The Winds of Change ©

Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal – Arthur Schopenhauer

Change….

There are several definitions and variable uses for the word change. Don’t believe me? Google its definition. Merriam Webster online defines the word as follows:

“To make different in some particular. To make radically different. To give a different position, course or direction to.  To replace with another.”

Yet the definition that stood out to me was this one:

“To undergo transformation, transition or substitution.”

In my humble opinion, the word change gets a bad rep. Change isn’t always bad. One’s perception of it is what personally defines it. I think it is the change that we find ourselves unprepared for that causes us the most discomfort. Unprovoked and dysfunctional change is or can be a major stressor. Dysfunctional change in my opinion is change for change’s sake without a rhyme or reason for it. The kind of change that is made when an individual, organization, movement, etc has no plan of action or direction. Fortunately, this type of change has a very short shelf life and most of the time is only a product of procrastination or poor planning. Reactionary change as opposed to proactive change. I for one am a fan or proponent for Evolutionary change. Evolutionary change is the type of change that is beneficial to every one involved. Evolutionary change makes the environment in which it occurs better for it having occurred. This sort of change is a result of extreme attention to detail. Not change by happenstance. Positive change as opposed to Negative change. I wager if I took a straw poll that most people would sign up for Positive change rather than the latter.

In a perfect world, we would get to choose the sort of change that we want for our lives. However, as we all know this world that we live in is far from perfect. Sometimes change is forced upon us at the most inconvenient of times because of other’s lack of attention to detail and poor planning. There are times we will be forced to endure hardship due to another’s lack of empathy or compassion. There will be times when we will experience pain because of another’s selfishness and narcissistic mindset. The key to surviving having change that is negative in nature and unproductive practically shoved down our throats is trying to maintain a positive perspective of it. It is important to remain objective and see the “Big Picture” to remain motivated, efficient and productive. Now I’m not delusional. I understand that there will be days where we will just get tired of giving our all and going above and beyond only to be taken for granted and pushed beyond our limits because we can always be counted on to get stuff done. Over the course of my life I have had to deal with this type of change more times than I would like to count. It is this type of change that breeds cynicism and resentment. It can make one absolutely see a blessing as a curse. For you see, being the one that can always be counted on is a blessing. That means that you are trustworthy. That means that you are a leader amongst followers. That you stand out. It means that when the chips are down, you won’t throw in your hand and fold. It means that when the going gets tough, you are at your best. This type of mentality is Gift from the Most High. Unfortunately, everybody does not have the ability to think beyond what somebody tells them or what they are shown…. actually I take that back. Maybe I’m naïve, but I do think everyone does have that ability …. they just never put forth the effort to tap into it. Effort can make or break you. Sincere effort to be fruitful and productive provides nearly limitless opportunities while a lack of it can stunt growth.  In my humble opinion, I believe that when a person learns to see beyond themselves, what’s best for them and finally comes to grips that it’s not always about them that they can effectively tap into the ability to be a free thinking and productive individual. Thus allowing them to give their all in not only making themselves better but making the people around them and their environment better as well. Nonetheless, please don’t be deceived. In order to weather change you must be a free thinking individual. Otherwise, you will allow your environment to define your character.

As for me, I’m a contextualist. I believe that there is a time and a place for everything and just about anything is allowed as long as it is placed in its proper context. For example, I’m old school. I believe in courtship before marriage. I believe in wives as mothers instead of children being born out of wedlock. I believe in nothing ventured, nothing gained. I subscribe to the age old adage that if you don’t work, you don’t eat. I believe that you get what you give in this world. You sow bad seed, you reap a terrible harvest. The Word of God even speaks on this (Ecclesiastes 3).  I am a contextualist because in order to get to the root of any matter – great or small- it has to be placed in its proper context. Not what we think it should be, but what the facts actually say that it is. If it quacks, has feathers, a bill, and web feet….. chances are it’s a duck and not a rhinoceros. This type of mentality keeps me honest and transparent. Change in its proper context can move mountains. Change in its proper context makes men and women millionaires…..billionaires (R.I.P Steve Jobs). Change in its proper context can save lives. Change in its proper context can open doors and break down barriers (Shout out to our 44^th President Barack H. Obama). Change in its proper context in my humble opinion is what I like to refer to as the Optimum Condition we should all strive for.

