That’s makes 10

Things are not as rosy and the democrats and republicans are painting them. Unfortunately the outlook proffered by them economically is not presented as serious as thing are on the really real. Down here in the dirty, in Georgia in particular, we got wind that another bank/lending institution failed. Yep, Integrity Bank of Alpharetta, Georgia.

This is the 10^th US bank to fail this year. Many of these are in my mind a result of what I wrote about before as well as dumb ass Federal Reserve policies proffered by Alan “the green hornet” Greenspan, Bill Clinton and Both the Bush’s. Oh and Ronald Regan too. And specifically, from this savants purview, of how Glass-Stegall removed the barriers between Wall Street and Banking Institutions. Throw in a floundering real estate market, foreclosures up the azz and the worst decline in housing since the Depression, I figure we are only seeing the start of this avalanche.

This year alone, the following banks closed/failed: Columbian Bank and Trust of Topeka, Kansas, First Priority Bank of Bradenton, Florida, Reno-based First National Bank of Nevada and Newport Beach, California-based First Heritage Bank; Staples, Minnesota-based First Integrity Bank and ANB Financial in Bentonville, Arkansas; Hume Bank in Hume, Missouri; and Douglass National Bank in Kansas City, Missouri. Add to this that I think the first bank to fail when the housing market started to slump was Net bBank, also headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Then since the FDIC don’t do nothing to protect or warn the general public outside of insuring depositors up to a certain dollar point, they just reported that the have classified another 117 banks as being a problem for the second quarter alone (30% more than the previous quarter).

Since 2000, the FDIC had closed 36 banks since October 2000. In 2002 alone there were 11 banks that closed and before, in 1994 12 banks closed. The very fact that these institutions are failing is a major concern for me because such is deflationary in essence. By deflation I am referring to a reduction in general price levels that are due to a reduction in the supply of money. This is often due to reduced spending at the government and individual level as well as a drop in the level of investments. The consequence of such mainly seen in increased levels of unemployment.

Like I said, the current presidential candidates don’t seem to talk about the economy in tangible terms but more in chic rhetoric and sound bites. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have yet to read any economic statements that even talk about the threat of deflation or the state of the banking and lending institutions in our great country, have you? This is number 10, any bets on how many more will be gone by the end of the year? Maybe there will eventually be one big super bank – like in old school China or Russia. vote

THIS IS FUN_NY

Mutilation of Slaves

Want to take the time to honor thought today. No sex, no politics – just a little history. Just an exhibition on how serious I take scholarship and dialetical rumination. And why I am so vehement in desire to expect others to as well. Tomorrow, on September 1st in 1773, Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was published in London, England. It was the FIRST volume of poetry by an African-American poet to be published. And talking about being prodigal or a polymath, she was 20 when the book was published. So hats off to you scholar, to endure and create when sold off into slavery as a child from the Senegambia region of West Africa. So in honor of this, i'm gonna post something I wrote in 1998 that served as a chapter in the world encyclopedia of Slavery © 1999. Called The Mutilation of Slaves.

Based on history, it is evident that the institution of slavery was never humane. Although some historians like Robert Fogel and Stanley Engerman argue that white slave masters treated their slaves with respect and kindness, the truth is slavery itself was a horrible act. Thus, it was not unusual punishment of inclusive mutilation.

The mutilation of slaves was often implemented under the guise of punishment, or for the purposes of doing things for the slaves’ personal well being. Punishment through mutilation is also well recorded. Punishment was moreso acts of brutality than acts of rehabilitation. The record shows for example, in the case of Captain Phillipe Loit, that a common practice was to break the teeth of female slaves considered to be recalcitrant.1 Other accounts show that mutilation was no different than death. For many ship captains on the middle passage, on e means of trying to prevent slaves from jumping ship was to recapture them and behead them in front of other slaves.2

