Blacks are racist too

I'm so sick of black people assuming I'm racist against them because I have the audacity to criticize them for things they themselves admit are wrong within their culture.  Black folks know they have problems.  They recognize that many of the issues I've mentioned in previous posts are very detrimental to them.  Yet a lot of these same people get offended when someone who isn't black AGREES with them.  How hypocritical.

News flash: black people can be racist too and not all white people are racist.  Racism is not an ethnic identity for all white people any more than crime is an ethnic identity for all blacks.  It's time to acknowledge that racism is actually perpetuated by a continuously decreasing number of morons, that the majority of people have learned better and that it really is time to move on if it's ever going to die out for good.

It's also time to admit black people aren't innocent victims any more and that some of them DO use race as an excuse for their own inaction.  It may not give you a warm, fuzzy feeling but it's still the truth.

For proof, look no further than your own accomplishments.  Look at all the successful black people out there.  I don't just mean the rap stars and ball players.  I mean the black doctors and lawyers and policemen and teachers and business owners and politicians.  Do you really expect me to believe they're all flukes?  No.  Successful black people didn't pull a fast one on the white man.  They got off their butts and made something of themselves.  No one can do that for you and, with all the anti discrimination laws in place, no one can legally stop you.

It's like your ancestors fought for you to have equality and once the Civil Rights Act passed, you stopped caring.  YOU are holding yourself back because of the choices YOU make.  YOU are the reason black advancement is at a stand still because YOU would rather blame white people than do something to help yourself.

And how dare you accuse me of racism for acknowledging that.

There will always be hateful people in the world, but if you allow them to dictate your life, you're the only one to blame.  If you don't like the way the police treat you, you'll get no where by teaching your sons to be confrontational.  Teach your sons to become cops instead and change it by setting an example in the community.  If you don't think government is representing you, take a more active roll in it.  But don't NOT do anything and blame the white man.  Don't riot in the streets tearing stuff up and then blame the white man.

Because we HAVE come a long way and black lives HAVE mattered for a very long time.  By the way, white people were in those protests in Ferguson and New York too.  White people want blacks to be equal too and are fighting for it.  Are they racist?

It pisses me off when someone says that pushing for us to not focus on race is somehow pretending slavery never existed. No.  It's acknowledging that we learned from the mistake that slavery was and it's time to put it behind us.  Instead of thinking the white man still owes you, maybe you should acknowledge that most white people aren't your enemy anymore.

The truth's hard to admit sometimes, but that doesn't make it any less true and the truth is some black people are racist against whites and most white people aren't the racists you think they are.  Slavery is dead and the only way to get past racism is to stop giving it so much control over our lives.

Is there really white privilege?

There is no working class white person living in the US who has ever felt privileged for being white.  They still struggle to find decent work, to pay their bills and feed their families.  There are millions of white people on welfare, living in the projects and, yes, being victimized by the police.

The media are quick to ignore this.  It's better ratings for them to play up race as a defining issue.  Give the people what they want to hear, not the truth.

So they tell black people that it is their skin and their skin alone that is keeping them from being successful.  They ignore the other issues holding the black community back such as poverty created by the greed of the wealthy elite - who have many ethnicities among their ranks. Or the thug mentality espoused in every rap song that encourages black youth not to bother with education, says drugs are cool and tells black men they must be confrontational to everyone they meet, but especially police.  They don't want to admit that in the 21st century, the biggest thing holding the black man down is the black man.

Is it really the white man's fault that more black people don't take part in politics?  We had years with the voting rights act in place for the black community to vote in their representatives, but historically, a large portion of blacks don't bother voting.  Few blacks run for office.  What happens when a lot of people don't bother voting or taking part in their government?  The extremists take over.  Our deplorable lack of fair representation in government is our own fault.

But more than that.  Is it really the white man's fault the hood is a high crime area?  Are white people really forcing black people to turn to crime?  Right and wrong is a personal decision.  You always have a choice not to rob someone or join a gang or drop out of school or be a promiscuous slut at 16.  The white man isn't making black people do these things, but they get the blame and the media overlooks black on black crime because no one cares.

But is there really white privilege still in America or is it a perception created by the media to get a juicy news story?  Are blacks the victims of white oppression or are they really victims of their own laziness?  Wow.  What an inconvenient thought.  Best ignore it.

But for every racist that still exists, there are thousands of people who AREN'T racist.  Because we HAVE learned our lesson.   We HAVE grown morally.  There HAS been progress in racial equality and black people ARE better off than they were.

But we gladly ignore this because the white man is the enemy.  The news never shows the white people protesting for justice for Michael Brown but they're there.  Whites marching with blacks for black equality in every protest that is taking place in our country.  Whites are speaking out against police brutality, are shouting "black lives matter" and "I can't breathe" just as loudly as their black neighbors.  There were whites who marched with King in the 1960s.  Whites ran the underground railroad and a whites pushed for the end of slavery.

