The Peril Of Walking Barefooted Over Rough Roads

There is a vacuous liberalism that would have us believe that we can in fact claim our human right to Freedom while slighting our communal call to Responsibility.  This is especially true in the usual analysis of what is wrong in many communities, and specifically in African American life.  On any given day we can tune in to various media and read and listen to the arguments that basically posit the view that the reason peoples' lives are the way they are has to do with the over-arching influence of some other entity flexing its cultural and economic might to the disadvantage of those perceived as victims in this dynamic. Any critique of this way of seeing this issue is usually greeted with the reflexive liberalism that we are "blaming the victim for his victimization"? Any serious critique of the socio-economic disparities in our society must account for and acknowledge that this disparity has some of its roots in the victimization implicit in the liberal critique. It is true that greed and a corrupted sense of being are afflictions in the pathology of our societal dysfunction; but we would be incredibly amiss to end our analysis there.

We cannot ignore the fact that corporate compensation has outpaced the value placed on labor to an extent that a moral society finds abhorrent. This in some cases acts as a disincentive to pursue work, especially where the reality is that becoming a welfare recipient is a better option due to the accrual of certain necessary benefits. The current ongoing political haggle over raising the minimum wage highlights much of the impoverished logic that go into objections to  doing what is right for workers and their families. We must continue to insist on doing the just thing over the loud objections of those who have a stake in maintaining the status quo. Let us note for the sake of History that those objecting were the same voices against the 40 hour work week, Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, the ACA, and other programs designed to make this a more just and economically secure society. Having acknowledged the persistent inequity that exists in our society, we must not ignore the most fundamental consequence of our claim on Freedom, that is the need to assume responsibility for our present circumstances and for our futures as individuals and as groups.

I speak as a descendant of a once enslaved people. I was raised by a grandmother who was born in the year 1900. That happens to be one generation removed from the Emancipation Proclamation. I grew up in a house in which the absence of "modern conveniences" was immediately obvious. My children look at me strangely when I tell them that for most of my primary school years I walked the five or so miles to and from school... Barefooted over mostly unpaved roads. We did not have much in terms of "stuff", but what we did have were parents (in my case Grandma, and Mother) who inculcated in us, sometimes through harsh means, a sense that we were expected to "do right" regardless of the challenges around us. Remember that dictum about "sparing the rod and spoiling the child"? Disrespect was never tolerated. Laziness was discouraged. We were taught that "cleanliness was next to godliness", and that went as much for our garbs as it did the floors of our oh so humble abode.  Despite the scarcity of opportunities we were raised to have great expectations.

Through a connected effort between home and school and church we got not just an education in the "three Rs", but in the Ten Commandments which we were expected to live in our relationships. Don't kill. Don't steal. Don't covet. Don't bear false witness. Honor your mother and father so your days may be long...and so on. My Grandma, and in my teenage years my Mom, would ask us "What did you learn in school today?"  When they did not go to church with us we had to tell "What the preacher preached about today". My Mom knew nothing about Pythagorus' theorem, but it was enough for her to hear me trying to explain something about the square on the hypotenuse being equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides. Or that the shortest distance between any two points was a straight line joining those two points together. They couldn't help with homework, but they did what they could to make sure that we were doing as we should. We kept the house and our yards clean. It was our duty. No allowance! We participated in growing and harvesting the food for our sustenance. We were taught to respect our elders. By these means our parents raised seven children all of whom are upstanding productive citizens to this day. What I got from those experiences was a template for raising my own children.

Without belaboring the point I will put before us the reality that we need to return to some basics. Whether we live in cities  or wherever, there are basic acts of living and growing up that we are ignoring. They are acts of industry. The inculcation of moral and ethical values. Acts of basic decency. Cleanliness. These are the foundations which we ignore to our peril. With regards to the business of  being free we have come to the bank of our lives without the collateral of assumed responsibility. By so doing we are complicit in the impoverishment of our own circumstances.

