Defining the phenomena

The quote that I used to begin this blog was taken from the late Huey P. Newton, a founder of the Black Panther Party of the 1960-70's. This quotation is a powerful one because it speaks to the issues that divide our Nation. Make no mistake we are living in a dangerous time on all levels. The economy is in shambles brought about by incursions of a bellicose nature looking for a madman in the wrong place. Our labor force is unemployed due to decisions of executives that took profit over product at the expense of refitting, retooling,or research. This insane attitude has caused a rift that sees the average CEO making 30,oo0 times the wage of a worker.

The politics have degenerated into us against them. Lies versus truth, hardened positions rather than discourse, all leading to outbreaks of violence in the citizenry. All we need to remember is the Tea Bag movement and their scurrilous depiction of President Obama as Hitler or the Joker to know we are in trouble. Add to the fact that a militia group in Michigan was planning a murder of a police officer and the plant bombs as the funeral processed all to inspire a revolution to over throw the government. What is the issue here? Is it all about race? Is the country so fragile that diversity is pulling the stitches out of the seams, or frankly is it that change in this country is still met with resistance boarding on psychosis.

History shows us that opposition to their niche ( the ability to vote, hold office as exclusionary and the ability to set the agenda as per the Constitution) causes out breaks of fear. Reconstruction gave rise to the Clan, to "save white womanhood"( I am not kidding). Civil Rights lead to Bull Connor, bombing houses, murder of young persons had at the base the same almost exact agenda: a loss of control of the agenda. When this Nation has no challenge a calmness rests on majority voters who let out a sigh of relief and attend their lives.

The loss of the agenda or the phenomena as Newton argues is controlling factor of this period in history. We have elected a man of color to lead. The issues facing Obama's Administration are greater than before. All of the major concerns are exacerbated to the point that to do nothing or maintain the status quo would mire all of us in inertia. However, I believe that this would be more acceptable to a certain segment of the population. After all he was not elected to change things just maintain, except the Nobel Prize was awarded and the flood gates opened.

This recognition was divinely planned. I think that it gave Obama the moral courage to act and as Admiral Farragut said "damn the torpedo's full speed ahead as he took Mobile Bay). Kennedy wrote a book called Profiles in Courage. The persons examined had to make decisions under the most dire of circumstances. They set the phenomena, the standard all of us must strive to meet. This loss of the agenda and the inability to regain it points to the base part of the racist (call them what you will but the bottom line is race and the vilest ugliness they muster) in charge of this attack on legislation to help those in the most need.

So I cheer for the setting of the phenomena take power over those who have no vision and who would rob all of us of hope.....Later

Change and the after shock

Pity poor white people they are at it again. Not able to deal with decisions that change history, 14 Attorney's General have filed a suit to stop the implementation of the Health Care reform bill!! They have chosen an interesting platform: the first and the tenth amendment. The tenth amendment is the argument for discussion. The actual language is this: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people. Simply put unless it is a specific power granted by the original framers it is a states right issue. This is the same platform used as the reason for separation from the Union.In the 1960's for Civil Rights, integration, in short any issues which deals with the liberation of persons this noisy refrain shines forth again. Why is that? An easy answer might be the deep racial divide permeating within our country. As a person who has lived over a half a century and saw the social unrest, and was raised by parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles and a neighborhood that suffered under this oppression, I thought we had turned a corner when Obama was elected. It is obvious this nation has not. The most outrageous actions have been taken by those who have the R ( or in this case small r) in front of their name. This same band of malcontents and delusional persons who under the guise of patriotism cause more harm than anything else.



Another point of view is more telling and not spoken about within their circle. Frank Rich wrote in an editorial in the New York Times that had this line: "the issue is that a black man was elected president; a wise Latina is on the court, and the hard fact is that certain people see their influence dwindling." ( I apologise as it is not an exact quote but i must give credit to the author). When the head of the Tea Party Movement heard this he called people like Rich "stupid and brain dead". Their only issue is that their country was going to a socialist state. This is stupid enough so I will let it pass without comment.

