Tag Archives: politics

5 Things Poor People Need That No Program in the USA Offers Assistance For

30 Nov
Photo Courtesy of openDemocracy

Most people reading might not know that, for the past year, I’ve been unemployed. My former job required me to drive. Since my car accident in February, it has been difficult to find work. My insurance didn’t fully cover the cost of another car (that figures), and my credit would stop me from getting anything. Out where I live, there aren’t too many car lots that don’t run a credit check.

On top of that, I have a severe disability that makes it hard for me to be hired for just any job. I’m also a 5″ petite femme-looking person, and that holds me back from being hired for the physically laborious jobs that are usually reserved for men by the employers.

Like many people in my situation, the Pandemic already dried up a lot of my savings last year when hours were reduced. The car accident was horribly timed, just as I was trying to restore my savings.

Unlike many people in my situation, I don’t have family members and friends I can rely on for help.

The first thing I did was I sought help from my State in my Country, the USA. Sure, there are Food Stamps or Food Assistance Programs, programs to help keep the water, gas, and electric on, and even ways to get your rent paid. But I realized how inaccessible even those resources are when you’re lacking programs to help in other ways. There are other, possibly even more, important things that poor people need that seem to be largely inaccessible, and it makes getting the available resources, like Food Stamps, difficult as well.

When talking to anyone about these issues, it becomes clear that people don’t realize what privileges they have. The privileged tend to give the worst advice, even those working with programs that are supposed to help the poor, like the Salvation Army. Even the resource hotline in the USA, 2-1-1, has been stumped when trying to help me get access to the resources I’m about to go into.

Here are some of the things people don’t realize are necessities and are largely inaccessible.

Toiletries, Diapers, and Feminine Hygiene Products

It’s definitely a cis man’s world. Back when I used to work with HSAs (Health Spending Accounts) and FSAs (Flexible Spending Accounts) in 2020, it shocked me how menstrual care products weren’t even covered pre-tax as a qualified medical expense. But Viagra was. Eventually, the government caved during the Pandemic, but why did it take all of that to get this necessity covered?

Men don’t need Viagra; those who menstruate do need menstrual products. They can’t help that blood comes out of them every month.

I have fibroids, huge ones, and bleed extremely heavy every month. I’m sure readers don’t want to hear all of that, but the problem is that no one wants to talk about it. We need to talk about this. For many poor people, trying to find any services that offer free feminine hygiene products is horrifying.

People who menstruate also need toiletries, like toilet paper and soap.

Sure, I’ve had people tell me about their old grandma in the 1940s who used rags. They also used old t-shirts as pads. But tell me how many of them didn’t have soap to wash these rags after every use? How many people had proper drying racks for hanging?

They all cost, and I’m sure when people suddenly become poor nowadays, they don’t have these items available because they never thought they would need it. They also can’t just get up and go buy these things.

Further, how many people truly got infections back then because they didn’t fully clean their rags, which probably needed Bleach? Probably many more people.

Also, how many old shirts can one find in a year? How many rags need to be ruined to the point you don’t even have any to wash your body or your dishes? I don’t have a dishwasher, so everything is washed by hand.

If your blood flow is as bad as mine, you’re running through rags and damaging them. Washing has to be consistent in order to avoid infection, which can be hard when you can’t afford SOAP.

It’s pathetic that there are food stamps but there are no “stamps” for these very important needs. Even the Salvation Army and other local programs have all the food and clothes in the world, but no toiletries and menstrual products.

If you have the privilege of having the internet, it’s difficult to find any programs across the whole country. The ones that exist only help their own small community, and they don’t offer any free shipping to another state.

My local hospital is in another town, far away, and doesn’t offer enough pads for the whole week. I have run through at least 3 big bags of Always’s Overnight per menstrual period, and this is with a menstrual cup (which I’m thankful I invested in years ago). This is aside from the fact there’s been a shortage recently.

Why aren’t enough people speaking up about this? Have people found a way around this issue, and I just don’t know about it?

Diapers are also overlooked by these programs. I’m sure it’s so the companies that make these products profit off of people for things they’ve made people dependent on. I get it. But, like with food, there still should be some sort of programs that allow people to access these necessities.

Assistance with Washing

Speaking of needing access to soap, I’d like to add that poor people do need help with washing. If you don’t live in a house with a washing machine and dryer, you either have to have soap to be able to wash clothes by hand, a drying rack or some way of drying the clothes outside, or you need money for the laundry mat. To add, poor people need to be able to find a laundry mat nearby in their neighborhood in the first place.

In my case, in my apartment, tenants have to pay to use the washing machines and dryers. The cost comes to 4.00 ($2.00 wash and $2.00 to dry) every two weeks. That’s a lot of money for someone with no money.

If an individual doesn’t have family members, friends, or even kind neighbors, what are the next best options? Sure, a poor person can make their own soap, granted they have the ingredients necessary lying around in their cupboards before they became broke, and wash by hand. It’s hard to dry without a drying rack, but I guess it can be done by laying clothes out on a bush or a few chairs.

But overall, something is going to cost eventually.

Without clean clothes, it’s hard to function, especially when you don’t have access to feminine hygiene products. People can’t even go on job interviews without clean clothes.

This is aside from the fact that finding clean clothes at shelters or at the Salvation Army is difficult, too. I don’t even want to go into trying to find clean underwear.

Phone, Internet, Printing, and Mailing Services

Even though the world has progressed, it appears that state resources haven’t. This is possibly just in my area, but phone service and internet are still not considered necessities. I wonder what these rich politicians would think if their services were suddenly cut off for the month.

Almost every resource available either requires people to call for an appointment or to go to the facility. If the building that offers the resource is way across town, it can be difficult to go directly to the place. Often times, the best way to reach any person or place is by phone. To add, afterwards, many of these places often call back with results. How can they reach people with no phone service?

If poor people apply for jobs, they often have to wait for a call back, too. How would they know if they got the job or not without phone service?

No one uses landline phones anymore. Everyone uses cell phone service because it’s convenient and safe to use in and out of the house. Why isn’t it covered as a utility yet? There are a few phone services that offer discounts, but if an individual is poor, they can’t afford to even pay the discounted price. The one source where the government pays for phone service requires a poor person to have a child.

I believe 911 never cuts off on a cell phone, but this is only a hunch. How can any poor person reach someone in an emergency situation?

Cell phones can also offer internet, so it has the ability to offer two services in one go.

It’s crazy how some people still think internet isn’t a necessity. The Pandemic taught everyone how important the internet is. If it weren’t for the internet, millions of people would have been out of work. Many companies would have shut down entirely.

Nowadays, most companies, even the fast food restaurants and local grocery stores, require people to apply for jobs online. I can’t tell you how many stores I’ve gone into that no longer offer hard copy applications anymore. Believe me, I’ve asked.