But we're told white people are racist, oppressors and the enemy of the black.  It's naive.  It's only an excuse blacks use to justify their own racism.  It's only a scapegoat to excuse their own failings.  We all say we want to have change, but then go back to our video games and celebrity gossip having done nothing about it.  Then blame the lack of change on white people.

Whatever excuse works.

No such thing as a common law marriage

For some back story on this rant.  My father was killed and our family is suing the people responsible.  He died without a will.  His live in girlfriend has hired a lawyer claiming they were common law married and therefore his estate (including whatever we win in the lawsuit) belongs to her. The audacity of this lady to even pull a stunt like this when we're all grieving and trying to get justice is mind blowing, but what really sticks in my craw is the sickening idea that in ass backwards Texas, she could very well get away with it.

So I got to thinking about what common law marriage really is.  It's ludacris.  In fact, only 10 states still allow common law marriage (and they're run by stupid people) so I know I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.

How do you get common law married in the ass backwards state of Texas?  You tell someone you live with a person and use his name once.   That's it.  In other words, I am now married to George Clooney because I am telling you that I live with him and my last name is now Clooney.  Does that seem legitimate to you because I doubt it would to George Clooney.  Why is it so easy to claim a marriage?  If that's really all it takes to be married, is there any point to get a license?  What's the point in fighting for marriage equality if all you have to do to be married is pretend you are? Congrats, gay people, you've had the right to be married for years and didn't even know it!

Let's be honest about where the idea for common law marriage came from.  It's an excuse.  It's a desperate attempt by the religious set to morally justify living in sin.  It's a way to scam the government come tax time.  It's a scheme by a criminal to steal property that isn't hers.

If you don't have a ring, you're not entitled to a thing.  I'm sorry, but cohabitation (no matter how long) doesn't make you married.  Having kids together doesn't make you married (my father didn't have any with this woman).  Using someone's name (after they die, as in my case) doesn't make you married.

A legal marriage involves a commitment from both parties put in writing and notarized by the state.  It does NOT involve faking a marriage especially after the person has died and can't contradict you.

Pay attention.  If you didn't ask the state for a legal marriage license, YOU ARE NOT MARRIED.  End of.

Don't mess with Mother Earth

I get really annoyed at people who drive big ass SUVs or pick up trucks with the Hemi that only get like 1 mpg and have the audacity to moan about gas prices.  Shut the hell up.  Dumbasses like you are why Big Oil can get away with price gouging.  They know it doesn't matter what they charge you, you'll pay anything to not have to rely on public transit.  They know how stupid you are.

Humanity is the one disease Mother Earth doesn't have a chance against.  We rape this planet everyday and justify it by saying it's a matter of survival.  It isn't. It's just us being irresponsible and stupid because we CAN survive and still be environmentally friendly.  We just DON'T WANT to be.

We have the technology to draw our energy from the sun.  We'd rather tear holes in the planet and choke her air with toxic fumes.  We can use reusable bags at the grocery store, but plastic is so much easier.  Hell, we throw our trash on the GROUND we're so stupid.

And do you think we can keep doing these things and NOT pay the price for it?  Mother Earth is an abused woman.  She wants REVENGE.

So she gives us drought and famine to kill us.  She gives us superstorms and floods and blizzards to kill us.  Do you really think the increase in violent weather is in no way OUR fault?

When you shit on someone, they're going to shit on you.  It's a natural response.

Mother Earth is angry and our survival depends on HER.  If you piss her off, she will get even.

It doesn't matter if you believe in climate change.  If you want food to eat, water to drink and air to breathe, you WANT to take care of the environment.  If you think your cell phone is more important, you deserve to die out.

But if you want to survive, you know that you don't mess with Mother Earth.

Christmas, a holiday of sin

I get so sick of Christian zealots condemning Halloween as the devil's holiday while they continue to promote Christmas as something sacred.  Christmas is in NO way sacred and if you really look at it, even the most pious would question it.

For starters, it's supposed to be a celebration of Jesus being born.  So what's with the tree?  What does decorating a fir tree have to do with Jesus?  NOTHING.  Decorating trees, holly wreaths on the door, mistletoe, even Christmas lights all began as PAGAN rituals most likely to celebrate nature and protect against winter.  No Jesus involved.  Yet if you don't put up a Christmas tree or question why they do, Christians will blacklist you because you must be against Christmas and Christmas is always unfairly under attack...

And where in the Bible does it say Jesus was born December 25?  No where.  That's just a date someone picked at random because it either made sense financially or it coincided with, you guessed it, a PAGAN ritual.

And Santa Claus?  The whole gift giving thing?  Pagan.  Rudolf and Frosty were created by advertisers to sell you stuff.  Capitalism has nothing to do with Jesus yet Christmas is big business and Christians will fight tooth and nail for their right to spend a bunch of money they aren't supposed to love to put presents under a tree they aren't supposed to have.

Every church ceremony, every carol sung began as paganism that early Christians incorporated into their worship to win converts to their faith.  Like it or not, that's the TRUTH about religion and our holidays reflect that.

