President Obama vs. Trump: 15 Steps of Progress?

I have three questions I hope to address in this piece. What has President Obama meant to Black people and people of color? What has President Obama really done for Black people and people of color? How much will Trump set back civil rights and race relations in this country? First, let me say my opinion is my own. I'm an educated sixty year old adult Black man. But, I'm not trying to represent all of Black America. Nor am I trying to reflect what all people of color feel. And I most certainly am not trying to speak for White America. However, I have watched listened and studied what has been going on in this country. I have designed and taught courses on racism at the college level. I have conducted numerous seminars and lectures on anti-racism. More important, I have been taught about racism by people more knowledgeable than myself. No matter how intelligent a person is, there's always more to be learned. Unfortunately, most people don't understand this simple concept and think their feelings and rights are substitutes for truth and justice. I've learned in my life, that sometimes the truth doesn't make me feel good. Sometimes the truth isn't based on how I feel. All of these things have happened over a thirty year period. Therefore, while these thoughts are my own opinion, I'm coming at you from a perspective of someone who has actually studied race in America. What President Obama has meant to Black people and people of color, is actually what he has shown the world. He has shown the world that a Black man can lead the United States of America just as well as a White man. I will come back to this statement in a second. Because of this he has, rather than opened the doors of opportunity for other people of color, he has merely given Black people and people of color the address to the door of opportunity, key maker. The door of opportunity is still locked. Before President Obama came along the door was locked and people of color, especially Black people had no direction or knowledge as to where we could get a working key. We've had false trails down rabbit holes, leading to wasted time, only serving to take us further away from equality and opportunity. We had to deal with doubters of our intelligence and loyalty to America. President Obama has proven that a Black man has the intelligence to be a leader. Within the community of people of color we have always known of our ability to be patient. This ability comes with living in this society and is vital to any person of color's arsenal, as we are constantly at war for freedom, equality and success. What do I mean by saying he has shown the world that a Black man can lead the United States of America just as well as a White man? Well, that has to do with the question, what has President Obama really done for people of color? The answer is very little. He was working too hard to be the President for everyone. That would be a great philosophy if everyone started out at the place. The truth of the matter is, people of color are 15 steps behind when it comes to equality of wages, health, education and the ability to create success. If you keep focusing on giving everyone a step or two, it doesn't help Black people and people of color, catch up. We may even be at a slightly better place, but we're still the same 15 steps behind. We need someone who can advance people of color several steps, as to become equal to our White counterparts. Running the same pace as someone 15 steps in front of us won't get us any closer to equality. President Obama didn't get people of color any steps closer to equality. In fact, because he didn't push people of color forward, we lost a few steps. To be fair, through no fault of his, the lost steps were because of an upsurge in racism. Which was done to put President Obama and people of color in our places. And this leads me to the exclamation point at the end of this rekindled paragraph on the page of America's racism history. Trump is the absolute proof that America is as racist as it has ever been. He recognized it and used it to the benefit of himself and people like him. Trump and his followers will set back civil rights and race relations in this country fifty years? How did he do it? He struck gold! He found the lost City of Gold, El Dorado! In fact he found something better than gold. He found the perfect excuse of false hope for unhappy White people. And he became the conduit linking those unhappy White people to a reason for their woes in life. The reason he gives them for their woes, has to do with everyone who isn't White. This society and now Trump tells unhappy White people that people of color are the reasons their lives aren't going the way they feel they should go. Sadly, a fair number of White people believe this lie. Soon they will begin to see that the only loyalty Trump and people like him have is to one color "green". I have been on this planet long enough to have seen this type of brainwashing before. I have also read about the history of this kind of brainwashing happening in the past. Here's a clue. Several of the people Trump has appointed to a cabinet position are billionaires, with absolutely no experience. They do have one thing in common. They all contributed big money to Trump's campaign. I'm sure these wealthy people, in their hearts, have the interest of those unhappy White people. In reality, Trump only understands unhappy White people to the extent of using them. He has a track record of using and cheating White people who were poorer than he. That is when he wasn't trying to grab their wives, mothers and daughters by their pussies. As far as Black people and people of color are concerned, Trump has already begun the process of setting back fifty years, every advancement towards equality, freedom and success we have made. So, it's back to the drawing board for people of color. Like Gil Scott Heron said, "It's a Re-run." As people of color, we have experienced and know walking in darkness is merely the first step in finding the light. Maybe it is time for unhappy White people to truly walk in darkness of deceit for a while. If they experience it long enough, they'll never forget it. Maybe that's the only way of keeping the darkness from coming around again.

Why Do So Many In This Country Hate Christians?

I've noticed for quite a few years now, how the news media, television and movie entertainment and a lot of the general public in this country really hate Christians. I believe this to be a fact as real as the fact racism is a deliberate and prevailing mentality in this country. The question is, why? In the last few months I been able to listen to Christians from all around this country speak about everything and everyone. Now I get it. I totally understand why so many people in this country hate Christians. Unlike racism, a case can be made that Christians have earned the hatred that is casted upon them. People of color, especially Black people just have to be born and we become a target of racism. Many Christians actually do and say things that cause people to hate them. Here's the sad part of this situation. Many Christians think the hatred of Christians, by people who aren't Christians, is like some badge of holy honor. In my opinion Christians have fallen into the trap of desiring political power. Christians do not render onto Cesar that which is Cesar's and render onto God that which is God. You can find the actual words of that in the book of Matthew 22:20-22. One can say, when Jesus showed the people the coin and asked who's picture was on it, he was saying this the stuff of man. When he talks about feeding the hungry, taking care of the widows, giving water to the thirsty, raising our children with love, and visiting the prisoners. That starts at Matthew 25:34. One can say when Jesus talked about these things, he was telling them what is of God. The answer to why so many people in this country hate Christians is because too many Christians are busy trying to attain political power and not really doing the things of Christ mentioned above. And why is this happening? Simply put, too many Christians are following charismatic preachers. There's nothing wrong with a charismatic preacher per say, except when their self-serving doctrines causes congregations to worship the preacher rather than God. What ends up happening, is the preacher then sells his congregation to the highest bidding politician. In the long run congregations lose sight of the things of God and begin to act as the judge and juror of anyone who doesn't think, believe or act as they do. If Christians aren't careful their us against the world mentality will dwindled down until churches will separate based on race and skin color. Oh wait! Churches worshiping the God of the universe are already separated by race and skin color. Man's law says I, with my black skin can live next door to you if I can afford to. God's people say, I as a Baptist live next door to a White Baptist, but I go to "First Black Baptist Church of the Risen Son" and my neighbor goes to "First White Baptist Church of the Risen Son". Didn't Jesus say something to the effect of when two or more are gathered in my name, he is there? Try Matthew 18:20. My point is this, caring too much about who goes to your church, how many people go to your church and how cool the pastor is, has replaced the bright light on the hill, of people seeing and hearing about your church feeding the hungry, taking care of the widows, giving water to the thirsty, raising our children with love, and visiting the prisoners. Politicians can't fix what is wrong in this country. And the people of this country are mad because Christians won't, haven't or can't deliver that which God has told us to deliver. It's like children who are unruly. Most of the time they want their parents to tell them what to do and mean it. Christians tell the world about a loving God, but don't show or mean it. The world should know us by our love. No one will argue and hate people who are serving their needs. Why would a person go to a church or a Christian for love when there is as much backbiting and out and out racism amongst Christians as there is in society. As Christians we should be in the world, but not of the world. We can do as the world does and add to the chaos of man. Or we can work as hard as we can to do what God says. The friction caused by going against the grain, makes a spark in the world, which in-turn becomes a light for the world. The world doesn't hate the light. The world hates the darkness posing as light. We need to stop using our light to burn down the world and use our light to show the world a way out of the darkness. But to do that, we need to truly know the direction ourselves.

