It's Good Beginnings Make Good Endings Thing

Dear America,

precepts, quotes, t-shirts, greeting cards...and bumper stickers, oh my!  these are the things that make me go hum...

and today is no exception.

cue the silver bumper of a Prius, just plastered with opinion, yesterday: 

WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER

 yes, indeed, we would like to hope so, anyway.

WHO for Pete's sake really wants WAR, for jiminy crickets?  (Besides Iran, North Korea, Boko Haram, ISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas, Al-Queda, Russia, Environmentalists, Atheists, Illegal Immigrants, Gay Marriage Enthusiasts, and the latest, the poor, black "children" of Baltimore....)

But I just sat there -- at the red light and with nowhere to run -- and looked at this liberal's rear end and sighed....heavily, and almost to the point of hyperventilation.  There was not an inch uncovered, but that's beside the point; this "war is not the answer" hit me upside the head a little differently than usual -- and left me broadsided and motionless upon the idea for hours.  

And as for this morning --  I still find myself hardly in the position to just shake it off.

Context is always fun; and how things change from generation to generation seems to be at the crux, as if the "olden days" are always set up against the latest modern conveniences of what is essential, or true.  Beliefs systems get tossed around, laws get upended, what is practiced and preached go into direct conflict with one another in each new day, escalating and overreaching with hidden agendas and propaganda, and all the while using the cultural divide to evolve and transform nearly everything under pressure, under duress.

I would have loved to have stopped this gal and ask, just how important was that Revolutionary War? Because , you know, lady -- the option of airing that vast, beautiful, ideological, opinion of yours everywhere you go came on the heels of granting you a certain independence dating back over two hundred years ago FROM THE OUTCOME OF A FRICKEN WAR!

Even better -- how about that CIVIL WAR?  You know -- the one that ended slavery in America!!!!!!!!!!!  [ Thank you, Lincoln -- a REPUBLICAN!]   

Of course, the sex slave industry -- here in the US, over there in Syria, and pretty much everywhere, especially during big sporting events like the Super Bowl -- is an industry doing a bang up job year over year, there is that; and what about the use of children to provide cheap labor all over the world? Slavery wars of inhumane terms and treatment, in tandem, and with no light in sight -- but then again, that's not the kind of war you are commenting on, am I right?

And given the context of the last 48 hours --  how about you take that soapbox piggybacking hope upon hope of yours directly to the streets of Baltimore -- perhaps popping it down right in front of that CVS Store that got burned, almost to the ground, and tell those "kids" to stop -- think about what you are doing -- in a 'war is not the answer' kind of way -- and see what kind of response you get.  Something tells me, from what you tell me about yourself all over that sassy little hybrid of yours, the war happening on the streets of Baltimore is something different; the violence being totally justified under the protections of a higher purpose under heaven, or something (no -- wait -- what did the bumper say; did you have anything about WWJD or no?)

Funny though --

considering how quickly emotions and reactions flared in real time --  who knew?

War...being at war and the senseless, violent acts of all kinds and measures to quell or control or change the world or protect, never works right?  Never a good reason, huh?   UNLESS YOU'RE A MOM!

Now famous -- the slap upside the head and heard 'round the world!   

And notice how her son did NOT slap her back.  He may not have shown respect to the police, or to his very own hometown of Baltimore, but he cowered, and ducked his little hoodie-head, weaving himself across the blacktop as fast as his feet could travel.  There were two sides:  his and her's.  And her's won; and nobody died in the process.

So perhaps -- in a lesson gleaned is a lesson learned kind of way -- next time we see trouble coming in our inner cities or otherwise, never mind the PoPo.  Just send in the moms.  Send in an army of moms and we'll have all the kids home with their hands washed and the table set in no time.

Now -- do we dare go down that road of having babies out of wedlock or families without dads?

As much as I applaud this  "get the fxxx over here" kind of mom -- taking care of her own business and making sure that all of her business ...all SIX of them...aren't all about town and misbehaving -- I must add my two cents:  kids need fathers, too!  Sure, it appears she's got things very much handled (get it?), but my second thought is that she needs reinforcement.

I know -- how old-fashioned, right?

The thing is -- and we have gone round and round with this more days than I can remember -- for a civil society to live long and prosper, nearly everything gets back to one major component being the priority.  The priority!  Not the "maybe it's highly recommended, but not mandatory" category; it's a priority!    And that component is the family unit.

That's it.

FAMILY -- with a mom and dad watching over our every move we make, teaching us values, making us go to school, supplying the unconditional love and support and balanced meals, restricting TV and video babysitting, taking us to church, promoting good grades and going to college, guarding us against gangs and drugs, teaching us manners and respect for authority, reading us bedtime stories and kissing us on the forehead goodnight -- these are the things a family is made of.

AND --  if we all did just this one thing, and did it well, throughout all America, what happened in Baltimore never would have happened.  Never.

