My Rant: No Enlightenment here!

*DISCLAIMER…..I WILL BE CURSING A LOT AND I APOLOGIZE AHEAD OF

 TIME FOR THE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF PROFANITY I WILL USE, SORRY*

WHAT THE IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD???? A 5 YEAR OLD GIRL SOLD BY HER MOTHER, A JUNKIE, TO A PEDOPHILE??? WHAT TYPE OF SOCIETY ALLOWS THAT TO HAPPEN??? SOMER THOMPSON, I MEAN THE STORIES ARE NEVER ENDING…..WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE ALLOWS THAT TO HAPPEN??? WHY DO WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN??? WHY DO WE TOLERATE THIS CRAP???

OMG MY COMPASSION FOR HUMANITY AT TIMES REACHES ITS LIMITS IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS. THEN I LOOK AT EVERYTHING FROM A BROAD PERSPECTIVE…..WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE ARE WE??? I MEAN LOOK AT EVERYTHING…POVERTY, WARS, VIOLENCE, TRADEDY, BIGOTRY, PREJUDICE……………WHY DO WE ALLOW THIS IN OUR COMMUNITIES??? IN OUR LIVES…. IN OUR WORLD…WHY ISNT THE FUCKING STREETS ON FIRE RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SHIT THAT IS HAPPENING GLOBALLY…….ALL THE DEAD IRAQIS, ALL THE DEAD AFGHANISTAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN, THE KIDS SOLD IN TO CHILD SLAVERY, THE MASSIVE EXPLOITATION MADE TO MAKE YOUR FUCKING $150 JAYS THAT A DAMN LITTLE KID WORKED THERE ASS OFF IN CHINA, ONLY MAKING 2 CENTS A SHOE TO MAKE……WHAT KIND OF HUMAN BEINGS ARE YOU….WE????

WE ACCEPT IT!!!! WE ACCEPT THE WORLD FOR THE CORRUPT, COLD, HEARTLESS PLACE THAT IT IS AND TAKE ALL THE CONFLICT AND STRUGGLE AS “JUST A PART OF LIFE.” WE TAKE DEATH AND MURDERS AND SENSELESS CRIMES AS “SHIT HAPPENS”…….NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…..THATS NOT HOW ITS SUPPOSE TO BE!!!!!!!!!!! IS THAT WHAT GOD WANTS??????????? IS THAT WHAT HE CREATED US FOR?????? TO KILL EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TO NOT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE KIDS DYING IN AFRICA FROM STARVATION OF NOT GIVING A SHOT ABOUT THE CHILD IN INDONESIA MAKING YOUR NIKES YOU PLAN ON WEARING TO SCHOOL TOMORROW????? IS TO YOU……IS THAT GOD’S PLAN??????? THEN WHAT TYPE OF GOD DO YOU BELIEVE IN THAN???? HE DOES NOT WANT THIS FOR HIS PEOPLE!!!!!! NOT A LOVING GOD!!!!! SO WHY DO YOU…YOU READING THIS…..ACCEPT THE TROUBLES AND HARDSHIPS AND ALL THE SHITTY SHIT YOU HEAR BOUT ON THE NEWS…..WHY DO YOU ACCEPT THAT AS “HOW IT IS SUPPOSE TO BE”???? WELL IF YOU DO AND YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN…YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A FAKE!!!! A FRAUD!!!!! YOU WANNA SAY I COMPLAIN A LOT….WELL HELL YEA I DO ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS THIS….AND IF YOU DON’T COMPLAIN, SPEAK OUT, THAN YOU ARE JUST AS BAD AS THE EVIL ONES WHO EXPLOIT AND DO SUCH HORRIBLE SHIT……..

I’M BOUT TEARING UP NOW JUST THINKING ABOUT THE PAIN THAT LITTLE GIRL WENT THROUGH…..AND WHILE YOU LISTENING TO YOUR WAYNE MIXTAPES AND GUCCI ALBUMS TALKING BOUT SOME DUMB SHIT LIKE A GIRL, BOY, WHAT YOU GOING TO WEAR TO SCHOLL TOMORROW….A INNOCENT 5-YEAR OLD GIRL IS DEAD!!!!.WELL….TODAY….MANY ARE DYING…THOUSANDS WILL DIE….JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T CARE ENOUGH TO USE THE VOICE THEY HAVE AND CHANGE SHIT!!!!! OBAMA WASN’T CHANGE!!!! WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!!!!!! WE ARE, COLLECTIVELY!!!!! FUCK THE TRIBALISM, US VS. THEM MENTALITY….WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER……….ALL I AM ASKING YOU….YOU WHO ARE READING THIS….ALL I AM ASKING YOU TO DO IS CARE!!!!! JUST GIVE A CARE ABOUT PEOPLE SUFFERINGS….SIMPLE….JUST CARE!!!!!!!!!!

