Untitled

Everyday
The whole day long
Everyday
The same tired song
Feeling parallel parked
In a diagonal world
This way and that
Our image tossed and twirled
Hope and change vowed on the campaign
Yet we’re going down the same road again
Hope we’re not being used as political bait
Change how we think, let’s try to relate
That airing dirty laundry doesn’t make it suddenly clean
Stand up with a solution, a suggestion, I mean
We sit and we watch as we’re thrown under the bus
And no one says anything because “it’s just us”
So when does it stop, when does it end
How can we bring about a positive spin
We all aren’t lowlifes and tricks on the street
We got to school and work, have ends to meet
I want hope and change that I can follow
Not just words all too soon ringing hollow
Dark as midnight
We hear all the time
If not midnight
Then 11:59
Was the day originally meant for celebration
For good fathers to enjoy a moments elation
Not mentions of men with the backbones of squid
To overshadow the positive and good they did
It’s not that the message lacked real truth
Just that the timing was a bit uncouth
You can’t succeed
And then proceed
To bash us when the heat gets hotter
Our image and esteem your political fodder
We have problems yes, I’ll admit that’s so
So I’m not saying toss them out the window
The only thing I’m really trying to say
In perhaps my own misguided way
Is that continually speaking of the negative without
Offering solutions is no doubt
The quickest way to lose integrity
Not to mention it’s the epitome
of efforts done in futility.

© Missy 2008

myeishaspeaks@gmail.com

Renaissance, New Millennium, New Millennium, diagonal world, change, hope, futility, negativity, positivity, Barack Obama, poetry, social commentary, politics

Indigenous Tribe of the Amazon

I was immensely fascinated by the story of the indigenous tribe found deep in the Amazon jungle. Seeing is definitely believing and I think it’s beautiful that there are tribes of people out there that live according to thousands of years of tradition rather than the latest five-second technological fad. Jose Carlos dos Reis Meirelles, an expert on un-contacted tribes at Funai states that the indigenous tribe was photographed to prove they exist. Obviously, there are some out there that didn’t believe or didn’t care. Also quite obviously, this has more to do with the land they are on than the well being of the people.

Now that the world knows of their existence, hopefully we can work together to help maintain their way of life. I admit that I am not particularly hopeful and am rather fearful for their continued existence. Historically, Indigenous peoples all over the world have not fared well and they somehow always end up with the short end of the stick -- and a substantially smaller portion of land.
It was stated that in the past, within the first 12 months of contact with the outside world, around 50% of other “unknown” indigenous communities have been lost.

As I type, I’m sure there is a specialized focus group of highly paid corporate consultants thinking of a ways to put a spin on things to justify moving these people so that their oil or logging companies can move in. Sure, right now we hear cute stories about how fascinating it is. I fear that pretty soon, the media will let the words “savages” and possibly “cannibal” slip. Then, there won’t be a man, woman or child alive that will think that these people should be left as they were. Unfortunately that is the true nature of our capitalistic society. If you’re not making money for yourself or somebody else, you’re a drain on society. We do not appreciate nor attempt to understand the traditional culture and values of any indigenous people and we don‘t realize that they have as much to teach us as we think we have to teach them.

We may be on the cutting-edge of technology but we lag far behind in traditional values.

copyright © 2008 Missy

myeishaspeaks@gmail.com

Renaissance, The New Millennium, rain forests, indigenous, South American jungles, Jose Carlos dos Reis Meirelles, Funai, savages, cannibals, cannibals, cutting-edge, traditional values

Ghetto Summers (part 7 of 7)

GHETTO SUMMERS

Three holidays, in the summertime,

the backdrop for my ghetto rhyme.

Memorial Day finds me on my way,

to a shore,

a shore with a boardwalk, a bikini, and, a party.

I depart, for a moment, from the confines of my beloved ghetto,

to the clean, endless sand of a Virginian beach.

In July, I depart, for a moment,

to pay homage to someone else’s beloved ghetto.

I depart to the smell of charcoal, of hot dogs.

In someone else’s beloved ghetto,

I taste of cooking put to good use,

and, lay low with a gin and juice.

September finds me at home,

enjoying the sights, enduring the sounds,

feasting on the aromas of a rapidly fleeing ghetto summer.

Money’s too short, now, for one last

trip to that shore of sand, bikinis, and, parties.

So, September finds me at home.

