>> Acts of God???

 

 

What’s Good World???

 

I think that by any stretch of the imagination, this has been a tough week for the Midwest here in the US. With flooding in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois (and really all states along the Mississippi), the catastrophe of the moment can sometimes shake the faith of a person new to Christianity or even be used as “proof” that God doesn’t exist. The argument being, if we all live to serve a loving and merciful God, then why would he allow for such things to happen to his people? If God is real, then why are we made to suffer?

 

Valid questions.

 

 Atheist Alliance International explains:

 

Good and evil happen to people in an impartial manner. This is what we would expect to occur in a universe without a god. Since there is no evidence of a god who is helping us, we must help each other. Through science and compassion, we can try to create a heaven here on Earth.

 

You know, I actually kinda agree with the first statement…it does seem that sometimes good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. If God is all-powerful and all-good, then why does evil (in the form of natural disasters, murder, disease, etc.) exist? If any of us had the power and knowledge of God, we would certainly eliminate the evils of this world. In fact, given the opportunity, we would never have created them in the first place. So how would you go about explaining “Acts of God” that seem to hurt/kill innocent people?

 

// TCS

>> When is RAPE, rape???

 

 

Ay-Up World!

Remember how if someone asked you whether stealing was wrong when you were 8 years old, you’d ALWAYS say it was wrong?  Remember how at 16, the question seemed a tad less clear (for instance, what if your wife was dying and the pharmacy was closed and the only way she’d survive is if you broke in and stole the medicine). Well, in today’s day and age there seems to be less and less clarity in regards to some other issues of morality too…namely rape. As a kid I would’ve said that rape is always wrong (and to some extent, it is)…but as I grow up, I’m noticing that rape cases can really only be judged on a case by case basis. I mean to force sexual interaction with an unwilling person is DEFINITELY wrong…but the word “unwilling” isn’t very descriptive…what does “unwilling” mean? Is there a time limit to being unwilling? Let me give you a scenario and you tell me whether or not YOU would say that a rape occured…

An aspiring model and her filthy rich boyfriend get a little friendly after a late night of drinking and dancing. The mood quickly goes from “a little friendly” to intimate and both consent to having sex. About 3 minutes in, the young lady changes her mind and asks the young man to stop. But with hormones raging, the young man doesn’t have the restraint to hold off. 2 minutes later, she meets with authorities to report a rape.

Tons of variables here but the question remains…IS THIS RAPE OR ENTRAPMENT? Can you retract your consent once the sex starts, and if so shouldn’t the timing matter? Is drunk consent the same as sober consent and if not, how can you tell the difference? In the above example, what are the young man’s rights as he was misled into what he thought was consentual sex? Keep in mind, even with mutual consent, rape can still occur (see Marcus Dixon’s case), so both parties agreeing doesn’t even matter!  I’ve read that “no one asks to be raped” and “rape is always the perpetrator’s fault” but with money as a potential motivatior and communication being sketcthy at best, sometimes I can’t tell the difference between the victim and the perpetrator…

// TCS

>> A Different View of the Sean Bell Saga

 

Peace World,

 

I know the whole Sean Bell tragedy is in the process of erasing itself from the headlines of any/all pop-culture news sources, but I just want to comment on the tragedy itself from the perspective of a brother looking in from outside the situation. I’ll start by saying that the actual murder of Sean Bell seemed excessive in its force and in the scope of the “undercover operation” that led to the shooting to begin with. But with that being said, WHY THE HELL WAS HE AT A SUPER SHADY STRIP CLUB THE NIGHT BEFORE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MARRIED????? A bachelor’s last night of freedom, right? I get it, but is that an excuse for a poor choice?

Picture it: “Baby, I spent half of our honeymoon money making it rain at the Purple Moon last night and there’s a possibility that one of the strippers is pregnant with my child…but, I mean…it was my bachelor party though…”

Now, I’ll be the first one to tell you that I have attended many (and plan to participate in many more LOL) bachelor parties in my day, but in each case they were relatively discrete and done in such a way that nobody would get 50 shots popped off in their direction. I mean sure the police were out of line for killing this unarmed man, but we (as a people) have got to do a better job of getting the hell out of harm’s way. If you don’t want to be racially profiled, then pull your pants up and take off that do-rag at the mall! If you don’t want to be thought of as unintelligent or ignorant, then read a book and gain some sort of command over the English language! I guess what I’m implying is….if you don’t want to be shot the night before your wedding at a strip club, then stay the hell away from the strip club! As sad and inexcusable as the state of affairs are, I feel a tad embarrassed in the fact that this man was in such a compromising position to begin with. Don’t you?