Standing Rock, Racism and Greed at its Best

I support the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's right to protect their water today, tomorrow and fifty years down the road. However, make no doubt about it. This is racism and greed at its best, or should I say, at its worst. When Bismarck, the Capitol of North Dakota told Energy Transfer Partners to go build their pipeline somewhere else, because the venture would jeopardize the integrity of their drinking water, the Texas oil company re-routed. Here's why Bismarck could make such a demand; The racial makeup of the Bismarck is 92.4% White, 0.7% African American, 4.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population (Wikipedia). Here's why Energy Transfer could give a damn about the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe making the same request as the citizens in and around Bismarck. 4,044 - Total Population on Standing Rock Reservation (ND side only) [Census 2000]; 3,492 or 84.1% - American Indians on Standing Rock Reservation (ND side only) [Census 2010]. The perfect storm for white greed = a small number of people of color + the possibility of white people making a profit + media control = we will do whatever we have to do to take this from you. This has been a trait throughout the history of this country. This country has made and broken over 500 treaties with Native Tribes. I'm not going to make this a history lesson about the relationship between America and the Indian Nations. That's because it can be summed up simply as lies, betrayal and greed covered up by another lie. For the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe this is about honor. For in the history of every down trotted people, there comes a time when they must stand, sit, sing and scream in order to be heard. They must fight against the wealth of the white man and the deaf ears of a nation turned against them. They must understand, this fight will be forever, because the soul of the wealthy was long ago replace by the glitter of gold. The brightness of which, blinds the eyes of man, to the needs of their fellow man. In 1980 John Trudell, a Santee Sioux said, "We must go beyond the arrogance of human rights. We must go beyond the ignorance of civil rights. We must step into the reality of natural rights because all the natural world has a right to existence. We are only a small part of it. There can be no trade-off." For a while I couldn't get into what he was saying and then it hit me. One man should never have to fight another man, for human rights or civil rights. It truly goes against the natural order of the human experience. Because one race of people owns the media, they have been able to keep the details of what's really happening at Standing Rock out of the mainstream. They show only what benefits them. They only report what is sensational and brings ratings. For those in the media who aren't under the control of the very people who would profit from this pipeline, this situation just isn't sexy enough, or violent enough. The reason it isn't sexy or violent enough is because the Sioux Tribes are trying to protest peacefully. They are trying to appeal to the common sense of the people of this country. But common sense isn't and hasn't ever been common when race and profits are on the opposite sides of the table. But despite the results of the elections several weeks ago, I have to believe, most people, if they knew the details of Standing Rock, would not approve. Again, this is about rich folks making themselves richer, by trying to bully those with the least power. However, regardless of Energy Transfer Partners and their cronies efforts to suppress the truth, everyday more and more people are discovering the lies and injustices being perpetrated at Standing Rock. President Obama, leave office with a bang. Do something before matters come to a head and many people are injured or killed. Do something before the guy you called "unfit to be president" sides with the wealthy. Please go to the website below. “We urge the Obama Administration to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement of the Dakota Access Pipeline, with meaningful consultation with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. And we call on Energy Transfer Partners to halt construction until the review is completed and the potential impacts of the project are fully considered.” Public petition at http://act.americanrivers.org/page/s/nodapl-standing-rock

Eighth-grade football or the Real American Patriot

During the football season I'm in the classroom with a lot of eighth-grade football players. It's kind of fun having been a football player and gone to college on a football scholarship I am reminded of the innocence of a game I loved so much. But every now and then I notice that one eighth-grader who thinks because he's a football player, he's better than those who aren't football players. When I see such a player, I take the time to explain to the whole class about the levels of football. Being on the eighth grade is just one level of football. However, sometimes when they're immersed in the game some eight grade players think they know all about football. So I explained to them, that there is high school freshman level, high school sophomore level of football, junior varsity level of football, and varsity level of football. I explain how the levels continue with the many levels of college football. I try to get them to understand how ultimately most of the football players who come up through all of these levels of football would love to someday play in the National Football League. However few ever make it to the NFL. I explain to them, that until eight graders understand there are many levels and they must learn everything they can as they pass through each level, making it to the NFL, is a long shot at best. This normally helps them to appreciate what playing football is really about. Some Americans are a lot like those eighth-grade football players, who think they are better than everyone else. Those Americans are stuck in an eighth grade mentality, proclaiming to be so patriotic that all Americans should be measured by their criteria. If the rest of us don't see America the way they see America, then somehow we're un-patriotic. The truth of the matter is because of they have an eighth grade football level of understanding, they never looked upward to see that there's many levels of America. They don't understand, many of these levels within America have one thing in common. How one is treated in America has mostly to do with the color of one's skin and it has been that way since the Mayflower. Eighth grade America never aspires to acquire a better understanding of who they are. In fact eight grade America wants to dictate the manner in which anyone should protest the injustice, they themselves knowingly and unknowingly disseminate. These eighth-grade Americans call themselves patriots. What is a patriot? A patriot is a person who defends the country vigorously against enemies or detractors. I would add that the enemy can be domestic or foreign. In America there are many people calling themselves patriotic. To be honest, most of them are hateful nut jobs. But let's define a few of them. 1. There are so-called patriots who believe all other patriots should think the same or at the very least think like they think. So, they condemn anyone who thinks for themselves. 2. There are those so-called patriots who truly believe that the White man has special rights and privileges. Therefore, only they should be granted freedom, equality and the pursuit of happiness. 3. There are those so-called patriots who believe the government is never wrong, when it comes to everyone else but them. 4. There are those so-called patriots who live their lives based on what uncle Billy-Joe Bob tells them. These are the people who have no idea of the true facts about anything they hate about another group of people. The problem with ALL of the so-called patriots above is that they are blind patriots. Therefore they are dangerous to America. The reason they are dangerous is because the blind patriot is looking for a quick fix, like a drug addict. A drug addict can get along with others as long as there are plenty of drugs. They become dangerous when they run out of drugs and want a quick fix. When the drug addict or blind patriot can't get what they need that's when fake-ass leaders and drug dealers can get them to do and believe whatever they want them to believe. Soon the blind patriot will follow the fake-ass leader anywhere. This also when the fake-ass leader can give the blind patriot a reason why their lives are so miserable. Normally that reason has to do with another group of people in society. Example A. The reason the government is in debt is because so many Black and Brown people commit welfare fraud. The fact is there are more White people on welfare (food stamps especially) than everyone else combined. Example B. The reason real Americans are out of work is because immigrants legal or illegal are stealing all the jobs and doing them for cheap. I've worked in an area where there is a lot of fruit picking going on in the hot sun. I haven't see any so-called real Americans out in those fields. The fact is most immigrants do jobs that so-called real Americans are too proud to do. A real patriot cares whether the people of this country are ALL treated equally. A real patriot will defend with their life, the right of the people to protest when they are feeling mistreated. A real patriot understands America is just land, . It becomes special when it is united by its people. A real patriot knows America is made up by it's the people not a slogan. A real patriot knows sometimes a person or a group of people must not stand for the National Anthem when they aren't being treated fairly. That's because a real patriot understands that fighting for this country sometimes means fight evil within this country. Patriots come in different ethnicities and skin colors. If your patriotic philosophy calls for you to see yourself as better than people you don't look like you and you're willing to hate and hurt them, or stand by and watch others hate or harm them, then you're not really a patriot of the people of America. To be a true patriot you must realize, the psychology of America must incorporate and treat EVERY law-abiding citizen within its borders as equals. A real thinking patriot of the American people knows life in this country will never be peaceful or socially homogeneous, until we all understand America is nothing but land until we are untied as people. And like those eighth-grade football players, anything short of believing that America is nothing without her people, fake-ass leaders and non-thinking patriots will always view things from their eighth-grade perspective. Which means, a hundred years from now, America will still have race problems. America will still have the poor and homeless. And some fake-ass leader will still be telling America, immigrants legal or otherwise are why things are so bad.