No one can just go up to a store manager and ask for side work anymore. We don’t live in that age. So why is the nation so behind in understanding how important this is?

The library would normally be the next best place to go, but my nearest library is literally two hours away, in another town. Also, it costs to use the internet in many libraries. Even $.50 is a lot for a poor person, especially when they are deciding whether to use the money to wash clothes, eat, or use the internet.

Printing and faxing are extra expenses aside from using the internet. I’ve come to realize that in order to get approved for state resources such as Food Assistance and Utility Assistance, I needed documentation to PROVE I needed it. In order to prove that, I needed to either have companies mail copies of important documentation to me or I needed to print it from my email. Often times, the window for turning in this documentation is very small. The easiest option is to have a company email documentation and print it off. But oops-that costs.

Many of these services don’t allow poor people to print at their facilities. So, how are poor people supposed to prove they are poor when they are too poor to prove it?

Printing resumes is another important chore. Who offers services for that? Poor people are often talked down on, told they are bums, that they just don’t want to work, considering so many jobs are supposedly “hiring everywhere now”. Well, who is helping these poor people print off their resumes, something required by nearly every job now?

And after printing all of these documents, trying to get it to the facilities without proper transportation can be extremely difficult. Mailing is an option, but it’s also a costly one. The cost to send even one simple letter has gone up over the years, and it can be a lot for a poor person, especially for someone who is sending documents to more than one facility.

Resume-Building and Interview Assistance

While we’re on the subject of resumes, it’s very clear a lot of poor people need help with building their resumes and preparing for interviews. Many people have been on their personal jobs for years before being let go. The Pandemic put a lot of people out of jobs they’ve been on for many years. Their resumes may no longer be as strong as it was before and their interview finesse may be lacking.

But getting help with resumes and interviews is a very costly thing. When trying to put myself out there, I’ve landed many interviews, but haven’t gotten any jobs. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but I also don’t have the money to find out.

There are programs that help poor people find work without resumes, but those programs usually require poor people to travel across town to long-distance facilities. Most of these programs exist in Urban areas, not small towns.

Transportation

I’ve mentioned throughout most of this article how “this was way across town” or “that is far away”. This leans into the most difficult thing for poor people to find: transportation. People don’t realize how privileged they are to have it.

I spoke with a representative working with the Salvation Army. She told me that I needed to come into the facility the very next day to get help with my utilities, otherwise the money could dry up quickly or it will be used before I got there. I asked her how I could get there. She said “Take the bus” or get an “Uber”. She’s clearly never been poor in the town she works in, which is my town.

Those are very condescending words when speaking to poor people. First off, believe it or not, in my neighborhood, public transportation largely doesn’t exist. Believe it or not, public transportation isn’t available everywhere. Yes, you read that correctly. No bus service, at all. Second, the bus costs nearly $2.00 to take, both to travel to a destination and to get home. Most poor people would have to beg on the streets to get that kind of money for transportation, especially when they are trying to save their change for the other costly items mentioned before.

There is a “free ride” service in my community, but riders have to call two weeks in advance to schedule in a ride. That’s not helpful when the Salvation Army tells people to get there the next day or risk losing resources. It’s also not helpful when poor people need to make several trips throughout the week to get documentation, to go on job interviews, or to go get groceries and other important items.

Walking is always an option. However, the summer is blazing hot and the winters are bitter cold where I live. During the summer, I didn’t have money for sunscreen, so my walk to my nearest resource center gave me sunburn. And Aloe Vera isn’t free, either. Poor people also need to be able to carry water. That means they need a container to put the water in. Bottled water isn’t free.

During the Winter, poor people need adequate hats and gloves to walk the two hours it takes to get to the facility that helps with Utility and Food Assistance. It’s not so nice to have to walk to these facilities in mountains of snow, either.

Overall…

Being poor has helped me check my former privilege in ways unimaginable. Before being poor, I thought I knew what was most important: Food and shelter. But no. Our society has developed in a way that has made us dependent on certain resources that there’s no way to live without it. Unless the solution is to have poor people die off in a “survival-of-the-fittest” type of way, the USA needs to do more to help the poor.

There needs to be programs that offer feminine hygiene products, soap, and toiletries. There should be “banks” or drives that offer that. Possibly Incontinence and Feminine Products Stamps. There should be vouchers or community washing machines somewhere in every community. It should be as available as libraries. At least, apartments should have one free washing machine and dryer for residents. Phones and Internet are now necessities and should be covered by the same programs that offer Food and Utility Assistance. These facilities that offer assistance programs should invest in transportation and should allow poor people to print and gather documentation at their facilities. Every community, at minimum, should have public transportation. The window for gathering documentation should be longer than 10 days. The Salvation Army shouldn’t make appointments with people if there’s no guarantee the money won’t be there. The appointments’ line order should decide who gets the available money. This ensures poor people aren’t wasting their time setting up a date and crawling around for transportation only to find the money is dried up by the time they find something. Every community should have a career center that helps adults transition back to work. At minimum, people can make appointments with a career expert and have them review resumes.

As the elections come up, I think citizens need to think more about where their tax money is going and whether it will help them, in the long run, when they’re at their lowest. That should shape our politics, who we vote for, and the changes we want to see in the future. There’s no way a supposed “1st world country”, such as the USA, should have so many issues dealing with the poor, yet here we are.

If you need another great read, check out: openDemocracy’s If You’ve Never Lived In Poverty, Stop Telling Poor People What They Should Do. It’s very good for people who are interested in giving advice to friends and family members in poverty.

Please think before you speak and be kind.

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Obama Got Osama

3 May

Scenario:

Obama: yea nigga, I’m a find you. When niggas come around, bullets fly! yea boy! I been in da hood before, I know where that nigga be. I will FIND that nigga, cuz I’m a nigga. Simple as that. (sniff some clues) Oh, I know where that nigga is. He ain’t in no cave. He in the same place all drug dealas is: a million dollar mansion. Yep that’s where all the real niggaz is. (bust down doors of all mansions) (find biggest mansion) (Osama is eatin his peanut butter and jelly)

Osama: Oh…Sh-

Obama: Yea boy! We gotchu now boy! Shoot him! Shoot him! Yea nigga know where nigga reside! (Osama shot up)

Later….

Bush: So Obama how is your presidency going? It was a little bumpy towards the end for me, but I had really popular ideas in the beginning, one of them being tax cuts. What about you?

Obama: I got Osama, yea son! I got Osama. I knew where dat nigga was and his whole fam. Yea son

Bush: wait…you mean you put him in Guantanamo?

Obama: Naw, I killed that nigga, boy!

