Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. It's a day where many retailers slash prices and offer unheard of door buster deals to kick off the holiday shopping season. The commercialization of the Christmas holiday is not new, however, after reading two articles about events that occurred yesterday shows that the Christmas holiday season has lost its true meaning.
I am sure that everyone has heard about the incident at New York area Wal-Mart where a temporary employee was killed after being trampled by hundreds of shoppers trying to rush into the store to get a good deal (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/ap_on_re_us/wal_mart_death;_ylt=AkRgsbifyvHEwV4iR085405vzwcF). Then there is the double murder at a California area Toys R Us (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/28/national/main4637468.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_4637468) where two women started fighting and then their mates pulled out guns and shot and killed each other. In addition to these acts of violence, there are numerous articles of people getting arrested, bloody fights breaking out and for what...a toy?
Is buying a 50" Plasma for $799 worth killing someone over? Is it worth losing your freedom over if you are caught, arrested and charged for their murder? Is it worth for the lack of piece of mind, because we know there are going to be some who are going to have nightmares about their foot stepping on something that felt like a human. I understand that we want to spoil our loved ones and want to make sure the kids (for those that have them) have a special memory of Christmas, but what it's not worth getting arrested or even killed over? The reason for this holiday is not about the gifts solely, but about celebration of the Birth of Christ. This is a season where one is to help the less fortunate, enjoy and reflect on the past year, embrace family and togetherness. Its not all about the shopping and toys; it's not about what can I get and what can I get for the next person. The holiday shopping rage is completely out of hand and if someone doesn't agree with me then you are part of the problem.
In light of these tragedies, let's do something different from this point forward. Still do your Christmas shopping, but stop being a maniac about it; if you don't get that Elmo kitchen with the dancing Elmo next to it, it will not kill your child. Heck I am sure if you get the kid a few other things he/she will be excited still, but if they aren't, then hey maybe you should look in the mirror and ask yourself "am I raising my child up on a value based system that will not make them a rude, obnoxious ass or am I teaching them the correct principles?" If they are upset and spoiled then hey we know which is the correct answer. Seriously, to those people in New York that trampled someone who was trying to work probably to raise more money to ensure his family had a great holiday as well, will never get that chance; when you are sitting there on Christmas morning watching your kids and loved ones open those presents which you got as a result of killing someone, ask yourself... "Was it worth it?".
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Where the Heck are the Parents?
I give no apologies for what I am about to say and will start off with a parental advisory disclaimer. Where in the hell are the parents?!?!?!? I just read a disturbing story on AJC.com about the rise of teenager violence in Clayton County (http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/stories//2008/11/23/clayton_kids_killings.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab), a metro area of Atlanta, GA. Okay I know there has been an increase of violent crimes around the country especially because of the increase in the poverty rate, but Clayton County is something special.
Clayton County, Clayton County, Clayton County what else is there to say about Clayton County? First they allow for SACS to pull their accreditation so now no one who graduates from that school district will be able to get into college. Secondly, their school board is marred in utter scandal including a newly hired Superintendent that has a sketchy background; and even though SACS said don't do it they did it anyway. Here we are today and the question must be asked "What Now? Where the Hell are the Parents?". This is starting to be all to common in areas of poverty especially within the Black Community. When is the Black family unit going to step up and say "Damn it sit your ass down and read a book"; "Pull Your Damn Pants Up?"; "Bring yo ass in this house right now?". I mean it's as if parents are waiting for someone to do their job.
Yea, Yea, Yea I hear the excuses all the time... there are no Black male role models or their are no Fathers in the house... Hell this was the excuse when I was kid back in the 80s and 90s and is still the predominant excuse nowadays. Even though we know this, we keep doing the same thing over and over again fueling the problem. Why are Black communities so depressed? Before it was we didn't own homes and we were not primary taxpayers within the community; but what about now? We own tons of homes now even with foreclosures on the rise, we own a lot of our communities but we still don't care. We still want to drive our areas into the ground. WHY! WHY IS THAT?
Everyone asks, including me, Where are our Black leaders at? Where is the NAACP or Urban League? Forget that where the hell are the parents? You have a child right! Raise it damn it... Oh just in the next excuse... "I have to work 2-3 jobs just to make ends meet for them" Okay times are hard damn it, but maybe you are living to high? How about taking advantage of many of these free programs that are being offered in this State? I mean damn our community is nothing but excuse after excuse after excuse and it is getting freaking old. 20 years ago it was "...We don't have anyone helping us see what opportunities our out there"; what about now? Hell you can get on the internet via your phone even with most prepaid cells. Wait hold on let me pump the brakes... there is a brick building on the bus line or in your neighborhood called the L-I-B-R-A-R-Y and they have free Internet and BOOKS that can help you get better skills or guide you to the right sources.