Don't Shoot The Messenger

WARNING: If you except things blindly, don't read this article. Those of you who have read my articles know that I feel the attack on the police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge were cowardly. You also know that I feel the killing of unarmed Black men is also cowardly. However, the last shooting takes the cake. And luckily there is video footage to verify what happened. According to a story written by the Associated Press Wednesday, and the accompanying video, a Black therapist in North Miami who was trying to calm an autistic patient in the middle of the street says he was shot by police even though he had his hands in the air and repeatedly told them that no one was armed. The moments before and after the shooting were recorded on cell phone video and released to local media. The video shows Charles Kinsey lying on the ground with his arms raised, talking to his patient and police throughout the standoff with officers, who appeared to have them surrounded. "As long as I've got my hands up, they're not going to shoot me. This is what I'm thinking. They're not going to shoot me," he told WSVN-TV from his hospital bed, where he was recovering from a gunshot wound to his leg. "Wow, was I wrong." The shooting victim, from his hospital bed said that he asked the policeman, "why did you shoot me?" He said the policeman replied, "I don't know." But before I get into what I'm going to say, I believe eventually this recent shooting will give anti-violence groups and "Black Lives Matter" their smoking gun. There's no way the "All Lives Matter" movement can blame the victim for being shot. He was truly a therapist. The young man he was helping was really an autistic patient. The shooting victim had his hands up, while laying on the ground, on his back. For whatever reason the police had him surrounded, with their guns pointed at him. For what appears to be no reason at all, the police shot the man while his hands were up in the air. Luckily they only shot him in the leg. Again, there's no blaming the victim. This guy was no threat to the safety of the policemen. Yet, they still shot him! So, my question to you is, why are the shooting and killing of unarmed Black men happening? As wrong as these reasons are, revenge and retaliation are the reasons policemen are suddenly getting shot. I say suddenly and I will back up using that word in a second. The problem with most people in America is that they are victims and they don't even know it. More often than not, those who are unaware that they're victims, do a fair amount of damage. Sometimes when that damage is done, it causes a ripple effect. That's when things get confused and all hell breaks loose. This is exactly what has happened with the shootings of unarmed Black men and now the shootings of policemen. Misinformation is the culprit that makes America act stupid. We're all full of misinformation. That's because we allow the television news to educate us. Back in the days of Walter Cronkite, or the Huntley and Brinkley Report, we could depend on the truth. Today news is entertainment, designed to get ratings, not truth. It has gotten to the point where we are addicted to this brand of entertainment and have come to dislike true facts. We want drama, not boring facts. Facts make us think and we don't wanna think. We wanna be told what to think. Television news has done what drug dealers do. They tease you with a little, until you're hooked. Then they jack the price up. The American public has sold its soul to drama. If someone attempts to enlighten us with truth, we'll shoot the messenger. In an article dated December 9, 2014 Eva Decesare writes, The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), recorded a preliminary total of 4,405 fatal work injuries in the US in 2013. The BLS compiled that data to make a chart of the top ten most dangerous jobs. Guess who’s not in the top ten. That's right, policemen. A report put out at the beginning of the year by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, highlights that lack of danger by showing that 2013 has had the “Lowest Level of Law Enforcement Fatalities in Six Decades” and the fewest officers killed by firearms since 1887. Here's the list of the most dangerous occupations. 10. Construction Laborers Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 215 9. Electrical Power-Line Installers And Repairers Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 27 8. Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 220 7. Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 748 6. Mining Machine Operators Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 16 5. Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 33 4. Roofers Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 69 3. Aircraft Pilots And Flight Engineers Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 63 2. Fishers And Related Fishing Workers Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 27 1. Logging Workers Total fatalities for 2013 (based on preliminary data): 59 I've read several reports on dangerous occupations and the closest to the top ten policemen rank is 14. Therefore, I'm not saying there's no danger in being a policeman. What I'm saying is that everyone, citizens and policemen alike have bought into the notion that every policeman has to worry about getting home every night. And in our society, this fear of getting home, has become the theme song and excuse for shooting unarmed Black men. Yes, I know there are almost twice as many White people who get shot by policemen, but there are ten times more White people in America. If you do the math, you will realize that being Black in America highly subjects you, even though Whites outnumber Blacks, to the possibility of being shot by a policeman. The police are the victims because they are put out on the streets suspect of damn-near every citizen they meet. Citizens are victims, especially Black citizens, because any move we make could get us killed. As citizens we should respect the police. We shouldn't have to be afraid of the police. I remember the days you could flag down a policeman, when you were in trouble. The way things are going now, you'll end up on the ground cuffed. If you resisted you could end up being shot. That isn't "To Protect and Serve". And to be honest it is probably difficult to protect and serve people if you're unreasonably fearful for your life. That is why truthful information is important and shapes the way we think. It shapes our attitudes about how we go about our days and how effectively we communicate with one another. CBS News, Bruce Kennedy, MoneyWatch July 22, 2015, in regards to police danger: But the trend has been clearly downward in the last 40 years. Police work is getting progressively safer compared with historical averages: The fact is: being a policeman is not one of the most dangerous jobs you can have, according to statistics from the Bureau of Labor. In five years, 2008 to 2012, only one policeman was killed by a firearm in the line of duty in New York City. Police officers are many times more likely to commit suicide than to be killed by a criminal; nine NYC policemen attempted to take their own lives in 2012, alone. Eight succeeded. In 2013, eight NYPD officers attempted suicide, while six succeeded. 2013 had the fewest police deaths by firearms since 1887 nationwide. The national figures vary widely from year to year. In 2014, police deaths in the line of duty, including heart attacks, spiked upward from 100 in 2013, to 126 in 2014. (the most recent numbers available) From 1970 to 1980 police deaths averaged 231 per year. 1980 to 1989: police deaths averaged 190.7. 1990 to 1999: police deaths averaged 161.5. 2000 to 2009: police deaths averaged 165. 2013 to 2014: police deaths averaged 113. So how many policemen are there? Nationally, in 2008, state and local law enforcement agencies employed more than 1.1 million persons on a full-time basis, including about 765,000 sworn personnel (defined as those with general arrest powers). Agencies also employed approximately 100,000 part-time employees, including 44,000 sworn officers. In Boise, where I live, there has only been one policeman, Officer Mark Stall, killed in the line of duty, in the history of the Boise Police Department (1903). And even that's one too many! I know the Chief of Police is out in the community, trying to get to know the leadership of the people of color here. That's a great step towards making Boise safe for everyone, citizens and policemen alike. America needs to sit down and stop pointing fingers. We need serious discussion about misinformation and false perception. We need to discuss how misinformation and false perception has made both policemen and citizens victims. Shooting it out isn't gonna work. Old procedures need to be updated and changed with the times. I want with all of my heart to value good policemen. I also want policemen to know that I matter to my family and friends.

Racists Politicians Have Happened Before

Many people have asked me, "what do you think of Donald Trump?" I've shied away from answering them, mainly because, what I think about Donald Trump means absolutely nothing to people who can do anything about Donald Trump. Besides, every so often history produces someone who by all sensibility, should not be where they end up being. In most of those situations the organization, the company, the country or the branch of government and especially the people ends up paying the price. Most of the time the people following such a person are fooled into believing that this person really cares about them. But think about it. Trump has always lived with a silver spoon in his mouth. Not everyone born with a silver spoon, cares less about the everyday person. However, Trump has never taken the silver spoon out of his mouth to feed anyone else. In everything he does, there has always been some kind of profit for him. If not he isn't interested. Believe me, becoming the President of the United States will put him in position to profit for himself, even more. America, as free as it is and as free as it claims to want to be; in significant measure has shown her true colors. Before you love it or leave it folks get all upset, I love America enough to want to see her care about EVERYONE! So, my answer to the question about Donald Trump is, America has allowed racist people to rise high in politics and even the presidency on more than one occasion. One example of a bad person elected president is Woodrow Wilson. This passage is from a national bestselling book entitled, Lies My Teachers Told Me by James Loewen. "President Woodrow Wilson's administration was openly hostile to Black people. Wilson was an outspoken white supremacist who believed that Black people were inferior. During his campaign for presidency, Wilson promised to press for civil rights. But once in office he forgot his promises. Instead, Wilson ordered that white and black workers in federal government jobs be segregated from one another. This was the first time such segregation had existed since Reconstruction! When black federal employees in Southern states protested the order, Wilson had the protesters fired. In November, 1914, a black delegation asked the President to reverse his policies. Wilson was rude and hostile and refused their demands." The book goes on to say that Wilson displayed little regard for the rights of anyone whose opinions differed from his own. Does that sound familiar? Woodrow Wilson's wife was worst. She often told "darky" stories in cabinet meetings. The truth about Wilson is mostly hidden. History paints him as a hero. Sadly there are a lot of schools around the country, many of them predominately Black schools, that have been named after Woodrow Wilson. Helen Keller called Woodrow Wilson "the greatest individual disappointment the world has ever known." However, you'll never read that in history books. According to an article The 11 Most Racist U.S. Presidents by the Huffington Post, "When NAACP lawyers persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to rule Jim Crow as unconstitutional in 1954, Dwight D. Eisenhower the 34th President of the U.S. did not endorse Brown v. Board of Education and dragged his feat to enforce it. At a White House dinner the year before, President Eisenhower had told Chief Justice Earl Warren he could understand why White southerners wanted to make sure “their sweet little girls [are not] required to sit in school alongside some big black buck.” The 11th President James Knox Polk led the fight against those politicians and activists pressing to ban slavery in the new southwestern territories. This lifelong slaveholder was angrily hated by antislavery Americans as the leader of the western marching “Slave Power.” Indeed, President Polk wanted slavery to extend to the Pacific Ocean. He looked away as White slaveholders (and non-slaveholders) danced around the legal protections for Mexican landowners inscribed in the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and went about illegally stealing the lands of the new group of Mexican American citizens. President Polk started a forgetful history of the Mexican southwest—and the long history of racism against Mexicans inside and outside of the border—a history of racism that is now fueling the campaign of Donald Trump. America has never been without racism. And some of the biggest perpetrators of racism have been high ranking politicians. When these people rise up, racism goes from covert to overt. Another way of putting it would be that the volume of racism is turned up every now and then. When it comes to racism, this country is like a drug addict who can't seem to kick it's racism habit. Every time there's positive headway made in the area of race in this country (electing a Black President), something negative stops the progress in its tracks (birther issue, police brutality and the Trump movement). The one positive aspect these racist outburst reveal is that America still has an underlining stream of hatred buried deep in the souls of people who are unhappy. Hitler proved that anger can be directed by a slick talking huckster, who is able to misdirect people and get them to see victims as enemies. As a whole, Black people, Brown people, Red people nor Yellow people, don't have enough power to really affect how any White people as a whole, live their lives. If the angry people, who believe in these slick talking liars were to follow the money trail all the way to its logical end, they'd find it's the rich and the powerful, who are pulling all the chains and changing policies to keep themselves rich and powerful. And I don't think it's a stretch to say, in this country, most of the really rich and powerful are White. And yes, while I do know that not all of them are greedy, I also know they do not wish to share their wealth with Black, Brown, Red, Yellow or other Whites. Racism affects everyone, including White people. Racism, as controlled by the rich and powerful, makes it difficult for the average White person to be a star in the game of life. Racism, as controlled by the rich and powerful, makes it impossible for Black, Red . Yellow and Brown people to even participate equally in the game of life. For Blacks, Red, Brown and Yellow people, the truest, most evil reason racism exists is, to destroy hope. Once hope is destroyed people lose vision. Once vision is lost people live for the moment and can't imagine the future. Without hope and vision for the future people die. They die from the deep within their soul, until their bodies follow. The new racist political hucksters know this. One of the most blatant examples of this is President Obama and the birther issue. Once he was elected President of the United States, and hope looked as if could spring forth, the birther issue popped up. It was a way to steal the hope, vision and future from people who might just think that there was hope in their future. Personally, I connect this emptiness with working hard and earning my doctorate. The day after I went through the ceremony my White supervisor at work told me that "getting a doctorate isn't a big deal". The night before I'd had a night of hope during the ceremony. I thought because the university I worked for had no Black, fulltime Ph.D.s working there and that their excuse has always been, "we can't get Black Ph.D.s to move to Idaho, they would be happy, that a former scholarship football player took his education to another level. Quickly, I was slapped back to the reality of racism. The birther issue did the same thing to many people of color in America. And while there are also many White people who think that the birther issue is a sick and racist Every once in a while this country is like a balloon that puffs itself until it finally pops. It didn't need any outside source. A false leader rises and gives the hateful enough air and allows them to puff up themselves.

