Sitting Well with Kaepernick's Right to Sit

My twenty something cousin, Calvin, was troubled by what's happening in the #ColinKaepernick public conversation. Here's my response to him.

Hello Cuz,

You should be doing the last minute list to get married. I am so proud of you and your bride.

I know this is disturbing. I truly believe in the right to protest. As uncomfortable as it may be for some, I will stand up for his right not to stand and sing as I do. When I sing, I do so not because my country is perfect but because our principles of democracy allow us to create a more perfect union. Protests, actions, and voting allow us to push America to be all she should be for all Americans.

Slavery was a standard and we were considered 3/5th of a person. But, our ancestors protested and voted for changes. That civil disobedience was uncomfortable and downright dangerous.

There was a time when it was the Republican party that understood our plight and when that changed, most of us became Democrats. This is why  your Great Great Uncle James was a Republican. At that time, it was the party of Lincoln that helped us fight a cause of freedom for us and to keep the nation in tact for them.

Look at the date when the National Anthem was written 1814 and over a century later, 1931 adopted by Congress as the national anthem. Now, the plight of our people was not good at either of those times. So, it was not written to include us. We forced this country to live up to its ideals. America is still a young country and we are still helping her grow up. It is why I can support immigration and now understand the civil rights of LBGT. I was so consumed with African Americans that I am ashamed that it took me too long to see what was happening to other groups.

Although, like Langston Hughes, "I Too Sing, America", and enjoy singing the National Anthem and saying the pledge, I am not upset with Colin Kaepernick. Instead, I am proud of his courage to live his conviction in the face of discomfort. Trust me, it will be a sacrifice for him. The man involved in Watergate was restored but the black man who was the janitor and reported the crime was an outcast. We must not fall in that trap of condemning Colin for his poignant protest.

When I was on the school board, my mentor Maxine Smith refused to say the pledge of allegiance. I did not have a problem with it, but she did. When the public tried to attack her I defended her freedom of speech and freedom to not participate. She was a local civil rights icon whose friends were killed in the struggle and her life threaten. Many times she felt abandoned by America.

The anger toward her quickly moved to me because I defended her.

Here we are post a Black President and in 2016 and the reaction to civil disobedience is the same. It is sad to me that a nominee for POTUS invited Colin to go to another country because his belief that America's treatment of all its citizens is not great. But, that same man campaigns how America is not great but he is not on a boat out of the country. Instead, he's running for President. That suggests he is entitled to America, but we are not. Whew!

Do not be over consumed by this. Get married. We'll talk politics another time.

Ron and I have this picture in our den to remind us how we have to pull together to get a piece of this American life. I pray you and your bride will always pull together, too.

#sittingWithColinKaepernick

Love you, Cousin.

Trump Stop Talking Dirty To Me!

Trump stop talking dirty to me!

 Does he not know that we know he used his influence to have 5 black boys jailed for a rape they did not commit? http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/donald-trump-and-the-central-park-five
But, life has a sense of humor because he is now fighting his charge of raping a minor.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/why-the-new-child-rape-ca_b_10619944.html

Does he not know that we know the federal government sued him for redlining with his residential properties? http://www.salon.com/2011/04/28/donald_trump_discrimination_suit/

Does he not know that we know he is the "funder" of the birthed movement? ($5 million reward for proof that President Obama was not born in America)

Does he not know that we know "the African Americans"  who worked in his hotels had to hide in the basement because he didn't want too many of us out front?  http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2015/08/trump-casinos-black-employees  
We know!!!

When I vote, I don't think we have someone will fix all our society's ills in one term. I am voting for someone whose character, skills, and resume reflect that he or she understands, shares the same concerns, and who has a track record that supports a vision to represent the American principles that I hold dearly.