Examples of the latter have been documented to have occurred on the middle passage where ship captains would make use of a tool called speculum oris, an instrument shaped like a pair of scissors with serrated blades that was forced in the mouths of captives who refused to eat.3 On the sugar plantations in the West Indies, due to tiring work hours, slaves who were caught falling asleep in the mill, were used as examples and would consequently have to sacrifice a limb to show other slaves the dangers of falling asleep on the job.4 Slaves were also placed in metal cast iron weights or boots in which it was not unusual for them to lose an appendage. Such practices were not nearly as horrendous as other acts practiced by slave and plantation owners. In Grenada, slaves were taken to open forums for punishment in which mutilation was not out of the ordinary. One female slave taken to St. George’s, Grenada in 1789 was supposed to have her finger removed as punishment. However, she was suspended from a crane and her thighs, breast, and back split open. In Jamaica, it was not extraordinary for female slaves to have their skin peeled off from heel to back and breast to waist.5 Another account in 1692 notes a freed slave whose master and mistress had cut off her ears.6

Moses Roper, who had lived as a slave in the Carolinas and Georgia recalls in her narrative of her master pouring tar on her head an face and setting her on fire, and following up this action by placing the fingers of her hand in a vice and removing her fingernails and having another man smash her toes with sledge hammer.7 Other tools of mutilation included the thumb screw and pickets, the latter being used so extensively in Jamaica that the weight of standing on them more than likely resulted in the mortification of feet.8 Accounts also indicate the use of nails being inserted or hammered into body parts such as appendages and ears and hammers to knock out teeth. Slaves who accidentally touched whites had their hands or the body part used in the touching cut off. Breaking legs in piecemeal fashions, removing sensory organs and castration were just additional means for masters to get their point of control across to captives.

The events that were used to justify acts of maiming and mutilation covered a broad range of activities. Frederick Douglass in his Narrative recants of looking at a person in the wrong way, saying certain words, a simple mistake, and not to mention running away, could result in permanent injury or death for slaves.9 Mutilation of slaves was so bad that in French colonies, Louis XIV published a Code Noir to curtail cruelty to Africans.

Since slaves in America and the new world were under the complete control of their masters, it was difficult to gauge the true extent of mutilation practices. Moreover, U.S. slave codes were developed and put in place in all slave states to maintain and enhance this absolute control and justify the power of whites to treat Africans as they willed. Consequently, the slave patrols created to enforce the codes often employed mutilation to deal with slaves who were considered to be breaking the law.

In closing, the system of slavery was an inhuman institution in which descendants of European ancestry maintained control over slaves through beliefs and brutish actions against slaves. Although practiced by Africans, the Chinese, and Arabs, slavery as expedited by Europeans was replete with atrocities that often resulted in the mutilation of slaves. This may be why many have noted that the slavery practiced in the Americas was unlike slavery instituted in prior civilizations. vote

---

1 Robert L. Stein, The French Slave Trade in the Eighteenth Century: An Old Regime Business, 1979, (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press), 100.

2 W.O. Blake, The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade, ancient and modern, 1860, (Columbus, Ohio: H.Miller), 131.

3 Nigel Tattersfield, the Forgotten Trade: Comprising the Log of the Daniel and Henry of 1700 and accounts of the slave trade from the minor ports of England, 1698-1725, 1991 (London: Jonathan Cape), 142.

4 W.O. Blake, The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade, ancient and modern, 1860, (Columbus, Ohio: H.Miller), 144.

5 W.O. Blake, The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade, ancient and modern, 1860, (Columbus, Ohio: H.Miller), 150.

6 Winthrop Jordan, The white man’s burden: Historical Origins of Racism in the United States, (London: Oxford), 1974, 62.

7 Moses Roper, Narrative of the Adventures and Escape of Moses Roper, 1837, (London).

8 W.O. Blake, The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade, ancient and modern, 1860, (Columbus, Ohio:H.

9 Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, 3^rdLeeds). English Edition, 1846.

sarah got a gun

I want to say the same week I wrote that Barack Obama should select Collin Powell for VP (back in April); I wrote that McCain should Pick Sarah Palin. But I did not publish it. When I suggested to folk that Obama may loose in November, they hated and said that I was not optimistic, and that such was fatuous. All I was saying was be practical, and except probability and chance AS what it is. I added that I don’t expect to get a flat, but I do have a spare.