And oh yes... I never met my dad till my brother and I and our mother went in search of him just before my twenty first birthday. I still remember the tears from his eyes when he finally realized who these two young men standing beside the woman he once knew were. We loved our father, but his tears were his. He chose to act out his freedom by ignoring his responsibilities to two sons that he helped bring into this world. His pain is demonstrative of the peril of claiming his freedom while ignoring his sacred duty to be responsible... Kinda like walking barefooted over a perilous path.

Devolution To Fascism In Ferguson, Missouri

Emilio Gentile, an internationally renowned authority on fascism and totalitarianism, describes one of the ten constituent elements of a fascist state as : " a police apparatus that prevents, controls, and represses dissidence and opposition, even by using organized terror".

The pictures emerging from Ferguson, Missouri regarding police response to citizen protest over the murder of unarmed 18 year old African American male Mike Brown by a member of the Ferguson police are deeply troubling to say the least, and to the adept observer... clearly fascist. After a pronounced period of silence that led many to wonder where the hell was the leadership of the State of Missouri as this sordid episode unfolded, one newspaper reports the following:

The night's events were described as "deeply troubling" by Jay Nixon, Missouri's governor, who will visit the area on Thursday. "While we all respect the solemn responsibility of our law enforcement officers to protect the public, we must also safeguard the rights of Missourians to peaceably assemble and the rights of the press to report on matters of public concern,"

You are damned right Governor! But we ask again... Where the hell have you been as all this developed? After shooting down this son of a now grieving community and leaving his body lying in the streets for hours, the police have against all precedence refused to make public the name of the murderer among them. To add insult to injury they have been acting to prevent any effective reporting on this crime by trying to block the presence and work of national reporters. The actions of this police force are way past despicable. In fact these actions may be in and of themselves against the law, and we expect a full and thorough investigation of the actions of this department. One description of the disgraceful behavior of the Ferguson police on Twitter aptly says this is:

" Excessive use of force to stop people from protesting the excessive use of force".

Instead of an open process that addresses the terrible pain of the aggrieved and the just grievances of the community and the country, what we have seen is an unprecedented display of militarism with snipers pointing high powered rifles at reporters and demonstrators from their perches on surrounding rooftops. THIS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. A police apparatus that "prevents, controls, and represses dissidence and opposition, using organized terror" must not...and will not be tolerated in our democratic society. They are paid to "protect and serve" the people whose taxes guarantee their livelihood. What is needed now in the face of their response to the tragic criminality of one of their members is a total disbanding of this "force". They can no longer be trusted with the sacred duty that defines their charter. We demand action from the Federal Government to address this egregious display of fascist brutality in our midst.

And...those who are responsible for leadership in Ferguson must now account for the devolution from the democratic rule of law to the outright fascism that the nation has witnessed over the last few days.

The Foul Stench Of Hatefulness

The foul stench of Hate lingers still in the air of the South. It grows more pungent with the every breath of those and their children and grandchildren who lynched, and assassinated, and raped, and pillaged, and thwarted the lives and livelihood of our fathers and grandfathers and grandmothers and mothers and sisters and brothers and uncles and aunts...

It lingers in places high and low. In churches, and private clubs, and banks, and police precincts. In schools, and businesses, and in our courts, and jails. On highways and byways, and the various nooks and crannies of our public lives. It lays wait like a vampire in the dark, seeking opportunities to feed its bloodlust. It discriminates not between our young or old. It preys on our sons and daughters every chance it gets...seeking to satisfy the insatiable lusts of empty amoral souls.

It ignores the law, assuming that a "jury of its peers" will continue to turn a blind eye to its bloody indiscretions. It ignores the changes occurring all around that tells it in no uncertain terms that a new wind cometh, and that the days of its acrid pungency are numbered. It clings to perches of ignorance and denial, hoping against Hope that the demise that seems most certain will somehow not come. It holds on to the cliff of its irrationality like a drowning man to a straw. It sticks to the tongue of its apostles like maggots on rotting flesh.

