Don’t Stay in the Kitchen

Have you heard these clowns running around talking about the destruction of marriage and the natural selection cycle of the human race on the decline? (http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/05/watch-fox-news-panic-over-female-breadwinners.html)

Simply because some women are forced to be breadwinners due to the absence of a male in the home, and others have chosen to have a career that offers them excellent wages.

Of course, the economic situation in our country has changed the landscape of the workforce. Factories have shut down; construction jobs crept to a halt- and let’s face it, a lot of men do not have the skill sets that are sought after in this current economy.

We all know the way that Fox spun the issue with their news reporting style. They turned the story into the Armageddon of Man. Sort of how Eve is always to blame for the world that we live in. If she would have never eaten that forbidden fruit- Eve put that iPhone down!  Serve me woman!

Since a majority of the population has decided not to take statistics but instead enroll in ballroom dancing, it is easy to see why this story has caused so much controversy. FEAR- if the black unemployment rate was lower I am sure that Obama would have another scandal on his hands.  

There is nothing wrong with a woman being the breadwinner. Just because a woman is making more than a man does not suggest that marriage is under attack. Maybe it suggests that women have adapted to the society they live in and have gained the necessary skills to survive instead of being on Welfare. Maybe we should applaud these women instead of vilifying them.  

Just because a women is making more than her husband should not mean that their son is going to be bound to life in the kitchen watching Sports Center, or How to survive in the wild with a toothpick.

This subject cannot and should not be talked about by people that do not have any experience with the issue. The stats are misleading. It needs to be broken down by several other factors as well. For example how many of these households are educated, how many decided that this was right for them, and finally how many mothers have no other options.

I personally am a part of this new phenomenon (or destruction of so-called marriage). My wife is a business professional. We have two children and have decided that the best way for them to be raised is with one parent at home.

The deciding factor on who was going to stay home, was based on who had the lowest salary.  I am not ashamed to say that I was defeated in this little challenge.  I could have taken a job at the local 7-11 and been forced to work multiple jobs in order to put a roof over our children’s head ten years ago- but WE decided differently.

Did my manhood simply vanish? Nope. I have a beard, I still pee standing up, and I even knocked out a few degrees while I had the time. Our son enjoys so-called “manly” activities- you know- shooting avatars with military style weaponry and farting then evacuating the room. Our daughter wears pink, understands that women can achieve anything they want in life, and is not simply forced to remain barefoot in the kitchen.

Look, numbers are just that- numbers, but they do not talk, they do not explain every single detail. Numbers are often so skewed in the direction of those in control that their intended audience does not even check the facts but regurgitates the same insane rhetorical hysterical fairytale gibberish. Tow the party line is what they must say in their morning meetings.

If they were really concerned about marriage, then they would have allowed the man to stay in subsidized housing with their families. Instead men were not allowed to stay with their children and family.  If our society really cared about marriage then we would not allow for men to get locked away on silly drug possession charges and denied financial aid to attend college.

If we really want to examine the breakdown of family and marriage we should not be looking at employment statistics only, but education and social issues as well. With a 50% divorce rate- marriage has been under attack for years.    

You want to know what helps the community in situations like these- It’s when men spend time in the community.  Men like me, who have taken this opportunity to spend time at my children’s school. The field trips that I have attended, the Site Council meetings, and the Superintendent / Parents Board, these things help the community.

I have seen so many fathers picking up their children from school, helping them with their homework, and even at the playground with their children during the day.  No longer do they have to wear that shirt with the fake baby in a pouch, now they have a baby in a pouch. 

Marriage and the male role in our society are not being destroyed- they are changing. Of course most men would be scared of this. Men ran everything for a while and look what the hell we turned into. We turned into a society that is so hyped up on violence that video games are nothing but recruiting tools for the military.

Look, without women our silly asses would not be here, history has skewed the role of women so bad that they still have to fight for justice and equality. And now that women have started to shatter that glass ceiling- ditching baking bread in the kitchen for earning bread in the workplace- men are threatened. 