 

// TCS

>> A Date with Death???

 

Peace World,

 

I was having a discussion with some of my co-workers and we ran into a kinda cool place. You know, like when you’re trying to figure out how you’re gonna pay your next month’s rent and you find the TV remote along the way LOL. Well one of the most interesting social statistics I’ve ever read says that over 90% of Americans feel that if given the opportunity to know when they will die, THEY DON’T WANT TO KNOW. I’ve listened to a ton of different takes on why this may be the case and heard things such as:

 

-I would never sleep, anxiety would make me crazy

-It’s a downer

-It forces me to focus on the quantity of days instead of the quality of those days *personal fave

 

BUT!

 

The most interesting twist on the topic that I’ve heard was from a co-worker yesterday who asked me whether my “Blackness” (← I hate this word) impacted my decision on the topic. I was almost offended by the question, but when I actually looked at it, I noticed that you could make the argument that being Black could actually make a difference. For instance, with discrimination and racial profiling still alive and kickin’, the quality of life for Blacks is different than Whites so it makes sense the the quality of death would follow suit. So what do you think? Why are people against knowing the timing of their death and can external factors (like race, age,  or quality of life…any additions?) figure into whether or not you care to know?

 

// TCS

>> Mr. Mom???

 

What’s knockin’ World???

James Brown told us that “this is a man’s world…” and I guess I agree. In regards to financial upward mobility (job opportunities), sexual freedom (just consider the response to a man who claims to be a sex-addict vs. a woman claiming to be a sex-addict…) and just basic social implication, it is indeed a man’s world. 

BUT!

One area where women undoubtedly reign supreme is in ABORTIONS!  Listen, I know that it takes two to tango and a woman has the right to make decisions about her body….but when you have a child that you BOTH created, that body is no longer a singular institution, it’s a melding of TWO PEOPLE’S chromosomes! Keeping that in mind, it seems only right that the father would HAVE to consent to a child’s birth before it was born. Besides, who wants a deadbeat dad? In many ways, couldn’t you be saving the child’s life by ending the child’s life? On a different note, if the father doesn’t consent to a child’s birth, THEN HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU STICK HIM WITH A CHILD SUPPORT BILL?!?!?!? That’s like a stranger coming up to you at Wal-Mart and LEGALLY FORCING you to pay for their groceries. Your response may go something like this: “I didn’t ask you to buy those groceries…” or “Who told you to get Campbell’s soup instead of Great Value soup anyway?” maybe even “Why would I pay for a decision YOU made?”. The point is that you didn’t ask for the bill, nor do you have control over how the money is spent…so how/why is this deemed inherently moral or accptable?

Let’s be honest, I think all men know (or have heard about LOL)  times in which the threat of having or not having an abortion is used by some women as a means to “level the playing field” or even blackmail their male companion. Shit, the Maury show is predicated on this premise all together (…you are NOT the father! LOL). So the question is…why are women given the sole decision as to life of my seed?

 

// TCS

>> Top 25 Things Black Men SHOULDN’T Apologize For…

 

Peace World,

So I’ve been thinking (dangerous, I know), and DAMN IT I feel like I’ve been apologizing and/or masking too many of my true feelings! Gimme a second, let me vent…

I think that American society as a whole conditions us to blend.  If everybody else likes Obama, then I guess I like Obama [On a sidenote, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR WHOEVER YOU WANT! If I like John Edwards, why can't I vote for him? Why do I have to choose between Dem. or Rep.? Vote TCS in '08  LOL]. Oh, you think The Boondocks is funny? Especially the episode when they say the N-word 1000 times? Me too. Did you like the new Souljah Boy song? Yeah the one where he says “get out my face you doo doo head dummy” (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!)? Yeah, me too. It seems like EVERYBODY is Mr. Me Too. What happened to sticking to your guns and saying what YOU BELIEVE??? Even if you’re wrong, let your voice be heard! In that spirit, I present to you my 25 things that Black men should stop being ashamed of…we all secretly agree with most of these so…LET IT BE KNOWN!!!

