I'm in love with a place I've never been New York City.
The subway and tough boroughs turn me on.
It represents the world over.
It's the genesis of Rap and House that changed music forever.
I get a rush when they talk, dance, or put people in check from an NYC perspective.
Anything goes as long as all are included and treated like humans.
They don't care.
It's the most diverse place on Earth to be from.
New York City.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
A Poem
To be a black man means I got a platform to speak
about the inequities of society as cast upon me or those like me in color or status.
It means a chance to speak out on unemployment or crime, whether it's the sister or brother next door,
mistreated by the mean patrolmen who don't care about me,
black or white.
This opportunity challenges me, a boy from the rural, restricted South,
told to say yes, sir, or no sir to many who don't deserve it of any race but are required by the elderly to see God.
I love sticking up for young black men as no one else will.
They have been deemed criminals, a misfit of a prosperous society whom the world molests in one way or another.
I think it's wise to voice an opinion or make my side of the story known, even if I get laughed at or told to shut up or sit down.
I'm a man,
always a man first.
I'll die if necessary, like Jimmy Lee Jackson, for a cause.
Love me or hate me, I'll do right by you.
about the inequities of society as cast upon me or those like me in color or status.
It means a chance to speak out on unemployment or crime, whether it's the sister or brother next door,
mistreated by the mean patrolmen who don't care about me,
black or white.
This opportunity challenges me, a boy from the rural, restricted South,
told to say yes, sir, or no sir to many who don't deserve it of any race but are required by the elderly to see God.
I love sticking up for young black men as no one else will.
They have been deemed criminals, a misfit of a prosperous society whom the world molests in one way or another.
I think it's wise to voice an opinion or make my side of the story known, even if I get laughed at or told to shut up or sit down.
I'm a man,
always a man first.
I'll die if necessary, like Jimmy Lee Jackson, for a cause.
Love me or hate me, I'll do right by you.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Building The Great Society
Lyndon B. Johnson pursued the "Great Society" while president of the United States. He pushed for civil rights, voting rights, fair housing, and other history-making laws and legislation that made life better for all.
Nearly fifty years later, the debate continues on what constitutes a great society or world that is inviting to all its inhabitants. Some say universal healthcare or full employment is the key, but the search for utopia far outweighs such lofty goals.
To begin with, any hope or talk of paradise in the Twenty-First Century must call for an end to the ethnic or class divide in America today. It means ending racial profiling, which prompted the violence in Ferguson, Missouri, or overall urban strife that tears our cities apart.
One way to heal America or strive toward greatness would be to confront the high school dropout crisis and lack of jobs in the inner city and remote areas of the country. Urban and rural youth must be pressured to earn a high school diploma by family and the community and be required to gain a marketable skill or develop other talents after graduation. Likewise, the economy must expand to make higher education worthwhile like generations ago. In addition, mechanisms such as tax breaks and job training should be put in place by governing bodies to assist the hardcore unemployed and older workers in a tough job market.
The closest we have come to a great society in this country was in the 1990s. The U.S. economy grew, unlike any other time in history. For instance, the unemployment rate dropped to an all-time low, which reflected all ethnic groups. Welfare rolls were also reduced, and other federal programs were cut back. Finally, the federal government ended the decade with a surplus, which hasn't occurred since in the United States.
In a country as great as the U.S., no citizen should be denied access to a quality education or a job to call his or her own. It makes for a better world or life worth living.
Nearly fifty years later, the debate continues on what constitutes a great society or world that is inviting to all its inhabitants. Some say universal healthcare or full employment is the key, but the search for utopia far outweighs such lofty goals.
To begin with, any hope or talk of paradise in the Twenty-First Century must call for an end to the ethnic or class divide in America today. It means ending racial profiling, which prompted the violence in Ferguson, Missouri, or overall urban strife that tears our cities apart.
One way to heal America or strive toward greatness would be to confront the high school dropout crisis and lack of jobs in the inner city and remote areas of the country. Urban and rural youth must be pressured to earn a high school diploma by family and the community and be required to gain a marketable skill or develop other talents after graduation. Likewise, the economy must expand to make higher education worthwhile like generations ago. In addition, mechanisms such as tax breaks and job training should be put in place by governing bodies to assist the hardcore unemployed and older workers in a tough job market.
The closest we have come to a great society in this country was in the 1990s. The U.S. economy grew, unlike any other time in history. For instance, the unemployment rate dropped to an all-time low, which reflected all ethnic groups. Welfare rolls were also reduced, and other federal programs were cut back. Finally, the federal government ended the decade with a surplus, which hasn't occurred since in the United States.
In a country as great as the U.S., no citizen should be denied access to a quality education or a job to call his or her own. It makes for a better world or life worth living.
Friday, October 10, 2014
The Rural South
The problems of the rural South need to be addressed. They range from housing to healthcare. Many communities have ceased to exist or combined, including schools to stay afloat. We need forward-thinking governors and a president who can put isolated towns and cities first. They represent the backbone of America.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Deal Misleads Voters
Republican Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia continues to argue in his reelection campaign that he has created thousands of jobs in the state since taking office in 2011. However, he fails to point out that most recent hiring has occurred in overwhelming white or well-to-do communities north of Atlanta or in suburban Columbus. Very few, if any, companies or businesses have sprung up lately in areas where poor whites or blacks reside, like in central or South Georgia. Nathan Deal must be called out by Democrats for his severe lapse in judgment regarding this crucial issue and others in Georgia's race for governor.
Gov. Deal Breaks Ground With Braves
The Atlanta Braves recently broke ground on their new stadium in suburban Cobb County, Georgia, with Republican Governor Nathan Deal on hand for the ceremony. He did so despite a rift between the team and the city of Atlanta, which was in poor taste. Governor Deal, like many other Republicans in the state, would like to see the state's capital and largest city placed on the back burner like Columbia, S.C., Birmingham, Ala., Jackson, Miss., Little Rock, Ark., or other struggling communities along the East-West I-20 corridor.
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