Mr. President, It's Time to Help Your People

Dear President Obama,


Now, that you have settled into your second and final term, we the (Black) People of the United States are putting forth some demands. Since you are a child of the Civil Rights movement, it is imperative that you strongly consider the very people and events that have placed you in the highest office of the free world. Those brave and gallant men and women chose not appeasement and tolerance of the ungodly, but determined and unwavering faith in human justice and God's law. We understand the trials associated with your position as America's first African-American president. We have held our peace since your first term when the once dormant virus of racism and sexism reinfected this country with blatant attacks on you, your family and our people. We understand completely the bully that is America's racist culture. We recognize it's propensity to lash out venomously. We stand by apathetic as it effortlessly transforming itself into the role of victim at the slightest hint of righteous resistance. We remain respectful as they declare you the "racist" and the "socialist". We hold our tongues. We proudly stand in long lines baking in the sun to cast our ballots. We have done it twice! We've been patience. We have done our part. We have REPRESENTED!!

But, Mr. President, it's time for you to do your part. You were crowned our Prince and a we confessed and demonstrated our undying loyalty. We have demonstrated our love countless times even denouncing the criticisms of our more consistent and stalwart leaders. We have made too many excuses for you! The truth is we elected you because you were smart and strong and compassionate. But, as importantly, we elected you because you were Black!! You are one of us. We elected who we perceived to be our peer, our brother or shining example. And frankly, your safety doesn't rest with the Secret Service. No sir! Your safety rest with the bully knowing that if he were to harm you that he would bring total destruction on his head. That we would collapse his social system, his justice system and his financial system. So, Mr President, it's time for you to do your part!

We applauded the Lilly Ledbetter Bill for women's financial justice, we held our religious views in private when you advocated same-sex marriage. We accepted the need to allow amnesty for our immigrant brothers and sisters, despite consciously knowing it could add more strain socially and competition financially to our own fragile progress. We supported your hawkish foreign policy even though you haven't done enough for our people in Darfur.We reasoned that you had to portray a solid image of a bipartisan and that you had to clean up the mess of Bush's wars and financial policies for deregulation. But, Mr President, this is your last term and we are cautious about the possibility of electing a second Black president. It is time for you to do your part! We hunger not for retaliation, but exoneration from the crime of being Black in America. We hold you accountable and we demand all that is righteous and acceptable. The needs are innumerable, but the demands are reasonable. It's time to help your people!!

From this day forth and until you act on our behalf we the (Black) People of the United States shall hold your legacy hostage and your feet to the fire.

Here is a list detailing a few examples of our demands:

1) Put the KKK on the watch list of domestic terrorist: Guantanamo Bay is better suited for these the original terrorist of America. How can you kill, steal, rape and pillage a race of people for over 100 years in this country and not be on the terrorist list. These people are our Al-Qaeda!

2) Try George Zimmerman for Civil Rights violations: Why is it when a non-Black goes to court they get all this due process? You don't have to win legally, but we do want to win morally! I am the father of two "Trayvons" and how can I look them in the eye and tell them not to STAND THEIR GROUND when some creepy guy follows them on a rainy dark night. They should be applauded for their courage not exploited by a cheap law! By the way "STATE'S RIGHT" to Black folks is code word for "SLAVERY"!!

3) Address the plight of African-American: Since you have been in office Chicago, alone, is on fire with black violence. 500 murders in a year is unacceptable!!! We need you to make a speech. Prime time! Call us to arms, lead a rally and challenge us! We need you to create legislation to better serve the disadvantages, needs and talents of Black men, women and children in America.What makes us better will ultimately make America better. And if anyone says you are being racial or preferential to Blacks, just tell em: "Hell yeah! And?"

4) Bump Jay-Z! Work with Professor Cornell West, Professor Micheal Eric Dyson and Al Sharpton: Republican media may hate them, but that just means we love them more. They are the leaders of our community and the champions of our cause. The are even real enough to stand up and call you to the mat on your foolishness! Now that's a real allies do! That Oval Office is a cesspool of yes-men in a no-holds-barred time. Come out into the light, but ask them for assistance to help guide you back to what's really going on in the "hood"!!

American Heroes: Professor Cornell West and Dr. Michael Eric Dyson

5) Stop appeasing the oppressor: You can bend over backwards for these "people", but they aren't gonna like you! They are the masters of spinning the truth and they have a few Uncle Toms like Reverend Jesse Lee Petersen (who is going to Hell) and Herman Cain. They even got the biggest sell-out (Clarence Thomas) on the Supreme Court dismantling every legislative victory we have had in the last 50 years. They don't need any help from "our" President. Not fair. Not balanced. Get it together and stick it to em'!!

6) Be harder on Black on Black crime: We need some of those drones in some of these projects. We demand you come into the urban neighborhoods and dismantle the drug trade and gun trafficking. We have to eliminate the bad seeds before we can enjoy our good fruits. We have to protect our people and our image from some of our own people! Hand down federal mandatory minimums for Black on Black murder. If we don't honor Black life, no one ever will and the Trayvon Martins of this country will never get justice because they will never be valued.

7) Put God in front: We are so tired of the same people who used the Word of God to beat us into chains, using the Word to beat us into submission. You are a Christian and an intellect. People like George Zimmerman should not be able to say it was "God's will" to stalk and kill a child. And Pat Robertson should not be allowed to get away with saying the Haitian earthquake derived from "a pact with Satan". What would you call 911 then? God doesn't like ugly! But he doesn't accept fear either. Stand up for Christians who know that God is a God of love and tolerance and compassion. They don't represent the truth about us. Stop letting them destroy this country and the true Founder of America and the world!