It is what you smell when the killer of Trayvon Martin opens his mouth. It is what comes forth when the chokers of Eric Garner pass by. It is what is causing the firestorm in Ferguson, Missouri right now. EIGHT TO TEN BULLETS IN AN UNARMED 18 YEAR OLD!!!

Parents. Gather your black sons. Gather your black daughters. Tell them again the history of our enslavement. Tell them again the reality of Jim Crow. Of social and political exclusion. Of water hoses and rabid dogs. And lynchings. And assassinations. Of bigotry. Of murders unsolved and ignored. Tell them about the criminals who think  that their whiteness will absolve them of the sins that stain their souls. Arm them with the knowledge they need for a struggle that continues.

A Mother's Letter To Her Son On His 18th Birthday... Written By Monica Rhea Graham

The following is a letter written by my wife to our son Trei who turns eighteen today.

August 10, 2014

To my son Trei (Simbah) on the occasion of the celebration of your 18th birthday.

I know that you hear these words on a daily basis, but I will say it again... I Love You; Mommy and Daddy Love you; Love ya! Every day of your life, know that you are Loved and Cherished!

I've loved and cherished you ever since I discovered that I was pregnant with you. As an expectant mom, you receive all types of advice on what to do when the baby is born but no one can prepare you for the overwhelming feeling of Love that washes over you when you give birth. The Love that you feel for this little baby that you just brought into the world is indescribable! You also experience this fierce sense of protectiveness over this little gift from God, who was only born a minute ago, but for whom you would single handedly fight an army to protect… and you know your Mom… I would fight an army to protect you.

You've heard this account many times before but I'll tell the story again:

You were born at 32 weeks (2 months premature)... born on Saturday, August 10, 1996... born at 4:11 AM... weighing in at 4 pounds, 6 ounces. When I left the hospital on Wednesday, August 14th (My attending physician pulled some strings to let me stay in the hospital for a few extra days so that I could spend time with you), it was extremely difficult for me as I had to leave you behind to be cared for by the wonderful staff in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I visited you every day of your stay in the NICU... from11:00 AM (after the morning rounds had settled down) to 11:00 PM. The night before I brought you home, the NICU staff set it up for you and I to spend the night in a 'home like' suite on the same floor as the NICU. This type of arrangement is set up for parents so that they can see what it's like to care for the baby at home by themselves without the aid of the NICU staff. I was so anxious and excited that I don't think that I slept a wink that night. I also spent most of the night with my hand on your back checking to make sure that you were still breathing... you'll understand this when you have children.

On the occasion of your 18th birthday, these memories are as vibrant in mind and in my heart as if it were yesterday.

As you look forward to turning 18 and as you prepare to go off to college, I can't help but to feel nostalgic as I think back over the years and look back at the cuter than cute baby... handsome little boy... handsome young lad... who has grown into this wonderful and very handsome young man. Although I know that you are intelligent and strong willed and resourceful and hard-working and just an all-around 'well-rounded' young man, I can't help but to be a little anxious as you 'go out into the world'. The world out there is not always a kind place and at times I can't bear to think of 'my baby' out there navigating through all of the fragganackle, but in my heart of hearts, I truly believe that you will be okay... all of the strengths that you have developed will only get stronger helping you to navigate the paths ahead of you.

Just so that you know:

If I've been overprotective...  it's because I Love you and want to protect you from all of the ugliness that may come your way. If I ask too many questions... it's because I want to know what's going on in your life and I want to know that you are okay. If I insist on your best... it's because I see the greatness and the potential inside of you that you yourself may not fully recognize. If I insist that you 'do as I say'... it's because I know better (at the time) and will not be swayed by your insistence that we do it 'your way'. When I walk into your room and kiss you on your face every morning... it's because I want you to know that you are Loved and Cherished. When I can't lay my head down at night without telling you, "Good Night, Mommy and Daddy Love you" (sometimes accompanied with a fist bump)... it's because I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED AND CHERISHED.