And make no mistake --  it works whether rich or poor, liberal or conservative or libertarian, and no matter the color of thy skin.  It's a system indiscriminate and far-reaching and good for all.

Sure, it can be done, even in the inner-city -- raising a child well as a single mom.   Look at the shining example coming from Dr. Ben Carson!    And just look at his response to Baltimore, here.

But let's be clear.  This single mom thing is not the ideal (ask me how I know).

It's not ideal at all.
As a mom, it takes at least twice as much of everything; twice as much work, energy, courage, food, patience, grace,..including bubble baths and prayers.

What happened in Baltimore marks a sad, sad day that turned into two and is hardly over.

But the good news is we can fix it!

There are times when war is not the answer...like on the streets of Baltimore.

While sometimes, the answer is not creating the conditions on the ground in the first place.  

And that begins with going back to the BEGINNING -- before the animosity, before the crime is committed, before the child is lost, before the game begins.  It begins in the comfort of our homes and  within the confines and protections of family surroundings and upbringings.  While the left will never have you believe it could ever be that simple.

It begins with a mother and father bringing into the world a child -- coupled with their undying commitment and integrity to do their very best and TEACH their children WELL.

[And go ahead and laugh] but I have no problem with saying it is just that simple. 

So here's your G bumper sticker for today:

Good BEGINNINGS make good ENDINGS.

Make it a Good Day, G

let's pray for Nepal and pray for Baltimore and pray for America.

It's About the American Currency, and it's a pretty big Thing

Dear America,

there is a lot to say about this subject...

not even going to try to say it all in one day.

But let's be clear of what defines a racist, shall we?

A racist is someone who believes "one's own ethnic stock is superior."  That is, by definition, what a racist is.

Do we gather all of that from the rather misguided ramblings of a simple man -- Cliven Bundy?

Because he addressed the African-American community, generally speaking, as "the negro" -- and basically unveiling a different world view coming lock, stock, and barrel with a certain old age and being born of a  certain generation?  Or was it in the asking of the provocative question...are they better off now or then?  Taking the wide angle of an issue, he "wondered"....were they better off "pickin' cotton" -- he said -- or being totally dependent on the government doll, enslaved to a lifetime of limited opportunity, and thereby squandering any potential to use one's own natural resources from within for personal gain? -- clarifying not so eloquently and sounding more like the oh so simple man he seems to be, having grown tired from a career working the herd and laboring in the high, rugged county air, with perhaps a limited education, if not also lacking in the study of social graces.  

At best, he was careless in his remarks -- you know, given the broad audience of so many of us watching his every move these days.  But a racist?    I don't see it.  Not sure until I know more information.  

Perhaps bigoted -- for that comes with having a conviction leaning prejudicial; surely, the visual of "picken cotton" brings us all back to a place we never wish to return.


And then again, he may very well be long off his rocker on them there porch of his -- there is that.

But do we really get from his sharing of opinion, screaming racist?   After hearing this rather narrow view of a problem within the African-American community explained by a rancher who seems to have inhaled a wee bit too much alfalfa --   do we really arrive at the intersection of racist and idiot full stop and take away the understanding that he, Cliven Bundy, believes that he and all of his whiteness is better, no, SUPERIOR, to "the negro?"  With the way he speaks --  leaning more on the ignoramus side of things -- not sure Bundy thinks of himself superior to anyone but perhaps these here United States of America goven men', no?

Stark raving idiots have said worse.  What about Harry "he's electable because he's light skinned-and no negro dialect- Reid",  who after saying such remarks, was allowed to keep the title of Senate Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate?

I would point you to a post at The Daily Beast for it's Bundy-take away, but that would be pointless; for clearly, anyone who chooses to lump all of us in a group over one man's idiocy --  Michael Tomasky -- is an even bigger idiot.

That is merely, sadly, a lazy man's, knee jerk, left brained loon,Saul Alinsky-ite response to use anything and everything to pummel the opposition into the ground en masse.  Really, Michael?  Seriously? I mean, really?   "Republicans are all racists" ? Is that all you got?  Oh okay, Michael, I guess then we can also assume now that journalists are all stupid.    Grow up.  But I digress.

Don't get me wrong, people, all people, red white black and yellow; Cliven Bundy pointed out a real problem in America; and not just one.   Central Booking e pluribus unum, dot yeah!

But for today -- let me steer you to something new under the sun, mother may I?

First, and foremost, Dr. Ben Carson not only rocks, but he seems to be one of my favorite people on the planet right now, in this moment, and with every intention to last a lifetime. 

But here's the scoop...  

We just might  say he is a Founding Father of a brand new website called AmericanCurrentSee.com, a media outlet hellbent on changing the conversation and more important, the startling, failing demographics and socioeconomic realities of the African-American community.  Scratch that. Not just within "the negro" community, but to effect change for ALL of us, even us whitey's, together!  And it's really good -- SUPERIOR even -- so check it out!

