I said that I wasn't going to say anything about the Zimmerman trial/Trayvon Martin, but then I ran across a picture of the body after he was shot. Something about it made me change my whole mind frame about the different scenarios I thought could have happened the night of Feb 26, 2012. These were mostly private thoughts using a realistic viewpoint of what could have possibly happened....trying to put myself in both of their shoes.
Being Zimmerman you want your neighborhood to be safe. There have been some break-ins and you see an unfamiliar black face walking around in the rain. Would I be suspicious? Yes! Would I get out of my car and follow him? No! I would report the "suspicious activity", asked for a patrol car, and if something was to happen that night, have comfort in knowing that the police have a proper description of a suspect. Then I would have went home and kept my heat on me in case anyone decided to come into my home/property.
Being Martin I have the right to be wherever I want to be wearing what I want to wear. That shouldn't make me a target. But if you do find me suspicious, you will NOT follow me and/or confront me asking me questions about why I'm in your neighborhood. That would make me angry and I would probably swing on you. I run to get away from you initially and you come find me? Oh, yeah we have a problem. Does that make it ok? No, but neither is the fact that you're following me because you want to be top flight security of the world. At this point I'm just as, if not more, suspicious of you than you are of me. Only difference is, you've actually given me a reason to be.
I can understand both viewpoints, but in the end, I can't wrap my mind around how this man was found not guilty. It just isn't right. I admit that I'm no law scholar, but I have faith in the justice system when it operates properly and according to the written law. But it didn't work this time. It failed....horribly. I read somewhere that the jury was comprised of some mothers, but instead of feeling the need to protect Martin, their instincts were to protect Zimmerman. Makes perfect sense to me. Martin was left in the cold yet again. Even seemed to be put on trial for his own murder. smh
I tried to ignore a lot of the comments, videos, and even the trial itself, because I really didn't want to deal with it. I didn't want to deal with the anger that I feel now, I didn't want to deal with the racism that is still very much alive, I didn't want to deal with how the media chooses cases like this to ignite firestorms, but ignore so many other issues and topics in which we need to be informed, and I didn't want to deal with how most blacks want to crucify "the man" for killing us, but choose not to address the HUGE issue of black on black crime and other issues facing our community caused by our community. But here I am stating my opinion and viewpoint.
Seeing Trayvon's body angered me so much. Nothing about that boy said thug or burglar. He looked like he could have just left school and was on his way home. It was 7pm. The time when most people are getting home and settled in, not the prime time to be concerned about a break in ideally. He had a frightened look on his face. He was slim, had a clean shaven face, low haircut, his pants were pulled up, none of the things that would strike you as suspicious or thuggish. It pissed me off. I finally got angry. But am I going out to protest or sign any petitions? No. I'm not. Not saying anything is wrong with people who choose to, but I'm just being honest. That's just not my avenue of dealing.
I'm a huge advocate of putting up or shutting up. I believe that "if you wanna reach the nation you have got to start from your corner". I take an active part in making a difference. I do so not to brag about it, but because I feel that I have that responsibility. It really is messed up how black men are viewed in society. I hate the stereotypes, but if you remove the emotion out of it, you can see how it has been earned. I'm more afraid of a black neighborhood in Pine Bluff or Chicago than I am of Sanford, FL. That's just an honest truth. So after this movement is over and done and Trayvon Martin becomes a forgotten name, what will you do? It takes more than a tweet, a Facebook post, and blacking out an avatar. We have got to actually do something. Its way past the time to get uncomfortable. Talk to some kids that you're around. Share life stories with them. Prepare them for this cold hard world that awaits them. Teach a young man how to tie a tie, open the door for a lady, and the importance of forming a proper sentence. Show a young lady that a single dress should not be worn for the club and church, that she should speak when she walks into a room, show her how to take care of her body with proper hygiene. Making a difference doesn't have to cost anything, but it does require giving a damn.
Let us all say a prayer today. Let's pray for all broken hearts, the lost, and lets pray that we fulfill the purpose that God has for each of us. Peace.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Old Facebook Post
Ok, its been a while since I’ve gotten deep folks, so here it is….another note. Most of these thoughts are random….some would call me a blogger, but facebook is the only site I visit daily and there is no blog section on here, so notes it is.