The Winds of change are upon us.

Just look around you. Every single day we see evidence that the status quo’s days are numbered. From the Arab Spring movement in the Middle East to the Occupy Movement the world over, the old guard has been served notice that the old way of doing things is played and that people are not going to stand for it any more. Nevertheless, we all have a part to play for we all have a responsibility to exhibit the characteristics that we wish to see in the world around us. You want a better world, be a better person. I promise you that positivity is just as infectious as negativity. For those of you reading this that believes as I believe, always remember that God honors effort. But it starts with you. Do your part. No ….. it’s not going to be easy and conditions are not going to always be  favorable. Such is life. The key is to remember that the situation may get too big for you, but it never gets too big for Him. Trust Him. I promise you…

He never disappoints.

Regression ©

Popular struggles to bring about a freer and more just society have been resisted by violence and repression, and massive efforts to control opinion and attitudes. Over time, however, they have met with considerable success, even though there is a long way to go, and there is often regression

Noam Chomsky

I pen this entry with a heavy heart. The words included herein are meant to hopefully shed some light on what appears to be a seriously disturbing trend occurring in one of the greatest nations in this world.

For the uninitiated, civil injustice is real. The concept of civil injustice isn’t a new one. As a matter of fact, for decades it occurs so often that it has simply in some circles become “acceptable”. The perpetrators have worked feverishly to establish a status quo that oppresses rather liberates. Anyone who stands up or rejects the status quo is ostracized. Even if the status quo goes against every principle that preceded it. The tenets of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness on which this great nation was founded upon is promised to every citizen of this nation regardless of race, creed, or color. Well …. At least in theory anyway. I’m sure that if the founding fathers had any idea of just how much future generations would pervert these ideals, they may have been more  “comprehensive” in detailing the application of these principles.

For generations there has always been a double standards of sorts. Those that fought for freedom from tyranny, whilst owning slaves. Those who sought to expand a nation, whilst destroying another. Those that fought for equality, whilst defending segregation. Those who champion family values, whilst ending programs that would allow families to thrive. Those who seek to make voting mandatory, while sitting by as legislation that individuals fought, bled and died for to provide voting equality is repealed.

We as a nation seem to be the first to champion other nation’s quests for freedom and equality. All the while our nation reels from systematic attacks perpetrated on its own populace's liberties guarnanteed since the birth of the nation. My Grandfather always said that you shouldn’t be trying to help someone clean up their home if yours is a mess. I think my Gramps should have run for office. The unfortunate thing about those that sit in positions of power in this country is that they are so disconnected from the reality of things. How in God’s name can you represent your constituents  when you have no idea of what’s important to them or even have an inkling about the problems that plague them every single day. I witness this almost daily. I mean just open a newspaper, watch you local news or turn on CNN or CSPAN and you can too. Laws are passed everyday that all but hinder individuals from obtaining their version of the American Dream. I have voted in practically every election since I obtained my Voter’s Registration Card. I can honestly say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have yet to receive a favorable return on my investment. Sure…. I was thrown a breadcrumb here and there. Only to have it taken away some other kind of way. I.e., You give me a check saying it is a tax rebate only to later raise the tax rate (the Economic Stimulus of 2008). I mean I could list an endless assortment of examples. You may even have your own to contribute. Nevertheless, our elected official's voluntary detachment from the individuals that are responsible for putting them office is disturbing. Voting has now degraded to electing the lesser of two evils. Political mudslinging and fear mongering  seems to be the path to getting elected. Playing on people's lack of information and their unwillingness to get informed on the issues plays right into today’s Political Office hopeful's hands. The thing is that we can’t blame them for taking advantage of a broken system. Where I’m from cats always used to remind me to “not hate the player, hate the game”. A game that we all are participants in (either willingly or unwillingly). Now...if you’re sitting there saying “and that’s why I don’t vote”. I feel you on that. However, that doesn’t make the rest of us delusional for participating in the process. You’re just as much part of the problem as we are for staying on the hamster wheel. In order to change an environment and obtain the change you seek, you have to be an active participant in some shape, form or fashion. You can’t just sit back and hope things will get better while others put in sweat equity to make it happen. Politicians are people too. They put on their shoes the same way you do...theirs just may be a tad more expensive. They are to be held to a level of accountability for their actions just as everyone else on this planet is. However, their “power” and influence appears to make them exempt…..at least in this Earth realm. For every person that stays home on election day and chooses not to particpate in the voting process wastes an opportunity to make their environment a better one. If you think your vote doesn’t count, you’re wrong. It absolutely does. The majority of your current elected officials have been asleep at the wheel. Allowing this country to regress into a state that had been placed in the rear view mirror. Well….it appears that we unknowingly made a u turn somewhere between the avenues of Progress and Liberty. Don't think so? 