To the Young People:
Now I am going to set professionalism to the side for this segment: To the Young Black Women and Men out there... You can be anything you want to be, look at President - Elect Barack Obama, look at Richard Parsons (Chairman of the Board for Time Warner), etc, etc, etc I can keep going on and on. I know you want to get that money and make it happen but you are a teenager, you haven't begun to live life yet. Selling that is a dead end road B, there is nothing positive that is going to come out of it. There is and will always be a glass ceiling in the game and in the end you will be dead, in jail or even worst stuck to live a life of struggle that has been marred by a criminal background. When you can not get ahead even after you turned the corner, you will ask yourself then "Was it all worth it?". You have your whole life ahead of you...you are not missing out on anything. Yo be a kid, enjoy it because when you have to be an adult its gonna be hard and real; Mommy and Daddy will not be there to help you out.
Back to the Agenda
What is it going to take? When is the talking and debate going to stop and a true plan of action going to take place? Check out my blog in Jan 2009 for an announcement as to what I plan on doing to help. It would be useless to be just another talker and not do anything about it. Not pointing fingers but there are a lot of Atlanta Celebs that aren't do anything ... all talk no actions... it's cool though
Clayton County, Clayton County, Clayton County what else is there to say about Clayton County? First they allow for SACS to pull their accreditation so now no one who graduates from that school district will be able to get into college. Secondly, their school board is marred in utter scandal including a newly hired Superintendent that has a sketchy background; and even though SACS said don't do it they did it anyway. Here we are today and the question must be asked "What Now? Where the Hell are the Parents?". This is starting to be all to common in areas of poverty especially within the Black Community. When is the Black family unit going to step up and say "Damn it sit your ass down and read a book"; "Pull Your Damn Pants Up?"; "Bring yo ass in this house right now?". I mean it's as if parents are waiting for someone to do their job.
Yea, Yea, Yea I hear the excuses all the time... there are no Black male role models or their are no Fathers in the house... Hell this was the excuse when I was kid back in the 80s and 90s and is still the predominant excuse nowadays. Even though we know this, we keep doing the same thing over and over again fueling the problem. Why are Black communities so depressed? Before it was we didn't own homes and we were not primary taxpayers within the community; but what about now? We own tons of homes now even with foreclosures on the rise, we own a lot of our communities but we still don't care. We still want to drive our areas into the ground. WHY! WHY IS THAT?
Everyone asks, including me, Where are our Black leaders at? Where is the NAACP or Urban League? Forget that where the hell are the parents? You have a child right! Raise it damn it... Oh just in the next excuse... "I have to work 2-3 jobs just to make ends meet for them" Okay times are hard damn it, but maybe you are living to high? How about taking advantage of many of these free programs that are being offered in this State? I mean damn our community is nothing but excuse after excuse after excuse and it is getting freaking old. 20 years ago it was "...We don't have anyone helping us see what opportunities our out there"; what about now? Hell you can get on the internet via your phone even with most prepaid cells. Wait hold on let me pump the brakes... there is a brick building on the bus line or in your neighborhood called the L-I-B-R-A-R-Y and they have free Internet and BOOKS that can help you get better skills or guide you to the right sources.
To the Young People:
Now I am going to set professionalism to the side for this segment: To the Young Black Women and Men out there... You can be anything you want to be, look at President - Elect Barack Obama, look at Richard Parsons (Chairman of the Board for Time Warner), etc, etc, etc I can keep going on and on. I know you want to get that money and make it happen but you are a teenager, you haven't begun to live life yet. Selling that is a dead end road B, there is nothing positive that is going to come out of it. There is and will always be a glass ceiling in the game and in the end you will be dead, in jail or even worst stuck to live a life of struggle that has been marred by a criminal background. When you can not get ahead even after you turned the corner, you will ask yourself then "Was it all worth it?". You have your whole life ahead of you...you are not missing out on anything. Yo be a kid, enjoy it because when you have to be an adult its gonna be hard and real; Mommy and Daddy will not be there to help you out.
Back to the Agenda
What is it going to take? When is the talking and debate going to stop and a true plan of action going to take place? Check out my blog in Jan 2009 for an announcement as to what I plan on doing to help. It would be useless to be just another talker and not do anything about it. Not pointing fingers but there are a lot of Atlanta Celebs that aren't do anything ... all talk no actions... it's cool though
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