What Charleston Teaches Us About White Privilege

I remember attending prayer service on Wednesday nights with my late grandmother. She always referred to it as "prayer meeting." And sure enough, there were quite a few fervent prayers, singing, scripture, and some powerful testimonies. In other words, it was a condensed version of Sunday service.

In addition to being a condensed version of the Sunday service, prayer meeting also had a condensed crowd, usually comprised of church officials (pastor, deacons, mothers), the unemployed and retirees (because they held service so long (forgive me Jesus!), and those who just wanted a midweek spiritual pick me up!

Imagine my shock and horror, when I found out via Twitter (Because mainstream media is not worth a damn in delivering news) about the tragedy in Charleston, SC, where Dylan Storm Roof opened fire on a group of attendees (this is after he worshiped with them for an hour), killing nine.

This case as brutal and horrific as it is, it teaches us everything about white privilege and the state of race relations in this country (Go ahead and stop reading now, roll your eyes for good measure, label me a racist, feel better?). Now read on, so you can become educated on this very real thing, called "white privilege."

White privilege is before you are even positively identified, the media falls over themselves trying to diagnose your psychosis, and talk about how quiet and sweet you were as a young child (Remember Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown were horrible students and thugs from minute one, after their deaths, even though they were the victims).

White privilege is the police arresting you (while you are armed), but not before supplying you with a bulletproof vest and no handcuffs). This man viciously murdered nine people, is armed, and still police fall over themselves to protect him (ie, the bulletproof vest). I still don't know why he wasn't handcuffed.

White privilege is being arrested for drug possession in March, and your parents purchasing a gun for you in April (This is what Dylan's parents did for him).

White privilege is brutally murdering nine people, and the media refusing to label you as a "terrorist". Remember the Boston Marathon bombers murdered less, and they were labeled as terrorists.

White privilege is alluding the police for over 12 hours after you have brutally murdered nine people. (You can't tell me that in over 12 hours and after crossing over another state, that the florist is the only person who recognized him!) He is a scrawny white boy with a Beatles' era haircut. I don't run across many of those on a daily basis!

White privilege is your roommate knowing about your plans for your alleged crime for over six months, and not only wanting to be roommates with you, but deciding to keep quiet, and remains free at the same time. (Name one black person who can have knowledge of a crime, the media reports this knowledge, and that individual is walking around free....I rest my case).

White privilege is being a mass murderer and nobody blaming your parents or questioning their parental abilities (even though they bought you the gun used in the crime). Remember people have said all kinds of hateful and disgusting things about Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown's mothers!

White privilege is brandishing a real gun, and cops take you alive. (Tamir Rice was playing with a toy gun, and murdered in just two seconds).

White privilege is having the Confederate flag hanging on all of your government buildings in 2015. This is the case in our neighboring state of South Carolina, and nobody questions it.

Still believe white privilege is imagined? I have just given you several concrete, factual examples that it does indeed exist.

The question now becomes, what are we going to do about it?


Until next time.....

Enabling Josh Duggar

A few weeks ago, reports surfaced that Josh Duggar, the eldest of the Duggar brood, had molested a total of five girls (four of which were his sisters and the other a close family friend who he had access to while she was staying with his family). The behavior began when Josh was 14, and one of his victims was as young as five.

TLC, after much public outcry and advertisers dropping like flies, decided to cancel his family's reality show. His parents decided to do damage control with an awkward and maddening interview with Fox's Megyn Kelly, and two his sisters, who were also two of his victims, gave an interview to People Magazine where they defended their brother and claimed the media had victimized them more than their brother ever had.

But notice who is visibly silent through this whole ordeal? The perp himself, Josh Duggar! My question is, why the silence? The statute of limitations has expired. Civil litigation is highly unlikely given than 80% of his victims (at least the ones that we know about) are family members, God has forgiven him (according to his religious nutjob parents), his wife knew for a full two years before marrying him, and is now pregnant with his fourth seed, so why the silence Josh?

The why is because Josh Duggar represents an ever growing and steadfast patriarchy and privilege. Males in this country get away with countless crimes against women and girls, and we just minimize their behavior to "boys will be boys" or we slut shame their victims asking ridiculous questions about what the "victims" did to make them hurt or abuse them.

His parents minimized his behavior. The sheriff who his parents turned him in to was convicted of being in the possession of kiddie porn. His sisters, his victims, apologize for him and minimize his behavior, and his wife co-signed when she married and had children by him. Everyone in his inner circle is either rationalizing, excusing, or protecting him.

Even politicians like Sarah Palin, are turning their angst on celebrities rather than dealing with Josh. Religious zealots are preaching forgiveness and casting stones. Um, newsflash, I guess you'll missed that part in the Bible, which teaches even God only forgives with a confession and a repentant heart.

I have seen neither from Josh Duggar, and I doubt that I will.

Even when confronted with the ugliness of his deeds, his parents sent him to do manual labor. I did the same as 16 for money, and I didn't do anything close to what Josh has done!