My belief comes from a quote from the past by Huey P. Newton a founder and organizer of the Black Panther movement. In an interview he was asked what does power mean? His response is interesting especially for this time of increasing white angst. Newton proffered that power is the ability to define phenomena. Look at how then agenda or phenomena's has changed. Obama is doing what he promised: to bring change you can believe in! It is amazing to any observer that when an agenda is offered to help the banks to exploit the dreams of the "middle class", there is no outburst. Please consider the tax cut, when democrats lost, they did not take to the stress, destroying stuff, threatening people, posting addresses on the net, (they may have felt like it) no, they said we disagree but majority rules. Not so in this case. So what is the conclusion of the matter? There is a change but those who feel dwindled refuse to allow it to take place. There are smarter people and their skins is different. And we must move to different thoughts if we are to survive this depression, to compete in a global community, and still be the beacon to others that we are a melting pot but it is the difference that embraces our culture allowing all to truly be free.......Later

The times have changed.. people have not

The system works was the sentence used by former senator Howard Baker when the Nixon scandal ended. Those of us who were aware and alive remember the state of the country at that time. It was a state of disarray, mistrust, and deep schism. In fact people wondered whither the United States would recover: after all, this was the first time a President had resigned in disgrace. Yet as history and time shows wounds heal events continue to progress and we settle in to the routine as if nothing happened. Clinton had White Water, the sexual misconduct issues, the government was shut down, and yet, the Nation moved on. The Bush years came went, wars were started militant Arabs caught and the Towers were destroyed, rebuilt and we remembered the lives lost in this act of mad men. Yes this Nation as Lincoln stated so conceived in liberty has endured, until 2008 when times changed and people did not.

On this day of sweeping change real change for those who need it the most there is an air of dissonance in the air. As a Nation of immigrants and some who were stowaways, exploited, mistreated and stolen; disbursed, penned or separated we as a people achieved the pinnacle of acceptance: Barack H. Obama. But at what cost change??

I am reminded of a quote from Minister Louis Farrakhan about Dr. M.L. King. He said of him the following: As long as King was a Negro leader, integrating hotels, toilets, lunch counters or buses; he was alright. But, when he spoke out against the Viet Nam war and be came international in scope then the issues arose".

I retell this history because it is relevant to now. President Obama has come to this point in time to begin a new process, to involve the country into a cohesive plan to deal with the health of those who will need it the most in the future. Amid the issues of the Banks, Auto Industry and Housing (to name a few) the ability to attain health insurance for those in the middle as opposed to the indigent and the elderly has been a difficult process. One would surmise that any effort to make health care affordable for ALL persons would be received well. However, as the last 14 months show times have changed people have not. The tea bag movement, as well as the birthers, and other ultra right wing (nuts??!!) pounced into the fray!! Name calling, placards, signs, town hall disruptions and the dreaded C or S word (communism or socialism) dominated the day. It affected the polls, scared politicians, (which does not take much) and in general showed the true color (oops) of the opposition. I have never seen such vituperation's directed at a person as I did during this process. The volume was so loud and vile that a preacher (see blog 2009) actually prayed for the death of BOTH Barack And Michelle Obama. Add to this the behavior of opponents: calling Barney Frank a faggot; Rep. Stupceck a baby killer, and spitting on several members (Emmanuel Cleaver from Kansas City, Missouri who I know personally was one of them) all point to the rabid insanity possessed in these persons.

All this noise in the shadow of the large Insurance companies that raised rates 30 % or more. As there are some that have 90% yes NINETY PER CENT of the business!!! This is unbelievable.

So, the sad issue is that times have changed. We have made great strides, solved issues effecting the human condition, extended aid to Haiti, Chile, and other parts of the world.
We have elected a person of color who has world appeal and carries the hope of a new thought forward. Yet in the midst of change race has reared its head. Hatred still exist and has blinded people to truth. What is sad again is that instead of change we are experiencing status quo living. And in the era of unchecked greed this is a recipe for an unravelling.....Later

A new time

It has been a long time since i have written anything at all. A lot has taken place since December 2009. I moved to a new church, met several persons along the way. Overcame a depression of sorts that made me inert, then found my first love again. Not the easiest of times but as I have aged another year I reflect on the life behind and give thanks for it. This is the bane of old age that we do more reflection than moving. Is it a question of understanding the futility life ? Or is it the fact that youth is wasted on the young?? Either way last year was not a positive one and this year has shown me the possibilities of growth as I learn along with others to get out of the way and go with the flow.