Tears of a Clown (My Thoughts on Muhammad Ali)

The clown I am referring to in the title of this piece is me. It's the mask I wear. It's the me nobody knows. It shows itself every so often. And today was one of those times. I sat in front of the television and watched the funeral of Muhammad Ali. My son stared at me as tears rolled down my face. I had to ask myself what were the tears really for? I knew I was mourning someone who was more than a great fighter. I knew that I was mourning someone who was more than a symbol. Then as I listened to speaker after speaker, I realized that I was mourning the fact that my heroes were all gone. In my lifetime I have been able to learn from people God put on this planet. I have truly been blessed to have been able to see and hear, Rev. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Malcolm X, Arthur Ashe, and many more. However, Ali was the end of an era we'll probably never see again. Ali believed that hating someone because of the color of their skin was wrong, and it didn't matter what color of skin the person doing the hating had, it was wrong. He gave up the prime of his career because of his religious beliefs. While he knocked opponents out in the ring, he lifted up poor kids like me, even though I never had the pleasure of meeting "The Champ". It hit me as I realized that the tears were because I knew there were no more athletes out there ready to carry on the fight for equality. There's too much money being given out. There's no way in the world today's multi-millionaires athletes would give up a nickel, or a second of their time, to fight for the human rights Ali knew were more important, than a paycheck. I think about all the sports stars I've cheered for over the years. I suddenly understood that while they did mighty things on the court or field, none of them have ever taken on a cause that would make humankind, or this country a better place. And the shame of it all is, me. As a Black man, I don't have the luxury of idolizing someone only because of what he or she does on a field or court. As I looked at the famous sports heroes in attendance, at Ali's funeral, I wondered if any of them were thinking to themselves. I wonder if they were thinking, "I make or will make more money than Ali ever did. Will people mourn me this way?" Will any of them take up Ali's mantel? Sadly, I knew they wouldn't. Ali knew that Black people had to maintain the "Village" concept. However, the love of the almighty dollar stole from Black people, the "Village" concept. Ali's was very in tune with equal rights for Black people. But he was also in tune with equal rights for all people. To him the "Village" was worldwide. The tears hit me because I finally realized that at 60 years of age, I finally had to grow up. It has been a long time coming. But maybe like so many other people, I have hidden my voice and maybe even my actions, from the difficult things facing society. I realized that I was crying because I knew it was time to take life up a notch. The days of sports heroes caring about the troubles of those struggling in our society have gone. With the passing of Ali, perhaps we have seen the last great warrior who would sacrifice themselves and their paychecks for the betterment of everyone else. I began to think, now we have to do it on our own. There would not be a great voice crying out in the night. Just us. Doing whatever we could to bring to the light of day, peace, harmony and love to every man, woman and child. I'd have say, it is scary living during a time where it is obvious and very visible to see hatred again on the rise. The thought of building bridges has given way to a downright uncaring disposition towards our fellow man, that tells us that we should now build walls. It is scary when a man of peace dies, while another man preaching hate, thrives towards the highest office in the world. It is scary to see how easy this country's transition to indifference and hatred has been. And sadly, there are no Ali's available to help us take a deep look at ourselves and what we're doing to the future of our children. Leading candidates from both political parties are being investigated for criminal acts. I don't wanna put words in Ali's mouth, but I would guess he would say, we're not voting for the best person for the position of President, we're voting for the lesser of two evils. If it's not something he would say, it is surely something I believe. Listening to the speakers at Ali's funeral talk about their personal experiences with him, helped me to see that it was obvious he had an array of friends. Three Indigenous Natives spoke, so did a Jewish Rabbi, a Catholic Priest, Buddhist and Hindu, Asian people, former President Bill Clinton and many others. They all told stories about his sense of self and his love of all people. This is the kind of love we should be teaching our kids. This country won't change for the better because of the bad things happening within it. This country will change when her people become better people. That won't happen until people educate themselves. Ali had more education than many of us flashing out so-called higher level degrees. Because of his academic-less education, he was able to be whom he wanted to be. He didn't follow anyone less than God. So, as I finish this piece and the tears slide down my face, I ask myself, where will the hatred end? Will there ever again be born someone brave and caring enough to stand up for the rights and social justice of all men and women, regardless of the color of their skin? Will my kids have a Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Sitting Bull or Muhammad Ali to look up to? Or, will they have to be like the 30 and 40 year olds and borrow heroes from yesteryear? It's enough to make a clown cry.

The “Gap Tool”

From slavery of the poor, to the lack of income by those who won’t admit they’re poor, the “Gap Tool” has always been a weapon of mass destruction, detonated by evil extremists. The "Gap Tool" is recognized by many names, such as, the haves versus the have nots, powerless middle class versus the disenfranchised minorities. And the "Gap Tool's" sole purpose has always been to divide society. Once divided, society will start grasping for anyone who is willing to give them a reason why life is so bad, even if the reason is a lie. Whatever one might want to call it, “Gap Tool” conquers all within its sights. The "Gap Tool" goal is to stretch and divide society so far from each other that even when people try to correct it, it will never be the same. Every few years the "Gap Tool" has to be brought out, in order for evil to gain ground. It's a page from the Willie Lynch school of obedient slaves. Doing horrible and vile things to the point where the victims accept any amount of release, from the act. In fact, they will teach their children to obey the victimizer. Like me worrying so much about the lives of my sons, that I feel I have to teach them to over obey the police. I'm not talking about the normal respect good policemen deserve. I'm talking about having to obey to the point of feeling like the police are our masters, rather than civil servants who are paid via my taxes. That's the "Gap Tool" at work. Everyone, but especially Black people need to wake up. Whenever you hear someone say “Let’s make America great again”, know you’re hearing a code phrase. Hatred has come like a thief in the night. It isn’t wearing horns or wagging a tail. In this age hatred dresses up in suits and ties. Hatred wears designer heels and power outfits. Hatred is educated enough to know that its old language will no longer work. In fact, hatred stands in the gap of ever flowing troubles of society to widen the distance of peace and harmony. The strategy works on everything from racial strife to political party separation. The “Gap Tool's” dispenser’s job is to confuse those who feel that they have somehow been cheated out of what should be solely theirs. To them, civil rights, women's rights, gay rights and even basic human rights, are all wrong. They just want America to go back to being great again. Let's just examine at what point and time America was so great that we should all want to go back to it. And who was America great for at that time? Let's see, do Black people want to go back to the time of slavery, or Jim Crow, lynchings and even worst Police brutality? Do women want to go back to not having the vote, go back to when there were no laws for being beaten by their boyfriends or husbands; or the good old, unequal pay for the same job, dynasty? Would Native people want to go back to reliving the breaking of every treaty made to them? Then again, Native people may want to go back before the Mayflower, when they owned land. Do you think Chinese people want to go back to working hard on the railroads and living in cities underground? Do Japanese people want to go back to living in internments camps? White have-nots, are you ready to again, have most of the good opportunities go back to the wealthy Whites? Gay people, are you ready to go back into the closet? So, again I ask, who benefits from America being great, again? Come on, think hard, I'm sure the answer will eventually dawn upon you. For those of you who only reply is, "Well if you don't like it, leave it", there simply are no words for you. I will say this once and for all, I love America. Not for her greatness but for her potential to be great. America has never been great to all of its citizens. Brave soldiers have fought all over the world because of the potential of America's greatness. That's not saying that for a young country we haven't made great strides. We do a lot of things better than the rest of the world. However, loving fellow Americans who might have different skin color, religious beliefs, and may be of a different gender, has always been a thorn in the side of America's potential greatness. And don't forget to throw in the several other "isms" and prejudices that keep many groups of people under thumb. To be honest, the reason we never seem to attain positive progress in these hideous "ism" areas is because of that very, "love it or leave it" mentality. Ultimately this type of thinking warrants no real plan of action. When it comes to social change, no action, always produces no social change. America is her people. America can only be great if her people are great. People can't behave badly in America and still call it great. However, because there are some great people, most of them powerless, America has only the potential to be great. If or when the people in America decide to go from potential to reality and treat each and every man, woman and child in America with respect and basic human dignity, then the world will truly see the greatness of America. Sadly, I don't think that will ever happen because of the "Gap Tool". It will be sent to separate us if we show any signs of coming together as a people. The last thing the minority super wealthy want to see is the majority non-wealthy thinking and communicating as a caring group of people. So the "Gap Tool" used, to keep people apart, is to give a few of the non-wealthy, a taste of wealth. This gives many of the majority-poor a false sense of hope. It appeases us for a while. The "Gap Tool" keeps doing its job by widening and exploiting the differences between groups of people in America. What's interesting is how many people can't see the "Gap Tool" at work. Like I mentioned before, if someone is talking about making American great AGAIN, that's a clue to everyone who America hasn't ever been great to in the first place. It's also code for we want things to be like they used to be when people of color, women and the poor, knew their places. I think we have reached the when someone's only purpose for using the "Gap Tool", is to watch America burn! So, America hear me and hear me well, beware of who you elect to lead, this potentially great nation. Following a Pied Piper down a dusty road of hatred and bigotry will take America to hellish existence to which there is no return. The majority of American people will fight back against hatred in a suit. And while our civil war rages, like all the great empires before us, our enemies lay in wait, to defeat the once potentially greatness of America.