Let me know your thoughts on the list, you should know by now that I have a tendency of taking things too far LOL so as always, if you want to add or change anything on the list, by all means, please leave a comment…

————————————————————————————-

1. Never apologize for pursuing what makes you happy. Even if you
need to quit your job, transfer schools, or move across country,
always do what you really want. If you’re no good to yourself you
can’t be good to others.

2. Never apologize for using proper English. Being articulate is the
epitome of Blackness. (Study Dr. King, Malcom X, or Cornell West to
see what I’m talking about.)

3. Never apologize for giving your best in a relationship that just
didn’t work out. Contrary to popular belief there are some trifling
women out here who wouldn’t know a good man if he held her door open
for her or offered her a seat on a crowded bus.

4. Never apologize for being successful and wanting to get out of
the “hood”. Only haters want to keep you at their level.

5. Never apologize for speaking the truth. Only those afraid of
change and self examination will curse you for it.

6. Never apologize for physical short comings. When you are the man
God wants you to be the physical means nothing.

7. Never apologize for being careful with your money. Just because
you refuse to take that chick you just met @ H20 to the most
expensive restaurant in town doesn’t mean you’re cheap. Keep your
financial house in order so that you can provide for yourself and
that lady who is worth your time.

8. Don’t apologize for being a caring, nurturing Dad. We don’t have
to be hard or rough all the time. Hug and kiss your children,
especially your sons so that they know how to express love to others.

9. Never apologize for treating yourself to something special. If you
are being that good husband and father that God wants you to be and
that your family needs you to be then a Big Screen TV is not too much to
ask for…..lol

10. Never apologize for leaving a bad relationship. Life is too short
to be with someone who doesn’t love and respect you. You feelings
have worth too brother.

11. Never apologize for backing out of the wedding or taking your
time before popping the question. Too many people rush into marriage
with their hearts instead of looking at the situation logically.

Come to think of it…11.5 ->Never allow yourself to be pressured.

12. Never apologize for setting high standards in a relationship. As
men we need to look past the physical/superficia l. Having a nice
butt, big breast, a pretty face or long hair does not make a woman
relationship or “wifey” material. Look to her heart and mind.

13. Never apologize for or be afraid to say NO.

14. Never apologize for asking for what you want in bed. Contrary to
popular belief, men are deeper than a blowjob. Ask
for what you want. Who knows, she may want the same thing.

15. Never apologize for not wearing expensive clothes, buying
expensive jewelry or driving a fancy car. Your SELF worth is more
important than your NET worth. Remember brothers, you are more than
what’s in your wallet.

16. Never apologize for wanting to spend time with your boys. Women
will come in and out of your life, but the bond of brotherhood should
and must be maintained.

17. Never apologize for buying that shirt/those shoes/these pants. This is America…perception is everything. (Refer to #9.)

18. Never apologize for dating outside your race. Just because you
found Ms. Right across the color line doesn’t mean you’re weak and
can’t deal with a “strong sista.” Seek eagerly, choose carefully and
love deeply.

19. Never apologize for demanding respect. As you give it you deserve
it. You are a King black man, act like one.

20. Never apologize for not knowing how to cook. Apologize for not
wanting to learn. There is no such thing as “woman’s work” brothers.
If you like to eat you should like to cook. Remember, some of the
best chefs in the world are men.

21. Never apologize for wanting to date. If you are not in a
committed relationship and chose to date more than one woman so be
it. As long as you are honest at the beginning there should be no
problem.

22. Never apologize for or be ashamed of asking for help. No man is
an island and we all need assistance from time to time.

23. Never apologize for or be afraid to make decisions for your
family. As the head of the family that is your role!!!  Take advice and
of course consult your wife. Remember she is your partner. But God is
holding YOU responsible for what goes on in your house. After Adam
and Eve ate the apple, God looked for Adam. Why, because he was the
head and ultimately responsible for what went on.

24. Never apologize for not making as much money as your woman. If
you do what you love and set the proper example for your wife and
children, money won’t be an issue. If it is then you have the wrong
woman.

25. Never apologize doing you. To thine own self be true Black man.

>> Why Do Blacks DOMINATE Sports???

