Hello folks, been a while. As I'm sure you've learned about by now there was a tragic assault on some of our nation's innocent, very young children in Newton, CT. While extremely sad to see these young souls gone so soon, we must be vigilant not to overreact just as much as under-react. Since the sad day people on both sides of the gun ideology have been calling for their ideals realized. GUN CONTROL! MORE GUNS! ..And so on. Well, I was on Facebook and a friend of mine posted this. The person is mostly a pro-gun counter-logic political type guy and good for sparking discussion. Due to his position on guns I felt his support rather one sided and made the comment that I disagree. He urged I give points as to why I oppose such legislation, and hereee we goo: (Note: This is straight from my FB post responding to my friend, posturing my thoughts on the idea.)
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One,
this is just as much a knee-jerk reaction to the tragedy as advocating
gun control is (you're just an advocate for guns, which is fine). Two,
we don't need adults with a predisposition of being ready to kill a
child (as it's arguable most school shootings occur at hand of other
students). Three, the guaranteed accidents waiting to occur when a
teacher misplaces or doesn't secure their weapon. Four, the vetting
process for teachers (and substitutes) would only slow the already slow
process, and most teachers don't want anything to do with guns (at least
around children). Five, on top of the vetting process, people will slip
through the cracks on proper training and schools with less funding
(read: inner city) will have more cracks, potentially even supplying
kids if corrupt enough. Six, parents typically don't want that sheer
amount of weaponry around their kids when left unattended.
The
idea of arming teachers is vindicating the idea that people aren't
parenting their kids. This is true, but we're only treating the symptom.
If all the teachers had guns, how many would have been accidentally
shot in the process? These teachers aren't marksmen. Hell, the NYPD shot and wounded 9
people trying to take down the Empire State Building shooter who only shot his
intended victim. And they are actively trained.
Personally,
I believe in the "when everybody is super, nobody is super" mantra of
gun proliferation, but at the same time not everyone is capable of the
responsibility of gun ownership. While the idea is if culture normalizes
gun ownership, a criminal is less likely to try a likely armed victim,
crazy people are still going to be crazy. If teachers can carry guns at
the school, I should be able to carry a gun anywhere I'm not potentially
altering my mind state (i.e. bar/club). I shouldn't have to worry about
a parent-teacher conference going awry over disagreements. I shouldn't
have to worry about my child being in fear of getting shot just because
he has a social behavior that tried the teacher's patience like talking
excessively. What if a large kid(s) overpowers an unassuming teacher to
take their weapon and run a muck?
Legislation
like this is giving humanity way too much benefit of the doubt. Plus,
concerns will only expand into "how do we further secure the transition
to and from school" ..armed guards walking the streets at 3PM looking
for trouble? And that's based on if the suggested legislation is
successful and something still happens! If Lanza had the intention of
doing what he did, even with the gun laws, he would have just found
another way. While yes we want to curb the outcome of incidents, we need
to focus on stopping the incident from happening. 1 child dying should
be viewed just as bad as 20. Mass shootings have not increased, they're
just increasingly tragic. The more tragic, the more outrage. Little
poor kids in Chicago shooting each other every day, but that didn't send
for the national discussion.
As
far as securing the school, civil engineering would do more to secure
the lives of those children than spreading guns to all the teachers.
Monitored perimeter security cameras and making sure non-staff sign in
to a secured location before proceeding into the school could safeguard
children without any gun proliferation. If the argument is that school
students are the primary aggressors in school shootings, then other
preventative measures need be done, though parenting is the bigger
issue.
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I haven't gotten much a response since posting outside of a "like" by the poster, but I'm sure there's plenty stances and responses to give. Feel free to give yours.
Soooo apparently I left my TV on overnight and in the morning there was an episode of Avatar (the one where he learns about controlling chakras) and it mixed in with whatever my dream was about.