What's the difference between Christmas paganism and Halloween paganism? There isn't one.  Shut up about how evil Halloween is and just enjoy the fact that you have a holiday to break up the monotony of your crappy life.

Islam deserves ISIS

I know this sounds hateful, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.  ISIS is God's judgement against Islam.

That so many in the Middle East continue to live in massive poverty despite the region's wealth is a judgement from God.  That the region has been at war with itself and it's neighbors for centuries and the only ones suffering are those living in the Middle East is God's judgement against jihad.  That Islam has become reviled because of its support of terrorism, is God telling Muslims to knock it off.

When your people use religion to justify murdering children, how can you not expect the world to respond in kind?  How can you blame those you attack when your actions lead your own children to suffer?  God is speaking to you, Islamists, but you're not listening.

If we look closely at what jihad and the groups who support it are saying, the belief is that jihad is the murdering of those who don't follow Islam and is ordained by God.  But what majority of people do groups like the Taliban kill?  MUSLIMS! So jihadists aren't really defending the Muslim faith.  How can they be?

Jihadists and groups like the Taliban, Hamas, Al Qaeda, etc are only after two things: money and power.  And as more Muslims continue to erroneously attribute their selfish actions to God, the more God allows them to suffer massive hardships.  God has spoken and He doesn't approve of Islam.

Maybe it was different a long time ago.  Maybe Islam was once a bastion of knowledge and had a promising future.  Maybe the Arab world was once a mighty one, but as Islam went to the darkside, as it corrupted God's name for evil purposes, God took all that away as punishment.  And ISIS, that army of evil that is currently slaughtering the "chosen" people of God?  Well, that's just one more example of God trying to tell Muslims something they refuse to hear.

Their lives are always going to suck and they will never again be a mighty people as long as they continue doing what they do.  As long as Islam supports jihad, as long as they treat women as slaves, as long as they fly planes into buildings and strap bombs onto children, God is going to keep judging them.

And judging by how rough He's been so far, it's safe to say He DOES NOT APPROVE.

Hard work gets you nowhere

When I was a kid, I was told that the keys to success were hard work and perseverance even in the face of adversity. Maybe that works in the movies or maybe even in the fight for a just causes like equality or freedom.  But in the workplace, it's all bullshit.

Don't ever mistake your employer's desire to use you to make themselves rich for the idea they actually care about you.  They don't and you're disposable to them.  If we weren't disposable, we'd have a living wage by now and there would be no outsourcing.  Hard work, loyalty, these are only words.  They won't get you anywhere in your career.

It's not what you know. It's who you know.  It's being related to the boss or sleeping with the boss.  It's schmoozing and kissing the right person's ass at the right time.  That's why we have LinkedIn.  Nepotism and cronyism gets you career advancement.  Luck, being in the right place at the right time, gets you opportunity.  Hard work mostly just gets you tired.

Oh, I'm not saying hard work won't make you feel good, like you might actually be accomplishing something or that you won't want to play down your good fortune by saying you worked hard to deserve it.  I am acknowledging that hard work alone isn't enough.

It shouldn't be that way.  If you work hard for something, you should be rewarded.  That's not the case.  People work hard their entire lives and barely scrape by.  Those lucky enough to get rich, keep getting rich while those not lucky enough to catch the breaks, don't get anything.  It's not fair.  It's capitalism.

It pisses me off when some rich person says God blessed them by giving them money. So God just said fuck you to rest of us?  God doesn't bless you with monetary wealth. Your greed made you rich and God says not to be greedy.  Greed hurts people.  It shouldn't be rewarded.

It pisses me off when someone feeds me a rags to riches story and says anyone can do it.  Bullshit.  Those are flukes, not reality.  The reality is 9 out of 10 people born into poverty will stay in poverty their entire lives.  No, we don't all have the same opportunities in life and hard work alone won't make opportunities magically appear in the ghetto.

I'm such a Debbie Downer, aren't I?

Tough. That's life.

So what do we do about it?  Can we do anything about it?  As long as the world runs on money, the answer, unfortunately, is no.  Not unless you give up what few luxuries you do have to go live in some hippie style commune.  It doesn't matter if you're a capitalist, socialist or communist.  They are all faulty systems because they all run on money.  People crave power and dominion over others and money is the best way to get that.  As long as society accepts that attitude, the poor are screwed.

I suggest rebelling against the entire money making system.  Stop trying to get rich and save yourself the headache.  Do the work you're paid to do with only the effort necessary to do a decent job, but don't take work too seriously.  It's just a paycheck because you need one.  Accept that your boss will be a dick no matter where you go and don't give them the satisfaction of making you unhappy.

But go even further and hit the rich in the only part of their anatomy they care about, their wallets.  Stop catering to corporations and go local.  Shop local, eat local, bank local.  Make a statement that the rich will understand.  You're a human being and you deserve a comfortable and dignified life regardless of your bank account.