The saddest thing in all of this: his victims are left to deal with the aftermath of this alone, while a society which is supposed to protect them, spins and lies to protect their assailant.

Another sad component of this saga, is Josh hasn't been punished or treated, so it is my belief that he is not done with this abhorrent behavior.

For those who enable Josh, you have my disdain! Let's hope there is some kind of justice for his victims, both the known and the unknown.

Until next time....

Why Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner is Not Your Business

In today's society, celebrity status is synonymous with ownership, or at least it is the minds of narcissistic individuals who worship them.

When Bruce Jenner was an Olympic gold medalist and was someone who men could worship as a great athlete, or who women could lust after as a good looking man, he was on top of the world, and was everyone's hero.

Now that he has made a very private decision to live HIS truth, he has fallen from grace (not in the traditional sense) but the grace of public opinions who do not agree with HIS  personal decisions.

And before you start spouting Bible verses, offering up how disgusted you are, how much you admire him, how beautiful he is, and the list goes on, let me pose a few questions to you:

How much of Bruce's transformation into Caitlyn, affected your personal finances?

How many of you are related to Bruce/Caitlyn?

And if you are pursuing the religious agenda, what does Bruce's transformation, have to do with your soul or personal relationship with Christ?

If the answer to any of these is nothing or none, it means that it is none of your business.

We have an opinion about a myriad of things, doesn't make them our business, doesn't mean that we have all of the facts, nor does it mean we are well versed in what we are speaking about anyway.

Why? Because Americans love exercising their First Amendment rights, well, that is until we become the subject of or have to deal with the consequences of exercising those rights.

The interesting thing is I see Christians posting all types of think pieces and blog posts, which further their religious agendas, but are visibly silent about Josh Duggar molesting his sisters and other victims.

All I hear in regards to Josh Duggar are "forgiveness" and "mistakes". He impacted children's lives, and not just any children, children who were related to him, broke the law, but you are quick to forgive, but not an individual who made a personal decision, which did not affect anyone? This is the God you serve? Well, I don't want any parts of that God!

Then I saw black people, one of the most  marginalized and discriminated against populations of people, posting memes from white supremacists ridiculing Bruce/Caitlyn,  individuals, who would not spit on you, if you were on fire, but as long as another group is being discriminated against or ridiculed, it is okay? In what parallel universe?

Ask yourself, is what I am doing, or saying helping my fellow man/woman? If not, you might want to keep it to yourself!

Until next time.....

Sherri Shepherd: Ladies, Let's Not Be Hypocrites

I will support women on all issues until the day that I die. My mother is a woman, I have friends who are women. My sister is a woman, so I am sensitive to your plight.

But I am also a realist and very opinionated, and not afraid to call people out on their bullshit, and women, your attitudes and reactions toward the Sherri Shepherd situation, are complete and utter bullshit.

I am a product of the child support system, meaning that my father had to be legally made to financially take care of me. This is nothing new under the sun.

I have also been privy to the conversations of countless female friends and relatives lament about deadbeat dads, and their own child support woes.

But these same women are visibly silent about Sherri Shepherd. Some are even offering support and prayers. Why?

Sherri Shepherd a grown ass 45 year old woman claims that her husband, Lamar Sally "tricked" her into signing a legally binding surrogacy agreement.

Now that the child is here, and her marriage is toast, she wants to cry foul.

A judge earlier this week, deemed the surrogacy agreement legally valid, and ordered that Sherri Shepherd be recognized as the legal mother of the child.

Let's get back to the idea of Sherri being "tricked". How does a 45 year old get tricked? She is not mentally incompetent, and this is not her first rodeo in relationships, as Sally is her second husband.

But yet she created a "woe is me" story, and women, you fell for it, hook, line, and sinker!

The truth is, she was desperate! She fed into society's bull about there being no good men, and she was thirsty for a husband, and didn't do her vetting.

Now when she finds that her husband was a male gold digger and didn't want to work, she cries foul, and you fellow females are feeding into this.

The greater truth is, that she is no better than the deadbeat dads already in the system. Yes, her gender is different, and she has celebrity status, and more money, but the story is the same.

So ladies, how long before you give your sister girl the truth? How many of you, are going to be yes, women, and not speak the unadulterated truth to her? Somebody needs to, because at the end of the day, an innocent child is caught in the middle, a child who did not ask to be born, and who deserves to be loved and cared for.


Until next time.....

Why I Am Not Here for Hillary Clinton But Will Vote For Her Anyway

It has been eight days since Hillary Clinton announced her campaign for the 2016 presidency, and I am about as excited as am about getting a root canal from the dentist.

I was hoping Obama could run for a third term or maybe even her husband Bill, but our Constitution does not allow for that.

Or maybe Elizabeth Warren, or Cory Booker, or maybe one of the Castro brothers....anyone but Hillary!

No, it has nothing to do with her gender or her race. For me, it is about that candidate, who can represent my interests!