Bush: You idiot! You weren’t supposed to kill him! You were supposed to make sure he gave us the secrets to the oil! Oh man! You killed my boy! Oh, this country was going to be rich!

Obama: Oh yea, I forgot about that. But nigga had to die cuz he was taking my cousin’s drug ring nah wah I’m saying?

End of Scenario

Okay, that’s a story that was told to me by someone in my class. It’s pretty interesting that Obama was able to get a hold of Obama…I mean, Obama was able to get a hold of Osama…man they’re names are similar.

So tell me, do any of you think this will make Obama’s reelection polls skyrocket? I mean, his popularity was dwindling for a while because it seemed his ideas were a bit unpopular for awhile. But, this seemed to put a smile on many people’s faces. Some people have said one reason Obama was able to get Osama is because most black people know where all the criminals reside (stereotype). Some people said Obama knew where Osama was because Obama was born in a different country (speculation).

So do you think Obama will become more popular? Do you think this boosts his chances of reelection?

What do you think this will mean for national security? Do you think this will anger Osama followers?

Leave your comments and discuss!

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How to Have a Royal Wedding

29 Apr

One of the most eventful moments of time, besides the World Cup, is the royal wedding. Many people still remember the wedding of Princess Diana, one of the most beautiful and loved princesses of all time. BUT this year, we have a new princess: Kate Middleton. She is poised, elegant, and certainly a fine example of a princess bride. Many people can learn from this wedding, especially about how to throw a fabulous wedding. Of course, everyone doesn’t have the money or means for it to be as glamorous as this one was. Still, there are certain things that made this the perfect wedding even without  all of the glamor.

1) It started on time. From the moment the procession began, the movement from limo to Westminster Abbey, and onward, it began and ended in a timely fashion. If everyone planned to watch it, whatever time it began in your particular country, no one had to worry about whether it was on time or not.

2) A unique thing to add to a wedding would be dress code. Many of the women wore hats and the men mostly wore uniforms. Add a simple, yet elegant touch to every wardrobe to make the wedding unique.

3) Carriage ride to the wedding. Of course, the bride also took a limo. However, the carriage ride is one of the most unique ways to have a royal wedding.

4) Special family church or building of importance to your family should more than likely be the choice as it makes the wedding more sentimental and shows the seriousness in the matrimony. Outdoor weddings are fun, but indoor weddings ensure that everyone will not be bothered by outdoor nuisances, such as insects or bad weather.

5) Walk with children not after them or before them. It shows that the bride loves children and is willing to start a family. Have little ring bearers wear matching uniforms to the older gentlemen.

So these are just some of the things I noticed about the wedding that was very important and to me represented a real ROYAL wedding.

Let’s take a look at a blast into the past princess weddings, starting with Princess Elizabeth and then onto Princess Diana.

Princess Elizabeth

Princess Diana

Such beautiful weddings in history!

Now going back to the invitation list…Guess who wasn’t on the wedding list? Mr. and Mrs. Obama. I wonder why…Many Americans are offended by this, if you haven’t noticed. The very symbol of the United States, the president, was not extended an invitation. How does that make many Americans feel? Well, some black Americans, of course, pulled the race card, just as the world expected them too. However, many regular Americans were offended, both conservative and liberals, felt this was a stab at America. Why isn’t the American president not wanted at one of the most important events around the world? Especially considering how many Americans tuned in to see such a fine and glorious wedding? What does this tell the world? Many don’t think it’s a race factor, because they saw a black couple in the audience, sitting close to the front of the wedding. Many just feel that Obama didn’t feel like going. It’s difficult to say.

Post your comments about the wedding! What are some things you noticed about the wedding that impressed you or that you would want in your wedding? What do you feel about the Obama’s absence at the wedding?

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The Fight for the Right Government: Speak Up, Speak Out!

12 Feb

If you haven’t heard, Egypt has been working really hard recently to uproot their president from his high throne and bring a sweep of change in the country. As an American, I think this is important to watch and observe.

Egypt Fights Back!

Let’s think about the issues that activated this revolt:

1) Government Corruption

2) Rampant poverty

3) Unemployment

These are some of the main issues…and the main issues actually sweeping the United States. Mubarak has been president for 30 years, before the generations of people actually protesting. The cries of his people he didn’t seem to be hearing. So the young people of the nation, and plenty others, created an internet campaign that blew up into a national and international revolution.

Why international? With the help of technology, the world interconnection system, these ideas of revolt are spreading, influencing other nations to fight back too. NOW is the time to speak up and act, more than in any generation before. This global issue needs to be fixed by the people of the world. It’s no longer about countries…it’s about people. And this is why I respect the nation of Egypt. They have shown the world that they are not PUNKS. They have shown the world that it takes one voice (or internet campaign) to make a difference and to change your nation and even the world.

In the United States, we aren’t even allowed to have a president rule for 30 years. But yet and still, we have similar issues. We have the privilege of freedom of speech…the same privilege that other nations are fighting for…and what do Americans do with it? Do we use our voice to improve our nation? What about all of the other nations? are you now making the appropriate steps to change your living and change your nation? Some people will argue that there’s nothing wrong with their nation to speak out about, which is good to have a positive outlook. Others will argue that there are plenty of problems. But if you have a problem, the Egyptians showed the world what you can do: revolt.

It was about time the president stepped down. When he made the challenge “I will NOT leave my position. I will not leave Egypt. Not until I’m buried underground”, I was saying to myself, ‘Be careful what you wish for’. The perseverance of the Egyptian nations is one that will go down in history. It will encourage the world to stand up.

You know, before internet, American youth were thought of only caring about music, movies, and celebrities (nothing important), compared to other youth in other nations who were interested in politics and issues in their world, and making a change. Now with the world becoming closer…well the two are integrating. More Americans are interested in politics than ever before, and more people around the world are interested in music and the celebrity world! It’s funny. Even during the world cup, that was the first time I ever even heard of Americans tuning in to see the World Cup. That was always thought of as an international thing. But Americans finally joined the world in that world-wide sport…it made me realize how our worlds our changing. That’s why this is the perfect time to do all you can to make a difference, whether in your community or nation. Create a history for yourself and change your future.

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Employee of the Year: The Computer

21 Jan

Digital World–Taking Over one job at a time!

I’m sure this isn’t a new topic, but it is one that is over-looked in day-to-day society as a contributing factor to many of the employment problems today’s society has: computer is taking over.

Yea, sure, we can blame the lack of jobs on the recession, the over-creation of products, but no salaries that are enough to pay for all of these “inventions” or “products”. But we also have to consider the fact that you’re not out of a job only because businesses can’t find people who can afford their products (and so have to close due to the lack of consumer demand), but that technology is actually TAKING your job.