I just figured that black folks were just so excited that we got happy go lucky and just knew his victory would be a certainty in November. Not to mention that we were not being very pragmatic. Then after I heard Jones speech, I was even more troubled when I knew that it did little in attempting to persuade the 20% I have been referencing in the last three posts to vote for him. So I lied, but I want to reinforce what I said about this 20 percent in the last three posts. These folk let me tell ya. They focus on one point as being more important than all other issues, maybe abortion or gay rights. They feel that Hillary makes or made a better speech. They feel that Barack is a speech only person. They feel that because a man gets his plane shot down that it makes him more knowledgeable on war or issues of war. They feel that his words are merely poetic rhetoric and that he just a great speaker. They hear him and think he is just going to spend more money and that he is anti-rich. They will say they will write in Mitt Romney or Bob Barr (which benefits Barack). Or that they hear promises, and don't hear sound fiscal ideas behind the words. This makes the Palin choice both entertaining and interesting.

Albeit the choice of one man, it is reckless. He say we need to get to know slim but jones done met her just once himself - LOL. But I aint mad and even like a woman that hunt and fish (Babz take note). Historically as we know, married women tend to vote conservative and she will give McCain what he has been missing – enthusiasm. She teaches creationism in Alaska school and endorsed Pat Buchanan in 2000. So it was a choice made on getting elected, not experience, albeit some will say she has a good record, all that 2 years can proffer. LMBAO. She will give him a bump with 2nd amendment advocates because gun owners dont have no love for McCain and she may even provide some vigor to what was his lethargic base. The her son is about to head off to the battle front shortly and thats a good look for any canidate these days.

She will be expected to assume the presidency if McCain wins; a man that has had cancer four times. And again, these two folk barely know each other – can you say senile. To me it’s basically like picking Tom Cruise because he can get box office draw – not a very talented actor at all. Stated simply, she is a woman, a white woman, supporter of gun rights and anti-abortion. Jones mane, please show your folk here you can think, leave the emotion alone, it don’t count in the voting booth, be objective and pragmatic – act like you can think. Cause yawl (the front runners) scaring the fuck out of jones here mane.

open thread (8.29.08)

Did Obama do enough to win? Did his speech convert any of the 20% I have spoke of previously or was he preaching to the choir?

Note: Will add music on weekends only - too much work.

take that with ya

Just wanted to say, no politics for a while from Jones. It has made me neglect science, history and economics. Thus why I refer to it frequently as many (poly) Tricks.

But I just want us to take a brief flicker in our busy video watching, fast food consuming and fronting for the general public days to close our eyes and honor that day jones said I HAVE A DREAM. Yep 45 years ago on this day, in Washington DC, our folks put it down. And when I say our folks, I mean our folks. Not just African Americans, but whites, Jews, male, female Asians, republic, democrats, independents families and single folk.

Strange thing is that I know the DNC rigged this day for your BO to accept his nomination. Back then, even with all of the previous marches and protest and sit ins across the South that were none violent, the media played it to the world as if the sky was falling – lord knows what’s gone happen when 100 stacks plus of black folk convene in one place, in particular the nation’s capital.

So they canceled major league baseball games – two of them, because the folks leaving the Washington Senator’s game may get mixed up in the fray and hurt when they run into throngs of black folk. They stocked up on Plasma and closed all liquor stores for 100 thousand plus black folks were bound to riot and folks would need blood and plasma after the beat downs from twelve (police); and of course, we don’t’ want to sell the black folk any liquor, it will make them savage. The media also reminded women to stay inside and lock their doors, for they would less likely to be raped.

So just a few seconds, to thank folk who put it down for you to buy a 100 pair of tennis shoes, go to movies, use a single rest room regardless of color. Just a few seconds for those who read and helped their kids with their homework daily, cooked daily, and if had too, would walk to school miles and never miss a day or complain that the work or classes were to hard. For folks who sacrificed and saved for the betterment of thier families and communities.

Tip your hat, and be mindful, that Mile-High Stadium holds 75K, and that it is open air, and that my favorite Rifle is the SKS (See cover of my book), and that it has a 3 mile range, and fires the 7.62.