I can’t pay homage to another’s beloved ghetto,

as their money is too short to entertain.

Therefore, September finds me at home.

So, the distinct smell of charcoal

gives way to

the distinct smell of hot dogs and burgers,

gives way to

the distinct smell of ribs and gin,

but,

with city workers on strike, again,

it all gives way to

the distinct aroma of festering ghetto garbage.

copyright © 09.07.1997 blackstarr

blackstarr52@gmail.com

Renaissance, The New Millennium, ghetto summers, poetry, poetry, Virginia Beach, bar-b-ques and cookouts, gin and juice, garbage strike

Ghetto Summers (part 6)

Shorty

I see what they cannot.

They are trained,

and, I am not,

yet, I see what they cannot.

That’s why Shorty sells the drug

that’s on the one.

Out in the open, for all to see,

Shorty, without shame, disrespects me.

Yes, he politely speaks each time I pass.

But,

he buffs his Lex, and, makes it shine,

then, laughs at the Malibu that I claim as mine.

New Chucks, big bucks;

vintage wine, and, a brand new vine,

Shorty sells the drug that is on the one.

Anonymously tipped,

with names, and places, and, dates, and, faces,

those who are trained

cannot see what I see.

Yes, I see what they cannot.

They are trained, and, I am not.

Therefore, from the rising moon to the rising sun,

Shorty sells the drug that is on the one.

copyright © 09.07.1997 blackstarr

Blackstarr52@gmail.com

Renaissance, New Millennium, ghetto summers, drugs, Lexus, Chucks, poetry, social commentary

Now what?

Although Obama's winning the Democratic nomination is an historic event, I have to say that he was not my first choice. I’m reminded of an online friend from Chattanooga who foretold this very thing. During an online chat, she mentioned his name as I Googled him on another page. My first thought was . . . ”He won’t get too far with THAT name”. Patiently abiding my ignorance, she encouraged me to look into his record to see what he had accomplished and told me to get over the name thing.

Sage advice that I didn’t follow.

Little did I know that some few months later the very same man would throw his hat into the presidential ring. Normally, I have about a three-second memory when something doesn’t interest me, but even I would be hard pressed not to remember the name “Barack Obama“. Had I maintained contact with my online chat buddy, I would have told her how right she had been and how totally wrong I was.

So, here we are with Obama possibly being our next president and I am 100% on board the “Change Train.” As the saying goes “better late than never”. He has made a believer out of me but, he has to know that even as his greatest supporter, if/when he takes office, I will also be his harshest critic. Gone are the days of electing politicians to office and not holding them accountable for their actions. I think back to all of the hype given to our having a Democratic Congress . . . and well, now what? What have they done? I certainly expected a lot more than I got in that deal.

Of Obama I ask, “Now what?“ First item up is who he will choose as a running mate. I know the world is sitting on pins and needles as am I. I am not wholeheartedly opposed to Hillary Clinton being Vice President (VP). She can help unify the Democrats and bring everyone together to oppose John McCain. Additionally, she has that cutthroat mentality that is sometimes needed in the political arena. Barack will always have to “watch his six” with her as his VP and I'm sure he knows that. With his life already potentially in danger, he doesn’t need the added pressure of in-house fighting.

Presently, with Hillary Clinton stopping short of conceding the race, she is doing significantly more harm than good. Soon enough, even her own supporters will turn on her. If the ultimate victory of the Democratic Party is of any real importance to her, she will stop passing up perfectly good opportunities to help bring the voters together. Right now, it's "all about Hillary". She's making it personal when it's really about the people. Someone should tap her on the shoulder and remind her. In her quest to win, it looks like she forgot.

I don’t know what McCain has in store for Obama but I know he will come out fighting. He has yet to put up his fists because Clinton is doing such a great job of doing it for him. She just went down in flames and it appears as if she wants to take the party with her.

A house divided can not stand. The Democrats divided can not win.

copyright © 2008 Missy

myeishaspeaks@gmail.com

Renaissance, New Millennium, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, nomination, politics, presidential election

Supreme Discrimination

I heard it first from Afro-American Writer in her weekly wrap-up of the news. I then checked out the information that she presented. It is more than reasonable to conclude that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a dangerous man. Unfortunately, he is not alone. He has an entire panel of cronies, er . . . justices at his side. THEY are a dangerous team! There was a decision made on April 28, 2008 that upheld an earlier decision by a lower court to require Indiana residents to provide photo-identification in order to vote. The vote was split 6-3. Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, John Paul Stevens, John Roberts and Anthony Kennedy voted to uphold the lower court decision. Dissenting were Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter. While the state of Indiana offers free photo identification, residents are first required to provide proof of residence. The Indiana Primary will be held this coming Tuesday, May 6, 2008. Is there time enough for the elderly, minorities, and the poor to obtain the proper identification by May 6^th? It’s doubtful.

