Brotha (or Sista) I wanted to led you back on the path.


<<White people aren't making us shoot each other over overpriced material objects.>>

In fact, they are. Is it our fault that we, people oppressed and taken away from our cultural selves, the land of our ancestors, out of our values, that we are adopting their's in such horrible manners? White people, in colonizing us, in bringing us to this culture, did something else to us: made us lose touch with who we are -- as a people -- and adopt their cultural standards. One of their cultural standards is being materialistic and object-oriented.

<<White people aren't making us idolize thugs (not that Whites don't too, but they have enough resources to rise above that
s*&t).. >>

No, they aren't making us idolize thugs, however, thugs are both warriors and bastards in the scheme of things. They give many of our youth _back_ something to be proud of -- themselves. However, they also help perpetuate this materialistic image. But see, we should tell our children that these warriors, even them, are "controlled" in some manner or another. If we were wiser about what we were seeing, we'd be able to see the white man behind it (and them). The whites who are telling these young brothers that the way to "overcome" their race and sense of self is through the accumulation of "things." But, at the same time, who else would say the things we have been taught _not_ to say? White people wouldn't understand this two-fold mindset, but it is part of our cultural selves to understand both sides of these kinds of things and allow them to rest together, in peace (twinness).


<<White people aren't making us not teach our children to read and learn math before we even get to school.>>

Yeah, however, how can we have time to teach our children to read and learn math before they get to school when we are too busy trying to teach our children about racism, self-respect, sense of community, etc.? Now, my parents taught me to read before I went to school... but then I was talking before I was one and a half. But they could do that because we 1) lived in the South and 2) lived in a predominately Black small town. But this is a luxury.

White people have the _privilege_ of not having to worry about teaching their kids all the things we have to teach our kids in order to simply _survive_ on a phyical, emotional, spiritual, psychic, mental level. Those five years, I think, are well spent. Make a world where we, Black people/people of color, don't have to contend with racism and its effects, and I will show you a world where our children show everyone exactly how brilliant each and every single one of them are... besides, there are more than one way to be "prepared" for school.

<<White people aren't making us decide to have babies when we can't take care of our own damn selves.>>

No, but white people are making us demonize our own people because they are not living up to "white" standards.

1) The need for family is and always have been strong within our culture.

2) Are we to be blamed because we recognize the spiritual element embedded within sex and are not scared of it, the way white people are?


<<White people aren't tackling Black people and shoving crack pipes in their mouths or sticking us with heroin needles.>>

They aren't? The last time I looked and listened, it seemed that taking drugs was a way through which a person could _escape_ what has been defined, what we have come to know as "reality" in this country. It is a nightmare. Shit, sometimes, when I am feeling low, I wanna go out there and stick some crack pipes in my mouth and shove some heroin in _my_ veins! What's the difference? I remember that fighting is why I am here and I struggle to fight against the system that puts me down. Well, that is a kind of strength that is obviously outside of myself, that comes from my ancestors. However, I don't feel special because of it.

The minute Black people can't emphathize with those in our communities on drugs is the minute that white people won in making sure to separate us from our own.

Some people can't fight on the level we all have to fight on day in and day out. Some don't. You leave out alcohol, herb, cigarette smoke... sex (taken outside of its spiritual connections) as other ways in which Black people compensate for the psychic battle we fight _every_ day. But this stems from an European mindset that values some addictions over other ones... an European mindset that is pressed upon our people and which makes us separate from ourselves and our community -- our people.



So, yes, white people are to blame. They should have just kept their asses out of Africa and left us where we were. But they didn't so... this.

Let's overcome our internalized oppression and inferiority and point to the real culprit. We aren't to blame. Not one of us. To discuss whether they are _physically_ "doing" stuff to us is just rhetorical bullshit -- because more goes into someone taking drugs, etc, than the simple act of _doing_ it.

Yes, there is the issue of responsibility, of taken some for ourselves. But, our's is a people that is enslaved, for all intents and purposes. The responsiblity we have is to realize this and to fight against it -- yes, add another battle. But also, to attend to those who have been harmed by the battle -- to offer compassion to them and understanding and use them as the reasons for which we are fighting.

Q



"Go ahead and bite it; I'm sure you'll be delighted!" - Nina Simone, "Forbidden Fruit"

"Alabama's got me so upset. Tennessee made me lose my rest. And everybody knows about Mississippi GODDAMN!" - Nina Simone (you know the song: sing it!)

"I believe in peace!(Bitch)" - Tori Amos, The Waitress

____________


"When the revolution comes, "faggots" won't be so funny." - The Last Poets

** Most people mis-read this line. I don't think he is being homophobic. I think he's making sure you folks know, within our communities, those of you who laugh at