The Idea

There's a person who has sent me articles about how the Irish were at one time persecuted. The message this person has been trying to send to me is, "you don't see the Irish blaming their problems on racism". I've been hoping that a light would pop on in this person's mind, helping him / her to see the big difference between the Irish's situation and the situation of being a person of color, especially Black in America. It doesn't appear that any such light will pop on. So, I will explain why the persecution of most groups of people in this country was and is, so much different than that of Black people. And for the record, Black people and people of color do not complain for to receive your damn pity. And guess what, if the racism against Black people stopped, immediately you'd see some differences in attitude. But it would take a generation or two to un-do generational poverty, hatred and the mental mindset that comes with generational racism. I would love to live one day of my life and not feel or experience, or read what the system of racism and hatred has done to another Black person, or any person of color. The process whereby racism against Black people in this country, became and continues to be different than the persecution of most, if not all, other groups of people, in this country. Do I think what I write will change this person's attitude? No, I don't. First of all, let me again acknowledge that there's no doubt that every group of people on this planet has had their time under persecution. But like in no other country, in this country, the outcome of racism and hatred towards Black people has had and continues to have a lasting profound effect, not only on Black people, but on everyone in this country. Forgive me for sounding a little bit annoyed, but having to still deal with the topic of hatred and racism, even though it's 2016 gets old. Some time ago a group of people came to this already occupied land and claimed it for their own. Many of them came from different parts of Europe (guess what one thing most of them had in common). Some came as free men and some came as indentured servants. There was so much land and so much work that needed to be done. How would they proceed? They didn't have enough indentured servants. Besides most of the indentured servants have escaped and were able to hide in plain sight (I wonder why they're able to do this). The Europeans decided to enslave the Indians to do their hard labor, but that idea just didn't work. The first reason it didn't work was because the Indians knew the land better than them and could escape. After all it was their country. Second, a significant number of Indians died from diseases that the Europeans brought to this country. And finally the Indians decided that they would rather die than become slaves. So the people from Europe had to come up with another idea. They noticed that a few of their citizens, who had made the long journey with them, had uniquely dark skin. So, they came up with "the idea". They heard of some other dark skinned people. So, they went and stole these dark skinned people, mostly from a place called Africa and enslaved them. Sometimes a greedy chief would sell some of his own people, but it was cheaper to steal and kidnapped. And for good measure they even enslave some of their dark skinned countrymen who were formerly freemen or indentured servants. The Europeans instituted a brand of slavery that was different than the indentured servant system. It was mean and brutal. Mentally they convinced themselves that the dark skinned people were less than human. Doing this allowed them to mistreat the slaves without guilt. They even preached the righteousness of it beating slaves in their churches. There was nothing the Africans could do. They didn't know the land, the language and because of their dark skin, they stuck-out.. It was simple. If you had black skin, you belonged to someone. This meant that they could not escape very easily. However, some of the dark skinned women began to have babies and the babies weren't so dark (I wonder who was having sex with the dark women). At the same time the beatings and the negative stereotyping of the Black man continued. The effects of these rapes, beatings and negative stereotyping has lasted until this day. When slavery had done all the ugly damage it could do, some guy named Lincoln was instrumental in getting rid of the institution of slavery. However, it accelerated the institution of racism. Not having black slaves to beat up on and mistreat, caused many of the different groups of Europeans to fight amongst themselves. Then one of them said, we all have the same color skin, let's call ourselves White people and we will own and run this country. In fact let's make a law prohibiting people with colored skin to come here until we outnumber them by so much, that we can never be overtaken. The original United States Naturalization Law of March 26, 1790 (1 Stat. 103) provided the first rules to be followed by the United States in the granting of national citizenship. This law limited naturalization to immigrants who were free white persons of good character. It thus excluded American Indians, indentured servants, slaves, free blacks, and Asians. It also provided for citizenship for the children of U.S. citizens born abroad, but specified that the right of citizenship did "not descend to persons whose fathers have never been resident in the United States." It specifies that such children "shall be considered as natural born citizens," the only US statute ever to use the term. The effects of this law can be seen today. White people by far outnumber everyone else in this country. A lot of people from white skinned countries come to America, drop their accent, change their names and receive the benefits of be White. People of color cannot receive the complete benefits of this country, by changing our names. Most of us are born and raised here so the only accent we have are the ones from places in America, such as the South, Texas or the East or West Coast. The fact that people of color can't come to this country and hide like other groups of people with white skin can, is one of the reasons why people of color and especially Black people, STILL have to deal with racism and hatred on a daily basis. Englishmen, the Polish, Irishmen, Italians and any other white skinned group of people, although they shouldn't have to, do have the option of dropping their accents and changing their names to blend in and share the American dream. In the last 30-40 years, white skinned Bosnian people (there are darker skinned Bosnians) have been the latest group of people able to come to this country and blend in. A lot of people of color work hard and still have to deal with hatred and racism. When was the last time, in this country, that Englishmen, the Polish, Irishmen, Italians and any other white skinned group of people had to deal with system of hatred and racism, by corporations, the educational system and law enforcement? No one is saying that many White people haven't worked hard for what they have, but to really believe that the system in American wasn't designed so that White people could succeed easier you must be living on a river in Egypt called denial. However, I do understand. everyone one wants to believe that they pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps. This makes it easy for the so-called self-made man, to look down on any group of living under the hell of ongoing hatred and racism. He will always ask, why don't people of color and Black people just stop complaining and do like my people did? I'll say this to that. We just didn't think of "the idea" before you.

The Magic of Racism

A good magician knows the art of deception. A great magician can make an audience see and believe something most intelligent people know isn't and never could be real. For instance, we all know that a person can't be sawed in half and put back together, but as an audience we want to believe it's possible. In reality what's really going on is just a sleight of hand and intentional misdirection. Racism, which is race prejudice plus power, is much like magic. Racism needs the power to intentionally misdirect what's truly going on. Without that power to intentionally misdirect what's truly going on, racism becomes impotent. The intentional misdirection of racism is designed to keep its victims and from seeing and understanding the real damage. An example of this would be Black-on-Black crime. When Black people start talking about making things better, racism does a sleight of hand and brings up Black-on-Black crime. I know Black-on-Black crime exists. According to Blackdemographics.com the 2013 US Census Bureau estimated that there are 45,003,665 African Americans in the United States which means that only 14.1% of the total American population, which numbers at 316.1 Million, is Black. However, this country is 67-70% White. Which means that 211.7 Million to 221.7 Million are White. All one has to do is read the newspaper or watch the news and you'll understand that there is robbing, stealing and even killings in White neighborhoods also. Now here's the first step to the sleight of hands and misdirection magic of racism. It's not called a White-on-White crime problem. I live in a state that has only about a 20% minority population and only 1% of that minority population is Black. And just like in other states people here are victims of crimes. People here get killed. Banks here get robbed. There are home invasions. Unfortunately, there are rapes here also. Because of the population demographics here, most of the time those crimes are White-on-White crimes. However, I've never seen or heard these crimes reported as White-on-White crime. There are poor, low income and even uneducated Whites that also live here, but I've never heard them being told to stop the White-on-White crime, before they can prosper. The second step to the sleight of hands and misdirection of racism, is actually getting Black people to believe that somehow racism across this country, that is perpetrated on us, would somehow stop, or is somehow justified, because of the Black-on-Black crime. Ridding society of racism against any group of people should not be based on what goes on in their neighborhoods. Shouldn't racism stop because we're humans, and it is wrong? There's no doubt about it. There's crime in our Black communities and it needs to stop. But this country needs to stop acting as if, there would be some kind of positive, automatic chain reaction, ridding this country of racism, if only there wasn't a Black-on-Black crime problem. Remember what happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 1, 1921? Black Wall Street, the name fittingly given to one of the most affluent all-Black communities in America, was bombed from the air and burned to the ground by mobs of envious Whites. In a period spanning fewer than 12 hours, a once thriving Black business district in northern Tulsa lay smoldering – a model community destroyed and a major African-American economic movement resoundingly defused. The night’s carnage left some 3,000 African Americans dead and over 600 successful businesses lost. Among these were 21 churches, 21 restaurants, 30 grocery stores and two movie theaters, plus a hospital, a bank, a post office, libraries, schools, law offices, 1500 homes, a half dozen private airplanes and even a bus system. As could have been expected, the impetus behind it all was the infamous Ku Klux Klan, working in consort with ranking city officials and many other sympathizers (SFBayview.com). The power of racism kept this American atrocity and many others just like it, out of the history books. While we're focusing on Black-on-Black crime, our children aren't receiving the same level of education as their White counterparts. Black-on-Black crime kills the body and robs us and it needs to stop. However, the magical power of institutional racism kills the future, one generation at a time. There are millions of Black people who believe, 'Black Lives Matter' because we want to be counted in 'All Lives Matter' and we haven't been. However, the intentional misdirection power of racism, would have you believe that because a few militants Black people might mean something negative, that all hard working Black people, must mean something negative when they want Black lives to matter. Just like that person who gets sawed in half, by the magician, non-thinking people, even though logic dictates that they shouldn't, believe that Black people really think and believe that only our lives matter. America needs to focus on the hidden hand and power of the magician. That's the hand secretly killing us all.