MY RANT FOR THE DAY

The Education System and Class Struggle

Currently I’ve been reading a lot of political theory work, most notably those by Peter Kroptkin. Most of his work focuses on the ideal society and oppressive institutions that hinder humanity and human growth. One of his essays was Must We Occupy Ourselves. One of the passages in that essay really caught my attention. It pertained to the education system, the system that is most influential in a lot of ways in molding individuals into what they are and what they will become. He made many powerful statements, many of which I agree with.

Kroptkin wrote,

“We do no want the educational process to act in the direction of dividing people, from childhood onward, into those who are led and those who lead, of whom the former are mainly familiar with unskilled labor necessary for their daily lives-and the latter mainly with the methods of management and the so-called higher manifestations of the human mind. Therefore, we have absolutely no need of universities which produce doctors, when the majority if those working in this field are destined to fulfill the duties of watchmen, nurses, orderlies; or lawyers when the majority will only be clerks; or professors-along with watchmen, or skilled technologists-along with miners.”

The educational system in its current form works in such a way to create a division of classes perpetuating a class divide which results in massive inequality. For example, a doctor of course will have a higher class standing than a nurse would. An individual who may have only the means to get an A.A will more than likely have a much lower class than a person who was born into wealth and receives a degree from an Ivy League School. The current education system is inept at healing divides but rather continues them.

Kroptkin also wrote,

“Repeating the formulation of Proudhon, we say: if a naval academy is not itself a ship with sailors who enjoy equal rights and receive and theoretical education, then it will produce not sailors but officers to supervise sailors; if a technical academy is not itself a factory, not itself a trade school, then it will produce foremen and managers and not workmen, and so on. WE DO NOT NEED PRIVILIGED ESTABLISHMENTS; we need neither universities nor technical academies nor naval academies created for the few; we need the school available for all.”

Quite simply he articulated that the educational system is only efficient at producing managers and workers….employers and employees. The system isn’t designed to ease a class divide and bring individuals together but rather quite the opposite. It only further separate and segregates classes. How can one argue that such a system in its current form is meant to end struggle? It is obviously not. Especially when one examines the monetary value attached with each level of education and examining lower class individuals access to such higher levels of education, which is very low compared to there wealthier counterparts. In its current form, it is a main tool in producing a class divide and inequality. We already are aware of the massive financial inequality between schools in regards to class structure mainly the schools in the lower class neighborhoods receive less funding than the one’s in high class ones. That of course serves in maintaining an underclass itself in another form.

The education system creates those who lead and those who serve basically. It establishes an order in which people are taught to also surrender to authority while grooming others to take authority and power. But only a few select are groomed to have those authoritative roles, those being the ones with the most wealth and influential background and have the opportunity to afford such a higher class of education and standing. Not the normal folk most often which continues the class struggle and cycle.

The society that Kroptkin talks about is itself exists in a futuristic world in which class struggle would not exist and the state would be abolished in favor of maximizing and individual’s freedom. He writes, “Therefore we of course consider that in a future society, education-which up to a certain limit will be defined by the society itself-will and must be compulsory.” He says that the education system in this future society would take the place of the government in its current form and serve as the educator of what the society deems fit while at the same time not producing class divides. Such a world seems utopian and unrealistic but it most be fulfilled to further progress individual freedoms and eliminate inequality and conflict. Reforming the education could help to get to such a society.

Philosophy Corner: Oneness

“Some time ago I figured out with the help of some reading that I can’t recall now that, if it’s true that we’re all from the center of a star, everything atom in each of us from the center of a star, then we’re all from the same thing, and even a coke machine or a cigarette butt on the street in Buffalo are made out of atoms that came from a star. They’ve all been recycled thousands of times as have you and I. So, if that is true, and I am everywhere in the universe, in an extended sense, and therefore, it’s only me out here, so what is there to be afraid of? What is there that needs solace-seeking? Nothing. There’s nothing to be afraid of, because it’s all us. So, I just have that as a backdrop, and I don’t have to go to it or think of it consciously. I’ve kind of accepted the idea that I’m perfectly safe and that life, nature, have waves and troughs, ups and downs, left and right, black and white, night and day, fall and winter, positive and negative. Everything has an opposite. If I have a bad time, I’ll have a good time coming. If it’s a good time, I’m prepared to have a bad time to sort of pay for it. So, nothing really upsets me.”

 

-George Carlin

 

We as people of this planet are clearly divided. Ethnocentrism, Religion, race and other various issues and cultural differences clearly separates us from a common goal that we all share……..happiness and survival. Now it is clear to me that such issues and devisive vices are imbedded in individuals from birth due to a wide range of environmental conditioning due to the surroundings that we live in. We live in a world where our cultural differences are valued a great deal therefore we base our behavior and reactions to others based on those ideals. But why???? Is tribalism a natural inclination or is it merely an adaptation based on years of separation based on culture and cosmetic physical features?