I remember back in 1992, when her husband Bill, ran for his first term in office. I was 16 at the time, and I saw him playing his saxophone on the Arsenio Hall show. Even though that was impressive, what impressed me more was his backstory. Here was a self-mad man, who grew up in a single parent home, with a hard working, working class mother. Here was a man, who despite his skin color and Ivy League education, could identify with me and most every average American. There was no silver spoon here. His mother raised him in abject poverty, and the only way he was able to attend college was because of his academic prowess  and scholarship, not because of his last name or his privilege.

There was another man who about 16 years later,who would inspire me just as much. He just happened to share the same skin tone, but his background was very similar to Bill Clinton's. He grew up in abject poverty, raised by a single mother, and only attended Ivy League schools because of academic prowess and scholarships. His name was Barack Obama.

Needless to say, I am not excited about 2016. A bunch of privileged candidates who will pander to the corporate types, while the middle class and working class people like myself are consistently screwed over. While black bodies constantly drop in the streets (319 since January 1, 2015), and while government squeezes more tax dollars out of the middle class, while this population gets smaller every month.

I need someone who can connect with me, the average citizen, like Barack and Bill did long ago. So since none of the other Democratic hopefuls have stepped up, and every Republican candidate is batshit crazy and out of touch, and determined to set us back about 150 years, Hillary is the best and only option.

So while I am not excited about voting for her, she is the better than the other guy, and since not voting is not an option, she will begrudgingly receive my vote.

I just need for Hillary to be more inviting, more in touch with the average citizen. I need her to be more like Bill, minus the blowjobs and philandering of course!


Until next time....

Raven Symone: Black Folks You'll Go Get Your Cousin!

Every since slavery blacks have had several discussions on how to self-identify. Some of these self-identifications were a result of overt racism (nigger, coloreds, spooks, Sambos,) and others because some wanted to stay true to our African roots (African American) and not be labeled as a simple color (black).

So I didn't really take offense when Raven Symone during a very candid interview with Oprah last year, said that she wanted to be labeled as simply, "American.""...Whatever, tomato/tomata..who cares?

But of course Ms. Symone did not stop there. In a recent interview, she defended a Univision employee who lost his job for stating  that First Lady Michelle Obama resembled a monkey. Ms. Symone said some people did indeed look like zoo animals (I am sure she wasn't referring to the FLOTUS of course...Insert eyeroll here)!

But no she doesn't stop there. In another recent interview, she states that she is from every continent in Africa...wait what? Last I checked, Africa was one continent, made up of 54 countries and two provinces. Oh by the way, in that same interview with Oprah, she said she was not from Africa, neither were her descendants, which is why she took such offense to being labeled as African American...wait what?..but okay Ms. Raven!


So after all these offenses, black people can you'll come get your cousin?

Raven is proof of what happens when we folks have too much time and money on their hands.

You see nobody is checking for Raven. She has aged out of Disney productions (She is coming up on 30 in December). She is about 20 years too late to play the cutesy little girl role that she did on the Cosby Show.

And with plenty of time, and money, and no formal education (No, you don't need a college degree to be formally educated, but she could at least read a book or two every now and again), we get these idiotic statements.

The dangerous thing is some little girl is idolizing her, and the yes men and women of Hollywood will not tell her the truth.

The truth that it is a dangerous game when you try to separate yourself  from your people and your history.

Maybe, Ms. Symone needs to make a prison visit to OJ, and ask how that worked for him!

Until next time.....

To Vaccinate or Not Vaccinate? Not Even a Question But A Matter of Personal Choice

I don't have a dog in this fight. I don't have children! It is not really an important issue for me, but this is just my commentary as a casual observer.

For politicians it becomes a partisan issue. For Democrats, they get to be the heroes for the bleeding heart Liberals, who will champion a cause  out of the most mundane issues. For Republicans, it gives them a chance to pander to the grossly stupid and misinformed, and to give the false pretense that they support smaller government (rolls eyes).

For mothers, it is just another way for them to snub each other. You know the type. I am the best mother because I vaccinate my children, and you are horrible because you don't (rolls eyes again).

For men, it is just another way for us to exert our authority, in this very patriarchal driven society.

The truth is like abortion and many other personal issues, it should be a matter of choice.

For those of you who have children, it is your responsibility as a parent to decide what is best for your children! End of story! No discussion or commentary necessary!

For those who choose to vaccinate, they have decided that it is best, based upon their research and concern for the overall health and safety of their children.

For those who choose not to vaccinate, some believe that it leads to autism, and yet, there are some of who don't because of religious reasons.

Again, it is about individual choice!

I am not a fan of government (Republican or Democrat) getting involved in personal choice issues. Abortion is a personal choice. Vaccinating your children is a personal choice.

In closing, worry about the little mofos left to your charge, and let others worry about their little mofos, because from what I seen as a casual observer, vaccinations are the least of your problems!


Until next time.....