So, while in the back of mind I was learning to control chakras (lol), I was part of this group of missionaries that carried out infiltrations of some oppressor/aggressor group. Part of the process of completing our missions dealt with navigating their bunker system, and that blueprint was mostly the same for each one. My purpose was strange but simple, infiltrate down to a certain level of the bunker, then be incapacitated (killed) by my partner. For whatever reason I had the ability to survive normally life ending wounds (I guess I learned to control the life chakra, and keep in mind I know how ridiculous this is lol) and that what she (partner was female) would do to "kill" me is slit my throat with a large blade. I think she acted as a bunker soldier and would convince the defenders that the threat was eliminated, whereas later we would escape with our mission complete and I would revive later.
In the last mission (before waking up) my partner and I got to the same place in which she would turn the blade on me, but for some reason she couldn't do it this time. It was like she couldn't stand killing me, she'd even swing but miss, or just stop short of my throat. Since she couldn't do it, she just went forward in the planned route of the mission, something went awry.. a soldier was in a position we were not briefed or prepared for them to be and she was shot down.. and somehow in that crossfire I got shot in the hand, ..and woke up.
Please understand that there is absolutely nothing wrong with learning more about any culture, especially when learning about yourself in the process. Learning is always a good thing, but putting other people down (or holding yourself above others) just because you learned something is counter-effective to anything you try and preach to others. I'm actually writing this portion after my rant, just to clarify my intentions. Enjoy.
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I see this type of thing all the time. "Where are the beautiful Black queens at? Who aren't ashamed of themselves and trying to look like the white man?" These men who act like they won't even bat an eye at a chick unless she has natural hair. You know, the same men who think yelling "AFRICA!" and "aahh! the Motherland!" EOTW style between every three sentences makes them pro-black. Well personally, I'm about sick of your holier(read:"Blacker")-than-thou persona because NONE of you are about that life. I'm already aware my frustration will likely cloud my ability to fully air out my thoughts but I don't care.
So let me get this straight, because a chick wants to perm HER hair, or speak with a tone lacking of deep dialect from the standard U.S. English language she's unfit to be called a Black queen ?_? Because she doesn't quite "act Black" in a way you think is correct she's trying to tap dance for "the White man"? How the fuck do you ACT Black!? You're no better than the next guy who slanders dark-skin Black women and loves light-skin Black women. Your ignorance is NO different.
But since you're so convinced that you want to go back to Africa after reading one and a half books about African culture (and the place you THINK you hold in it), let's break some (not all) shit down: 1) Africa don't fuck with you like that, 2) You worried about some hair.. ..how about the difference between "Sista girl" and an African woman 3) All you've probably managed to do since coming into this "knowledge" about Motherland culture is be single and mentally abuse women.
Let's begin.
1) Africa don't fuck with you like that!
Ever since you became an African scholar you've determined that "true" life would be much greater back in Africa, where people value the true worth of each other (especially you) in the land of "our" origin.
WRONG!
It's hilarious that you're that arrogant as to assume it's all good if you went back to Africa. Who's going to take you in and truly accept you? You'd want them to accept you for who you are right? Oh. ....By the way they are African just by breathing, they are their culture.. you are not, no matter how much you "studied" about civilizations that don't exist anymore. You're no different than Sigourney Weaver trying to become a part of the Avatars. YOU'RE AN OUTSIDER. You're American dude, regardless of your shame in that fact. Whether you are eventually accepted isn't the point.
2) You worried bout some hair.. ..how about the difference between "Sista girl" and an African woman?
(I'm well aware there are African women all over the globe, in this post my reference to them imply African women who have not left their country/native continent)
Before we dive to any form of depth into this point, know that a hairstyle is the CHOICE of the woman! It's HER HAIR! She controls it and you shouldn't insinuate what kind of woman she is beyond the point of whether or not it's clean. How shallow can you be to judge her worth to your fucking race just by how she dresses up her hair? But you think you deserve a woman of perceived high cultural density and implied elegance? And that your preference actually correlates with that logic? FOH!!!!!