How many of us actually know how much power The Supreme Court holds? When a position becomes available and a candidate is offered, how many of us get involved? It’s time that we understand the inner workings of the court. We need to understand what consequences arise from the decisions made by our justices. We need to understand that the decisions made by these justices, for the most part, are the key elements of the disenfranchisement of the elderly, the poor, and minorities.

The first thing that needs to be understood is that the justices who make the decisions that affect our lives do so with their own personal ideals and their own personal sense of reasoning. That means that what a particular justice believes in his or her heart influences the way in which they decide. That’s only natural. While it is difficult to determine what a person feels in their heart, it is important to understand what he or she outwardly feels. One would argue that a potential judicial candidate, much like a politician, can say just about anything that the citizens want to hear. So, how do we go about the task of making the decision as to who is best for the job? It is accomplished by reviewing past decisions that were made when they served as justices of a lower court.

The consequences which arise from the decisions rendered are far-reaching. What is of utmost importance is the realization that The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. When The Supreme Court rules on a constitutional issue, that judgment is virtually final; its decisions can be altered only by the rarely used procedure of constitutional amendment or by a new ruling of The Supreme Court. That means that once The Supreme Court makes its decision, that’s basically it. There is always the option of appeal, a rare occurrence, but that only means that you are sending the case back to the same justices who ruled upon it in the first place.

That brings us back to the primaries of Indiana, and the idea of legal discrimination as a result of disenfranchisement. That is precisely what The Supreme Court did to the voters of Indiana on April 28, 2008: the institution of legal discrimination. This sort of thing can be avoided. We must pay particularly close attention to who is being offered up as our supreme decision makers. We must review the rulings that that they have handed down before being nominated for The Supreme Court. We must look at their records and ask ourselves the question “Is this a person with whom I want to entrust my life? The question must be asked “How has his or her previous rulings affected me and those about whom I care?” You must ask yourself whether this person is looking out for your well-being or is this person looking to use The Supreme Court as his or her own playground, a playground in which they realize all too well that they are the supreme rulers. Do any particular justices names come to mind?

I will return soon with more information regarding Supreme Discrimination.

This is blackstarr saying “Vive La Renaissance!”

Blackstarr52@gmail.com

copyright © 2008 blackstarr

Renaissance, New Millennium, Scalia, Thomas, discrimination, Indiana, The Supreme Court, Alito, justice, disenfranchisement

Up, up, and away!

I can remember very vividly the little store that was across the street from our house while I was in grade school. It was like a corner store, but, it wasn’t quite on the corner. You could buy bread, two-for-a-penny cookies, and just about every little household item that came to mind. The thing that I remember the most (after the cookies, of course) was the Philadelphia Daily News. It sold for three (3) cents. After a while, it went up to a nickel. Before long people were starting to say “When it hits a quarter, I’m not buying it anymore”. I haven’t bought one in ages, but, that’s only because I switched to the Philadelphia Inquirer. I don’t know what the Inquirer sold for back then, but, both papers are now up to about seventy-five (75) cents – and the sales are still flourishing.

I got a little older, and I remember riding on our public transit system, Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC), which was twenty-five (25) cents to ride. That fare also included a pass, if you wanted one. You could get all around town for less than fifty (50) cents. When the price started to rise, everyone said that “when it reaches a dollar, that’s it – I’ll stop riding it”. PTC – it was such a small name. It turned into the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Its name was not the only thing that grew in size - it now costs two (2) dollars just to get on the bus, then, an additional sixty (60) cents for a transfer, purportedly the highest fare in the nation. It’s the only game in town, outrageously priced, and the ridership is as it was at a quarter a pop.