 

The creation of our universe is a huge wonder to many. Many theories have been developed and some have been accepted as dogma and fact such as the big bang or in religious circles mainly Christianity, the genesis and the story of Adam and Eve. Putting ones particular beliefs aside, all those different theories all derive from one basic event……………..that everything is derived from one source rather that be by the creation of God or some massive explosion of energy. ONE SOURCE………ONE EVENT…..ONE CREATION. Using that logic, it is more than safe to assume that everything in this universe and quite possibly others are intertwined if not merely on atomic structure alone. We are all made of atoms, Atoms often recycled and reused and we all originate historically from one singular massive creation. WE ARE ALL THE SAME!!!!!!!! WE ARE ALL ONE!!!!!!

 

Please don’t read this and wonder have I gone off the deep end because I haven’t at all. What I have done is come to the realization that our fate as humans, as a world, as a universe are all intertwined. Such philosophical thought has been for years discussed mainly from the likes of great philosophers to great thinkers like comedian George Carlin, but it never seems to resonate in people. They never can get beyond there tribalism and ethnocentrism to see that our natural inclination is more towards mutual aid and helping others because of the connection each human being and species share with each other. The connection however goes much farther than that though.

 

Recently I had the privilege of enjoying the outdoors free of the street lights. I actually had the opportunity to look at the stars with no obstruction and I was amazed at the beauty of nature and the universe. The feeling one gets is quite amazing when they take a minute to enjoy the sunset or enjoy the stars at night. Much more however is a feeling that the stars and sky are connected to me personally. That feeling has led me to believe that the same energy that flows in nature is the same that flows through the veins of all species and creations on this planet and others. It is the same life force that brings people together and same energy that gives people peace and solace when looking at the stars because the origins of there creation is rooted in the same as me, you, and any other creature. It is a force that ties this universe and everything in it together.  

 I am connected to that individual in Nepal or Afghanistan as much as I am connected to an person who lives in my neighborhood. Our current location geographically isn’t what connects us, more like what divides us. The fact that we were born to different families or in different locations is meaningless because we all come from the same source and creation. We all  come into existence via the same method. Simply put, we all share a sense of oneness. And it is that sense of oneness with your Creator and creation, universe, nature, and fellow man that people must realize and understand in order to overcome the simple division and cultural divide that plagues our society. It is that knowledge of deep connection to the universe and everything on it that people must see. Only then can unity occur globally on such a larger scale. Unity that this world much needs and desires for a better future.

Money, The Monetary System and Corruption

Today’s world seems to be a mess. I mean violence in the Middle East, violence in our own backyards, wide spread corruption and superficial materialism….its seems never ending. The problems affect everyone in some form of another. I mean it be pretty hard to find anyone who hasn’t been affected by violence or corrupt practices. It is a collective issue and problem. But all problems have an origin and beginning. I mean violence doesn’t spontaneously happen. Conflict doesn’t spring out of nowhere. People just out of nowhere get the urge to rob people out of fun and glee. Problems exist because of a cause.

 

The problems can be traced back to the monetary system, its existence, and its individualistic nature. If one is taught me, me, me, me, me, and the environment a person lives in supports such an ill mindset, than why should someone expect cooperation and civility? Why should a stockbroker care about his client’s personal well being when he defrauds them to make more money? The system dictates that ethics hinder success if it interferes with wealth accumulation.

 

The monetary system is of course the system that our whole life it seems is based on. Let’s face it; we are told that success is based on how much money one makes. The worth of a person is mainly judged by the riches they hold and individually what they can do for you. How is a system such as that ethical or anything positive? It isn’t!!!! If a monetary value is placed on everything than success is simply generating and “earning” as much wealth as possible. That’s the standard by which success is measured….MONEY. So really, screw my neighbor if he doesn’t help me get richer. Screw my friend is he isn’t productive to me. Corruption isn’t just a random behavior that exists in the system….CORRUPTION IS CAUSED BY THE SYSTEM AND IS A SYMPTON AND INDIVIDUALISM AND THE MONETARY SYSTEM IS THE DISEASE.

 

The system is made corrupt. Behavior is of course a product of one’s environment due to adaptation people make to be successful and thrive. Well the environment we live in supports the monetary system and its self centeredness. So obviously human beings adapt to the actions that the system requires to be successful, such behavior and actions which are not ethical. Corruption isn’t something done by a few “evil” people, it is behavior that is a product of the system. What the system also does is create a centralization of power. Power put into the hands of those who control a majority of the wealth the means by which is done through wage slavery.

 

Wage slavery refers to a situation where a person is dependent for a livelihood on the wages earned, especially if the dependency is total and immediate. It is the means by which humanity is controlled in order to work for the monetary system. Its basic, you have to have money to do anything in this world because of the system so people are forced to work in order to conform to the standards of success in the society, work often in labor without happiness or comfort. They become a slave to the dollar while chasing a Madison Avenue type dream. They are controlled in such a huge way because of the monetary system. Money is the vehicle in which authority is made and carried out. The system dictates it, which brings me to crime.

