What the World Needs - My Soapbox

For the first time I feel led to speak out about a few things that have had my blood boiling for way too long. I love being a Black American, but there are so many things about the way things are going that sometimes embarrass or even sicken me.

I love being in this country and relish the fact I have freedoms some countries are yet fighting for. I was blessed to be a recipient of the freedoms I have as a black female. I am grateful for those who fought, were beaten, jailed and died for me to enjoy the freedoms that I have. I guess that is what makes me slightly different from an immigrant who comes here to enjoy the freedoms that come with being born an American. I was born here and yet my freedoms came at a very high cost.

What is not looked at or taken into consideration is we have allowed the people who lead our nation to funk it up!! Okay, an example of a pet peeve for me is some of the holidays we have that are federally supported, but the feds want to keep God, the one who we honor on our money, out of every place except the church. One of the main freedoms and much of the reason the first settlers came here for was for religious freedoms and to break from the staunch and corrupt ways of the catholic church.

One of my biggest pet peeves is our social services systems structure. What many forget is it was this system that told its users a family with both parents was not allowed and the only way to receive assistance was for the man to be out of the home. Making single mothers and absent fathers acceptable and necessary in order to keep housing and food.

Then not only was this help came at a tremendous cost to African American families. They made it so difficult to get ahead making those needing the help begin to figure out ways to manipulate or defraud the system just to keep their heads above the quick raising water. Yes, some things have changed, but too much-too little-too late. The defrauding is so deeply ingrained many wouldn’t know how to do it honestly if they tried. It is now socially acceptable to be a single parent and absent fathers are much too prevalent.

Another pet peeve of mine is the fact our government became the discipline police. Now some may think this is way off base, but here is my opinion. Once slavery was abolished, it suddenly became unlawful to strike, hit or whip children because of the psychological affects it had on the child. Where was all this psychological concern when grown men and women were struck, whipped and hanged as a means of discipline? Really, some things we allow are more than ass backwards, they are just ludicrous. I am all for discipline and stood against the system when they tried to take my children out of my home because I whooped that behind!!

Now we have Senators and Congressmen who make a career of an office, their living off the backs of hard working Americans, yet won’t fight for the changes and the things those same people are screaming to change. Then they are talking about dismantling Social Security, but not saying they are willing to give up the lifetime pay the will receive once they release their hold on the office. Even though most of them have a savings account that could possibly fed and clothe three families of four for at least a year.

We have convinced the world we have it all together, but in reality we are falling apart from the infrastructure out. Two of the most ironic things to me are the man who was in charge of the FBI for years was a tyrant and a bigot, yet his name graces the building of one of the most respected law enforcement agencies.

Then once a year we celebrate a man who landed by accident in this country performed the first hostel take over without recompense to the dwellers and call him a hero. The stories of how this man, through an error, discovered America when there were already thousands of people living here and doing quite well. Had it not been for the natives here the early settlers would have starved to death.

Our government when confronted with certain wrongdoings have made reparations with the Native Americans, the Japanese after the “Yellow Peril”, yet after kidnapping and enslaving Africans for two hundred plus years, the struggle for many Americans of African descent are very real and heartbreaking. People of color are still facing abject poverty and other characteristics that are linked to poverty.

One last thing really, really annoys me is how this Hip-hop generation has created a subculture where the English language is being reduced to acronyms, punctuation is almost nonexistent, vulgarity is normal and accepted. This just my prospective and not looking for an argument or to change anyone’s mind. Just felt led to express myself.

When will the real Christians stand up and pray for the leaders and those with power to make change? Well, all I know is these are the things on my daily prayer list and by faith I hope God hears the cries of one wailing woman!