Call a dog a cat long enough, that dog will begin to meow.
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This is exactly what Donald Trump wants to do when elected POTUS. Not so sure I know what he’s talking about. But, I am sure I don’t want to bear witness to it.
Question for you. When was America so great? Can someone answer me this? Maybe he wants to bring the country back to a time when we hated magic, and burned women at stakes for fear of witches. I’m from Massachusetts and although I’ve never seen an actual witch hunt, I have seen them re-enacted. What a sick and twisted group tour that was. Salem’s Witch hunts. So embarrassed sometimes, to admit that I’m from Massachusetts.
My biggest fear is going back to when the country was pro-slavery. If you think about it, we’re not that far from it already. Physical and mental slavery are alive and well in the United States. Physical slavery in the form of prisons and jails. Mental slavery in the form of dependency, and poverty. Not drug dependency, government dependency.
I once read a quote from Carter G. Woodson that went like this.
“If the Negro in the ghetto must eternally be fed by the hand that pushes him into the ghetto, he will never become strong enough to get out of the ghetto.”
What does this mean to you? I know what it means to me. Exactly what he’s saying. As a Blackman, this rings all too true with me. Carter G. Woodson is saying that a Blackman can never rise above his limitations when he has to depend on the Man that is limiting him for employment, food, clothing, and shelter.
As a kid I was always told not to ‘bite the hand that feeds you’. In other words, respect the one who gives you what you need. Respect the one that holds the position to put you in position. Respect the one who holds the power. Even if that person is the very same person that is keeping you down. Do what YOU have to do to rise above. Never give up. Never allow yourself to be defined by someone else’s opinion of you. Options are like cell phones, everybody has one.
Obstacles come in all shapes and sizes. Obstacles are put in front of us to see if what we want is really worth us fighting for. Obstacles are never to high to get over, nor, too wide to get around.
When a Blackman walks into a business and asks ‘Are you hiring?’, and he’s told ‘We’re not hiring.’ When it is apparent that they are, from the looks of the ‘We’re Hiring’ sign in the window. Then he has to watch, as he walks out, a young Caucasian man say, ‘I noticed the hiring sign in your window. Any positions left?’ He’s told to sit down and wait a moment.
That is crushing to not only the ego, but to his spirit as well. Now, imagine going through this several times in the same day. Some weaker individuals would call it quits after the initial rejection. Not the Blackman, but of course, it happens to others and they get past it, too. But as a Blackman, it is different. Different because we already have a hard time getting by, as it is. Stereotypes and society’s fears make it harder for us to maneuver through this world. Our skin tone is a blessing and a curse. All at the same time.
We are some of the most beautiful looking people on Earth. Everyone is trying to get just that right tan. To look like who? I’ll get into that in another piece. That’s the blessing. The curse is that we get pre-judged a lot quicker than the next man. Pre-judged because we are in a skin that is different than the rest. A skin that some envy and others hate. So, we are pre-judged. People expect us to act a certain way and mis-behave another way. We hardly ever get a fair shake at anything in life.
So, we seek out other methods of acceptance. We seek to capitalize on the notions that are perceived by society. ‘They expect me to be loud. I will yell and be heard.’ ‘They expect me to be a thief. I will borrow and not return.’ ‘They expect me to want their women. I will conquer as many as I can.’ ‘They expect me to fight. I will brandish iron and use it against my brother.’
But, Saliek, isn’t that allowing oneself to be defined by someone else’s opinion?
Yes it is. Exactly my point. Call a dog a cat long enough, that dog will begin to meow.
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