The challenge is to salvage life after mistakes and to seek new challenges, hobbies or just bask in the force of living. This is something that boomers are being forced to look at. Gone are the care free days of Woodstock, Summer of 69, and cheap living. As some pundits correctly suggest: we thought it would last forever. Our generation endured the booms, the bust and made the best of it believing that the party would last forever! I mean what can you say about a generation that wanted to "die before we got old" ( by the way the Who are in their late 60's so much for an assertion or declaration). No we are going to be here for a long time to absorb the medicine of our collective profligacy the waste of resources and the inability of being thrifty as our parents were by experience.

It is our turn to carry the mantle of missed opportunity: to grow a society better than was left; to build a bridge to somewhere attracting others regardless of who we are, what color we happened to be or who we love. It was left to us to destroy all the societal ills and be liberals: setting people free from the weight carried. And, while strides still can be made, walls removed, and barriers destroyed I wonder if the will is there. It is easier to curse the dark, to rail against the efforts to make change; reducing argument to slogans. Declaring through racism hatred and mask it as conservatism and unchecked government growth an intrusion into the lives of others. Arguing the tenth amendment as a way of blocking what is a way to save us. As Jesus said" forgive them they know not what they do."

This is the destiny before us. Will this generation given so much, endowed with such promise, be up to the calling we studied in schools? Will we apply to our children and grandchildren the Great Society that has faded and aged? Or will we leave to others after we have eaten the fruit leaving nothing in the fields. Time will tell ....Later

So this is christmas?

Many years ago john Lennon wrote a song by the same name. In this tune he asked the question "can we have Christmas without any tears"? It was a time of great upheaval. The war in Viet Nam raged on even when the situation did not look good. Young and the old were protesting the involvement. Politicians squabbled about when would it end. People's patriotism questioned causing more divisions within the Nation all lead to this song with the simple question this is Christmas.
Tonight at the beginning of the season of advent a time when all persons should make ready the appearance of the Christ child, we are hearing about more war, violence and destruction. President Obama will make a speech concerning Afghanistan at the mecca of all things military: West Point, New York. In that speech he made the case for increasing the number of soldiers going to this region. It was effective, it was compelling, and it is wrong.
Not because of the war nor the pressure from those who started this madness (under the guise of terrorism which Obama embraces) it is wrong because of the nature of this country: win at all cost. This attitude is what will eventually cripple the efforts of this man of color. War is no friend of any President but especially one that has to clean up after people who will not take the responsibility of their own mess. Waiting until after they leave office and throw boulders and accusations when their watch was filled with half truths and the deaths of many of our young people. This is the climate that a speech widening the war took place.
I am aware and wary of the consequences of September 11, 2001. I have had a son go to do his duty serving a country that still (in spite of the gains and election of Obama) has issues with persons of color and in my opinion has acted disgracefully toward veterans. This seems to be an ongoing misadventure but this is another blog for another day.

However we are speaking as an Empire protecting turf! Commentators as Beck, Hannity, and the fomenting Bill O'Rielly, to a person took Obama to task. His sin: not being Patton enough, imagine that; not forceful enough. It has been said before the United States is at a crossroad: either refocus issues or become the latest victim in a long string of Empires to fall. The issues are not the wars, leadership, the deals we must do in the geopolitical calculus of diplomacy. It is to find ways to climb out from the economic madness we find ourselves in. Unlike WWII when we had men under arms on two fronts, a workforce that literally overwhelmed the world, we are barely able to manufacture items on a competitive nature. The auto industry is over in this Nation the million persons employed will never be again. Now the work force is faster more driven and tech savvy. And we as people are not moving quickly enough to meet the challenges of a new world.
The obsession with wars at the expense of re tooling plants, in the effort to stop them here before they come; or, to make the world safe for democracy, when the opposite is true for Citizens should give us pause. Terrorism is not an issue. It is an event stemming from conflicts where the United States went with interest rather than fair play. Now in this era of advent we are seeing the American century coming to a close: the giant that was this country is teetering on the brink of collapse due to a lack of foresight, and honesty. To change means to reverse course and admit wrongs and say we are sorry. In the church we call it simply repentance the ability to not be over come by evil but overcome evil with good.
Let's hope we have Christmas without anymore tears.