I hope all are safe out that camp. So I say b safe BO outside ion Denver and a few seconds to our folk for these 45 years since, and take that with ya. Vote

7 Houses of Czechoslovakia

Point of Order: New article out:

Cardiovascular risk reduction for African-American men through health empowerment and anger management

Jones mane, folk here hate to do this, but as the Dogon priest on Bail I am, it is my duty. And I hope this is the last bit of politics I perambulate for a while. Was trying to hold off until the GOP convention, but like I said, time is of the essence.

A pulse is a rhythm, a rhythmical throbbing of arteries proffered as function of the synchronous contractions of the heart, in particular from a taxonomical perspective as palpated at the wrist or in the neck. It has also been used to describe the sentiments or views of a group (e.g. political electorate). Unfortunately, it is a reality that the pulse of America has traditionally been one built on race and racial distinctions. Since the House of Burgess to Barack Obama, this is a truism that cannot be denied. This is not to say that the majority of folks in America are racist – which they are not, but rather the material that the fabric of our country was established and founded upon. But let me table this and get to this later.

The other day I suggested that folks be prepared if Barack Obama don’t win in November. I was not saying don’t be optimistic, but rather realistic based on historical precedence. Sure change and a different outcome are possible, but it remains such -vpossible. Unfortunately, there are those that will go in a voting both with the curtains closed and vote for McCain merely because they cannot allow themselves to vote for a person of African descent. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong for voting FOR a person because of race, or gender, or ethnicity or party affiliation or because they are from your state, home town, or attended the same school you did; but there is something abhorrently despicable for not voting for a person because of such.

McCain, well I think he a dumb fk, I mean, he wants to continue the same economic policies as espoused by one George W. Bush, The failed policies of GWB at that. Such shows me he can’t think nor really care about the common man. But what can you expect; this is a man with at least seven homes, and a man that can’t remember how many he has. These include three beachfront cribs in Cali, condo in La Jolla, two additional condos in the same building in Coronado and a crib in Arlington, Virginia (MTV cribs here).

Then he tries to ride the POW tip like a surf board in Hawaii. Now I respect him serving his country, but as pilot 40 years ago he got shot down suggesting that he wasn’t even real good at that. Jones must have had serious drain bramage seeing he doesn’t even realize that Czechoslovakia is no longer a country and hasn’t been a country for 37 years. Not to mention he has made reference to Iraq mixing up where the Kurds, Shities and Sunni's actually lived.

McCain, knows he don’t have to play the race card, but he will sling dirt, and play on the fears of the average jones and say that BO is just a Hollywood rock star type. So, Barack, you got to get rawdawgbuffalo with jones. And I suggest the following:

• Play on his inability to know his countries. I would suggest talking about the rate at which senility is prevalent among people his age, and ask the American Public if they would be comfortable with a man with ruptured lysosomes on his brain leading the country.
• Reverse the Rock star card. He has been on the tonight show 13 times and you only once. Who is the real Hollywood politician?
• Hammer on the fact that he has no new ideas, and that his economic plan is a carbon copy (age pun intended) of George Bush, which has failed and put us in this mess.
• kick that fuc boy biden off the ticket and add powell.
  

In essences, scare these mother fuckers mane, the voters, cause that’s what he is going to do concerning you. I mean, McCain has the doric pillared stateliness of a parapalegic prior to DNR on his hospital chart.

I know you don’t read my blog and I know you handlers don’t even know I exist. But if you want to win, the aforementioned will help go along way. Because anywhere from 5 to 15% of the ones who undecided, will vote for McCain because he aint black, and that really real. So question the mental capacity, compare that of one aged 71 to one 45; show how his sound bite phrases and attacks aint done jack to make our country safer. Show that a man that don’t know how many houses he has aint concerned about the common man, and maybe, just maybe, you may be able to prove that one of McCain’s 7 Houses is in Czechoslovakia – that is if you want to win, want my vote, and for me not to write my own name in.

No John Adams, No LBJ – easy mud slinging for Chemo-Cain.