 

How can you blame monetary system for the existence of most crime? Well everything has a root or cause. Every action as I said has a reaction. Since exploitation is the means by which success is garnered mostly in a monetary system, than obviously that exploitation can have severe adverse repercussions. Poverty and the thirst of wealth are all effects of the monetary system so obviously in poverty, crime occurs. I mean when a human being is put in a situation where they must steal or do something bad to live, than chances are they are going to do what they have to do to survive. That is where conflict occurs. Like such great past philosophers have theorized,  conflict occurs due to oppression and class warfare….rich, poor and the battle between control of the monetary supply and its acquisition. Also as I have stated numerous times previously, in a monetary system, ethics and the value of human life is greatly reduced because of the system itself. Such is the occurrence of most crime…..because of the fight over money and all the factors surrounding it from poverty status to useless laws made by the wealthy to further maximize there fortune such as drug laws.

 

What am I calling for? I am quite simply calling for the abolishment of the monetary system. Such unjustified and unequal authority done via the monetary system is truly a nuisance, to say the least, to humanity. The value of man needs to be put back into his technological abilities and intellect, not his bank account and possessions. The means of control is exerted via money and authority will always manipulate and control the population as long such a horrible system exists. True Liberty and Freedom will never exist in such a system. There will always be conflict, struggle, and totalitarianism in some form or another as long was a profit based way of living is encouraged and rewarded. Our future as a society collectively depends on it.

 

 

More coming soon…………….

The Corporatocracy: Media Bias and Necessary Illusions

 

 

In today’s society, the biggest place where one gets it information is the television. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, even network news are the places where information on politics and everyday life is received. While many claim of a liberal media bias, I find that claim to be hilarious and a smoke screen for the bias that really occurs. The bias that occurs in news now is simple: it is corporate bias.

 

Anyone with a functioning cerebellum and cerebrum should know that the media or mainstream media is owned by corporations. Here is a quick rundown:

 

Fox News is owned by News Corp is one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. The companies chairman and founder is Rupert Murdoch. On 16 January 2009 the Government Accountability Office reported that News Corp has 152 subsidiaries in low-tax or no-tax countries, one of four companies to have more than 100 which are a clear indication of a corporation’s corruption and avoidance of paying its rightful amount of taxes. News Corp owns such operations as Fox News of course, The Weekly Standard, The New York Post, Dow Jones, Wall Street Journal, even Myspace. There bias is very clear seeing as the president of Fox News is Roger Ailes, a notable republican consultant and campaign manager. There influence of the positive portrayals of war is evident as well.

 

 NBC, an outlet accused of being “liberal”, is owned by General Electric, probably the biggest corporation in America. There offshoots of course include MSNBC as well as a few others. General Electric has a history of large scaled pollution so there support for climate changed based initiatives on there networks should be alarming to people. Should we be in favor of such initiatives if such a corporation with strong histories of polluting the earth now supports “earth changing” plans? Doesn’t it sound like they support those initiatives only to lace their already fat pockets? Maybe it’s a change of heart or maybe it’s just another way of keeping the corporatocracy in place.

 

CBS is owned by CBS Corporation or previously known as Viacom. They own numerous media outlets such as MTV, BET, VH1 (Viacom that is). They are huge media conglomerates with rooted corporate interests same as with CNN who is owned by corporation Time Warner, and ABC news which is owned by the Walt Disney Corporation which owns ESPN and other outlets, companies that in a midst of an economic recession make billions of dollars in profits.

 

Today’s media has become a total travesty and mockery of the press described and thought of in our nation’s founding. Rather than becoming a critic of the corporatocracy and governmental policies not in the interest of the people, the media has become the 4^th branch of the government and is influenced heavily by the corporatocracy because it is owned by it. The mainstream media and information it spews is meant solely to sell advertisement space (hence more entertainment, dumbed down programming) and influence the masses which is done in such a way to support the affairs of the government.

 

One could say, look at FOX news and you will see governmental opposition. The response to that is simple…..Necessary Illusions. Is anyone reading this going to tell me with a serious face that FOX doesn’t support things such as the War in Afghanistan or interventionist foreign policies like the current and past administration do? FOX, MSNBC, CNN doesn’t support free trade which ships jobs overseas? Of course they do. The big issues are never talked about on the mainstream news such as the ponzi scheme known as the Federal Reserve or the corruption that takes place in our foreign policy. The debate is always framed in such a safe way that the meaningless issues are always hyped up to be big will the huge issues  are swept aside as conspiratorial theories and insignificant with no leg to stand on. It’s perplexing to say the least.

 

Here’ an excerpt from Professor Noam Chomsky’s book Necessary Illusions:

 

“Perhaps it is worth stressing a point that should be obvious. If the media function as predicted by the propaganda model, then they must present a picture of the world that is tolerably close to reality, even if only a selective version. Investors have to make judgments based on the facts of the real world, and the same is true of state managers. Privileged and politically active elites, who rely on the media, must have some awareness of basic realities if they are to serve their own interests effectively and play their social roles. Often, these realities demonstrate the ineptness, incompetence, corruption, and other failings of the state managers and their policies. These realities are detectable, even emphasized, in the media, and would be even if their sole function were to provide services to the powerful. To appeal to these facts to show that the media do not attempt to “mobilize bias” is to betray a serious misunderstanding of social realities.”