P.S. We love you. Kiss Michelle and the girls for us. Say your prayers. And get your mind right!!



Sincerely Yours,

The People

America, Can You Handle The Truth?

"It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depths, where few are willing to search for it" 
                                                                - Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe                                     
                                                                   

         Jack Nicholson made the term “You can’t handle the Truth” a famous phrase in the movie A Few Good Men, co-starring Tom Cruise. Nicholson played Colonel Nathan R Jessup, who is rightly accused of being behind the murder of PFC William Santiago. Unfortunately, for most of us, that phrase continues to resonant in everyday life. The Truth is no longer the constant it was when the world and the movies were viewed in black and white. No, the world is seemingly moving to Shades of Grey (much like the book) and the Truth is being perversely blurred by the acceptance of each new rumor and speculation.

          "There are two types of Truth', says Toure Roberts, "The Truth and the things you want (to believe) bad enough that you make it true".

Megyn Kelly

Broadcast news, once the trusted source of Truth, is now the product of partisan philosophy and politics. Each outlet, at war with the other for ratings, has latched on to a preferred bloc of the viewing public. Media has trading the facts for perception to gain an edge in viewership. Despite the decline in manufacturing, over the past two decades, the “rumor mill” continue to churning out record profits for its sordid version of the truth. We have bored of the Katie Courics and gravitated to the Megyn Kelly’s of the world. It’s a wonder this country’s moral fiber is so corrupted and the reason we have allowed ourselves to be manipulated into ungodly wars and preventable crisis.

I am reminded of Jehovah God, on whom this country was allegedly founded, and our declared trust in Him. We mark this declaration on every coin and at every patriotic and political event. But has this declaration been one of Truth or perspective? I pray the former. The fact is…TRUTH HURTS! And since we really don’t like to hurt (though we love to inflict pain on others) we don’t readily accept it. For example, if financially irresponsible homeowners and greedy proprietors were sifted out in the housing industry, we could have alleviated the housing crisis and the subsequent economic disaster. People don’t like to hear they are greedy or incapable and businesses don’t like to hear they may lose profit to save the an industry, so they deny the Truth. And after a few “shady” deals, you get disaster. And to top it off, after disaster, you just get finger pointing.

“No, it’s the stupid poor people”!

“Oh no, it’s those greedy rich folks”!

           Truth is: EVERYONE IS TO BLAME! And when honest people try to fix the imbalance, one side or the other cries foul. Instead of facing their fair share of the blame they cry class warfare.

"The American Government Blew Up the World Trade Center"

           Nothing screams “untruth” like the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Plainly speaking, America is a meddling country with an arrogant ignorance of the global world. Simple Truth. If you don’t like to see your own government meddling in your everyday affairs or the police intimidating you in your neighborhood, then what difference is that same feeling from an Arab who sees a tank caravan up his street or foreign soldiers herding his family along checkpoints? Truth is you would more than likely try to rid yourself of them, too. I suppose this makes us insurgents, right? Secondly we need to be honest about what happened. As a former soldier and a construction worker who built high rise towers, I can boldly proclaim the truth. You and I know that the AMERICAN GOVERNMENT BLEW UP THE WORLD TRADE CENTER... Period. Exclamation mark!

Did I hurt your feelings or offend your sensibilities? Good! The Bible says the Truth shall MAKE you free, not SET you free. In order to “make” you free it has to shape you and grow you. This process takes honesty, pain and suffering. We need to be honest with ourselves, America. We are not the good people we claim to be. Good people don’t walk over the homeless, have extra-marital affairs, lie on their resumes or ignore the immorality that is feed to its children across the airwaves. Good people don’t commit perjury, cheat on their taxes, root for the death of foreign leaders, disrespect their own leaders and shot up movie theaters and classrooms. Oh yeah, those perpetrators thought they were good people, too.

I pray that everyone comes into the knowledge of the Truth and make the necessary corrections in their own lives to truly be better people. We have so much information at our disposal, yet we never come into the knowledge of the Truth. (2 Timothy 3:7). Our children know every commercial jingle and song lyric, but can’t comprehend their basic school lessons. Our women are making financial strides and political gains in our country, but are still lacking self-esteem and personal pride. Our men are bigger and stronger, but still are unable to communicate basic affection and care for their children and wives. 

           We do well on the exterior, but we fail miserably on the inner spirit. The poor blame it on the rich. The rich blame it on the stress of money. The Black blame it on the Whites. The Whites blame it on everybody else. The truth is that we all need a reality check and to take personal inventory. The failure acknowledge the Truth is evident by the amount of times the same tragedies and mishaps continue to occur in our lives and in our country. Vietnam became Iraq, the Great Depression became the Great Recession, young loves became old flames, racial discrimination became sexual discrimination. And so on…

Gabby Douglass

One way to describe the parallel between the Lie and the Truth is to struggle compare it to the average persons habits and those of a winning athlete. When she is on the podium waving to her family and fans, we celebrate her and try to identify with her. We go out and we emulate her in our backyards or in our wardrobe. And, in all this, we fail to live up to her standard because we fail the Truth. Truth is, she spent years in training and discipline. She sacrifices her desires to hang out for the Truth that to be better she needed to work harder. While we slept, she was up setting goals and doing personal inventory on her strengths and weaknesses. While we celebrated ourselves, she criticized her performances and broke down the nuances on film. And as a result, when she stood on the podium and celebrated her success in Truth; we sat on the couch watching, fantasizing about what we could have been had we only not lied to ourselves and acknowledged the Truth. And the Truth is: We better get real really fast! Or our very existence will be one failed lie after another!