Tree of Life

by with No Comment FeaturedGun DebateRace RelationsSocial Issues

Robert Bowers is a sick and unstable man. Yes, he does check all those boxes, but he also checks the box of being a terrorist. His actions on Saturday, October 27th, took the lives of 11 people. These 11 people had stories, challenges, dreams, accomplishments, and loved ones that each and everyone built a world around, and this one man decided to tear it down.

Why did he do it?  Because they had programs that were designed to help refugees and the less unfortunate.

Take a moment to let this digest. A moment to realize that yes, though our nation has mass shootings all too frequently, one of the reasons why it keeps happening is because we as a nation fail to stand together.

We allow men and women in power to divide us, and then to show our disgust and solidarity with the victims, we provide a moment of silence and hang our flags low. This is what we do when an individual who has been fueled by ignorance, rage, and fear, decides to become a monster and rip lives apart because of their beliefs.

Guns aren’t our only problems in these situations. It’s how we cultivate these types of monsters and then do absolutely nothing to correct our collective mistake. 

Don’t send your thoughts and prayers. The victims don’t need them anymore, and their broken friends and families are tired of hearing them. 

Solutions?

RACE… and the Impact of FEAR

by with 2 Comments Diversity & InclusionSocial Issues

In the popular 1997 hit, Up Jumps Da Boogie, rapper and producer Timbaland said, “See a Black man dead from a White man’s powder, see a White man scared from a Black man’s power.” The play on words is interesting when you think about the racial tension in our country today and the general fear of losing power. Individual or group power, however it’s attained, it’s usually not relinquished without a knock-down, drag-out fight… if not literally, then institutionally and policy-wise, and at the very least, rhetorically. 

With that being said, does the pigmentation of someone else persuade or alter the way you think about an entire culture or race of people?

What’s sad is that there are millions of people who won’t admit it; but in reality, their answer is yes to the aforementioned question. So why is it that people tend to find or search for fault in others that they don’t even know?

I wonder could it be that genetically some of us are embedded with a prejudice bone. Nahhhh that’s impossible. Reason being prejudice and racism is a disease that is taught… it’s a learned behavior. Young children are completely ignorant of prejudice and racism. Kids are naturally going to play with other kids because race or religion aren’t prerequisites for having fun. There should absolutely be no reason why 2 people can’t play or pray together. Unfortunately, by way of upbringing and media influence, kids are taught to recognize color in some form or fashion as their parents or community members do who uphold certain social beliefs and perspectives, which develops a pyramid of racial bias. It’s sad that the Caucasian race is perceived to be superior when, in fact, each race/ethnicity holds their own special qualities.

I believe it all boils down to fear. The fear of not knowing what one is capable of, or better yet the fear of accepting another for being different. Fear and power might be the main reasons behind the racial divide in the US, and throughout the world. Can you imagine being a slave in the Deep South and thinking about freedom, but the fear of being captured and lynched kept you from trying to escape? The daily fear of death or being separated from family, it’s hard to fathom such anguish.

My point is that as a society we’ve grown to accept people for being prejudice and racist. To make matters worst President Trump has added fuel to the fire of racial tension in our country. His inciteful rhetoric and actions impact us all, even those on the sidelines. Before we know it, we’ll be in a full blown Race War, which could set our country back hundreds of years.

As citizens, we need to come together and move beyond this Fear and Hate that looms over our country, and frankly, everywhere else as well. It’s not too late, but we’re running out of time.

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The Pepsi Challenge (Political Opinions & Social Progress)

by with No Comment Diversity & InclusionSocial Issues

Opinions should be innocuous and a matter of preference, and that has not been the case with political opinions. They’ve become so polarizing, that they’ve halted the political progression of this nation. Something no opinion should do. 

Have you ever been to a restaurant and the waiter asks for your drink order and you say, “I’ll just have a Coke?” The waiter sometimes responds, “I’m sorry, we only have Pepsi products.” With the exception of very rare sticklers to Coke products, almost everyone will simply order a Pepsi without giving it much thought.  Why? Because while most people prefer either Coke or Pepsi, it doesn’t prohibit them from enjoying a nice cold fizzy drink if their favorite isn’t available. No one is going to leave a restaurant for the protest of Coke products when the restaurant only has Pepsi products. You like Coke over Pepsi or Pepsi over Coke, yet your opinion on the soda is inconsequential and you have no problem drinking the similar alternative.

