another day…

It’s crazy that a whole fraction of us, Americans, wonder if we are going to make it home at night. We don’t fear erratic drivers. We don’t fear random acts of violence in random places. We don’t fear many health concerns. We fear a system that was never designed for us to survive in. The government is a part of that system. The banks are a part of that system. The courts are a part of that system. Those sworn to protect and serve are a part of that system. I don’t care how distracted they try to keep you, if you don’t see it, it’s because you choose not to.

So where do we go from here? Really. How do we make real change? Don’t tell me another march. Don’t tell me another petition. Don’t tell me another hashtag. How do we make real change?

I wanted to believe in those voted into public office. Somebody gave their life for my right to vote. I am then forced to watch as many get into office and can easily be purchased. Every one is for sale, and if they can’t buy you out, they will force you out. I want to believe in the judicial system but how can you believe in a system where some judges are receiving kick backs for sentencing youth and giving people of color max sentences for petty crimes, if they committed any crime at all. We have watched them continue to cut school budgets that mainly affect lower income communities and schools, only to see them spend billions on more prisons. Now, everyday we wake up, we are viewing someone’s cell phone footage of life being taken away in cold blooded murder by those sworn to serve and protect the very same communities they pillage.

The media plays a part in all of this as well. You see, they paint the picture. They dictate the narrative. Ask yourself, who is telling the story? Black man or woman end up dead in the hands of the law, they quickly attempt to demonize them. A white man commits mass murder and they bring on psychologist to talk about how “troubled” they are and they need therapy. It happens over and over and over again.

So how do we make real change? Where do we start? I won’t grovel or beg to be accepted by anyone so if another march is your plan, count me out. If another petition is your plan, you can count me out. I’m just trying to figure out how to really make change. I’m not an activist. I’m just a black man who knows that the deck is stacked so damn high that I can’t even tell you who is on the other side.