Current events say otherwise:

• The current activity surrounding the Voting Rights Voting act of  1965
• The perpetuation of negative stereotypes in the media based on one’s race, creed, color or sexual orientation
• Still segregated restaurants in Austin, Texas and various other cities across the nation.
• The lynchings of African American Males in Jackson, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia.
• Rampant Police Brutality and summary executions carried out by law enforcement officials nationwide.

Feel free to add further atrocities against the ideals of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness for there are several. If I were to try to list them all it would be a totally separate entry all it’s own. As a son of a veteran that fought in two wars and the Grandson of a Sharecropper, I am well aware of what it means to fight the good fight all while being persecuted for just existing. I remember the stories that my Father and Grandfather told me about burning crosses, lynchings, sit-ins and segregation. Sadly, if you understand your history (your true history), the irony of today’s events is not lost on you. The regrettable thing to me is how easily the work of those who have come before us has been undone (With a little help from those their struggle sought to liberate I might add). No longer can “the man” be blamed for the state of things in the African American community. I mean it IS "their" blueprint that we are following but that’s another discussion for another time.  

Black on Black crime, Misogynistic lyrics  in today’s “music”, Media produced and distributed by African Americans that degrades, belittles and mischaracterizes a segment of the population for the sake of ratings and popularity. Oh let’s not forget the deterioration of the family unit and a departure from tried and true values that have been the bedrock of our culture for centuries. All of the aforementioned things have led us to the current state of  relations between the African American Community and individuals of different races, creeds and cultures in this country. We as a people must take responsibility for ourselves, even if the current climate isn’t a favorable one. As I stated in a previous entry, one would have to be absolutely delusional to not see that there is a trend occurring. Kanye West stated in an interview once that Classism is the new Racism. I agree with that to certain extent. Where I tend to disagree with that sentiment is simply what I have witnessed over the course of my life. Classism had no direct relation  to the murder of Trayvon Martin. Classism did not kill Eric Gardner, Michael Brown, Eric Bell, Amidou Diallo or James Byrd, Jr. Bigoted individuals in positions of authority with a perceived sense of “power” did. The have nots frequently “suffer” at the hands of the haves. Those with the knack for survival typically find ways to survive. It is those that sit on their laurels content with what’s handed to them that usually have the most to say about the status quo of things, yet take no action to change it. Sure, we exhibit flashes of civil disobedience but to date it has been mostly reactionary. If you want to get ahead in this life and effect change of any kind it requires a proactive approach to your problem solving. You can't wait until the crib has burned down before you call the fire department.

Dictionary.com has several definitions for the noun Regression.

Here are a couple:

• the act of going back to a previous place or state; return or reversion.
• As related to Biology. Reversion to an earlier or less advanced state or form or to a common or general type.

However, the one that to me more aptly describes what is going on in this country is related to a principle psychiatrists use when evaluating their patients:

• A Freudian concept used by psychiatrists to signify a return to primitive or impulsive behavior after more mature behavior has been learned. ( See also defense mechanism, id, and  libido.)