It’s always been an economic trend in history for there to be a war, an era of advancement and technology, and then an economic crises following. The Great Depression and the ’70s were prime examples. In the ’20s, there was a wave of technological advancements such as the credit system. And the misuse of that system was a contributing factor to the Great Depression. The ’70s also had a wave of advancement, especially with the car industry, but then we ran out of oil for all of those cars. Soon after, there was a recession. And in both eras, the issue was that the industrialization of products were moving faster than the rise in salaries that could afford those products….

But this is probably one of the worst cases in history. In those eras, the advancements didn’t just get rid of jobs, they also replaced the jobs. With the rise of the computer, it’s really devouring jobs that were once handled by humans, and actually cutting down on the employees. I can name several examples.

Travel Agencies

Why hire a travel agent, when you can buy your tickets online. When is the last time anyone really needed a travel agent to book their flights? The computer industry has completely replaced this job. For babies born in 2011, according to a Yahoo news article, Travel Agents will soon be a thing of the past with computers.

Bank-tellers

Online banking is growing in numbers and catching on to people. People even pay their bills online. It’s a better way to keep up with finances. And if you want to remove some money from the bank, use the ATM. The only reason anyone would go to a bank would be to open an account, which can also be done over the phone or online.

Drive-Through Windows and Waiter Jobs

Recently, when on the expressway, I went to a McDonalds that had the computer take my order! No lie! And when we pulled up, it automatically sent the food to us! Look for that job to be gone in the next couple of years. In some Japanese sushi bars, they don’t even have waiters. Sometimes, they have automatic menus where you press the button at your seat telling it what you want, and the order is automatically sent to the chef, and sent back to you on a conveyor belt. They’re called Rotating Sushi Bars. Chicago just opened its first one.

Rotating Sushi Bars-Who needs Waitresses?

College Teachers

Sure we need them now, and we might need some in the future, but with online classes, I’m sure there will be a shortage of teachers because what’s not appealing about doing classwork AT HOME? And if you don’t have a car (or don’t feel like getting up), you can easily get your degree online. You just have to remember to meet certain deadlines. Even though, people generally go to college to have the “experience” because of social reasons, but it won’t truly be necessary if you want a degree.

Record Labels

Come on, music can be spread online and uploaded and promoted by the individual artist. Youtube already has those connections to promote individuals. Some people try to get under record labels because familiar artists are under them. But in recent years, many record labels have folded. The most they would need would be equipment and a video team. And electronic equipment is taking over the voice already, so who needs singers? Soon, who’ll need dancers? We can digitize bodies and movement now (prime example is Tron and Beowulf).

Toy Industry

Certainly not as exciting as having a cell phone, video game, or a computer. Online dolls seem more sensible to little girls than actual dolls: they’re free (or included in mommy’s internet bill every month). Action Figures just don’t cell like they used to. Boys would rather be playing their favorite character on a video game where virtually they can travel to different worlds and places without using their imaginations. No more tearing up the house to build cardboard cars and toy houses. It’s all on the computer. And it’s seriously hurting the toy industry.

Social Organizations

Wanna get in touch with old pals? It’s no longer a big deal to go to school reunions. We have facebook now, where people can get in touch with old buddies online. With facebook and youtube, social clubs and organizations are useless. You can find people who like the same things you do on online forums.

Newspaper and Magazine Industry

News won’t really be gone because we need journalists who can actually get access to certain areas so they can get the latest in news. BUT there will be a shortage of journalists because of online news and blogs, such as this one, that more people read than ever to find out the latest in news. There’s even Yahoo Answers that can research for people and give quick answers. Which is the reason that…

Libraries really don’t need to exist anymore. You can find everything online now, including summaries of books that you don’t want to read, but have to for a school report. I don’t remember the last time anyone in my college classes actually read a book for class. If they do read, it’s a fictional book strictly for entertainment, and eventually, the book is made into a movie.

Arts And Crafts Industry

Maybe just for day-to-day fun, but digital art is becoming a popular thing now. Soon, what will be the point of knowing how to paint and draw? Cartoons are being replaced by digital media or just becoming live action shows.

Department Store Clerks

There will be a shortage soon. First off, Walmart is devouring stores itself. Second, people are ordering what they want online more often now. Therefore, some people will eventually not be needed. Stores are starting to become more and more empty. The only ones who go are those who don’t have credit or debit cards. But possibly, it eventually will be the complete way to shop.

There are so many other jobs that are subject to leaving! And all because of the computer. People have been the main contributor to this massacre of jobs. That’s progress for you. It hacks away at the old and begins with the new. It’s really something to consider if you’re looking for a long-lasting job. You may not want to think of these jobs as long-time careers…unless there’s some “revival” in the near future.

Well, I’m curious to know…anyone else have any other job ideas that they feel might be replaced by computer? Do you feel the computer can truly get rid of jobs, or will they be back? Are you excited for the computer to take over? Do you think it will open doors for new job opportunities in the future? Do you feel there should be restrictions on computer usage? Share your thoughts and comments!

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‘Black Power’: Useful or Abusive?

20 Jul

Today, I came to a resolution: Black people can and do ruin things.

I am African American myself, so I think that it’s fair for me to say this about my ethnicity.

First and foremost, yes, I think a small portion of it has to do with black culture colliding with white culture. Is that not the problem? Since the beginning of time, Asian, Native American, African, and European culture have been distinctly different from one another. But unlike other nations who came into the US to live in a new country, and so they even gave up some of their old country’s ways to adapt, most African Americans didn’t come on their own free will, and so didn’t really want to give up African ways. This made African culture a part of American culture largely because it just wasn’t given up in their hearts or minds, and instead, made an impression on society, just like the Native Americans. Of course, back in the history of America, slavery caused bitterness, and then later prejudice, segregation, injustice, inequality, and racism did as well, which people who have never gone through it would never understand. They would simply say “Get over it”.

But let me tell you why it’s not easy to GET OVER things like that. What if you were forced to be in a relationship with someone for 20 years, and for 20 years they abused you by beating you, spitting on you, calling you names? Just because you were short/ugly/pretty/fat/slow/fast etc? No one here could say they would accept it. Many would say they couldn’t forgive that person. And say for instance you were forced into a nice marriage…is it still not force? What if you loved someone else? What if you didn’t want to be tied down just yet? What if you didn’t want children, but they forced you? But you were still forced to follow the will of someone else? Someone you barely knew? And you were forced to live with that person? And no legal laws could get you out of it? How would YOU feel?

American slavery is similar to the banking system now…the more I think about it…

Anyway, some people can say the following things: 1) Slavery is over and so is segregation 2) Generation today never lived through it, so why should this generation bring it up?