A few years passed by, and high school came along. That’s when I picked up that disgusting addiction to tobacco. Ah, KOOLS! Now, the neighborhood choice is Newports. Back then, if memory serves me correctly, a pack went for about $1.50. I’m sure that you can imagine what was said when the price started to rise: “When they reach $2.00 a pack, I’m quitting”. I’ve switched to a less rough smoke, now, but, the last time that I looked, Newports were up to about $4.65 a pack. People complain, but, they drop the cash on the counter and walk out with nicotine in hand.

I was proud to be the Valedictorian when I graduated high school, but, the summer following the 11^th grade found me and my best friend forced to attend summer school to make up for our lousy math grade. It wasn’t that the grades were so bad (although I hated and stunk at math). We angered our math teacher, missed an all-important test, and he refused to budge. My friend had his driver’s license, so his dad allowed him to use the car for us to get back and forth to school for the summer. Now listen up, young’uns, because I wouldn’t lie – we pooled my fifty (50) cents and his fifty (50) cents to get gas. We went to school, drove around the neighborhood afterwards, and still had plenty gas to make it home! Everyone said, when the price started to rise, “When it reaches $1.50 a gallon, I’m going to have to find another way around”. Today, when I got gas, the price was a whopping $3.59 a gallon and, I had to wait in line at the pump!

This is where it stops. I’m not sure what the solution is, but, we need one and soon. If anyone has any suggestions, by all means, speak up. For now, I am starting a nationwide boycott – the Great Gas Out. Not to worry, as I don’t mean tomorrow. Here’s what I’d like to do. We had a Black Out last summer, a boycott in which no one (at least African-Americans) was to buy anything on that particular day. The point was to show that we had great economic buying power and that power needs to be recognized. I want to start one in the same spirit, one which is all-inclusive - the entire nation. I’m going to need your help to spread the word. I figure that Saturdays and Sundays are the days when most people can most afford not to gas up, considering the fact that just about everyone has to be to work during the week. I want to shoot for Saturday, June 14, 2008. That should give everyone enough time to spread the word. We will not stop at the pumps on that day and see what effect it has on the pockets of the greedy. If it works, and it should, we’ll do it again on Saturday, June 21, 2008.

Every time you send an e-mail, put a note/reminder at the bottom of it to let everyone know about the boycott. Blog about it – The Great Gas Out. Put a reminder at the bottom of your posts, reminding people of the Great Gas Out. Spread it by word of mouth. Tell your loud-mouthed neighbor. Send a text message to anyone you can. This may not be the best way to go about things, but, it’s a start. Besides, I said that when gas reaches . . .

This is blackstarr saying “Vive La Renaissance!”

Blackstarr52@gmail.com

copyright © 2008 blackstarr

Renaissance, New Millennium, Black Out, Great Gas Out, corporate greed, inflation, Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, boycott, June 14 2008, June 21 2008

The "Electability Factor" Fallacy

I was a bit disappointed that Sen. Hillary Clinton won the primaries in Pennsylvania, this past Tuesday. I found solace in the fact that it was not the blowout that the media had predicted. I found even more solace in the fact that my hometown, Philadelphia, gave an overwhelming show of approval for Sen. Barack Obama, by giving him nearly two-thirds of our vote. There were 158 delegates up for grabs in Tuesday’s election. Sen. Clinton pulled in at least 82 delegates and Sen. Obama gained at least 73. Sen. Obama holds his lead in total delegates at 1,723.5 to Sen. Clinton’s 1,592.5. A total of 2025 is needed to clinch the nomination, an amount that probably neither will attain before the Democratic National Convention (DNC). That means that the nomination, most likely, will be decided by the delegates at the DNC.

So, what’s next? There are two primaries coming shortly, those being North Carolina and Indiana. Sen. Obama is heavily favored in North Carolina; in Indiana, it’s been predicted that it will be a close race. Aside from the next two primaries, the biggest job is to convince the Super Delegates and the Democratic National committee that he or she is electable. There are two ideas afloat at the moment: the total popular vote count and either candidate’s “electability factor”, and they go hand in hand.

Sen. Clinton is determined to make the votes and delegates from Florida and Michigan count. Both states were disqualified when they moved up their primary dates after being warned of the consequences of doing so. Be that as it may, Ms Clinton is spouting victory in the overall amount of votes that she has received thus far. If Florida and Michigan were to be counted, that summation would be correct. Without those votes, Sen. Obama has a sizeable lead, as goes the popular vote. It should be noted that Chairman Howard Dean is slow to hear anything concerning the possibility of allowing those votes to be counted. By adding those votes, it gives Sen. Clinton a total of about 4.1 million votes and Sen. Obama 4.0 million. With the electoral college in place and fully operational, the popular vote holds no weight for either candidate receiving the nomination. Why, then, does she insist upon touting the grand total of popular votes? She is trying to justify the notion that she is more electable.