As I write this note with India.Arie “Testimony: Volume 2, Love and Politics” playing on my new laptop :D I have a lot of thoughts running through my mind. So I’ve decided to break it down into categories. Lets start with America’s favorite topic (and since “Chocolate High” is playing)…….RELATIONSHIPS
RELATIONSHIPS
I’ve been contemplating the idea of being in a serious relationship, but I have decided that I’m not “together” enough right now for all that, BUT if I were, what would I look for. I have learned that it is important to be able to answer the question, “What are you looking for in a man”. Mainly because you have to know what you want, or what you expect from a guy. Of course we know what we DON’T want, but its just as important to know what we DO want, and its not as simple as just saying, it’s the opposite of what we don’t want. For example, I know I don’t want a liar (compulsive or not), but I definitely know that I will not find someone who doesn’t lie at all. SO, its fair to say that I want someone who is honest, and considerate. Give me the option of knowing the truth and making my own decision.
Another topic I think a lot about as far as relationships go is roles. I know plenty of men who have their minds made up of what they think a woman should/should not do in the relationship. Most say, cook, keep the house clean, sex on demand lol, etc. The same goes for women. Most think the man should, be the sole provider, pay for the meals, and whatever else. Ok, first of all, if you are in a SERIOUS relationship, the bible outlines the roles the man and woman play in a relationship/marriage. Now, if you are just “talking” there’s no need for you to be even worried about all that right now. Cause you know how we do, we’ll be with a dude forever, have kids, live together and everything thing and still say “Girl, we just talking right now” lmao. But seriously, the roles are outlined in the bible. I’m not a bible scholar or preacher, so I’ll leave that up to you to read it for yourself, but for future reference, if you ever wonder what you are supposed to do, its in there. I’ve read it, and I really don’t know if I’m grown enough for all that yet. Lol Ok, that's enough about that. I could go on, but there are a few more topics to cover. Next topic (since “Better Way”) is playing …..POLITICS
POLITICS
Well, well, well. Here it is. A brand new year, and after all the ignorant (black, white, and ESPECIALLY Republican) people in America thought that on January 20, 2009 all the problems of the world were supposed to disappear just because the new president was black…umm, looks about the same to me! People, I tried to tell ya’ll in my last note, that this was not gonna be easy. This is going to take a while to clean up, years and years to be exact, and its only going to be worse because you have people like Rush Limbaugh, who is a significant influence in the republican party, who are hoping that the Obama administration fails. As if this recession has not taken a toll on their pockets as well. I don’t care how rich you are, you have to feel some kind of loss right now. If not for yourself, for others. If not, then you have no business in any kind of leadership position in this country. Maybe u need to just preside over your yacht club and call it a day. Cause I don’t need you in my government. For real. All I can say is that we have to stay prayed up. That’s all I know to do, and I suggest you do the same. End of that topic. Next up….Contentment (“Grains” interludes playing)
CONTENTMENT
This is a topic that I’ve been wrestling with lately. But I think I’m getting it. I can not tell you how to conquer it, but this may help.
Oh god, grant me the SERENITY to accept the things that I can not change, the COURAGE to change the things that I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference.
In life, we may have something, but we always want more. Which is a good thing, never settle for less than what you deserve, but there comes a time when you have to just enjoy what you have and be content with it. Everybody cant be rich, everybody cant be poor. We all cant own homes, but we all cant be homeless, we all cant drive a Lexus, but we all cant ride a bike. Lol Think about it, If we were all rich, we would take wealth for granted even more than we do now. If we all owned homes, who would make the money in real estate? If we all drove a Lexus, how would GM and Toyota survive? Lol I mean it sounds funny, but think about it. Bottom line, be grateful for what you have, even if you want more. You never know what the future holds. You may get more, but then again, you may just be stuck with what you have, but be grateful for it. Next and last topic……Forgiveness (Testimony: Volume 1, Love, Life, and Relationship now playing “Wings of Forgiveness”)
FORGIVENESS
This topic is tough. But I learned the beauty of it between November 2006, and August 2008. Long time huh? But its not that long when you spend it resenting someone, and in reality yourself. And honestly, the above mentioned song, jumped off the whole process for me. From there it required a lot of studying my bible, venting, and actually being asked for forgiveness to actually be able to do it. It also helped that I needed to be forgiven by someone else as well. So that’s the advice I’ll give on that. If you’re ever in a situation where u find it hard to forgive someone, always remember that you need or may need to be forgiven for something you’ve done as well. We’re all human and we all make mistakes. Never put yourself above anyone else for any reason. As a line in that song goes “If Jesus can forgive crucifixion, surely we can survive and find a resolution”. Now if Jesus can forgive what happened to him…….don't make me preach now. Lol
Well I’m tired of typing, and I’m sure you’re tired of reading if you haven't quit already, lol so I’ll end this note here. Please feel free to leave comments and feedback and thanks for reading.