The Other Racism

Back in the day, slave owners classified the Negro as part animal, sub-human and not worthy of being educated. This allowed these slave owners, many of them forefathers of this country, to clear their minds of guilt and any type of redemption from God. This misguided justification to classify the Negro and Indians as less than human and savages, was all they needed to execute a plan that would last for generations. This plan was designed to give and retain power to people with white skin, forever. Thankfully, today a majority of people don't believe Blacks are less than human, Indians are savages, or Mexicans are lazy. However, racism isn't perpetrated effectively by the few extremely hateful people, screaming in the faces of people. The key to the success of racism, are the people sitting on the fence, doing nothing to stop racism. Sure, these people may think racism is wrong. They may even show sadness when a violent, racist act happens to someone. But, without question, the most damage done by racism, happens when everyday normal people don't take any action against racism. So how do we start to undo racism? First, know that racism isn't a trait we were born with. We were taught to hate. As a fighter of racism you must know and understand that racism has to be undone systematically, just as purposeful as it was done. Racism will not take care of itself. We must fight. And to be totally honest, we need White allies. Racism will not be destroyed without White people who "get it". Telling people of color how sad you are about what is going on in this country, does nothing to stop what's going on in this country. Go look at civil right marches from the 60's and you'll see there were White people who "got it". Many of them were hit and injured as they marched alongside people of color. Second, just because a person isn't overtly perpetrating hateful acts on people, doesn't mean they aren't possibly racist. More and more racism uses its power to control groups of people. A lot of times this type of racism is covert. Usually overt racism comes before covert racism. Overt racism is used to instill physical fear into the group of people. Once the brutality of overt racism is fought and condemned by the masses, including White people, covert racism usually kicks in. The power group stops kicking the powerless group in the ass physically, but begins to kick their minds. This mind-kicking becomes like a mental beating. It is designed to instill a sense of hopelessness. It is designed to make the powerless feel less than human, or less than a man. Let me take a detour for a second. We see this very situation of feeling less than human or less than a man, going on around this country now. People of color and especially Black men have to act almost childlike, so we won't get shot during a routine traffic stop. We are now having to teach our young sons to kowtow to mostly White police forces. In my mind a traffic stop for young unarmed Black men is like a slave walking on eggshells so that the master won't whip him again. Of course that isn't the case with every policeman, at every traffic stop. But I don't know one responsible father or mother who has said, this happens so infrequently that my son doesn't need to worry about it. We've seen enough killings of unarmed Black men, that we to have to believe that any of us can be killed at any time. The guy who killed the policemen in Dallas is dead. He did a cowardly, horrible thing and he got what he deserved. So, isn't it fair to ask and expect the policemen who killed the last two Black men, will have to answer for what they did? Okay back to fighting racism. Third, Educate yourself by reading and learning what racism is really about. Most of the time people repeat things they've heard. Even when true facts are used to rebuke their lies they stick with the lies they've heard. Most Pied Pipers know that the average person wants to be told what to think. As a fighter of racism, who have to understand, that these are the people you're up against. So, in order to enlighten them, you must be able to guide past their right to their opinion. You must know that just because people have a right to their opinion, it doesn't mean their opinion is worth a damn. So, know your facts. Know whose really abusing the welfare system by knowing statistically, who's really on welfare. Know that there is more White on White crime, but yet, we don't hear about it on the news. By the way, ask the victims if White on White crime exist. Lastly, watch out for Uncle Tom and Aunt Bessie. These are people of color who are wolves in sheep clothing. We know about the famous ones, because we see them on television. They blame people of color for poverty and the racist things that happen to people of color. Television host Wendy Williams played the Aunt Bessie when she declared that Historical Black Colleges and Universities racist, The NAACP being pretty much racist. However, Roland Martin, using knowledge and facts, put Wendy in her place. She apologized this week, with Roland as a guest on her show. Don't be fooled, her apology probably had something to do with losing sponsors, which means the network losing money. These Uncle Toms and Aunt Bessies of today, got their roles come from slavery. There were Negro slaves who survived by telling on the other slaves. They function pretty much the same way today. They want to be known as the "good Black, Brown, Red or Yellow". In any case watch out for them. After we get through this overt phase of racism, we'll have to deal with the covert aspect of racism. These different aspects of racism come in cycles, much like the season of the year. Maybe one day, we'll begin to understand that the human race is the only race. We are all people. We all live and die. No one group of people is so superior that they live forever. Give yourself the give of love. Then, share your love with everyone you can.

A Pain of Being a Black Parent in Today's America

Normally, I wait for the dust to settle to write my opinions. However, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile are dead. They are two more young Black men killed by the White policemen. The sad thing about this is that it has become so commonplace, that it isn't a shock anymore. I will say this, there is something very wrong. I saw an interview with comedian D.L. Hughley. He had tears in his eyes as he talked about the Alton Sterling and Philando Castile killings. A few seconds into the interview he said a couple of things that caught my ears. First, he said he doesn't know a Black parent who has not had the' instruction discussion' with their kids, especially their young Black male kids. My version of the 'instruction discussion' goes as follows: 1. When stopped by the police keep both hands on the steering wheel. 2. No matter if you know you're right, do not disagree with the policeman. 3. Say yes officer in the most polite way you can. 4. Do not make any sudden moves. 5. Even when the policeman ask you for your license and registration tell him that you're reaching for it and move slowly. 6. Because you're Black, they get off on humiliating you. But, it is better to be humiliated than it is to be dead. 7. Son, you have to realize that these police are killing us and they know that they will not get into trouble. They will get a paid vacation time and you will be dead. They will go home to their kids and smile and have fun and you will be dead. As a Black man, I've been through this process many times, in several states in this country. And to be honest, over the years, I've noticed the policemen's change in attitude. I've been in cars hen my White friends have been pulled over and they have been allowed to speak to the policemen in a more negative manner. If I would have talked to the officer that way, there's a chance he would have shot my Black ass. So, to those of you who are White, and I say White because most Black people understand where I'm coming from, read and learn. Don't judge! The second thing he said was, when his son or sons are not at home, especially at night, he doesn't go to bed. I have the same routine. I stay up and watch television until my son or sons are safe in the house. I was sharing my routine with a few co-workers. One of my co-workers told me that I was being a little over protective. She happened to be White co-worker. She's someone I respect. I think her and her husband have done a great job with their two sons, who are now grown. So, I often ask her for advice about things. I had explained to her that I understood, raising kids is a difficult thing even when things are pretty routine. However, there's an added dimension to the worries of parenting, when you're a Black parent of young Black boys and men, in America today. We agreed to disagree. That's what adults do sometimes. Right now, you're going to read what I write and it will be difficult. I'm not really giving a shit what people think about what I'm writing. If what's going on doesn't make you angry, then you're part of the problem. I felt for a long time, that this is an important issue. We haven't had to deal with this particular form of racism in Boise yet, but I decided to proactive. I did a free training on race and racism to the Boise Police Department over a year ago. And on the other end, I take every chance I get to work with teachers on how to better communicate with students of color. I do this because, I know writing articles isn't enough. Writing articles won't change anything. It's a way to for me to vent and perhaps inform. Like many parents, Black, White, Red, Yellow or Brown, I've worked my butt off to be able to provide for my kids. And what the hell is my reward? I have to sit at home and worry every damn time they leave the house. As a parent you get used to the regular worrying. Please Lord protect my kids from bullies and drunk drivers. But having to worry about the very people paid to protect society, used as a first line of defense, deadly force has me praying, Lord, keep my sons save from "that policeman". Why is this happening? It's simple. There are no repercussions for them. And it seems that they have a get out of jail free card, when it comes to killing young Black men. This causes tears in a fathers' gut and heart. I hope to hell no White father ever has to feel the kind of fear, Black fathers feel on a daily basis. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. There are no words for this kind of fear. The closes I can imagine is when Black slave women had to watch when their men were beaten by the overseer, just to prove a point, or to keep the other male slaves mentally on edge. Sometimes I wonder if there has been a memo that instructs policemen to shoot niggas and don't worry about the consequences. This is happening too much to be just some strange coincidence. The occurrence of police shooting young Black men passed ridiculous years ago. Now it can only be classified as the results of a sick society. We have become so used to this, that another one doesn't faze society like it did a few years ago. Black people only make up 13% of the population of the united States. Of that Black men make up only 6%. Many studies suggest that the killings by policemen has one glaring factor. A large percentage of the victims are Black men. States the Washington Post back in December: Race remains the most volatile flash point in any accounting of police shootings. Although black men make up only 6 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 40 percent of the unarmed men shot to death by police this year, The Post’s database shows. In the majority of cases in which police shot and killed a person who had attacked someone with a weapon or brandished a gun, the person who was shot was white. But a hugely disproportionate number — 3 in 5 — of those killed after exhibiting less threatening behavior were black or Hispanic. I believe a policemen should be allowed to protect themselves from visible DANGER! This bullshit about "I felt that my life was in danger or threatened" isn't a good enough reason to kill unarmed civilians, of any skin color. Yes. policemen have a dangerous job. I know that. But, when your job is to protect society, dangerous situations will oftentimes be a part of the equation. Policemen should be trained to know a dangerous situation from a potentially dangerous situation. The citizen, especially the unarmed citizen should at the very least, get the benefit of the doubt. Killing someone because you feel threatened, is what untrained people do. Shouldn't the public expect more from so-called trained officers of the law? Trained professional policemen should handle stressful and dangerous situations better than the general public and criminals. Our armed forces teaches our soldiers the difference between civilians and combatants. Why is it our policemen can't seem to tell the difference between real danger and perceived danger? Why are they allowed to kill unarmed people because they feel uncomfortable? Maybe there needs to be more money spent on teaching policemen human communication skills. Maybe there's too much money spent on buying up armed forces type weapons to use on American civilians. As far as why nothing has been done about the shooting of Black men, I'm putting the blame on every person with any measure of influence, who hasn't spoken out on this, especially the wealthy Black people who seem to have an influence. So Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and the rest of you who think that because you make a lot of money this doesn't affect you. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. One of the biggest mistakes people of color make when they get wealthy, is thinking that their money means they are somehow guarded against people who perpetrate injustice. What racist people are allowed to do to the least of us, they will eventually do to those of you who are wealthy. Richard Pryor once asked in one of his routines, "How long will this bullshit go on? How long?" The answer in this case is, until everyone in America admits these shootings are going on. It will go on until there are as many people screaming at protests, as there are people screaming for some stupid as NBA Championship. In fact the NBA, employer of many young Black men, should be leading the charge against this form of racism. Where is the NCAA? Where are all the influential White college coaches making money off young Black men? Black parents need to question these coaches when they come to your home, want your young Black son to slam-dunk a basketball for them. While we're at it, where are the Christian people of this country? Where are all those Black and White pastors and their mega churches? I guess God is busy. Well, in the long run, all a brotha can do as a father, is to keep having the 'instruction discussion', with our kids. All we can do is love our kids and pray that for their safety.