Well for starters, the Civil Rights Movement didn’t end until about 40 or so years ago. Slavery and Segregation lasted over 100 years. That’s 100 years of oppression versus 40 years of freedom. It would take about another 60 years or more before the seed of it is completely vanquished. Many of the people who lived through it are still living today, and teaching their children about what they went through during those times. These are grandparents and mothers who still live today that went through it. My mother was born when the Civil Rights Movement was taking place, and my great-grandmother, with whom I am so close to, went through it. So, yes, our generation didn’t go through it, but it is painful when someone you love has gone through it, and to think about them being treated wrong is hard itself. It will take a lot of action to make up for the mistakes America’s ancestors made. ‘You Break it, you gotta fix it’ America.

And racism still exists. Maybe not at the magnitude it was, but it still exists. Racist attitudes exist. Observe the comments’ section on Youtube while watching videos about “Africa” or even “Salt N’ Peppa”. There ARE white people who truly think they’re superior to black people. There are white people in power who take their racist ideas and try to subtly hold other minorities back.

I have experienced real racism in high school in 2006. My sibling was in a class with a white teacher, who hated Asians, Latin Americans, Islamic, and African Americans/Black people. She would sit all of the people of color at the front of the classroom and would subtly allow white people to sit wherever they wanted. She gave them an assigned seat to cover her tracks in case someone turned her in, but whenever they moved around the room, she wouldn’t say much. But when any of the people of color moved even slightly, she would scold or write them up. She wrote up the valedictorian, a black girl, because she “thought” she was talking, and the girl never EVER said a word!

When white students didn’t complete their assignments, she would give them extensions. But when a person of color accidentally forgot their COMPLETED assignment in their locker, she would count it as an F.

I remember there was one boy who was half Mexican, half white. For most of the year, she thought he was white. But when he celebrated Mexican Independence Day, she found out he was Mexican. Guess what? You know what. She began to treat him differently after that. That’s when he began to realize this.

This woman was so racist, she wouldn’t even ask to see the parents of the minorities on Parent-Teacher conferences, even if the student was failing and poorly behaved! That’s how racist she was. And it was hard to prove that she was racist, too. She definitely covered her tracks.

For me, racism is real. Many people may think that I’m exaggerating or lying. No, it’s real.

I just wanted to add that this teacher also hated Jews and Catholics, so if she found out you were affiliated with those religions, she would also treat them like crap. But many of the white kids in this class didn’t associate with any religions. I can’t imagine if they had…But this made it even harder to prove. We didn’t have the full support of every kid in the class.

So, see? I’m not just a self-hating black person, who is excusing racism like so many of my readers may think. I’m not ignoring issues, and yes, my life matters.

But that goes for in the WHITE community AND the BLACK community.

I must admit, though, that the idea of segregation, discrimination, and racism has really been taken too far among the black race. It has no longer really become about the black race anymore. It’s just about power and money, the ruination of the whole world. It has been taken out of context so much, it isn’t taken seriously anymore. And this makes people ignore when it REALLY happens.

To add, black people have far greater issues than White-on-black crime.

Instead of elevating, coming together to combat our problems so we can combat greater issues, the black race is still in the state it’s in. And yes, we can say it’s because other cultures who came to this country and were able to start their own businesses and ground family businesses. They were able to prosper. But whatever happened to bouncing back up from a crisis? And the new immigrants that come every year who have to start over? There were plenty of black people in the past who were able to make changes and start their own business, and they LIVED in the days of segregation. So what is the excuse?

We can blame gangsta rap, because ever since the inclusion of it, blacks have been encouraged to fight for equality by using their own methods and using violence to do so. However, blacks aren’t fighting for equality against the police for racial reasons nowadays. They are too busy shooting each other.

So who is to blame anymore? If you look at statistics, shall we get a peek, and embarrass this ethnicity? :

http://www.afropunk.com/forum/topics/2059274:Topic:79518

Anyone and everyone has witnessed black people having the following problems in the following areas:

1) Crime increases when black people move into neighborhoods. Especially gun violence. Black people also always fight anytime they get together for any event. The Black Expo in Indiana seems to have a shoot-out every year. It’s the reason the Black Expo was cancelled in Chicago. Black people don’t seem to know how to act in public, in private, and they don’t know how to run productive communities without messing it up. They don’t clean their communities, show up for community meetings, or pay taxes or give other donations. The schools also become violent and dangerous, and as much as parents try to move their kids, more than likely it could be your kid causing most of the problems. Drugs are always the main foundation for businesses if there are any productive businesses. This is very true in my own neighborhood.

2) Businesses begin to close down because businesses are afraid of being robbed and killed through gun violence. To add, they are afraid of drama, like fighting, loud and flip-mouth customers, and other disturbances within the community. Plus, the value of the store decreases and people stop shopping in areas where violence is prevalent.

3) Black people are the laziest workers, the least willing to make changes on the job and in relationships, they never want to commit to anything, neither do they want to take up more responsibilities,  and often are amongst the least friendly when it comes to people who are different from them. Black people love to complain about their jobs, they complain about who is getting more money, but in the same breath don’t want to do any work and come late in and leave early out. Black people want to deny this, but at every school, job, or other important event, I have experienced the same pattern of behavior. And I don’t know where it comes from, but it’s there.

4) Black people always want to pull racism into everything, which not only takes the joy out of freedom of speech for everyone, but makes people walk on egg shells every time someone of a different ethnicity comes around. And I blame comedians for this one. Anytime a white person does something, it doesn’t make them racist. Nigger is not used as a derogatory term anymore, especially if used like “What’s up, Nigger?” Simple as this: Black people can say it, so can everyone else. But oh no, black people are so ignorant, you’ll hear the ignorant people in the comment sections saying “That’s the way it is, black people say nigga, no one else.” Technically, that would be make Black people racist.

And this list doesn’t apply to ALL black people. But this is the spirit of the neighborhood. This is something that has been prevalent in the city of Chicago, Detroit, Ferguson, and basically, many communities that are dominated by black people.

Black people even tried to pull racism in the Princess and the Frog! They changed the freaking story because BET said it made black people look bad.

As much as I liked the new story, the old story would’ve been far deeper. They should’ve been thankful they made a black princess movie AT ALL. But black people are never satisfied as long as a white person is making the movie. Nowadays, black people have become the most bias and prejudice ethnicity ever. Now, they just hate white people because they are white. It’s sad. Hate the white people who TRULY hate black people. That is NOT every white person.

Maybe they just really don’t trust white people. And it comes from how they are taught by their parents and grandparents, who grew up not trusting white people. And anybody can be easily persuaded by words from loved ones. To add, who can blame black people for not trusting white people? You just can’t tell the good ones from the bad. Still, you can’t go wrong by getting to know someone first and finding what they are about. I’m not saying become best friends, but see what people are about by observing. Sitting back, and watching.