What’s new World?

 I know, I know…it’s been a while since my last post. Well, with March Madness in full effect and baseball starting up…can you blame me??? As I spent last week basking in the last second three pointers and opening pitches acroos the nation, I began to take notice of one similarity that seems to be held between every major US sport: Black dominance. Is that to say that Blacks are inherently better athletes than other races? Well, maybe. But let’s narrow this discussion down to two main ideas: 1) Is there any REAL proof that Blacks are better athletes than any other race? and 2) Could American society play a role in CREATING this imagery?

So is there proof behind this? I’ll skip the genetics debate and just say, let’s use the EYEBALL TEST…who do you see as the most dominate athletes in major sporting arenas? Kobe Bryant (word to LeBron), LaDainian Tomlinson (I see you Mike Vick), Ryan Howard, and even Jerome Iginla come to mind right away. To be fair, Black representation in the NHL and NASCAR is disproportionate, so to consider Blacks in those sports seems flawed to begin with, but within the Black community, some believe that given interest in those sports, Blacks would do well in them as well. I guess to be impartial, I could say that for every Kevin Garnett, there’s a Dirk Nowitski…but that’s just simply untrue. In the grand scheme of things…IT’S JUST NOT EQUAL! Put it like this, out of the top 30 NBA All-Star vote-getters, 6 were not of African descent. That’s 20%. Concidence? What about the 13% of 2007? 10% of ‘06? Taking into account that the NFL was even more lopsided…clearly there’s a correlation.

Where do American beliefs and values come into play? Can celebrating the Black athlete actually play into the hands of the social structures that be? ABSOLUTELY! It would be nieve to ignore the parallels between launching Blacks onto basketball courts and football fields versus the segregation courts and cotton fields our ancestors broke their backs for. The sporting arena almost seems to be a modern day plantation, keeping Black youth outside of the boardrooms and libraries that could really shake up the staus quo. On top of that, to suggest that Black people are just naturally better than Whites athletically does feel degrading to an extent….almost like there’s a relation being drawn between raw muscle, aggression, physical prowess (all things synonomous with WILD ANIMALS) and BLACKNESS. Harry Edwards put it like this:

“What really is being said in a kind of underhanded way is that blacks are closer to beasts and animals in terms of their genetic and physical and anatomical make up than they are to the rest of humanity. And that’s where the indignity comes in.”

So are Blacks better athletes than any other race? And does America feed into this perception…or is it simply reality?

>>TCS

>> Lucky To Be Black…

 

What’s Happening World?

 I didn’t think I’d have enough time to post twice this week…but after this last political episode, I was forced to grind! OK, so if you haven’t heard the latest in Obama vs. Clinton news, one of Hillary Clinton’s top campaign finance advisors, Geraldine Ferraro,  was quoted as saying:

“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position, and if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.”

 Of course Obama’s campaign called for (and reportedly has received notice) for Ferraro’s resignation and for Clinton’s campaign to disavow the comments as a mistake. To apologize and “disavow” is standard Washington talk after saying something that isn’t considered politically correct (that way, the issue of whether or not the speaker stands by and believes what they said is never actually addressed…)…same old, same old.

 Even so…can anyone else smell the social connotations of this quote???

 I never thought I’d see the day where a White person claimed that an individual was “lucky to be Black”. Well, to be brutally honest…to be “Black” has been cool for a while now. It’s cool to listen to hip hop. It’s cool to have bronzed skin. It’s cool to feel disenfranchised by the gov’t (for now…). The list goes on of course…I could list endless more “cool” things about being Black, focusing on the perceived pleasurable benefits of our culture.

BUT…

My main beef with the popularization and mainstream acceptance of SOME accents of Black culture is that whenever the DOWNSIDES of Black culture come in to play…it seems that Whites backpeddle faster than Deion Sanders on Superbowl Sunday. Would it still be cool to be Black if you were pulled over late at night? What about if you just wanted a fair shot at an equal education, would being Black come in handy then? What if you “fit the description” of a local robbery suspect (Black, 5′8 with short hair)? All I’m saying is that if individuals want to benefit from attribute of “Black culture”, then accept all of the struggles that Blacks deal with in this country as well! I’m not sure whether or not Hillary agrees with her “close friend and advisor” but the best mirror in the world is an old friend. I’m really buggin out on this one…so help me understand this question:

Why can’t Whites recognize the WORK, TIME and EFFORT Black people put forth whenever they’re in a position of power? Why does it have to be just “luck”? The old saying is that a Black man has to work twice as hard to be just as good, and I feel like Barack DESERVES to do these numbers! Not to bash Hllary, but she wouldn’t be in the position she is now if she hadn’t grown up in a wealthy suburban Chicago neighborhood…with two well-off parents…able to afford top flite secondary school and college…and marrying a President. I mean, most politicians don’t start out on the Senator level like Hillary did…what afforded her that opportunity? Now, who’s “lucky” here?

 >> TCS

>> Gay and Christian???

 

What’s really good World?

 Growing up in a baptist church…I never really felt like any rules/regulations were imposed on me (at least not consciously), but recently I’ve been noticing not only at my church but at almost all Black churches that there seems to be a proactive strike out against homosexuals who also claim to be Christian. At first, I kinda disagreed with shunning homosexuals because “God is love”…and I can’t see God being upset that you love a fellow human being whether it was male, female, neither(???), disabled, disfigured, etc. The gist I get from various preachers is that even love is a structure (meaning that there are parameters…you can’t love a donkey like you love your mom, you can’t love ice cream as much as God, etc.)…essentially there ia a right way and a wrong way to love someone.

 …but I will say this…

I find it strange that Black churches in particular can find it in their ministry to minister to ex-cons, drug addicts and single mothers and then at the same time TOTALLY shut out the gay community. If the mindset is that homosexuality is a sin, then what seperates gays from those drug addicts??? In other words, if a church welcomes liars, stealers, cheaters and general sinners, then why not welcome homosexuals? It seems to me that to treat homosexuals as a “seperate class of sinners” goes against Christian principles to begin with…afterall a sin is a sin right? I’m left with 2 questions:

(1) Is it REALLY set in stone that homosexuality is a sin? That is to say, are you willing to attest that LOVING a person of the same sex is seen by God in the same light as MURDER? 

 (2) Assuming that homosexuality is a sin, why is it so ill-perceived in Black churches in comparison to murderers, rapists, theifs, etc.? Is homosexuality considered a “seperate class of sin” and if so…..why?

>> TCS

>> What Happened to Black Leadership?

WE MADE IT! 1,000 visitors in the first month of existence…maybe people are concerned with progress of the Black community afterall. In recognition of the 1,000 visitor mark, I asked a good friend of mine to contribute a guest post to the site so check it out and let us know…MLK was assasinated along with Malcolm, Medgar (am I forgetting any of the other M’s? LOL) and every other dynamic, young, Black leader of the late 60’s/early 70’s…well it’s been 30 years…WHERE ARE ALL THE THE YOUNG BLACK LEADERS AT?

 

What’s up world!  First off I would like to thank TCS for allowing me to post this topic.  I have known this dude for most of my life and although we may disagree about the path to take, we both agree on the final destination, which is to shed light on situations affecting African Americans, Blacks, Brothas, Sistas, Negroes, or Ni**as (…since the N-word is socially acceptable within the Black community according to the FCC) and figure out constructive ways to handle these issues that plague our community. 

Now the question that I pose is simple.  What is the biggest internal issue affecting African Americans?  Spare us the external issues like slavery, the police, the government, and so on because there are a lot of things that affect our community that have nothing to with outside stimuli.  For example, I believe that the lack of tangible and visible role models for young people has hurt our community tremendously.  Today we have so many children growing up without an adult who gives a damn there that they grab on to the first person or thing that shows or gives them pleasurable attention, no matter if that attention is positive or negative.  Obviously there is a give-and-take with this scenario - if a teacher shows the child love, then they want to be a teacher, but if a gangster shows them love then they want to be the next Frank Lucas. Unfortunately the same give-and-take trickles down to kid’s decision-making – if shown attention for doing well academically, then they want to be the next Obama, but if sex makes gets them the attention they need, then they want to be Superhead or Mr. Marcus (yeah I watched the tape…so what? I’m grown LOL).   I’m sure you get my point.  As a community, we don’t have enough positive people in positions of influence who are committed to showing these kids the way…and nothing is more dangerous than a rebel without a cause. 

 What do you think the issue is?