 

What he is saying is pretty simple. The media gives a version of reality through its broadcasting as close to reality as possible to give the illusion of it having no bias. But it in the end, the news gives a distorted version of reality, putting the blames in the political arena for example on the democrats or republicans when both parties are owned by fellow members of the corporatocracy. The reality shown on the mainstream media is not what really occurs in reality.

This is another excerpt:

“Debate cannot be stilled, and indeed, in a properly functioning system of propaganda, it should not be, because it has a system-reinforcing character if constrained within proper bounds. What is essential is to set the bounds firmly. Controversy may rage as long as it adheres to the presuppositions that define the consensus of elites, and it should furthermore be encouraged within these bounds, thus helping to establish these doctrines as the very condition of thinkable thought while reinforcing the belief that freedom reigns. “

This excerpt says that the debate you watch on television news outlets are real debates but are debates set within a specific boundary acceptable to the corporatocracy. The real issues as I said are very rarely talked about because of its truth and importance and anti-corporate and anti-state views. True criticism is always constrained to not really attack the underlying issues of the governmental corruptions such as the Bush Administration’s clear corruption. They (the Bush Administration) were betrayed in a way that controlled dissent and support occurred in the masses without people realizing that they were just shrills for the real culprit, the corporatocracy.

 

Be weary of the information you watch on television because the aspects that own and control the companies that make such programming do so with a purpose in mind. Most of it is done to influence public opinion and mold the minds of individuals around safe and set ideologies, ideologies that sound nice but really are different sides of the same coin. Left, Right, democrat, republican, are virtually the same thing. Disinformation and anti-intellectuism occurs in the population as a result of the media’s refusal to cover important issues because of the corporate aspects that own such information venues. It is what is called, Necessary Illusions.

 

More on this coming soon……..

Gun Rights, NRA, and Plaxico Burress

 

 

Former Giants Wide Receiver Plaxico Burress was recently indicted by a New York grand jury on weapons charges. Last year, Burress carried a gun in his pants to a night club and accidentally shot himself in the leg.

 

http://www.njcriminaldefensejournal.com/2009/03/articles/recent-court-cases/update-on-the-plaxico-burress-gun-possession-case/

 

 

What troubles me about this case, besides the obvious issue of someone carrying a firearm into a nightclub, is the fact that we have yet to hear the NRA (National Rifle Association) come to the defense of Burress. Yes the same NRA who defends legislation of men carrying firearms into drunken bars in Arizona. The same NRA who hates lawmakers who stop the sale of automatic weapons. The same NRA who would defend a 9 year old white kid’s right to bear arms if necessary. Why are they not defending Plaxico Burress? The NRA was supposedly strongly against the gun law that Burress broke. Why are they not telling there republican congressmen on their payroll to launch press conferences in defense of an individual’s right to carry there weapons? Why it seems the silence? It leads me to believe that it has to be one controversial thing: race.

 

Doesn’t Plaxico Burress have the right to bare arms NRA as much as his white counterparts? According to Burress’s friends, the gun was registered to him and he previously had a carrier permit which apparently had expired previously but just recently before the nightclub even happened. So why is Burress getting vilified as if he is the devil reincarnate. The gun went off of course which is a danger to many surrounding him which I feel deserves fierce criticism. However, let’s say a white man who was a member of the NRA had carried a handgun with him into a bar and it discharged unintentionally and was arrested by law enforcement. I am willing to guarantee that the NRA and other conservative gun groups would have been at the man’s defense in a second. The case wouldn’t have even made it to trial and republican commentators would have been on the news yelling the 2^nd Amendment while drinking champagne in the supposed victory in the name of constitutional rights.

 

Why does it seem to me that the 2^nd Amendment and the right to bare arms only applies to white people? An African American with a firearm is treated like a threat to humanity while when a white man “accidentally” shoots his friend in the face (cough….Dick Cheney), it gets laughed off like a simple mistake and joke. Why the double standard? Does the Bill Of Rights only apply to whites? It seems that way and is treated that way. The NRA and there racist hypocrisy shows quite clearly in this case. It really makes no sense. Does a black man not have the right to bare arms? Obviously not in the NRA’s eyes.

The NRA’s response or lack thereof is of course not surprising. I mean this is the same organization that was against legislation for background checks on people who seek to buy automatic weapons. Seriously, why does someone need an automatic rifle to protect them from a robber or go hunting? I mean if you have that many enemies that you need an M16 to protect you, maybe you are the problem. And if you can’t hit a deer with a semi rifle, perhaps you should hit the gun range a little more, but I digress. The Plaxico Burress case is a clear example of black disenfranchisement when it comes to the Bill of Rights. The huge one is of course free speech which exists only when you aren’t talking or yelling at a police officer in your own home (i.e Professor Gates and Sgt. Crowley case). Free speech for blacks doesn’t exist when it comes to talking to cops or governmental officials. The 2^nd Amendment doesn’t exist either it seems when it comes to blacks/Latinos having firearms. Either you allow minorities the right to bare arms and defend them in cases in which arms are present as much as you do whites, or you shut the hell up totally about gun rights. Simple as that.