And goodness, why kill your own race with guns and violence and ruin your own neighborhoods? Soon you’re going to kill so many black people, the only people around will be white people (over-exaggeration). Why? You make yourself look dumb because in one breath you say that you hate white people because they treated blacks wrong, but the same people who cried that they hated white people, killed other black people. Contradictory, much? You’re leaving black people into the minority category by killing them off! By robbing and stealing from other black people, you are taking from other black people who are struggling. This happened to me in my neighborhood. I was robbed by OTHER black people. Not a white person, a BLACK person. If #BlackLivesMatter, why didn’t MY life matter in the eyes of this other black person?

And no, it’s not ALL BLACK PEOPLE, as I said before, but it must be a vast majority, because when a group of black people come together, our communities become destroyed.

I will say this: The black race is a powerful race. The darker colors are associated with “Scorpio” or “The sign of power”. With that being said, power is a black man’s tool, and its use or abuse will prove the black man’s worth.

Black people can use their power for good, just as they did in the past when they built the city of Tulsa, or marched for Civil Rights for all Americans, or just as they came together to vote for the first black president. Even in the way they support their music artists and actors and actresses, like for movies like Dreamgirls and Tyler Perry movies, or singers like Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Beyonce. Most of the biggest talents have been supported, sponsored, or produced through some very successful black people. If you are working with a black person, like Justin Bieber is working with Usher, black people will support you, and you are bound to be famous. If anyone wants to get famous, find a black person. Disney really became the icon for teen shows especially when That’s So Raven came out and she started the children’s sitcom trend that continues today.

But when they use their power for bad, woe is the person who is around them, because it can bring devastating and disastrous results.

I conclude this by saying that people of Generation Scorpio may really admire black people and their way of gaining power. But there is a warning for all people of all ethnic backgrounds: Learn to direct your power so that you can benefit everyone and help EVERYONE elevate, not just you, or your mother, or your grandmother, or your best friend, or your “kind”. Until people learn to do that, there will always be problems in the United States of America and in the black community.

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NAACP Accusing Tea Party of Racism with no evidence? Fishy to me…

14 Jul

NAACP accuses the Tea Party of Racism?

Wow, it’s come to this? The NAACP is so desperate to maintain it’s “business”  and spotlight attention that they are blaming just about anyone these days for racism. I mean, if someone is honest with them about how racism has decreased in the last 40 years or so, they’d be out of business and they would lose fame…

But come to think of it, lately as I’ve gone through some youtube accounts and even wordpress, when there is a mention of Black people, bias comments do fly off the handle. Take a look at the blog  58 Reasons to Hate America . Though clearly the whole site is filled with racial bigotry, political intolerance, and media hatred, people in the comments section expressed their true views…

So racism does exist. Not to mention, some people in the tea party have mentioned they hated black people. But today, I think a lot of white people hate us for many different reasons other than “because we have dark skin”. To me, it seems white people don’t understand our culture, as much as we don’t there’s. However, we understand it more because black people live in a nation that is dominated by English culture, wheras white people don’t have as much exposure to African American culture…

And yet more and more, the “black” culture continues to influence everyone around the world, especially in media, entertainment, and sports. Black people have shown their share of worth in setting music trends, fashion trends, and sports trends. So white people are starting to understand us.

So, there has to be another problem.

Simply, I’ve noticed the same problem most white people have today with blacks

1) Blacks always pull the race card with white people. Every white person isn’t racist today. In fact, most aren’t. Yea, some person may spurt out a negative comment to you, but more than likely they do it to every person, even if it is their own race. Obviously they just hate you, not your whole race.

2) Black people cause too many problems. I don’t know, maybe it’s just my neighborhood, but wherever I go, someone is always trying to fight someone, shoot someone, get a nasty attitude like the world owes them something, and even on the workforce, black people are lazy, the last to come into work, and the first to leave. And this is not just a stereotype this is throughout all of my experiences working with black people in my neighborhood. If they grew up in black neighborhoods, you might have a problem with them. They are always complaining on the job, never want to work harder and don’t challenge themselves, and they give up too easily. They are a stubborn and proud people. And that is the black culture. Every culture has it’s problem, but that is the problem with black people.

Advice: Find a black person who has a lot in common with you. Maybe, they grew up in a mixed community and are more understanding of cultures. Learn about their culture, and maybe they will learn about yours. Express your concerns with black people pulling the “race card” on you.

The real problem with humans as a whole is people who always want to stay around their “own kind”. I feel that neighborhoods should be more mixed. But many people always pile in with people who look like them.

The whole problem with today’s world is “image”. Looks are shaping all of America, whether it be in music, television, and politics. It’s no longer about what someone can do, but what someone looks like.

Of course, you won’t expect much racism in Generation “Scorpio” and Generation “Sagittarius”, the youngest generation ages 7-15. That’s the best thing about our younger generation, they never saw color when they cheered for Justin Bieber at the BET awards, neither did any race care when they got addicted to the Twilight franchise, especially seeing that Jake was supposed to be in the image of the Native Americans.

Let’s hope former Generation “Libra” can set aside their differences. The problem was that they grew up in the age of Tupac and race riots and the inspiration of Malcolm X and racial hatred that was revived from the 70s. They believe in “separate but equal”. But if they don’t set aside their differences, I predict a “race war”. In ever generation run by the “Cardinals”, there is a war. When the Civil War happened, it was the “Aries” generation that encouraged it and fought in it. During WWI and WWII, it was Generation “Cancer” who fought for their traditions and homeland.

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How well do you know America?

5 Jul

1) Who was the first president of the United States?

2) Who was America’s first president of “color”? Who was the first black person to run for president in the USA? Who was the first woman to run for president?

3) In what year was the Bicentennial celebrated?

4) What law gave equal opportunities in schools for everybody, especially women?

5) When did women win women’s suffrage?

6) In what year did slavery end?

7) In what year was Abraham Lincoln Assasinated? JF Kennedy?

8) Why was president Nixon impeached?

9) When did pilgrims land on Plymouth Rock?

10) What was the first state to join the Union?

11) Which state has the biggest city in the US?

11) What were the last two states to join the Union?

12) What was the most popular music in the 20s? The most popular in the 70s?

13) Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

14) Where does this come from? “We the People of the United States in order to form a more perfect union….”

15) When did the Revolutionary War officially begin? When did it end?

16) In what years were the world fairs brought to America? (hint:three distinct years)

17) When was the Democratic and Republican party found?

18)Who was the general of the Confederate soldier and who was the general with the Union soldiers in the final battle that ended the Civil War?

19) Who was president of the Confederates during the Civil War?