I made my rounds round the blogoverse and saw a lot of hoop la on the Obama VP selection. I suspect there will be a lot of hoop la when McCain select jones he wants for his running mate – i'm gone go out on a limb and say he will pick a somewhat younger white man, which wont be hard to do given McCain’s age.

To be honest, Biden to me is part of the problem with Washington. Folk been up in that camp almost 4 score (i’m exaggerating). He for sure shole doesn’t represent change. Then on the pic I got, he holding jones like he afraid to touch black folk like he gone get cooties or something. I would say I’m waiting for the DNC to start in Denver – but truth be told I am not ready to entertain such boredom, its like five nights in a row of the BET hip hop awards or the Oscars all rolled up in to one. But it should be interesting.

First there is the scorn of a mean white woman with big eyes that may really come back to haunt jones. I aint mad, cause I would not have picked her back stabbing azz either. They got two nights at the convention next week so he better sick or prepare to sick ole Joe on Hill-Bill and her daughter. Has to be a first, husband, wife and child on the floor during primetime of the DNC.

I wouldn’t even be surprised if she pulled the Florida and Michigan card, as I wrote a while back. But back to Biden, he sure aint no John Adams nor is he an LBJ. Biden voted for the Iraq war resolution that Obama did not vote for, talk about flip flop. And Obama picked a man who ran LAST for the presidency this year as his VP (LOL). That is if he picked him. Good old Joe even praised McCain and said Obama did not have the experience. But like I said in a comment on the last post, what is hard to put a finger on is the 20% in the middle, from Middle America, white women and blue collar workers. I figure half were for Hillary and that they may be mad as fuck she aint get picked and decided to place a revenge vote against Obama for McCain – I hope folk’s aint that petty.

Then McCain, being the raw dawg GOP hood rat he is, is already trying to use this to his advantage. But you can’t be mad, he is going to role how he dogged Hill-Bill like a Rasta would a fat azz joint to the white house. Targeting who – the blue jean, factory working white folks who voted for Hill Bill. Cause on the real, they don’t connect with Barack, and connect with ChemoCain more than Obama.

But I just had to get that out. Now I can back to sleep on the sofa in my shop, its raining now. vote

And good look Bekinky on the review of Dirt Behind my Ears: Essays and Satire From the Dirty.

Itsy bitsy baby steps

Point of order: SouthPeezy (Vibe and XXL writer & my folk) and ATilein stopped by the shop and had some vino with me on Friday.

Speculative processes enables one to do many things, in particular prepare and attempt to gather understanding. In my last post, I asked a question that I have been thinking about for sometime now: What happens if or when Obama looses in the general election in November. I have not really read or heard anyone discuss this or even broach this subject at all, let alone with any modicum of plausible discourse.

Seems that what is anticipated is a change. Maybe it is the intense and repetitive banter suggesting a need for change, which is true. Or maybe it is the extreme prejudice associated with the possibility of having a man of African descent take up residency on Pennsylvania Avenue. I cannot quit say but I do know that many see it as a truism albeit such has yet to take place.

Don’t get me wrong, I do hope that jones wins the general election in November. However I am prepared just in case he doesn’t. I cannot say the same for a large corpus of folk who take his victory as some did the Patriots over the Giants this past Super Bowl.

It may be by chance, or more so history, that he may not win. I mean historically, we have never as a people gotten this far. Even to the DNC in which a man or woman of color has been awarded the nomination for the presidency. I was taught that America granted (yes granted for freedom has only been asked for by folk like me and now taken aggressively) rights to folk like me via history and his-story in itsy bitsy baby steps. This is a big jump and complete change in discourse if jones just moves ahead of the class and claims the role of commander in chief. We see how the GOP get’s down and McCain is a dirt slinging, scorch and burn, old school, chemo-drug filled mutha fucking raw dawg politician.