Freedom

So, we use the word free, but often forget the meaning. This country was never built off FREEDOM but rather manipulation. Minorities and women have been denied FREEDOM since the inception of this Nation. The United States of America was not conceived by a white man. But rather suggested by a Native American.  A Native American realized that a land full of colonies would not be successful. This concept was due to the many different tribes and differences in beliefs and traditions between the many different Native American tribes. 

These differences in beliefs seem to be playing out in our society now. There are some that want to legalize pot, support gay marriage, and eliminate Unions. While some demand that they keep their assault rifles and extended clips, and in the same breath deny others the opportunity to marry, fail to realize the hypocrisy in their statements or must believe that their FREEDOM is more important than others.

The biggest concern for all Americans should be FREEDOM. In order for our country to rise we cannot hold on to the old principles of our country. The old principles lead to burning witches, holding back women and minorities, and the word FREEDOM morphing into slight control of ones desires. Personally I believe that a person should be able to conduct any activity that has no detrimental effect on another person physically.

One should be free to love whom they want. One should be able to fill their bodies with want they want without fear of facing prison. If we live in a country that claims to be free yet has the highest amount of individuals confined behind bars- we should change our tag line to “the land of those that can't define FREEDOM”.

Of course true FREEDOM cannot be achieved in our society.  Our society has been so divided and mislead by the media that we often do not do our own research as individuals. We do not look for credible references, but follow the slanted media and their corporate sponsors to tell us what FREEDOM is, or is not.

The Patriot Act, Drones, monitoring of internet activities, and individuals giving up all of their personal thoughts on social media are all forms of control and eliminate FREEDOM. Maybe that is what we should change our tag line to-The United States of Limitations and Separation.

Our children are not given the FREEDOM to learn, but rather programmed to think the way that some individuals see fit. If the Black Panthers stood on the lawn of the Capital today would there be thousands of hunters standing with them? They didn't then and I would think they would not do it today.

I see FREEDOM, the FREEDOM for you to wave your Confederate Flag, The FREEDOM for you to tell me that your religion is better than my spirituality, the FREEDOM of corporations destroying our land and selling our resources at triple the value, the FREEDOM for you language to overtake mine, the FREEDOM for elected officials to lie and place blame on us, the FREEDOM for you to steal from my culture, but deny me the opportunity to enjoy theirs.

So when you look at the Stars and Stripes and hear those words the home of the brave, remember that being brave demands action. In order to be free we have to do what is right, not what is wrong. 

Accountability or Probability

Should we hold our media accountable? And would this accountability be for the greater good of our society? I would think so. As a college student the most important lesson that I have taken away from my studies is credibility. Now as a writer, a blogger, and an artist I do not consider myself a journalist at all. I voice my opinion and challenge others to do the same and think critically.

With the lack of credibility in our media, this possesses a great danger to society as a whole. If the citizens are misinformed, brainwashed, and subjected to these misinforming media conglomerates 24 hours a day, we are in serious trouble.

The history of journalism is interesting and the beginning of this profession was one that was respectable and important. Journalists would put their lives on the line to inform the public about what was going on, and removed any bias from these stories. These stories simply were filled with facts.

Misinforming the public, due to advertisers, political affiliations, and trying to reinforce the beliefs of one particular audience is another reason we are so divided in America. I often subject myself to other media outlets that I may not agree with. There are often a lot of facts in these stories, but it is often hard for people to separate the fact from the bias, or personal opinions.

These personal opinions are turned into facts, and are often used for attacks against issues. A few examples include global warming, poverty and violence, and our failing educational system. With everyone running around with a briefcase full of false facts, it is easy to understand why nothing is being done to address these issues at all.

So I suggest that we hold our media accountable. We the people, demand that the media informs the audience of not who just their parent company is, but who donates and funds them. If we have access to this information then we can see that things in this country may not be as dire as some say. There could be a solution, but if a solution is found would they keep their audience?

Do not get me wrong. I do not want every show to be filled with screaming individuals that have an audience to keep, and profit from. There are many profiteers in our current media filled world. There are those that profit from hate and misinformation to a degree that could often equate to treason.