The Music in Our Lives

Look at these excerpts and verses from some songs and think about each of them.

 

1)

“I make it winter time in the summer I be throwin throwin throwin bombs like a bomber
I be selling bricks use to sell them knicks I be pimping girls man them girls be turnin tricks”

 

 

2)

“Anthrax lab on a West Virginia farm, shorty ain’t learned to walk already heavily armed
civilians and little children is especially harmed, camouflaged Torahs, Bibles and glorious qurans”

 

Which verse holds more importance and strength? Is it the one talking about American terrorism or is it the one where the individual is talking about himself “pimping” girls?

 

3)

“I ain’t kinda hot I’m sauna, I sweat money and the bank is my shower, Ha ha and the pistol is my shower, Ha ha stop sweatin? Me coward”

 

 

4)

“Crying from the next room a baby in need of some pampers and some food and a place to sleep, That plus a black Cadillac on D’s, Is what keep him on track to be a great MC”

 

Which set of lyrics are more uplifting and hold more substance? The one that talks about the person sweating money or the one that talks about a person wanting to become great to provide for his child?

 

The issue at hand it is, what kind of music do we like? Really, what kind of artists do we prefer? Do we prefer to be purely entertained in our music? And if it is entertainment that we require, than what does that say about what is entertainment to us and what gets our attention?

 

The first set of lyrics was from a rapper known as Gucci Mane. He is very popular know among “the streets” now. His lyrics are reminiscent of a Big Daddy Kane style where he talks about his possessions in a flashy way from jewellery to even women as possessions. Also he raps about narcotics as well in a glorifying light. Is he a shining example of what we as African Americans or even people overall should put on a pedestal in terms of music?

 

The 2^nd verse comes from an artist known as Lupe Fiasco. To the common perception in “the streets”, he is known as I guess “green” or “not hood”, besides that fact that he is from the “hood” and often raps about it. The verse in which that song comes from is a song called “American Terrorist” where he talks about American terrorism from past oppression and such. Now really, is that song’s subject more influential and important in your life or is Gucci’s song about “pimping women” more important than understanding the societal factors of oppression?

 

The 3^rd verse I quoted was from a very popular rapper known as Lil Wayne in which he talks about himself, himself, and again himself. While his metaphors at first were somewhat impressive, his style is still the same and lyrics virtually haven’t changed in the past two years. But, he is still popular. Very popular in fact, his lyrics are quoted often by friends on such social networking sites such as facebook. But why is he so popular is the question I ask? When is the last time he has rapped about something substantive? The lyrics in which I quoted were total nonsense. I mean what is he saying that helps you know more or learn?

 

The 4^th verse I quoted was again from Lupe Fiasco where he talks about a struggling rapper who seeks to provide for his family through becoming a hip hop artist. I mean, isn’t that something that people should be interested in… the struggles of society and bettering yourself and the inspiration messages behind it? Why is it that the artists that praise the materialistic are loved but the ones who educate and help are labelled as green?

 

A like-minded friend of mine told me that the problem with music isn’t the artists but the audience. I disagreed with him but the more I think about it, the more I know he was right. What gets our attention now is complete garbage from our music to even our choice in mates. We want the flashy but not the real. We want the shiny paint but not the engine. Makes no sense. The fact that Soulja Boy sold that many records is completely vexing.

 

What entertains us, especially when the entertainment has no substance, at times is completely detrimental to us. Maybe not physically but mentally it significantly it is. It affects our intellectual growth. How can you be aware of the societal changes happening around you when all you care about in your life and the music you listen to is about hoes and clothes? How can you seek a better understanding of life and your future when you don’t seek to listen to artist who talks about such?

Music is a very important factor in our lives, mainly because it serves as a base of information to some. It influences and teaches directly and at times indirectly. The question is what do you want to know and learn? Do you wish to know about how society works and changing things through listening to such inspirational artists such as Tupac or Lupe or would you rather like to know bout poppin pills or being bloodied? Do you wish to learn how to do a dance in the club or know the reasons for why kids in Africa are being killed or becoming soldiers(i.e Lupe’s Little Weapon and Conflict Diamonds)? Do you wish to have knowledge about the reasons why things are considered “cool” or is a man taking about HIS MONEY more important? It is all up to you, the listener.

 

 

“Some of the cool things in this world are the most self-destructive things. We chase the cool, as we chase status symbols, or living beyond our means to appease our vanity or appease other people, which is in itself a form of vanity.” -Lupe Fiasco

Police State

Have we become a police state in this country?