When giving is not enough

This an odd title for a blog especially at the time of year. The time of giving, the time of concerns, when we look to the poor among us. When we a s a society express kindness to the "least of these". From now until the end of the year (or the end of the shopping season) media of all kinds will inundate our lives, with pleas, to matching funds, and to our sense of right and wrong to give. We will be reminded with subtle films as "It is a wonderful life" and The Christmas story and be glad that we have avoided Scrooge stinginess and dislike of the day (more on this in another blog) and feel the "joy" of his religious awakening!! We will smile at the Tint Tim assertion of "God bless us everyone" and the holidays will end until next year when the process starts again.

But is giving enough? Is the coin we give enough to relieve the misery felt by way to many persons especially now. Is giving enough when the emotional baggage weighing down the populace, suffering on the lack of health insurance, shelter, and employment? Is there the tendency to feel guilty at the thought that our giving is really not enough.

I ask this question because the truth is: as a nation of people we can not give anymore. It is not there. It is not working and the old methods of dealing with poverty have long sense evaporated. What all of us face is the fear (real or imagined) we are in the same boat. Everyone in the country is crash away from poverty. Yes even those who print the money!!!
Yet we give at this time of year. Maybe it is the panacea needed to comfort all of us: that we are contributors still, not takers. The ability to give still fills us with joy even in the midst of the poverty we are encased with. Later

Fourteen months

The time does not seem long, fourteen months and counting. It seems small until you do the math: fourteen months equals 420 days, 10,080 hours; when you do the math the weight of the time becomes evident. Again, it seems long and it is because it depends how you spend fourteen months. In jail, it is long, in the hospital, it is long as a free person it is just another day to occupy.
I can remember the first fourteen months. It was a different time long ago. The future was ahead the times of togetherness even in their difficulty were okay. Life as time moving was constant: the family dynamic grew challenges were dealt with, changes accepted as though it would change. It was magic! The interface of blending personalities dominated all of us those fourteen months. There were the firsts: thanksgiving a gathering of people and the roll eating contest, Christmas spent in the political balance of Grandparents that needed to do for the little ones. The glee on their faces as they tore into the Santa Clause experience and wondered out loud why the cookies were not touched. Then smell of that spruce tree a staple for the house for years to come (until we got the cat). New years day a beginning of another experience that marks the freshness of anticipation and ushers out completeness. A blessing to live to see and to have that opportunity to do better than the last year.
Life does continue it has and will no matter what the issues faced or the problems experienced. We grow, we age, we overcome, and, we fail; for life and living take all we have: it inhales and expands. And in time we run out of life, new days and years, and death snatches our security leaving a whole where we once stood,filled with the replacement and the cycle continues.
Fourteen months the bloom is off the rose the color has faded, and staleness is the brittle result. Fourteen months of the 264 total months of living, struggling, laughing, weeping, mending, and separating. Recovering from injury yet still here by grace undeserved.
I wonder in reflection and rethinking about this time. the truth is the months will continue to grow. Today is fourteen the future will be in years, then decades then no more time. The chasm that started as a tear in the fabric has breached the original cloth, no patch may mend it. There are no words to say or write as communication a stronghold between two has silenced, ceasing from renewal. All that is left is the farewell through intermediaries, the dung heap of all failures to grow.
One would think that the last fourteen would be canceled by the first fourteen, creation a product of one, the way it began. No such luck and no desire to try...fourteen months and counting, the end for a new start, freedom calls and we answer.