To What Degree?

This is gonna be short and sweet. However, I do have a few questions. With all the private wealth people in this country how many of the rich and famous have come together and made it their mission to rid this country of racism, or poverty? How many every day, nine to five people have come together and protested to our government, that our war veterans should not have to wait one damn second for their benefits once they have served this country? Which politician or political party truly puts the welfare of the people of this country before their own political gain? When did being a true American mean looking the other way when social injustice rears its ugly head? How far have we dropped as a nation when someone can become the representative of a major political party while insulting every non-white group in America? I want you to honestly answer those questions. Then I want you to ask yourself to what degree have you lent your skills, talents, time or money to ridding this country of the ugly social injustices that continue to tear us apart? I am not a Bible thumper, but I do believe this, "the love of money, is the root of all evil." I also believe that hatred and racism has been this country's Achilles heel, since the landing of the Mayflower. I find it sad that nearing the end of 2016, racism is still an issue in America. We have sent people and probes to the deepest part of the oceans and seas. We have gone to the moon and beyond. We can take a heart out of one person and put it into another person. We can send a text message from the west coast to the east coast in seconds. Yet, we still allow the color of someone's skin to determine how we will treat them. Yet, as human-beings we still can't sit down and hash out the differences. We still don't understand that beneath our skin we are all made up of the same materials. It makes me wonder, just how advanced are we? Not many are born hating. And be it psychological or humanistic, no one hates without a reason. Take away the reasons for hating, such as, poverty, improper education, historical lies, social mistreatment and injustice, to name a few; then hate doesn't have enough air to breath and exist. But as long as there are people allowed to fan the flames of hatred, hold rallies celebrating hatred, we as a society will all burn. So, to what degree will you protest? I personally know several very wealthy people and none of them seem to give a rat's ass about the poor acquiring an education, in order to escape the generational poverty. I cannot recall any organized campaign fund by wealthy athletes, entertainers or even all of those internet billionaires, designed to rid this country of racism. One of the things people who fight racism and poverty are afraid of, is how uneducated our young people are about racism and poverty. This lack of education is the very fuel that allows racism and poverty to continue. Amongst those who worry us the most are young wealthy athletes, entertainers and those young internet billionaires. So, when a young NFL quarterback decides to protest racism and poverty and injustice, I see it as a good thing. I heard Colin Kaepernick say that he does not mean any disrespect to those who fought for our country, when he doesn't stand for the National Anthem. In fact I personally talked to a recently retired veteran about Kaepernick's protest and he said that he felt no disrespect. Then, again maybe his attitude had something to do with seeing many of his buddies come home and get disrespected by the very government that sent them to war. Maybe his attitude had something to do with having a young Black son he has to worry about being shot, every time he leaves the house. Anyway, Kaepernick's goal was to bring attention to the injustice many in this country are experiencing. The stupid thing is when people who do not care and those who do NOTHING to protest racism and poverty get upset about the way those who do care, protest racism and poverty. NEWS FLASH #1! If someone protests in a likeable way, it really isn't a protest! If a protest doesn't strike a chord with people, it will not accomplish the goal of the protest. No, I am not suggesting or condoning people protesting in a way that physically harms others! NEWS FLASH #2! If our society would work harder at equaling the playing field, dissolving racism and giving the poor a real chance of escaping generational poverty, then individuals or groups wouldn't have to protest. During the late 60's and early 70's I was a teenager. I remember the watching Martin Luther King and many other Negroes protesting for civil rights as they were getting beaten by police. I remember reading about Cesar Chavez refusing to sit in the Mexican section of a theater when he was young and how he later became a leader for Mexican people. By the way he was a veteran of World War II (Navy), who latter led many protests and boycotts. Then, after he died, he was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom. We all need to take a lesson from last year's Missouri football team. They got the racist president of their university fired, by deciding as a team they would not play in the next football game. Threatening to not play the game was the best protest of all because it would have cost the university money. Kaepernick gets an "A" for at least caring enough to get people talking about social injustice and social change. Isn't social injustice and social change the very thing Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Sitting Bull, Cesar Chavez, and many others who fought for? The degree to which they were willing to go, involved giving their lives. So, before you start protesting Kaepernick's protest, to what degree have you protested for human rights? We each have to ask ourselves if we have truly made a sacrifice, for the betterment of our society?