Will his Supreme Court Justices reflect my views?
Can I expect a sizable increase in minimum wage?
Can the middle class expect less of a burden on taxes and the 2% of the wealthy a bit more?
Will a Woman's Right to Choose be protected or criminalized?
Can you work with others to unplugged a "do nothing" Congress?
Can we finally value public education and fund it to produce great minds from all races?
Can we value human life from across the borders and still keep America safe?
Can we expect diversity at work, in thought, in life and promote is an American value?
Can we honor the rights of LBGT and not make them the new 3/5 citizen?
Will you present a plan to engage our children from gangs to stimulating opportunities?
Will you protect my voting rights and the opportunities to enlarge to the pool of voters rather than shrink them?
Will you realize that we have work to do and help ex-offenders get a new start without the labels on their foreheads?
Will you have an aggressive Department of Justice that will be there to protect the rights of all citizens?

Trump stop talking dirty to me about what I don't have. "Come on give me some because you don't have a boyfriend at all."  Where's the "sweet nothings" (rhetoric and no record) in our ears, at least?

He said we have nothing to lose to vote for him. Hahahaha
Excuse me, you don't know all I have...

• Respect for my family heroes and sheroes who struggled for my freedom and right to vote.
• Sense of pride that what we have endured did not make us extinct but stronger to climb over mountains for the achievements and gains made.
• A thirst for education and even in worst of circumstances, there are nightlights in America still shining in homes where children may get online through the use of a cellphone.

I got the Mary McLeod Bethune Last Will and Testament flowing through my veins:
--Love, Hope, Confidence, Respect for the Use of Power, Faith, Racial Dignity, Inner Peace with Self,  Pride in Passing the Baton.  http://www.freemaninstitute.com/bethune.htm

I may have very little but my dignity is in tact!

But, Trump, you know nothing about African Americans because you are too busy, talking dirty to me.

Can We All Get Along?

Yesterday, I ran into David Kustoff. I hugged him and wished him well on his upcoming Congressional race. District 8 is mostly republican, and I am a democrat. I live in District 9. Immediately, I saw a fellow democrat give me a stern look as if I betrayed the party. I wondered, "How did we get here?"

From the candidates on the list, I think he's the best and with his good relationship with our new Mayor, that would be good for Memphis. Since, we live, work, sleep, invest, and enjoy family life in Memphis, that's good for us.

I know we have some differences. He is Pro Life and I am Pro Life Choices. He is pro-vouchers and I am pro-public education. But, he is pro-economic and business development and I am too, when they produce high quality jobs. He is pro public safety and I am, too. More federal funds for public safety initiatives are needed in Memphis and most urban cities and he knows that.

The late Justice Scalia and Justice Ginsberg rarely voted the same on major issues. But, they challenged each other's thoughts and did not allow their differences to influence what they cared about: faith, America, family, the complexity of the law, and the amenities that life offers-- a wonderful glass of Merlot together, as friends.

Our country's lack of civility really troubles me. The more we engaged in these wars that build walls of disrespect, anti-compromise, the more our country's real problems go unattended.

I enjoyed my time in the School Board and City Council. I met some lifelong friends on both. Over time, Brent Taylor and Barbara Prescott became two of my dearest friends and confidants. Do we always agree? No. But, when we see each other we don't see elephants and donkeys. We see people we have enjoyed and learned from each other. We see good stewards who tried to make Memphis a little better than it was when we started serving.

Let's pray for a return of an America when a Edward Kennedy and an Orin Hatch were best buddies wearing different labels but could work together, without malice, for a better America.

Zoo Boo Vs Tree Huggers

I won't spend too much time on the Zoo Boo vs. Tree Huggers because there are more serious issues in Memphis for me. And, I like animals and value trees.

Unfortunately , the "bad" guys were the council members and previous administration that approved the Conservancy and gave them a conflicting role that collided with the prior contractual authority of the Zoo. And by the way, Strickland was on that body. So. the Zoo probably feels they can't trust him. Which is why the Zoo members gave the Mayor "game face" and went right on and filed a law suit.

And no where in the charter does Wade offers opinions for the city. That's the City Attorney 's job.
This is a sad situation that needs to go away and Court is the best place to settle it.

But, enough of that,  I am worried about what's going on when young people are killing each other over hair weave!!! And Black lives matter, ya'll.  That's why when government representatives do not model that Black lives matter, the masses think it's open season without consequences. 

BLACK LIVES MATTER: SERVE THEM CONSEQUENCES