20) Who was the youngest president to come to office in the USA?

21) How many states are there in the USA?

22) What Native American tribe lived around Plymouth Rock when the pilgrims landed? What native peoples lived in the last two states to join the Union?

23) When was Pearl Harbor bombed?

24) When did WWII end?

25) Who were the largest group of immigrants to come to America at the Turn of the 20th Century?

26) What is the Teaparty?

27) What is the difference between conservatives and liberals?

18) What is communism? What is capitalism? What is socialism?

19) Who was president during WWII?

20) When was America’s biggest financial crisis? When did it end (estimate)?

Just some trivia questions for you all! Enjoy!

American Girl dolls

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I hate Females….

2 Jul

Aside from the fact that I am a woman, I am starting to hate women.

Well, yes, hate is a strong word. So let me just say there are some  things that I strongly dislike about my own gender.

First off, the thing that I know will irritate me is the flock of hypocritical women who will read this post and bombard it with negative responses about “feminism” and how men should appreciate women and blah blah, only to find I’m not a lonely, heart-sick man who is fed up with women because he bitterly resents the women who rejected him or have left him….

No, I seriously have just allowed myself to be honest with myself. I dislike women. I somewhat regret “feminism”. The only reason I hold myself to it is to help rape victims, women who want to own homes, get good respectable jobs, and pay for their own homes and cars without their husband’s name. Other than that…well, I feel it has become a joke.

Women, just like black people, pull the “prejudice” card, and have almost taken this feminist thing to the extreme. To the point that it seems they really are not even thinking about the men. Women have double standards…..and this is most frequent among my ethnicity (just guess…you know it, African American)….but all women seem to take men for granted nowadays. Some of these women are so demanding that it’s sickening.

I recently watched a video called Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. And what I saw….the women were the problem most of the time. They were nagging, complaining, emotional, and so demanding. It was like they expected the man to be perfect. Those women made ME want to pull out my hair.

Another double standard women have is they feel it is alright to be a “Cougar”, as it is glamorized on media with shows like Cougar Club, which “cougar” means an older woman who likes to pursue a younger male. But if an older male pursues a young female who’s aged 20, he’s a “rapist”, like R. Kelly.

In How Stella Got Her Groove Back, it was okay for that older women to love a man who was in his 20’s, but that carries stigma with males.

Another thing is women are so superficial. They have really ruined media. They are the most boring creators. There are not very many diverse subjects among women. I have noticed since women took over most of television with Networks like Lifetime, MTV, and Disney Channel that all of the shows are the same. 1) A Reality show 2) A reality sitcom 3) A Drama 4) Contest reality show 5)Talk Shows…..that’s all women like, and that is all they can come up with. Boring. Uninteresting. And leads to there being hardly any variety on television anymore. And lately, all of the girls who get all of the fame as celebrities are the stuck-up, wannabe pop stars within these female-geared shows. Women usually play the characters with all the money and the stank attitudes. For some reason, the females like those rich girls with stank attitudes.

Like….look at New York. She is funny, true enough, but now we have thousands of reality media personality imitations….because women don’t like variety as much as males do.

As far as women-geared genres, the genres will more than likely be slapstick comedy, drama some more, romance….and that’s it. The only time women like adventure is if some “cute guy” is in it…and even then it is more than likely for the romance of it all….When I turn to even Disney Channel, I see a repeat of slapstick sitcoms with endless hours of teenage girls googling over guys, becoming addicted to shopping, and whining and complaining about their life. There aren’t shows anymore like So Weird, where the main female character never had a boyfriend, could give a rat’s cock about shopping, but loved mystery and the paranormal. Or Shelby Woo who loved to solve mysteries more than anything. But guess who was running Disney Channel back then? A male. Guess who is running it now? A female.

Same with their choice of music. Most women choose their favorite celebrities and singers based on HOW THEY LOOK. Take Justin Bieber for instance. Most girls have confessed, without knowing it, that they only like him for his looks. Why else would this cliche, generic, wannabe hip-hopper be so popular? Teeny Bopper girls think he is cute. They don’t usually say anything about his music, don’t say anything about his songwriting, don’t even mention his career….OH, But he’s cute…which has nothing to do with music. And now the music world is so polluted with the female “frame of mind”,  they have got the world thinking that looks matter in a MUSIC INDUSTRY. That’s why I think they combined the MODELING industry with it now because that’s all women care about. Which leads to bias…because it makes the music industry “political”, and it makes it harder for the “real” talents to actually get their break, especially if they don’t have the “look”. Which is the reason I think we have crappy artists who can’t sing, write music, or play instruments, and if they can, aren’t famous for it because they heavily synthesize their voices and use computer programming for their music….

And with all of their superficiality, it’s no wonder they end up with horrible men. Women are always missing up the good, nice, shy guys for these charming, handsome, idiotic, low-lives who don’t give a crap about the girls. They have sex, and move from girl to girl, while you are thinking he loves you and wants to spend his life together forever with you. Every good guy doesn’t have to look good. In fact, that is the worst thing to look at first. That is a blind way to look at things…..which is why usually women make poor choices in mates. Look at Lizzie Maguire….she used to like Ethan Craft before she realized after bad choices that Gordo was the one…Sadly, for most women, it’s too late to change from your superficial habits…twats….

Males are different. They like not only reality, like current events, but sports, cartoons, sci-fi, adventure, action, music, drama (like TNT), comedy, horror and others without having just romance. Back when Disney Channel was ran by males, there were so many different types of shows, such variety. Now? Just shoot me.

Another thing I hate about women is they always want to cry and act crazy when a man hits them, but when they hit a man, it’s for a “good reason” and they usually feel they shouldn’t have to suffer. The police usually believes the women too, rather than believe a man got hit. Like the Rihanna and Chris Brown issue. Rihanna scratched Chris first, and he defended himself, but got the brunt of it all. And people went by a photo as evidence, which could’ve been photo-shopped on the internet (which I recently tried, it’s very easy). It’s alright to hit a man, but not alright to hit a woman? Bull. Ladies, if you are swinging irons around, hitting someone, cursing someone out, pushing someone, punching them, and jumping their backs….one or the other is going to happen: either he is going to run, hold you down, or slap you. Now if he runs, why do some women have the nerve to follow? Then you are either going to be run over by his car as he’s leaving or slapped or ignored and he will move on. But that kind of abuse is rarely reported to the police, even though some women are dead wrong….And then women want to cry equality in one breath, and go “OOOOHHH HE HIT ME!” In another breath. How do you think women won the vote in suffrage? Alice Paul, the leader along the Turn of the Twentieth Century, spurred controversy. When the “bull cops” came, she LET them beat her. She smiled and said, “Come on, hit me like you would a man.” Why? Because she truly believed in equality. And when they were going to go easy on her and not send her to jail, she said “No, send me to jail like you do all the other men.” Some people thought she was crazy. But she truly believed in equality. These stupid hypocritical women are “afraid” of equality.

