of watching live sports is a major appeal to why we love it so much. I currently watch the classic games shown by various outlets, and love seeing the unknown in the face of fans as they watch something they don’t know or expect to happen. It’s a really special feeling only live sporting events can deliver. Either at the event or home, the emotion of fans cheering and live action is needed. A prerecorded HORSE competition simply can’t deliver that. And as a rabid sports fan, I only want the full return of sports. No more barnstorming and bad ideas, just the real thing. 

I can watch a remote episode of a sketch comedy show or a news broadcast, not the same, but it’s something. And that something is currently the state of sports. Meaning, we don’t have a true understanding of how or when the shutdown will end. And that understanding is beyond and more important than sports. With that being said, if with the utmost safety we can get modified versions of sporting events, I think it would be welcomed by many. 

Proposals such as playing in empty (fan-less) stadiums, playing in one arena and city, and other similar ideas of that nature are a good start. Sports is needed. The positive economic and social impact of professional sports teams on cities is beyond simple calculations. On a smaller scale, the same can be said for the economic and social impact of collegiate athletics (the NCAA) on college and university campuses nationwide.

The need to have an outlet for celebration and sports is inevitable and emotional. I just hope we don’t have to wait too long to experience it again.