The biggest problem that I see at the moment is the dreaded media (big surprise there). They continue to load this story into their output without getting to what really matters. The primaries that have taken place and those that will take place shortly actually have no determining factor, by popular vote, as to who would be the more electable candidate. The primaries are between two Democrats. Electability speaks to the following notion: the ability to bring in more votes than the Republican Party’s candidate. Therefore, it may mean something only if they were facing a Republican, which does not happen in a primary race. That would determine which candidate is more electable. In the primaries, they are only up against each other. It neither addresses nor brings to any conclusion which candidate is more electable than the opposing Republican candidate. None of the media seems to be addressing that issue. Voters hear the totals, and figure that it makes sense without hearing the whole story. The key issue seems to be “electability”, which, due to its own meaning and the very definition of the word “primary”, becomes a non-entity.

One thing that we need do is to stop “Hillary Hatin’”. It’s merely politics as usual, or in this case, “parlor tricks” as usual. It’s the way that the politicians have been playing the game since for forever. It’s not a very good way to run a campaign, but, by now, we should all expect it. It is true that Sen. Clinton has left a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of people, and she brings the “hatin’” to her own doorstep all by her lonesome. There is a bigger picture to consider. As much as a multitude of us want to see Sen. Barack Obama progress to President Obama, there is the very distinct possibility that he may not get the nomination. It is what it is. That’s just a fact. In that very unlikely and unfavorable situation, one must ask oneself “Do I still want change, or do I want eight more years of George W. Bush?” View Ms Clinton from a distance and take the nonsense on the chin. If Sen. Barack Obama does not get the nomination, she may be our only hope (Lord help us). She may not be your choice, but, please – consider the alternative.

This is blackstarr saying “Vive La Renaissance”.

Blackstarr52@gmail.com

copyright © 2008 blackstarr

Renaissance, New Millennium, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, electability factor, primaries, Howard Dean, Philadelphia, alternative, fallacy

Change: part 1

No matter what accomplishments President Barack Obama should accumulate during his eight years in office, his claim to fame will be one simple word: change. There is a lot of talk about the folly of voting along party lines these days. As I always like to remind everyone, in a presidential election there are only two parties: Republican and Democratic. No matter who else runs, they are the only two that really count. When it’s all said and done, the winner will be either a Republican or a Democrat. It is what it is. That can change in the future if we make the right efforts at the local and state levels, priming a good, viable candidate for office, regardless of their party affiliation. For today, it is what it is – Republican or Democratic. Do you want change or do you want another eight years of no foreseeable way out of poverty for most of America? Do want change or do you want to continue to live in a country that does not care one iota about its citizens’ health? Do you want change or do you want our children, our future, to continue to receive a second-rate education? Do you want change or another few more years of American soldiers dying in yet another war that should not have been in the first place? Are you going to get out there and help us vote in a Democrat? Will you help us to vote in a Democrat who will bring about a change?

I am who I am. No matter what most other folks are into, I can only be me. I’m not into reality TV – not in the least. I’m not down with the touchy-feely philosophies that a lot of people feed into as of late. More importantly, I’m not as “politically correct” as most folks would have me to be. That having been said let me remind you that Barack Obama is a truly charismatic man, that he professes an affinity towards change, and that he claims to be against letting big corporation lobbyists maintain control. Perhaps all of that is true, but only time will tell. Those are all good reasons to cast your vote for Sen. Barack Obama. I will give you one more reason – one more valid reason - for my African-American brothers and sisters to help vote Sen. Barack Obama into office – one for which the “politically correct” folks will probably fry me. Sen. Barack Obama is someone with whom I can identify – he is an African-American. That alone is reason enough for me.

copyright © 2008 blackstarr

blackstarr52@gmail.com

Renaissance, new millennium, change, Barack Obama, Democratic, Republican, party lines

u-n-i-t-y

I’m an inveterate collector. Books, CDs, DVDs, earrings, watches, wigs, handbags, shoes, photo frames....you get the picture (apologies for the pun). This forces me to clean my closets twice a year in a vain attempt to make room for those items I’ve ‘collected’ since the last cleaning.

