Do not hate; rather, weep for the person who harbors hate and cultivates division among others. Who knows not compassion for their brother and sister but possess a cold and selfish spirit. For when they wake each morning, it is not to the joy of the world around them but to the pain and despair of another day brought forth by the ugliness that resides within their heart and soul.
You can not expect the circumstances of your life to change because you wish they will.
You can not expect the oppressor to stop oppressing because it is the right thing to do
You can not expect those wishing to keep humanity divided to cease because they embrace the concept that we are all one people.
You can not expect the world to see who they are and who you are if you stand silent because you have given them control of the narrative.
Life is interactive, and the future of humanity will be written by the side, which stands firm to their beliefs and is poised to take action because you can not expect change if you choose to remain silent and hope for that change to occur magically.
Let us not be lulled into apathy; dark clouds gather all around us. There are those who wish to keep us apart based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and economic status. Lives are being lost to senseless violence. Children are going to sleep in hunger and with no place to call home. Families are mired in poverty. Now more than ever is the time for the coalition of the righteous to stand up and say in one voice ENOUGH. Time to come together as a people because we are all one people, and we all share one planet. Time to understand that our future survival is predicated on our respect and compassion for each other. Time to put aside our difference. Time to bury our hate. Time to reject those who refuse to practice Love, Brotherhood, Unity, and Equality before it is too late, and we are trapped in a storm for which there is no escape.
I posted this years ago, but today’s efforts to block voting rights, white supremacists for the first time in many decades no longer hiding in the shadows, the ongoing crusade against teaching the history of inherent racism, and the Senate minority leader drawing a distinction between “Americans” and “African Americans” I thought I would dust it off and repost. So with a nod to Morpheus from the Matrix here is “We Are Still Here”
Believe me when I say we have a difficult time ahead of us. But if we are to be prepared for it, we must first shed our fear of it. I stand here, before you now, truthfully unafraid. Why? Because I believe something, you do not? No, I stand here without fear because I remember. I remember that I am here not because of the path that lies before me but because of the path that lies behind me. I remember that for 400 years, we have endured slavery, racism, and the denial of fundamental human rights. I remember that our names and heritage were ripped from us. That our men were beaten, and our woman raped. Our children were taken from us and sold as property, and when we were finally freed from the chains of slavery, we remained in bondage. We were denied education and the right to vote, held down by Jim Crow, and terrorized by the Ku Klux Klan. Even after a man of color rose to serve as our President, a man of extraordinary strength and intelligence, there are still those that look to demean our character, challenge our intelligence, to hold us down. To if given the opportunity, destroy us. But what I remember most is that after 400 plus years, WE ARE STILL HERE!
Creating breathtaking works of literature and inspiring others in art and music and producing lifesaving breakthroughs in science and medicine. With each step, we leave our indelible fingerprint on the very fabric of a country that once tore itself to pieces because half of it believed that: the “negro” is not the equal of the white man; that subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.
Despite all our accomplishments, our journey is far from complete. Our achievements produce fear among those who still preach hate, who look to divide, those who do not believe in brotherhood but would hold on to the old ways of subjugation and bondage. But no matter how far we have to go, know this we are still here, and we are not going anyplace.So today, let us send a message to those who preach hate and wish to divide us not on the content of our character but the color of our skin. Let us shake this country, tremble these amber waves of grain and purple mountain majesties from sea to shining sea. Let’s make them remember; this is America where we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people, regardless of color, are created equal; they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, principally among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness.
The importance of knowing your past is rooted in the ability to control the narrative and define yourself. When you make no effort to educate and learn your history, you allow others to define who you were, characterize who you are, and limit who you can be. Know who you are and embrace what you can be.
Watching Derrick Henry and Cam Akers play last week and this week, I’ve determined the appropriate sports injuries timelines
Hockey Player – Breaks leg misses one shift while trainers adjust his skates
Football Player – Tears ACL and ruptures Achilles out 4-6 weeks
Basketball Player – Spains finger out 3-4 months
Baseball Player – Sprains ankle out 4-6 months
Soccer Player – Shoved to ground presumed dead until the opponent is given a red card. Makes remarkable recovery scores game-winning goal
We long for the vision of the bright, beautiful flower gleaming in the sunlight. But before the flower can gleam, the skies must darken; the rain must fall so that it can grow and burst through the ground. Be patient; good things are growing for us at this very moment, even if we can’t see them.
Freedom comes with a price. Freedom without compassion, responsibility, and rational thinking is not freedom but the tool of the oppressor and the folly of the oppressed, and it will end with the fall of us all if we stand silent and don’t combat them.
We know the U.S. economic system favors the rich; you have to have money to make money. But just how rigged is it against the average person. Let’s consider the pandemic; U.S. Billionaires got 62 percent richer, bringing their net worth up to 1.8 Trillion. But for the average American, it was a different reality.
Twenty million adults live in households that did not get enough food to eat, and twelve million adult renters are behind on rent. According to Nerd Wallet January 2022 study, more than a third of Americans (35%) say their household financial situation has gotten worse over the past 12 months, according to the survey. Of that group, 38% say it’s because their household income decreased overall, and 36% say it’s because their household expenses increased overall. More than 1 in 5 of those whose finances have worsened (21%) say it’s because they lost their job. Over the past two years, median income has actually gone down — decreasing 3% — while the overall cost of living has increased by almost 7% in that time frame. [3] And decade-long trends show dramatic growth in two of the biggest living costs: housing and medical expenses. One in 5 Americans (20%) report increasing their overall credit card debt during the pandemic. Additionally, 18% of Americans say they relied on credit cards to pay for necessities during the pandemic
The impact of these numbers isn’t just a short-term problem for the average American either. Credit scores impacted negatively during the pandemic will be affected for several years, making it harder to secure a loan or credit and, when possible, at exorbitant interest rates pushing people deeper into debt.
With eviction moratoriums ending, many will face the prospect of homelessness. The possibility of being homeless is daunting enough, but an eviction can easily be accessed by prospective landlords through public court records making it difficult to secure an apartment.
Homeowners face either a short sale or foreclosure, making it difficult to purchase another home in the near future.
When one considers all these factors, the average American is likely faced with a more significant debt burden with less to show for it for years to come. At the same time, banks and very well-off investors who profit from the banking industry, real estate, and auto markets, to name a few, ends up adding to their net worth as they continue to profit off the average American.
I loved the sitcom Scrubs; its opening theme song ended with the words I can’t do this all on my own, I’m no Superman. How often have we looked at life as a long dark hallway filled with pain and despair and no way out? How often have we felt all alone in these moments wishing anyone could help us find our way out. In these moments, we need to lean on our faith. You see, our faith tells us we are never all alone; there is no reason we need to be superman; the Lord is always there. He always is looking out for and protecting us, for we are his children. It may appear to us at times that he is not, but he never has, and he will never forsake us, and when the time is right, he will rain down on us with his blessings. Remember, you can do this because you are not on your own. The Lord is your superman.
Carl's Place 