We've Changed

I like to consider myself multidimensional. I believe I can be for something and not against something else. The one thing I'm trying to do, and we learn this in our journey in order to be a somewhat successful parent, I have to be able to say when I'm wrong. If I can't do this my children would see me as unreasonable. The same goes for America. We've got to STOP holding on to traditions, beliefs, and attitudes that were once acceptable and considered true, but now tear us apart. Things in this country have changed. There isn't a group of people in this country that can be considered ALL good, or ALL bad. There isn't one job or occupation in this country, that everyone in it are ALL honest and noble or ALL bad and dishonest. It doesn't exist! So, it stands to reason that there are bad teachers, pastors, policemen, accountants, doctors and parents. They come in ALL shapes, sizes and skin colors. Some of them are racist, hateful and mean. Then again there are some people in these same occupations that are nice and will give you the shirt off their backs. We need to wake the hell up! There are some bad policemen. In fact, if there was any job that is likely to have a misuse of power, it would be policemen. Absolute power can be corruptive, even with people who are basically good people. Absolute power given to someone who is improperly trained or harbor racist tendencies, will destroy a society faster than the plague. NO! That doesn't mean EVERY or even most policeman abuse their power. But, because these policemen oftentimes have the power over life and death, I want to know what percentage of bad policemen do you think is acceptable within the police force in your city? My thinking is this. As a society, we need to work as diligently as possible to make sure that bad people don't become policemen. We need to train policemen to not think that pulling out their guns is the first line of defense. Non-professionals should be the only ones making those kinds of bad decisions. We marvel at NFL quarterbacks because the truly good ones can read a defense. They know when to pass the ball and who to pass the ball to. They know when to pull the ball down and take whatever yardage they can get. If our team's quarterback doesn't know how to do that, we as fans, waste no time booing him. We get all emotional if our team's quarterback doesn't perform like a professional should perform and folks, it's just a damn game. But when it comes to policemen not performing professionally, we start blaming the victim, especially if the victim is Black. We allow policemen to quarterback sneak a situation, when there are many other options than shooting to kill. Isn't it possible that since the way people communicate has changed, maybe the training of policemen is obsolete? I taught human communication for over 18 years. East coast people communicate differently than west coast people. People from rural communities communicate differently than people from urban communities. Communication styles different from one side of town to the other. People move into towns from all over the country and world. So, wouldn't it stand to reason that police communication training be updated? I remember 15 years ago getting upset with a Mexican student because he wouldn't look at me when he talked to me. He told me later that he was taught it was a sign of respect, to not look an adult in the eyes. I felt foolish. What would a policeman think? Would the policeman think the kid was acting suspicious? Would that be cause enough to handcuff him? By the way, I wasn't trying to be funny, by comparing policemen actions to NFL quarterbacks. I know being a policeman is a dangerous and difficult job. And I'll tell you right now, I have the utmost respect for a GOOD policeman. I think they should be well paid so they don't need to take second jobs. So, please do not think that I am against policemen. I'm against bad policemen. Just as I am against the criminals they have to deal with and arrest. What I am saying is that people who hold such a powerful job, even with its inherent dangers, have to be held to a higher standard than everyone else. We are starting to see, in living video color, how our society has changed. We have people running for President of the United States who are dealing with the court system, before they are even elected. We've had Presidents get into trouble after becoming President. Nowadays, we know, they are shady beforehand and the American public still allows them to run for office. That has never happened before. On January 24, 2016 Donald Trump said, "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters." The audience laughed. In the back of his mind, I imagine him thinking these people will follow me, even if I lead them off the side of a cliff. Folks, we're changing. In light of the horrible shooting of policemen in Dallas, I like what I saw today, with Snoop Dog and friends. They went down to the LAPD to show the policemen that they support them. He said that they wanted to create an open dialogue. He and his friends are trying to show that Black people aren't against policemen. Black people are against policemen shooting unarmed people in general and unarmed Black men in particular. Everyone should be against this, but we're changing. I will say this, those of you who are constantly trying to pit Black Lives Matter, against Blue Lives Matter and All Lives Matter, need to get a damn life. Of course everyone life should matter. The problem is young Black men's lives don't seem to matter. Believing Black Lives Matter doesn't make a person believe that only Black Lives Matter. That's an evil play on semantics, designed to lessen and even destroy the true underline cause. That underline cause is, please stop killing unarmed young Black men! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that message. However, it does take an evil racist to skew that message and make people believe it means something bad or wrong. Unfortunately, that has not changed.

Who Am I and Why Do I Know Racism Will Always Be Part Of America

The first thing I'd like to say is, I wish with all my heart, we as Americans could defeat racism. However, the more I study racism, the more I feel its root are embedded deeper into our psyche than Mom's Apple Pie. In this piece I'm going to spell out what racism is, from a sociological perspective. Well, at least how I view it from a sociological perspective. Until America can grasp what racism truly is, racism will stay in existence. Until perpetrators of racism own up to exploiting groups of people via racism, it will continue to tear America apart. Here's why I feel I'm qualified to talk about racism. I tell you this not to brag, because I truly have nothing to brag about. I'm a nobody to most people in this country. So, I tell you this to let you know that talking about racism goes deeper than my right to my feelings and opinions. I have made it my life's mission to study racism. I've read a number of books, read many research studies. I've designed and taught college level courses on disassembling racism and human communication. I've conducted many seminars and given many lectures on disassembling racism. I have lived in one of the whitest states in this country, Idaho, for almost 40 years. For the record, below is Idaho's racial breakdown: Race Population % of Total Total Population 1,567,582 100 White 1,396,487 89 Hispanic or Latino 175,901 11 Some Other Race 79,523 5 Two or More Races 38,935 2 American Indian 21,441 1 Asian 19,069 1 Black or African American 9,810 Below 1% Three or more races 2,362 Below 1% Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander 2,317 Below 1% Native Hawaiian 637 Below 1% Alaska Native tribes 403 Below 1% (source: suburbanstats.org 2015-2016) So, I ask you, what better place to learn, identify, fight and teach about racism? I also did my doctorial dissertation entitled "Teacher Communication with Students from Diverse Backgrounds", on diversity in education and how to deal with it. I should have titled it "Racism in Education". However, I didn't think that title would fly with my committee. It mainly talks about White teachers communication with students from diverse background. I have written and published a number of articles on race and racism, including racism in religion and education. Again, talking about racism runs deeper in my life than my rights to my feelings and to my opinions. And even that doesn't mean I'm always right. However, coming from a solid knowledge base, will get us closer to a solution to racism in America, than having to listen to the feelings of people who haven't taken the time to study the situation. The understanding and disassembling of racism in America cannot be left to the personal feelings of its citizens; no more than cure for lung cancer can be discovered by the local barber. The barber may have an opinion and feelings about cancer. The barber may know someone who has suffered through cancer. But, opinions and feelings aside, the barber cannot cure the cancer. It takes a doctor who is educated and has studied and has some kind of expertise in chemistry, biology and possibly anatomy. What I'm saying is, people most certainly have the right to their opinions and feelings about racism, but that's all they are unless they have gathered knowledge. Too many times this country wants to talk to famous celebrities and politicians about this country's racism problem, as if they know more than their feelings and opinions. Most of the time people who really understand America's racism are preaching truth to an small audiences, who have no power to produce change. What is racism? Here's a working definition or racism, according to the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, an organization which travels the world undoing racism. Their formula says, Racism = race prejudice + power. Basically I think The People's Institute is saying is, without power there isn't racism. Hatred could very well manifest itself in some other form of belittling people, but if a group has no power it cannot control another group of people. If the group of people wanting the control uses skin color as their criteria for deciding who they will inflict its power on, then it's racism. So, I basically agree with the People's Institute. They taught me a lot on my journey to fighting racism. However, I have developed another way of viewing racism. I call it "The Anderson Racism Hypothesis". The Anderson Racism Hypothesis The Anderson Racism Hypothesis states: When a nation’s more economically and politically powerful entitled race or culture assigns and attaches negative feelings, un-true history, while deleting the use of sound reasoning based on scientific knowledge, historical fact and meaningful communication to the politically and economically powerless people within its society, racism will occur and remain constant. Truth, through scientific knowledge, historical facts and the relinquishing of negative feelings must replace, the dominate culture's negative feelings and un-true history. The dominate culture must begin to use sound reasoning based on scientific knowledge, historical fact and meaningful communication, or racism will never cease to exist. As I look at the history of racism in the United States, I am convinced my hypothesis on racism can be displayed as a scientific, social racism formula. The formula for racism is: NF= negative feelings; UH= un-true history; EC&PP=economic and political power and entitlement; is greater than KF= knowledge & facts; MCOM=Meaningful communication; R =racism will occur. If (NF+UH)P directed negatively towards a particular racial group > (KF +MCOM) Racism will occur. If ((NF+UH)(EC&PPE)>(KF+MCOM))=R Formula explained: Negative feelings and negative emotions times power Feelings and emotions about people from a particular race, without the benefit of knowledge and facts produces racism. Therefore, as long as people from different racial groups do not engage in meaningful, knowledgeable and factual communication about race and racism, racism will continue to exist. If a country’s negative feelings and negative history, about people from a particular race or culture, is falsely produced by that country’s more economically and politically powerful race or culture, is greater than sound reasoning, based on scientific knowledge, historical fact and meaningful communication, racism will occur and remain constant. If negative feelings and negative emotions, about people from a particular race or group, by those from a more economically and politically powerful entitled race or group is greater than sound reasoning, based on knowledge, fact and meaningful communication, racism will occur and remain constant. Eliminate any part of the (greater than) aspect of this formula and racism as we know it, cannot function and will eventually cease to exist. We Need To Get Rid Of the Melting Pot Theory Until such time when those with power are willing to give it up, America needs to rid itself of the "Melting Pot" mentality. It sounds good at first glance, but if looked at closely, the melting pot theory of America asks people to give-up who they are, so we all can become the same. From my perspective this mindset plays into the definition of racism. We have the dominate group of people telling everyone else that to be good Americans you must shed yourself of who you are and become like us. That was fine in the old "I wanna be like Mike" commercials, but in reality, a group of people shouldn't have to melt themselves down, in order to live peacefully, in this country. There's a big difference between living by the laws and customs of this country and having to give up our identity as a human being. A healthier perspective for everyone, is what I call the "Big Salad" mentality. There's nothing healthier than a big salad. In a big salad the tomato, is allowed to contribute to the salad and make it better, while staying a tomato. The same goes for the lettuce, cucumber, red, pepper, black olives, brown mushrooms, yellow pepper and so on. Every item (group of people) added to the big salad (America) makes the big salad (America) better, without (groups of people) having to change themselves into someone else. If Americans could do this one small adjustment in its thinking, and begin to see America as a "Big Salad" rather than a "Melting Pot", we could put a big dent in the fight against racism. So, you as the reader must honestly fill in the blanks. Who has the power in this country? Is racism taught to our young? Would you be willing to look within yourself to treat EVERYONE equal? Do you really believe that those who live in poverty really like living in poverty? What have you done to bridge the racial gap? What is more important to the betterment of mankind, truth or your right to your uninformed opinion? Those are some pretty difficult questions to answer. Any one, any group or any cause trying to sell you their way of thinking, doesn't want you to truthfully answer those questions. These are the people who want racism to continue. And sadly, they are winning. Even sadder, we all will die in the process.