The current US political climate has allowed people to have political stances, stances that are quite damaging under the guise of “opinions.” 

Even more dangerous, opinions have superseded actual facts.

From the revisionist historical narrative that the American Civil War was fought over “states rights” and not slavery to holding dear to the belief President Obama was a Muslim (as if that would have been a bad thing anyway), their opinions have become shields for bigotry, thus the extreme polarization of issues. 

Related: Diplomacy and War: Know the Difference

Recent news has been filled with such opinions of Black Lives Matter vs all lives matter… maintaining confederate statues vs removing confederate statues… and the latest debate… how do people feel about Colin Kaepernick and the NFL player protests. “Opinions” on these issues mentioned above, specifically from those who identify as Conservative/Trump base, unequivocally go against a cause or people that have been wronged. 

“That’s just my opinion” simply isn’t valid for wanting to uphold honoring public places for a treasonous faction like the Confederate States of America. That “opinion” fuels the opposition and it’s a shield for an appreciation of the Confederacy, which you know… attacked the United States to uphold slavery. 

Yes, it seems as if this article is a dig at Conservatives/Trump base. For starters, you catch on quick; and second, yes, you are correct. Conservatives have become entrenched on opinions that side with the wrongdoing of marginalized people. Liberal or Conservative extremism is bad; however, Conservative extremism seems to be furthering the political divide in this nation for their relentless defense of bigotry and being anti-social progress. 

I want to do my part with those burning their Nikes… worried about Hillary Clinton emails… and seeing the need to honor Generals of a nation that went to war with their countrymen and attempted to secede from the United States. I offer you all a Coke and a smile… and if you don’t yell, “It’s disrespectful to the flag,” I’ll even see if I can get you a Pepsi. 

“Is It Safe?”

by with No Comment MediaRace RelationsSocial Issues

Racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc, will always have a permanent seat at the table which is the United States. We’re reminded of that permanent seat in every facet of Americana. One of the more recent editions of the showcase of bigotry has been social media. Social media has exposed the usual suspects of bigotry; however, that’s to be expected and thankfully largely ignored. The interest in social media regarding bigotry isn’t just random rants on Twitter accompanied with the hashtag “freedomovertyranny,” it’s actual people who have actual careers who have actual consequences for their actions.

In recent news, social media remarks have surfaced from MLB pitcher Josh Hader and Baltimore Ravens reporter Lindsey Ok. The remarks… the usual… “N bombs” left and right, racial slurs, “joking” about White supremacy, homophobic remarks, and the icing… the forever classic “suck my ” insert private part” demands. Previous articles on this publication have already gone into detail regarding their remarks; however, I’m writing to explain why their remarks were made for the public to see in the first place.

Spoiler alert… no, it’s not the typical lame excuse of being young and insensitive, spare me. It’s simple. They can…

In the classic 1976 Dustin Hoffman film “Marathon Man,” there’s a famous scene in which Dustin Hoffman’s character is being tortured with dental equipment. During the scene, the villain of the movie Dr. Christian Szell, repeatedly asks Dustin Hoffman’s character Babe the cinematic famous line, “Is it safe?” Dr. Szell was asking Babe this question, for fear of being caught by the police regarding stolen diamonds.

“Is it safe?” Yes, White people in America, by and large, have the safety to make remarks of bigotry, apologize, and move on. Sure, there’s the occasional firing of a Paula Deen or shaming of Mel Gibson or removal of John Schnatter from being CEO of Papa John’s, but as soon as it no longer becomes a trending topic, things return to normal. No true loss.

Josh Hader, received a standing ovation from Milwaukee Brewers fans when he returned to the mound a few days after his tweets surfaced. Think about that. John Schnatter still has a net worth of almost a billion dollars. Lindsey Ok will eventually get a gig with Fox News… safe.

“Is it safe?” Yes, I’d say it’s pretty safe.

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