Another small victory that we can take away from this election is that no matter how much money is spent it is hard to win an election. While some media outlets were discussing the amount of money that was spent and lack of return on investment, I was laughing. The reason that I was laughing is because the amount of money that was spent is nothing compared to their real wealth. With all of their wealth on the line, and the environment in their back pocket it is going to be interesting who they support the next time around.

So in short, conduct serious researches, check your references. And citizens of the great nation- make sure that you use the search engine of your liking before you believe every post in a blog or social networking site.  But no need to check mine- these are just opinions.    

Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangster

I never knew that I was a gangster; I was surprised when theses accusations were tossed my way. Politically motivated, a scholar, father and a husband sound more appropriate. It would be rather hard to play soccer outside with my daughter while I was dodging bullets. It would be rather hard to concentrate on my school work while I was constantly looking over my shoulder watching out for the rival gang member to attack me.

I mean, we all know that I live in one the roughest neighborhoods in the world- with the constant howling of coyotes and acres of farmland that surround my small town. This really offers me the best opportunity to recruit little kids and teach them how to do a drive-by. I’m such a hard gangster that I picked my children’s school based upon the merits of the district. Would a gangster be able to write and talk about society in a manner like this?

I have spoken out against the gangster mentality that has plagued our society. I have made a conscious decision due to role models like my father and mother to do something with my life and raise my family in the most respectful and honorable way that I can. I have taught my children about accountability, the importance of an education, and the importance of love and kindness.

But accusations like these are often misdirected due to the ignorance and sometimes racist insecurities of certain individuals. Those that have no connection to the real world but would rather believe the images they have seen on the 100 hours of television they are subjected to on a weekly basis.

But this is a problem with society- we never take the time to know anyone, but rather judge them by the way they dress. People should be judged on their actions. People often spend so much time worrying about other individuals that they do not take the time to look at themselves and understand how they can improve their own lives. There is always room for improvement. Are we all where we want to be in our lives? Is there more that we can do for one another and support one another in a world that is often filled with so much evil that goals seem impossible?

I have lost friends to the streets. They should still be here today. I have seen friends locked up for most of their teenage years. Poverty has increased in America; men and women are dying across the earth fighting for our freedom. There is so much more to focus on instead of passing lies and false accusations. These actions can be connected to the term “Hater”, but I would rather take it deeper than that, and deal with the fact that we have rather sick people that feel the need to lie to make them selves feel better by always talking about others.

God truly does work in mysterious ways. As soon as I started writing this blog there was a knock on the door. It was a delivery of the pictures of me and my wife walking across the stage accepting our diplomas. A reminder that I am not a gangster, that I am striving to do more with my life and I am surrounded by some of the greatest neighbors and friends that a man could ask for.

Being a gangster is not what young men strive for. It is a social and economic issue that has plagued America. Some of these young men and women do not have a chance or opportunity to become better citizens. Some of these children come from broken homes and are surrounded in conditions that I can not even imagine to be subjected to. There are other gangsters out there as well. There are gangsters that bottle water and sell it to the people, pollute our air, and control the media with negatives images of all aspects of our society only in search of profits.

This is a warning for me and all the others that just so happen to wear a pair of jeans and a baseball cap. We are gangsters! We should not and can not be trusted! We live for the excitement of war and killing our own people. While we send our children to school, attend college, and are there for our friends in the darkest moments, we are planning the next drive-by and waiting to sell drugs to our people.

To all of those that think they are surrounded by gangsters and feel the need to lock themselves in their homes with cameras and motion detectors- while you are at it add some bars on the windows and pad the walls of your home, because you are the real nutcases out there. Not those that have better things to worry about than the dog and pony show in their own front yard. The Devil approaches with a smile and spreads lies while he is stabbing you in the back with his pitchfork.

I will see you all later. It is time for me to jump in the low-low, throw on my baseball cap, and do a drive-by with my AK-47 and hoodlum children. I think there are a couple of cows that have been talking mess about me and my boys and I think that it is time for some pay back… gangster style.