 

 http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/21/massachusetts.harvard.professor.arrested/index.html?iref=topnews

I mean seriously do cops have the ability to arrest you for arguing with them……………….IN YOUR OWN HOUSE??? Forget the racism angle because  Professor Gates may have assumed Sgt. Crowley was a racist, maybe but how is Professor Gates, an elderly man who walks with a cane, worthy of getting arrested? For talking smack to a cop on his own property? When did that become an arrestable offense? Disorderly conduct….yeah right….ON HIS OWN PROPERTY?!?!?!?!?!? And if it was “disorderly conduct’, as the charge was when Professor Gates was arrested, why did they drop the charges? That enough right there warrants an apology from Sgt. Crowley. And there have been many who has taken Sgt. Crowly’s side and thinks Professor Gates should apologize as if he is the aggressor. The worst excuse I heard for the arrest was from Mark Fuhrman(that name in itself makes you laugh) that Professor Gates could have “excited a riot”………………A RIOT!!!! Are you serious……a senior citizen could have caused a riot????

 

The Massachusetts Penal Code does not allow a police officer to arrest a man just because the individual was being stupidly belligerent especially on his own property.

Here is a brief summary of the law:

 

“It has to be a behavior that might cause a riot. Massachusetts courts have limited the definition of disorderly conduct to: fighting or threatening, violent or tumultuous behavior, or creating a hazardous or physically offensive condition for no legitimate purpose other than to cause public annoyance or alarm. (The statute, however, just says “idle and disorderly persons,” a formulation that is, on its own, patently unconstitutional.) Violators may be imprisoned for up to six months, fined a maximum of $200, or both.”

So you’re telling me that yelling at a police officer in your own house is behavior that might cause a riot? That’s completely ridiculous.

 

Whatever happened to the 1^st Amendment? Free speech…..does that still exist? I mean these police officers, we pay there salaries!!! They work for us!!! They are supposed to protect and serve not just arrest and intimidate. It’s complete……CRAP. I hate the argument that Sgt. Crowly risked his life to go and check the house…….RISKED HIS LIFE???? Against who???? A senior citizen man who probably takes geritol and Metamucil caps with every meal??? It is absolute absurdity. Also the argument that, “these cops risk their lives on these streets everyday”…….well they do in some cases but……..ummmm….didn’t they choose that job? I mean risk their lives…….then what are the gun, taser, and bulletproof vest for? The real heroes (U.S soldiers) who are fighting in war don’t even have vests in some cases!!!!

 

Now this isn’t a “bash the cops” blog/rant because a lot of them do there jobs and actually protect and serve. The thing is there has been a lot of episodes recently of police officers overstepping their bounds from tasing old women, beating up black paramedics, to even crashing into an elderly man’s car and killing him all to catch a guy on suspicion of “excessive tint”. Is that the kind of America you want to live in? Where police have the power to control your freedoms at there discretion? Of course not, our freedoms and civil liberties should never be oppressed especially………….ON OUR OWN PROPERTY!!!!!!

 

 

 

“Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither”

-Benjamin Franklin

True Crime

“If one individual inflicts a bodily injury upon another which leads to the death of the person attacked we call it manslaughter; on the other hand, if the attacker knows beforehand that the blow will be fatal we call it murder. Murder has also been committed if society places hundreds of workers in such a position that they inevitably come to premature and unnatural ends. Their death is a violent as if they had been stabbed or shot…….Murder has been committed if society knows perfectly well that thousands of workers cannot avoided being sacrificed so long as these conditions are allowed to continue. Murder of this sort is just as culpable as the murder committed by an individual.

 

-Frederick Engels

The Condition of the Working Class in England

 

What is crime? Really what is it? Not the mainstream definition or one from Websters but what is your personal definition? Now you may answer anything where harm is put upon another or any other answer along those lines and you would be correct with that statement. Such things as assault, murder, other acts of violence, stealing etc are all apart of that definition. But really in a deeper sense what is crime?

 

I recently on a facebook status asked my friends to imagine a crime being created. I asked them to imagine an act against the law being done. Then I asked what does that person look like? Chances are to the uninformed individual, they would picture a poor person who is more than likely a minority. They would picture a poor black person or poor Hispanic person committing the crime as opposed to a wealthy white person defrauding millions and stealing billions. Isn’t it funny how crime is portrayed in America? It is portrayed by the ones with the power as mainly acts of the poor and mainly acts made by minorities and the disenfranchised.

 

Lets be real here, crimes are deemed crimes by laws of the land. Laws didn’t just magically spring up, they were created. They were obviously made by people, whom of which we should know, aren’t poor people. They aren’t disenfranchised people and 99% of the time, they aren’t minorities. They are rich and elite individuals and they obviously have an axe to grind. One could reply that they are acting in the best interests of the people and in most cases it is true but I am not that naïve to believe that is the whole reason. And what is that axe you may say? Well that axe is pretty simple according to Marxian Criminology; it is to keep the poor, poor and the disenfranchised, disenfranchised.