While performing this bi-annual ritual I came upon a long-hidden box. This box made the journey with me six years ago when I moved from the US to the UK. It contained photographs, which I hid because it made me too homesick to look at them. I have long since conquered my homesickness, so I dragged the box down from its corner on the top shelf, and dumped the contents onto my bed.

There were Ma and Daddy. They often fought like cats and dogs, but they loved each other – they had each other’s back. A dog-eared picture of me with my siblings at a long-ago Fourth of July celebration...lined up in birth order, arms around each other, forever entwined. And a photo from a block party of me, my siblings, and the East 148th Street gang (from the days when ‘gang’ meant your friends as opposed to the people you ran around with killin’ other folks): John, Eleanor, Trish, Nina, Eric, David, Stevie, Leonard, Denise, Debbie, PeeWee, Gail, Junior, Donald, and the Jackson twins.

What struck me most about this picture was the way we looked like we belonged to each other. A stranger looking at this photo could see the ties that bound us to one another – our unity was a palpable presence that transcended the celluloid it was captured by.

There is a saying: “it takes a village to raise a child”. This was the creed which I, my family and everyone I grew up with lived by and adhered to. We looked out for one another. We took care of each other. When Mrs. Hawkins found me behind the garage smokin’ weed with her kids, she didn’t just whip them, she whipped me as well, then phoned my mother and told her, “I just found Katherine behind the garage smokin’ that funny shit with Edgar ‘n them ‘n I beat all their asses.” My mom would say “thank you Jean” – and when I got home, I got another whippin’. When Mrs. Barbara died suddenly and Mr. Barbara fell into a depression so profound he couldn’t even speak, everyone on the block took care of him: he was fed, his house was cleaned, his grass was cut, and the men of the neighbourhood held him when he cried.

Sadly, some where between the time of my childhood and the time I reached adulthood, that sense of unity disappeared in the black community. No longer did neighbours look out for one another. The extended family – indeed, the black family – crumbled and fell apart, decimated by the demons of divorce and drugs, crack and crime.

Beautiful black people - my people - we need to get that unity back. It’s not an impossible task; our history is filled with kings and queens, princes and poets, idealists and inventors. Our history resonates with the words of men and women who had high hopes and dreams for our collective future, people like Phyllis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Maya Angelou, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.

Barack Obama is a man who sees the need not just for blacks to re-discover that unity, but for a nation to discover and embrace unity.

One of my Stateside friends sent me the email below:

Why is it that a black man can create a tiny piece called a filament (the electric light, Lewis Latimer) that allows people to see in the dark? Yet he is not seen as fit to lead a country to the light. Why is it that a black man can create an instrument (the clock, Benjamin Banneker) that all people use to tell time? Yet people don't think it is time for him to run a country. Why is it that a Black Man can design a place for the authorities to meet in (Washington DC, Pierre L'Enfant) and a place for the President to live in (the White House, Phillip Reid)? Yet he is not good enough to lead these meetings or live in this building himself. Why is it that a black man was brilliant enough to do the first open heart surgery (Dr. Daniel Hale Williams) and show the world how to get and preserve plasma (Dr. Charles Drew)? Yet he is not good enough to put a program in place where everyone can afford this surgery. Why is it that a black man was creative enough to design an instrument (the traffic light, Garrett Morgan) to bring multiple people and vehicles to a halt? Yet he is not seen as creative enough to design a plan to bring all this unnecessary and worthless fighting between countries to an end. Why is it that a black man could create the soles (for shoes, Jan Matzeliger) that people walk on everyday? Yet he is not seen as good enough to fill the shoes of a bad president. Why is it that a black man was smart enough and brave enough to teach himself (Fredrick Douglas & Thomas Fuller, both slaves) and others how to read, write and calculate math? Yet he is not seen as smart enough and bold enough to calculate a platform to be President to a country.

My Brothers and Sisters, what I am saying is let us not forget our past, which led us to our present and can definitely be the backbone to our future. We were good enough, smart enough, creative enough, and bold enough then, so let’s give Obama the chance to show that we are still these things and more. We all are as strong as our weakest link, so don't be that weak link that denies our people that chance to show we still can overcome.

To put it simply, it’s called UNITY.

Y’all know what you need to do.

copyright © 2008 KPMCL