But hey yo -- we are not stopping there, no sir ree, Dr. B --  

Next, READ THIS; comes straight from americancurrentsee.com as one woman's perspective and experience on the reality of family heartbreak -- growing up without a father in the black community -- and it's real; and it's beautiful.  Thank you, Kira Davis, for the candid, gutsy, thoughtful exchange of reality meets race, straight up and with stats to boot.

Here's her point

And what statistics are those? According the U.S. Census Bureau, children who grow up in fatherless homes experience four times the poverty rate of those who grow up in a two-parent household. Single-parent kids are twice as likely to commit suicide. They are more likely to experience mental illness, depression and aggression. They are more likely to turn to crime. 70 percent of all youth in juvenile detention facilities grew up in fatherless homes. 71 percent of all high-school dropouts are fatherless. A young fatherless woman is 7-8 times more likely to become a teenage mother than her counterparts from two-parent homes.
Notice a trend?
Match all of those statistics with the most disturbing statistic of all — 73 percent of black American children are born into fatherless homes. Is it any wonder that barely half of black male ninth graders go on to graduate from high school four years later? Or that 1 in every 15 black males over the age of 18 are currently incarcerated?
I read so many opinions about why so many of our young men are imprisoned, and they almost always seem to lead back to racism. But where is the discussion about why these men are turning to crime in the  first place? They may well be receiving unjust sentence lengths, but no one is disputing the levels of crime in our communities. It’s not racism that makes our young people turn to criminal activities. I’m sorry to tell you this, men, but ... it’s you.

now we are getting somewhere, no?

But we haven't even arrived at my favorite part yet.

Here you go --

I know modern feminists hate to hear this, but the relevant research is abundant, consistent and conclusive — there is no more reliable predictor for the success of a child than whether or not a loving father has been present in the home. Fathers are the bedrock of the family, and family is the bedrock of any healthy society.

says the African-American girl who grew up without a father and fell in love with a good man and is raising a family in spite of the cards she was dealt upon the day she was born.   oh my.

And now, let's just say Cliven Bundy may have been a little rough around the edges for our tastes in America, but the truth of the matter is --  he asked a damn good question.   Are you better off?  Seriously?  Is this dysfunctional dynamic of settling in on welfare and food stamps and free phones and healthcare along with serving a life of being in and out of incarceration, seemingly driven by drugs and crime and gang activity,  really doing your best and are you better off for it?  Newsflash:  Cliven's ugly, disturbing, verbally alarming and offensive and miscommunicated stats are Kira's stats.

Mothers and Fathers are the bedrock of the family and community in America; this remarkable, reprehensible reality of losing this position of strength conceived from our roots, our family, tells us everything we need to know about why we struggle in community with one another.   Amen to Kira Davis for not only breaking the cycle within her own family, but also for this courageous timely reflection of all things that  make this unfortunate, perpetuating circumstance of the fatherless family plight come to light.  From the bottom of my heart, bless you and yours.

Kira filled a gap for me today.  Boy, did I need her.

And even though there may be no way to repay her for her efforts, my hope is that we all take a moment to absorb the whole truth that has come before us, and in some small way make changes within our own family, our own community, our own world.   And before you know it, little by little, our race relations will regain the higher ground, and settle in, upon the hill, and shine -- learning to live firmly planted upon a higher level of understanding and conviction and conversation -- like a real family.

 As Dr. B pointed out in the email introducing AmericanCurrentSee.com just yesterday -- he says:

"Opportunity has been replaced by despair. Embracing character, values, marriage and family has been ridiculed. Government dependence has been substituted for self-reliance. And mediocrity has eschewed excellence.

I want you to join me today in demolishing this culture of failure and standing up to the media elite, who for too long have treated black Americans as a monolithic bloc addicted to a single political dogma. We need a new media source that embraces hard work, moral character, family values, good education and self-reliance and inspires the next generation with role models who have cast off the chains of mediocre expectations and proven that the America dream is alive and well."

The true wealth -- the American currency -- supporting an abundant, happy, secure American future demands that we begin tackling every issue one by one as intended -- AND from the foundation of the civic minded, conscious, caring, compassionate, hardworking, industrious, educated, self-reliant, honest, independent people we are supposed to be.

That is where everything begins, or ends, all depending upon how you look at it.   But to make myself perfectly clear, piggybacking upon a thought from Kira just before we close:  I'm sorry to tell you, men and women, young and old, black and white, it all begins with....you.

Sign up and play a small part of the solution and revolution,  today.

Make it a Good Day, G

Unrelated but relevant in it's own way  --  
Perhaps it's the 'soul that needs the surgery' for each and every one of us, right Beyonce' --  as the faces of ugly and pretty collide.  watch the video.