An even more hilarious notion is that you probably think African women are all just chillin across the water in Africa with a bunch of Erykah Badu/Jill Scott (American btw) "Sista girl" personalities ripe for the pickings waiting on YOU to come across their life. Bitch! Half of em probably don't even know what Neo-soul is! They never experienced the Black Panther party (nor have you), and likely never heard of half of >America's< Black civil rights activists!
"Hey! You in the Free Mumia Tee!..WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING FROM THESE WOMEN???"
Many African women (and women in general) have been raised to be proper as possible as to be culturally presentable women and to be obedient to the laws of their cultures and religion. Half of that last sentence is what you despise these "non-applicable" Black women here for right now! African women often don't get the opportunity to express themselves too far outside of what their culture (that you like so much) allows, oft more restrictive than the US. Maybe that's why you think you really want one, better chance to control a woman that you cannot in the States? BUT! You likely lack the solidarity and standards that an African woman has been raised to expect from anyone meant to be her husband. So in all your efforts of seeking "what's real", you're lost yet again hopefully realizing YOU aren't "real enough". A non-self-righteous Black woman isn't worth your time, but you aren't qualified to lead her or anyone else anyway.
"Sista girl" is a personality.. NOT a woman! You "shea butter only" fools just want a personality type, don't try to justify your watered-down shallow understanding of yourselves by acting as if you're seeking to restore/preserve African components of Black culture. The most we take from African culture are some of its looks and health lessons, but they were inherited/incorporated into Black American culture. The general attitude of a "Sista" doesn't hold any backing of pure African culture, but pays more homage to Black American culture than anything African.
3) All you've probably managed to do since coming into this "knowledge" about Motherland culture is be single and mentally abuse your Black women for you being such.
Ever since you learned Egypt's true name was Kemet, you've been lording your preferences as to what constitutes a "real Black woman" in according to your ideal of African culture to your general public such as Facebook/Twitter, though you probably still have a Black Planet account in the name of Blackness. What makes you retarded is that in the same instance of doing this, you also take the time to slander any woman who doesn't fit that mold, then cry about going to Africa to find a real woman. Did you forget your Black female friends have to witness this all the fucking time and for any of them that don't fit what you market, but sadly value your friendship, it genuinely bothers them? They're thinking "Wow.. is this what you really think of me?" Have you figured out you're a douche yet? According to your logic what do you think of your mother? You just sound more ashamed of your core being than of anyone else.
Why are you so obsessed with claiming African ties? Personally I prefer checking "Black" on any race self-determinant application. Black has a connection to me that African does not. I don't know my roots to Africa, and I'm not about to act like I do. If everyone's origin is Africa one way or another, why are you making such a big deal about it anyway? It's not going to bring back the burned Libraries of Alexandria, or the bridges you're burning in the Black community. There are blonde haired, blue-eyed white people more African than you! Stop it. You'll forget these "deep" principles you've learned for yourself over the course of 2 months in 2 years anyway and I pray you fall in love with a white woman (no offense white women) to fully realize the contradiction you are really living (because love is from the inside, and race/style indiscriminate)
You don't know shit about Africa for real just like the next man but trying to play the part, but you resent who you actually are everyday and take it out on our women. Get that bitch up out your system. We have enough male to female relationship issues in our community to act like that.
My apologies to those who were following my posts at one point. I apparently lost my posting pleasure through the microblogging site Twitter. Since this blog has died down I may well be able to post more internal thoughts that will have time to stew before anyone coming across them and insta-reacting. Well much has happened to me professionally and personally, but that's not here or there. I will return to posting, most will be transports of Twitter posts to here, summarizing "rants". Perhaps even poems if the inspiration comes forth.
I joke, I write, I love, I think. I'm a nerd and love hip hop but far from that hipster stuff. I enjoy humor and people in general, though I often keep to myself.
A more introverted look:
I believe in the good in people, or at least want to. I hope to help people understand that we're taught to be unique/independent, but by our own nature we need each other and will, at some point, have no other option but to come together for a higher goal in everyone's interest. (This could be a blog post huh lol)
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