And why do women demand all of this attention when they want it, but barely give the man any when he wants it? Is it a pride thing? A man is supposed to remember to give you flowers every Valentines Day, Christmas, Birthdays, and every Friday, but you have never done anything for him? I suggest to women that before they make demands on others, they should think about what they do to contribute to the relationship. Start with the woman in the mirror.

The media has convinced women that all men are dogs, are idiots, only think about sports and themselves…but it’s not true all the time.

Another thing I hate is that when women are fans of something, instead of coming up with logical, reasonable, explanation why they like/dislike something someone, they go in an emotional rampage. Like Justin Bieber fans. Instead of even having reasons for liking him, they simply yell “He’s cute, and I love him, and he loves me!” While that is admirable, that is ridiculously insignificant.

Or maybe they say, “He’s a nice, cute kid, and you are just jealous because he is famous.” Well, tell me, genius, what does that have to do with music or his professional career? Why become a professional, and not get criticized on your work so you can improve?

That’s why “kids” shouldn’t be in the music industry…..because of the stupidity of people who support them.

Then the biggest reason why I hate females is because of soccor moms. They have ruined media, too. They only want the media to be one way: “conservative”. They got rid of shows like So Weird and movies like Don’t Look Under the bed on Disney Channel through a petition. Ironically, those were the only shows with female heroines, but “moms” said it was “not appropriate”…..And yet shows like Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and ICarly get no complaints whatsoever….though they are material-driven females, who obsess over boys, and promote spoiled and whiny kids who try to get their way all the time…..but no. Women, for some reason, don’t want to watch “strong” females do something like the “guys”……

At least movies have an improvement, though it seems women are just a bunch of sex icons, and serve no other purpose than to take off all of their clothes and screw the main character (male)…..Hey, at least the majority of them today have finally wielded a gun and sword….

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A white person being nominated at the BET Awards???

30 Jun

Should it be or should it not be a controversy? That is the question.

This year, the BET awards have had mixed reviews. A lot of people hated last year’s BET MJ tribute because first off it was unorganized. But this year:

This year also had the biggest MJ tribute by Chris Brown, which brought his reputation back.

Now, should this really be a controversy?

I’m going to say this. In today’s generation, as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, is a generation that has opened their minds. “Free Your Mind” comes to mind by En Vogue when I think of this generation. This generation is color blind. So, for people like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez to be nominated at a BET award is nothing to the generation that feels we are all equal and united within the human race. That is reality. It is a great dream, and a great way to think about the world. Many little black girls love Justin Bieber just as much as the little white girls. And so, it has become a part of the black nation to listen to all kinds of music instead of just the “stereotypical” black music, like rap, hip-hop, and R&B.

What is disturbing is that, like I said in older entries about Network channels, check under the movie and television sections, is that the Network “leaders” can’t seem to read their own channels. Why do I say this? It’s because BET is BLACK Entertainment…and you see white people being nominated? Not that I have anything against it, but stick to your Network title so you won’t confuse people. It’s like MTV who doesn’t air music, Cartoon Network who is now airing Live actions and no variety cartoons, and Disney not showing anything Disney-related like Mickey Mouse.

Another reason they should consider nominating black people is because naturally black people are not that popular in the nation we live in. Black people need some exposure. As “equal” as we want to be, naturally the nation’s majority is white, and naturally white people don’t like everything “black”. Lady Gaga over En Vogue…Taylor Swift over Corinne Bailey Ray… Paramore over FeFe Dopson….truly, it is the blond, blue eyes that seems to top the charts much more frequently this year than any other look….so yes, it would be nice for some blacks to be nominated…

However, truly it’s all in one’s perception of “black”. Is this Network about showing people what black people are doing today? Yes, this is Black Entertainment, but it all goes back to what blacks are being entertained by, right? So what do they like nowadays? As people actually begin to “equalize” the “majority” begins to dominate. Why? Because naturally, everyone begins to take ideas from each other, and the “white” race’s ideas are the majority. They own a large amount of businesses, and have serious financial power in the US. Maybe…just maybe blacks aren’t being entertained by other blacks…maybe they are more entertained by Bieber…

Or is this Network about SHOWING only black entertainment? Meaning black people who are contributing to the Entertainment industry? If this is the case….they messed up the BET awards AGAIN.

It also goes back to the title “Black”. Do they mean you have to be of the “ethnicity” or the culture? There is a distinct difference. The African American classify themselves as “black”. Anybody who had ancestors that came from Africa would be considered black. Of course, there are white people who were born in Africa, and move to the US. I’m not sure if they would be classified as African American or black…but they wouldn’t be classified as “black”, so… though blacks come in all shades…Well, anyone of darker skin. We’ll put it like that.

But as far as the culture goes, anyone can be raised in a culture of people and look nothing like them. Though I am of African decent, I was born and raised in America, therefore, without my intention, my culture is American. However, African American is a culture, and it is not as exclusive as a “color”. Many people can be born and raised in the African American culture, having been exposed to African rooted music, styles, language, and other forms of entertainment. With that being said, BET could be expressing how our culture is influencing the world. Though Bieber and Eminem are white, they have taken into styles that were generally “black-dominated” and made it their own.

Whether that is a good thing or bad thing is up to the reader.

Some people say it’s bad because now “white people” will take over everything, and “blacks” will dominate nothing. Some people are not as exclusive, and feel that it’s good because it shows just how much African Americans influence the Entertainment industry. I mean, without black people (and good looks), Justin Bieber would not be this famous. Literally, his music is nothing special.

But see, that’s the only problem I have with BET. They are just throwing up any artist who is famous. But Justin Bieber…it’s obvious he only got famous for his looks. His music is nothing special, and without that cute “baby doll” face, he would not be as popular as he is. His music is…crap, plain and simple. Lyrics are cheesy, weak, and unoriginal. His whole genre is generic, and kind of another Usher tune. I might as well listen to other artists. And no fan, not one, can tell me why Justin Bieber is so special without bringing up his looks….I mean, this is quite a superficial generation. What are we teaching our kids America?

But that’s my thoughts on this issue. I praise Chris Brown for having the courage to face that crowd and make a tribute to Michael Jackson. Quite brave of him.

Surprised I didn’t see Beyonce or Jay-Z.

I really think BET awards should cancel. It’s just another Grammys. If white people can be at both, then BET awards is just another Grammys. The whole point of BET is to promote black people…I would hope so. Maybe the goals of the network has changed. But if that’s the case, get rid of it, and stick to the Grammys.

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