I just really wonder how many have given true thought or discernment towards the possibility that he may loose in November to John McCain, and if he does, what happens to this country we all cherish so dearly, even with its faults. What will happen to the democratic party and this republic for which it stands if Obama ends up on CNN or what ever news outlet you watch and concedes to John McCain? Are you ready for that? Can you handle that? And what will happen in these streets and what will you do if he doesn’t win? Cause it is real in the field. vote

Addendum: Immortal Technique-Dominant Species

I'm stuck inside the future and life is chaotic
The government is psychotically racist and robotic
The matrix of entrapment is socio-economic
Erotic conspiracy theory becomes reality
Life is war, and every day's a battle to me
I'm on the brink of insanity, between extreme intelligence and split personalities
But I elevate to the point of reversing gravity
Revolutionary conceptuality spitting out of me
Even the dead people in my family tell me they proud of me
Stupidity's not allowed by me
Cuz I don't got time to play
I'm the black whole lyricist that'll take your shine away
Darkness at any time of day
I'm the Technique and your nobody so what you trying to say
Stellar density becomes your physical alignment
1.8 billion tons per square inch confinement

Riddle me this #5 w/ Caveat

Thought amnesty. u dont have to think - let me entertain u

To the few request for poetry, this will be a once and a life time thing – yep I write poetry too but this blog is for brain cell smashing. TPW, LoveBabz , Sista GP and Tracyee @ KISS, this is for yawl & the rest who got my book. – and Traycee Tell mom I’m glad she loved For You Who Left me While I slept. Thanks for that email, mom got great taste. This will be in Book Anonymous Guess. Late Nite Winds of Club Paradise is at press now. Here goes

Savory as if cinnamon on butter

Toes in sandals, or heels with paint

Orange, red, blue, brown

Taste like citrus and cane sugar on my tongue

As the crease of your wrist

As the crease inside your arm

As finger barely stroke the flesh to frisson

The aroma of your hair in my nostrils

flesh, on ears

Gently plucked with a voice sodden with wishes

Wasted in erections to come

Sedulous as nutmeg sprinkled

On blueberry cheese cakes

Licked off in slow motion

So let me taste your soul

With the glow of my lips

Let me chew your spirit with my penchant

Let me fill my lungs with your aesthetic

She is delicious

9.27.99

i need no explanations

no apologies

i just read between the lines and see

you need your rest

as well as time

for which we shall have even upon the after of death,

night relief for the simplest of minds

such as mine

one that cherishes events as inconsiderable

as kisses, as hugs

as the recollection of eyes as lotion is

applied to the skin

like sleep needled inside hopes ill-found

beautiful at the least

before that moment

when one walks thence

good nights don't remain

when you feel as i do

once absent without opportunity

jealous like hyenas starved -

the wish to encompass again

what i felt never would happen

but what happened may not have occurred

and now i shelter restlessly betwixt the breeze

know not why god brought us together

different reasons possibly

but i recant a difference that is the same

that it was destine

that i can itch and maybe love

once more - that it is not over

and not before i let go or loose hope

you will have to thrust me away

from my knowing

i say what words cannot inform

when others are beloved more

than this soul i project

in verse or prose

mangled

conceived in passion well in hand

these thoughts opined

for i will stay

by your side

at this extensive distance

for the wait is the longest shadow.

1.29.98

Okie dokie – riddle me this:

1] Why is that the geek squad drivers I see in black neighborhoods are black and drive vans, but the ones I see in white neighborhoods are white and drive fly azz VW beetles?

2] Why does it seem like most resturamts carry tobasco sauce and not hot sauce, and worse, seem to think they are the same?

3] What happens, what will you do, if Obama looses in November?

4] If magnums are the bigest condom, whay are they so hard to get on?

Have a great weekend folk.

Take your place

Preface: slapzz- no Euclid wasnt- key word you know. I was taught pythagoras was responsible for a therom that was in use 900 years before his birth - see pyramids

Where was he born? Egypt, where did he die? egypt. Egypt aint in Greece, its Africa, so south white africans aint africans - represent folk. Hellinestic is what they say, but these the same folk that refuted the moors, who taught europeans for more than 300 years the world was round - they selected to belive it was flat.

Point of order: 1] “Full scale brain cell warfare I ejaculate”….SBM see today’s song by me.