Now please believe that I am by no means discounting the progress that has been made over the years by the leaders of the struggle for civil rights in this great nation of ours…. Garvey, Little (X/ Shabazz), Dr. King, Evers, Newton, Milk, Chávez, Kochiyama, Moreno/ Fierro De Bright (El Congreso del Pueblo de Habla Española), Banks/Little/Mellessey and Bellecourt (Some of the original founders of the American Indian Movement). This list of Civil Rights trailblazers from the diverse walks of life that have struggled to make this nation great seems endless primarily due to at one point or another in our nation’s history, the disenfranchised needed a voice. The aformentioned brave souls answered that call with little or no thought of what their actions would do to their quality of life or those around them. Some even made the ultimate sacrifice.

This - I am disheartened to admit - is sorely missing from today’s landscape, especially from the standpoint of the African American Community. Now don't misconstrue what I'm saying. It is not bias that prompts me to make that statement. I am a citizen of humaity. Nevertheless, when it comes to the quest for civil equality, I can only reference experiences related to the segment to which I’m affiliated. There are very few Civil Rights leaders. I won’t even give the faux community "activists" the pixel space. We all know who they are though. I have witnessed other cultures stand together when someone or some segment of society boldly steps forward to threaten their culture or way of life. They may not like each other... after all no race, creed or culture on this planet is exempt from infighting and differences of opinion on how to progress their people (Tribal wars do not only occur in the wilderness or in foreign lands). Nonetheless, when it comes to defending said culture, they somehow manage to pool their resources and present a unified front to meet that threat head on. Sadly, many a movement for African American equality has been derailed by a segment firmly planted within its midst…. Or so the "powers that be" would have us believe. Nevertheless, there is enough tangible evidence of our lack of unity making us prey for predators. Until we as a people learn how to respect ourselves and unify under a banner of cohesive and conscious effort to effect change, the status quo will forever remain.

Society’s apathy has led to this regression back to a time in our nation’s history thought laid to rest. I mean look around. There has been significant improvement in the quality of life over the decades due to the effort of those that have come before who sacrificed that most precious to them so that we - their descendants - could reap the benefits. America is slowly beginning to resemble the words penned by American Poet Emma Lazarus in the sonnet “The New Colossus”:

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

But the work of those who yearn to see an America that celebrates the differences of those in its populace as opposed to oppressing them for them is far from done. Ignorance still rears it’s ugly head. Keeping us from realizing this dream. The dream of a King. A dream that has transcended time and space and has become the standard for Civil Disobedience the world over. There is now a need for a different approach. What has been tried in the past did not work. No sense trying to use dated means of civil disobedience to effect change. Society has progressed so much since the days of marches and sit-ins. Our methods of expressing our dissatisfaction with the status quo MUST follow suit. Otherwise we are as my dad used to say “spitting in the wind”. Talking loud and simply…… talking loud with no one even listening or caring about the words being spoken. Your ancestors - regardless of your race, creed or culture - lit the torch and has passed to the torch to you. It is your responsibility to carry it, whether you wish to or not. Otherwise all of their sacrifices were for naught. We all in some way, shape, form or fashion can battle the forces of darkness. Be not deceived….. the acts being perpetrated against this populace are most definitely being committed by the forces of darkness. But be not discouraged. It is always darkest just before the dawn. And please believe that the dawn is coming. Eventually darkness has to relinquish its power to the light. The two simply can not coexist. For those that seek to keep the masses in darkness, know that your time is short. You may have the odds in your favor now…..but a change is coming. The universe is all about ebb and flow. The current regression occurring in this country will eventually cease and the momentum will shift in the direction of those seeking equality. For those that who share in my desire to see America eventually become the beacon of liberty and equality it has all of the potential to become, keep the faith. 

Sometimes regression is a good thing. It allows one to revisit their past to remind them exactly of how far they’ve come and gives one an idea of just how far they have to go in order reach their goal. Hence the state of regression our society is currently experiencing.

Are you paying attention?