I have always been and will always be your biggest supporter and your biggest fan. As you become a man, there will come a time when the things that I do now that make you 'roll your eyes' or make you 'kiss your teeth' or make you exclaim "MA!"... will make you laugh and chuckle as you recall them in memory. I promise that you'll LYAO!

You are a wonderful son and I Love you dearly... I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF YOU. 

Love,

Mommy (Ma)

Two Wrongs In Gaza Will Not Make It Right

Hamas’ victory in the Palestinian Authority legislative elections in 2006 is evidence of its ability to organize according to democratic principles. International response to this event ranged from surprise on the part of the then American Administration, to affirmation of the Palestinians'  desire for democratically oriented solutions to the problems they faced. Israel's response derived from the persistent animus that exists between their geo-political ambitions and Hamas' violent objections to those ambitions. We are all witnesses to the tragedies that persist as a result of this conflict. 

In the last month or so nearly 2000 lives and counting have been lost in Gaza, seventy percent of which are the lives of innocent women and children. Over 65, 000 families have been left homeless through Israel's indiscriminate blaze against anything in its path, and the United Nations has referred to some of Israel's actions as criminal. It should be noted that Israel has a history of ignoring U.N. rulings that exceeds that of any other nation. The insistence of morally warped hard liners that no one in Gaza is innocent as long as they support Hamas has reaped the due disdain of people around the world. But we must also raise serious questions about Hamas' strategy in this "war" which has brought the kind of devastation to the people it claims to represent in Gaza.

The ineffectiveness of Hamas' military praxis is highlighted in the fact that their launching of  thousands of rockets at Israel has been a total bust. It is reminiscent of the proverbial aggrieved damsel who flails away at the chest of her aggressive assailant with ineffectual blows while screaming :"You brute, you brute, you brute!". The brute force of Israel is all too evident, but it is time for Hamas to stop fighting in a way that only serves to bring more death and destruction to Gaza and its inhabitants. It may gain much sympathy from the world, but Israel... with US support... does not give a damn about International condemnation. People's collective memories are as abbreviated as the next news cycle, and Israel has the kind of presence in popular media that is effective in forming the content of those memories. Enough blood has been shed. Too many lives have been shattered. There are too many homeless. Time to stop the madness!

Hamas must stop playing into the hands of of the Zionists. Instead of persisting with a strategy that gives an excuse for Israel to continue its policy of apartheid, it is time to build on the democratic instinct that brought it to power and gave it legitimacy in the Palestinian political process. Accumulating countless ineffectual weapons is an exercise in futility. The repulsion of Israel's Iron Dome nullifies them. The repulsion of civilized people who insist that it is wrong to indiscriminately fire missiles at civilian populations must not be ignored. Two wrongs do not make a right. It is time for  Hamas to become a more effective partner with the rest of the people of Gaza in repelling the occupation that threatens the viability of their future and the future of their children. There are many ways to "skin the cat" called Apartheid. Irritating it with ineffectual "straws" is not one of them.

SACRIFICE

( A wail from the rubble in Gaza... Listen )

"So…you want to live vicariously…
Eliminate your pain…by killing me
Flaunting your rage
By putting me in your cage
And throwing away the key…

So you…want to live
Vicariously…
Eliminate your shame…by upstaging me
Pointing your fingers
While I sit through the wringers
As you expiate…through me

So you want to live
Vicariously…
Throwing stones
From the heaps
Of your hypocrisy…
And after my death…You being hungry yet
Will tear my flesh…and eat me”


From my book “In My Element.” 

The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Twal: the truce is not needed if Gaza remains a desperate prison - Fides News Agency

Click on the link below for another perspective on the Crisis in Gaza and the underlying factors being deliberately ignored or glossed over in our popular media and by the spokespersons for Israel.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Twal: the truce is not needed if Gaza remains a desperate prison - Fides News Agency