2] Good look to all at the funeral. Bernie Mack, love u folk, but you wasn’t no Isaac Hayes. So to Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, Maurice White (EWF), Bootsy Collins, Chuck D, Jesse Jackson, Doug E. Fresh, Chick Chorea, Kirk Whalum (home boy), Robert Johnson, Tom Cruise, Al Sharpton, Richard Roundtree and the rest at his funeral – good look. Veronica I love you, yo pops was my pops too. After all he told me I would be the next music great out of Memphis, and he aint write or read music....You heard it here first, soon to come, The Issac hayes International Airport. And thanks SJP for the Brilliant Blogger award - im flattered.

A man stopped by my shop yesterday. He asked if he could spit some of his spoken word to us, and that he would accept what ever he had to offer if we had it. I offered him a glass of vino, and a seat. My folk, one of my loyal customers was out there with me with his daughter. Chi and his daughter play on most days together. We talked, told us he was from NYC, been in ATL for 3 days. Had no job. And we talked. Told him he was great. He accepted fellowship and cried, and cried. I said men cry, you spirit breathes tears when greatness is around the corner, so have faith.

But as he cried, we talked. My folk and me boosted his belief in self; I even gave him one of my books. He said we were rare. I said I aint steak and he laughed. But he made me think. I have often wondered where the break down in stable community responsibility went a stray. Likewise, I have wondered why the urge for men to be men, and women to be women has evaporated to.

I know that I may be part of the problem and I can accept blame for this on a personal and individual level, the query is how we get more folks to do the same? It is easy to point fingers, but only those that point the fingers at themselves have the right and authority to express to others what they see as neglectful and irresponsible. The consternation occurs because most blame all on others and never look at themselves. For the future, tomorrow, or the next turn is uncertain, as it is for us all, but some neglect taking charge of what they should decide to do next. Like the child afraid to leave the crib, and ends up 30 years of age with an Escalade but living with his Mom. Or the girlfriend once past, who say they are over with their past relationship but always ask for something, or the man who spends with others but not within his own neighborhood for excuses yet untold. Which makes folk wonder, where do we go from here, or is our future as a collective union completely dilapidated?

And this revisited by me during the week of the celebration of the birth of Marcus Garvey. I remember when I stole a book of quotes by him from the AUC library when I was in college. That same day stole Thomas Wentworth Higginson’s Black Rebellion: Five Slave Revolts & a book called Elements of Photo electro-chemistry. The two quotes that stuck out from that book to me then as a sophomore at Morehouse were:

"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots."

and

"I do not speak carelessly or recklessly but with a definite object of helping the people, especially those of my race, to know, to understand, and to realize themselves."

It seems that the obvious lessons of history are now going untold, for it may be more eaiser to look at a movie, or music video and get more pleasure than the attempt in self instruction. Even worse, sometimes I hold my head down for it seems like many of us forget that once upon a time in America that we were sold off as slaves and had no choice. And even worse, that we now u have a choice, but select to enslave ourselves with the feculent: Clubs over libraries, Malls over our neighbors front porch and strip clubs over the classroom. Yes we all attend to our selfish and personal desires as opposed the well being and good of all. We keep to ourselves as opposed to share, we ask and take as opposed to give and offer with the knowing that the goodness we provide to others will be returned ten fold to ourselves. Yes I take pride in knowing that if you are hungry, I will feed you, or that if you are cold, I will give you clothes if u need them.

Now I aint talking about everybody, nor am I hating as I have been told many times before, but yes, I am a hatter. I hate to see suffering endured that is unnecessary, and hate to see people avoid the extension of lending a helping hand. It as if we have forgot our past, or as if we forgot what it means to express freedom, or as if it is easier to want what we see others have, without the desire to work for the same. Yep, I hate that. But I try my best to take control, to take charge and take my place in my world that I have earned and value and do so without hesitation. Just why is it many are afraid, or would prefer to charge animosity towards others, when they fail to see the real world and accept it? When they don’t acknowledge the energy they put out? When they become the weak and the lame? I say to you mane, take your place and live free – take your place and live free. Take your place and stop blaming others for your mistakes. Take your place. I will take mine and lay down for you to walk on my back to get to yours. vote