As I write this note with India.Arie “Testimony: Volume 2, Love and Politics” playing on my new laptop :D I have a lot of thoughts running through my mind. So I’ve decided to break it down into categories. Lets start with America’s favorite topic (and since “Chocolate High” is playing)…….RELATIONSHIPS
RELATIONSHIPS
I’ve been contemplating the idea of being in a serious relationship, but I have decided that I’m not “together” enough right now for all that, BUT if I were, what would I look for. I have learned that it is important to be able to answer the question, “What are you looking for in a man”. Mainly because you have to know what you want, or what you expect from a guy. Of course we know what we DON’T want, but its just as important to know what we DO want, and its not as simple as just saying, it’s the opposite of what we don’t want. For example, I know I don’t want a liar (compulsive or not), but I definitely know that I will not find someone who doesn’t lie at all. SO, its fair to say that I want someone who is honest, and considerate. Give me the option of knowing the truth and making my own decision.
Another topic I think a lot about as far as relationships go is roles. I know plenty of men who have their minds made up of what they think a woman should/should not do in the relationship. Most say, cook, keep the house clean, sex on demand lol, etc. The same goes for women. Most think the man should, be the sole provider, pay for the meals, and whatever else. Ok, first of all, if you are in a SERIOUS relationship, the bible outlines the roles the man and woman play in a relationship/marriage. Now, if you are just “talking” there’s no need for you to be even worried about all that right now. Cause you know how we do, we’ll be with a dude forever, have kids, live together and everything thing and still say “Girl, we just talking right now” lmao. But seriously, the roles are outlined in the bible. I’m not a bible scholar or preacher, so I’ll leave that up to you to read it for yourself, but for future reference, if you ever wonder what you are supposed to do, its in there. I’ve read it, and I really don’t know if I’m grown enough for all that yet. Lol Ok, that's enough about that. I could go on, but there are a few more topics to cover. Next topic (since “Better Way”) is playing …..POLITICS
POLITICS
Well, well, well. Here it is. A brand new year, and after all the ignorant (black, white, and ESPECIALLY Republican) people in America thought that on January 20, 2009 all the problems of the world were supposed to disappear just because the new president was black…umm, looks about the same to me! People, I tried to tell ya’ll in my last note, that this was not gonna be easy. This is going to take a while to clean up, years and years to be exact, and its only going to be worse because you have people like Rush Limbaugh, who is a significant influence in the republican party, who are hoping that the Obama administration fails. As if this recession has not taken a toll on their pockets as well. I don’t care how rich you are, you have to feel some kind of loss right now. If not for yourself, for others. If not, then you have no business in any kind of leadership position in this country. Maybe u need to just preside over your yacht club and call it a day. Cause I don’t need you in my government. For real. All I can say is that we have to stay prayed up. That’s all I know to do, and I suggest you do the same. End of that topic. Next up….Contentment (“Grains” interludes playing)
CONTENTMENT
This is a topic that I’ve been wrestling with lately. But I think I’m getting it. I can not tell you how to conquer it, but this may help.
Oh god, grant me the SERENITY to accept the things that I can not change, the COURAGE to change the things that I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference.
In life, we may have something, but we always want more. Which is a good thing, never settle for less than what you deserve, but there comes a time when you have to just enjoy what you have and be content with it. Everybody cant be rich, everybody cant be poor. We all cant own homes, but we all cant be homeless, we all cant drive a Lexus, but we all cant ride a bike. Lol Think about it, If we were all rich, we would take wealth for granted even more than we do now. If we all owned homes, who would make the money in real estate? If we all drove a Lexus, how would GM and Toyota survive? Lol I mean it sounds funny, but think about it. Bottom line, be grateful for what you have, even if you want more. You never know what the future holds. You may get more, but then again, you may just be stuck with what you have, but be grateful for it. Next and last topic……Forgiveness (Testimony: Volume 1, Love, Life, and Relationship now playing “Wings of Forgiveness”)
FORGIVENESS
This topic is tough. But I learned the beauty of it between November 2006, and August 2008. Long time huh? But its not that long when you spend it resenting someone, and in reality yourself. And honestly, the above mentioned song, jumped off the whole process for me. From there it required a lot of studying my bible, venting, and actually being asked for forgiveness to actually be able to do it. It also helped that I needed to be forgiven by someone else as well. So that’s the advice I’ll give on that. If you’re ever in a situation where u find it hard to forgive someone, always remember that you need or may need to be forgiven for something you’ve done as well. We’re all human and we all make mistakes. Never put yourself above anyone else for any reason. As a line in that song goes “If Jesus can forgive crucifixion, surely we can survive and find a resolution”. Now if Jesus can forgive what happened to him…….don't make me preach now. Lol
Well I’m tired of typing, and I’m sure you’re tired of reading if you haven't quit already, lol so I’ll end this note here. Please feel free to leave comments and feedback and thanks for reading.
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