 

The crimes that the poor commits has of course negative and deadly effects at times. Robbery which poor individuals may do can lead to death and is a violent crime and is worth the criminal being put into jail. But then the question which everyone tends to ignore is, why does that poor person rob? Why does he steal? Could it be because he is poor? Could it be because he/she lacks opportunities in economic downturns? Could it be because he has to survive? Now of course there are many cases where the person who steals does it not out of survival but out of malice but that is often not the case. However, the poor person may steal 100 dollars from a gas station, how about the guy on Wall Street defrauding millions of investors? He isn’t hurting for survival but obviously ran by greed. These cases are happening all the time but they are never classified to the public as being dangerous or newsworthy. Who is affected more by the two cases, the one person who gets robbed for a nights work by the poor in what is often an act of common survival or the rich tycoon who steal billions of dollars and thousands of peoples lifetimes work or retirement savings? It is obvious that the latter is much worse and affects a much more people than the poor guy’s crime. But which is seen in the media as worse?

 

This crappy standard even applies to murder cases. A poor guy living in the projects kills 2 in an act of rage. He didn’t plan on doing the deed but his emotions go the best of him and in a time of passion he committed a crime against humanity. That is a despicable thing and no remorse is shown here by this writer. However, how about the rich construction supervisor who falsifies safety reports in an urge to save money and on his site, four of his workers die from some bad accident which could have been avoided if the supervisor hadn’t have been so obsessed with saving money and cutting corners. Shouldn’t the supervisor been known as a murderer as well and charged with murder? He knowingly didn’t watch out for his workers safeties which lead to deaths. Why in the media is the man who killed in a state of passion known as the deviant killer who shouldn’t see light anymore, but the supervisor is only given at the most a slap on the wrist and a hefty fine and seem no as a bad guy? Something is off in that picture isn’t it? They both are killers and should be held accountable in a court of law but the supervisor case should be considered more atrocious. He knew what could happen but didn’t care. Shouldn’t he be prosecuted much more severely?

 

But of course, not all laws are designed to keep the poor, poor of course. Laws such seatbelts law serves a seemingly good purpose it seems. But other more serious laws exist but they don’t seem to exist to certain segment of the population. If I was charged with murder being a minority and all and not having access to the best lawyers and whatnot, chances are if the prosecution wanted a conviction even without much evidence, they would get one. However, a rich white male chances, better yet a rich person in general, even if the evidence against him is huge, he will have a much better chance of getting off than I would which isn’t equal in the eyes of the man made laws. Therefore it seems that in serious cases, laws are prosecuted to the fullest extent when a poor person does it which fuels the prison industrial complex and keeps a permanent poor in place. And with the help of the media and its wealthy owners, the perception is continuously indoctrinated into the minds of the unknowing viewer and molds their thoughts and mindset. Crime it seems is only crime when a select segment of the country does it.

 

 

True Crime to me isn’t the unbalanced mainstream definition of the law; it is THE UNBALANCED EXECUTION OF THE LAW. THAT IS THE TRUE CRIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Men/Women and Gender Roles

Gender role and orientation has been alive really since the start of history and exists in every fabric of our life. Men are supposed to be the “macho” guys and bring home the bread while women are known as the nurturers in many circles that take care of the household. While this stigma has been prevalent for centuries, it is starting to erode and knowledge of gender roles is starting to come out with more education. However, gender role and orientation still exists and is still alive and well. One case that I have seen this is in the judgment of the Chris Brown/Rihanna saga.

 

As you all of you may know if you haven’t been hiding under a rock for the past year, there was a physical altercation between Rihanna and her boyfriend Chris Brown. Apparently there were arguing while Chris was driving and she began to scratch and slap him. Then, according to the mainstream, he began to hit back and choke her and even made her get out of the vehicle while in semi-motion. While this does constitute an assault in the eyes of the law and society and it is, is it right for Chris Brown to be signaled out as the main villain in this scenario because he is a man?

 

Now I understand that most men can have superior physical strength contrasts to some women, but does that mean that when a woman assaults a man, she shouldn’t be held to the same standard in a court of law and public opinion? Just recently there was a case where a woman stabbed a man but got off scot-free. If the tables were turned however, the man would have probably been jailed for decades. Does the equality of sexes only exist in certain cases?

 

Me personally I would never lay a hand on a woman but that isn’t because I feel superior to women. It is because I don’t prefer violence in any situation. It seems public opinion is still chauvinistic in many ways from the handling of men/woman violence cases to even religion where even God has to be a man and can’t be classified as a woman. The issue of equality can’t just exist when it fits the purposes and perspective of certain parties involve, but it must exist in all circumstances and must be treated like so in public opinion.

 

I believe the media and mainstream public opinion is treating Rihanna with kid care gloves as if women never does anything to provoke men. Let me repeat this again…NEVER HIT WOMEN AND I WILL NEVER HIT A WOMAN…..but shouldn’t that same standard be applied to women as well? Shouldn’t women be told to never hit men, too?  Treating the situation differently only strengthens the complex that men are superior to women, which I don’t believe is the true.

 

For years, gender orientation has given men and women certain roles through the disguise of being “normal”. Men should be the strong one while women should be the support system, which is a very chauvinistic way of thinking. Such stereotypes still exists in huge numbers and I am sure you can name many. That way of thinking only weakens the equality that the women’s suffrage movement fought for. Both men and women should be treated equal in all cases or you succumb to the dishonest gender roles that have plagued society in the past. No exceptions!!!!