ClydeStyle

Tag: Change

  • Living with a disability

    Although it is not talked about much, July is Disability Pride Month, and specifically, July 26th celebrates the signing of the American Disabilities Act (ADA).

    In America, we don’t do a good enough job taking care of this population. Similarly, we don’t take care of seniors either. Like everything else, money and status matter so that despite how rich of a cou try this is, we fail to take care of our most vulnerable.

    It is not even on the radar for most people. If you don’t have a disability or you’re not helping to take care of a person with disabilities, their care would not be on your mind.

    Five years ago, I was stricken with a bacterial infection that eventually made me a bilateral below-knee amputee and killed my kidneys. I am also on dialysis. Medicaid has been a blessing to me as I am taking 17 pills per day, and the prescription bill alone would be hard to afford.

    As long as I stay in the network, my health expenses are covered. But let’s talk about the coverage. I wear prosthetics and  ,  like everything else, if you have money, you will be up and walking close to normal. If you are poor, it’s an entirely different story.

    I have the lowest form of prosthetics available outside of a pirate’s peg leg. It takes me nearly 500 percent more energy to take a step than a healthy person. More advanced prosthetics could get me closer to 50 percent if I had the money.

    Because of this, many people, in my case, don’t even attempt to walk because of this. Imagine not having legs and trying to get around and do things. Even with assistance, it is difficult.

    Technology should make life easier for everybody. We decide to always bring cost into it. So what then is the benefit of being in the richest country?

    Shout out to all the caregivers who donate time and energy to help the disabled. We will pray together for things to get better.

  • Advantage: Profit and the people lose again

    Who doesn’t enjoy a good burger with fries and a cold drink? I mean, we are in the middle of summer, and there are so many places to get a burger.

    McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Culver’s, Checkers, Sonic, and Hardee’s can all give you the typical burger, fries, and drink combo. But at what cost?

    When we eat these foods, it is rare that we consider the residual effects of this choice. If we did consider it, we would not eat it. I wish all we had to worry about was the calories. A typical combo meal from any of the restaurants named would be over 1,000 calories — easily. And if we brought in carbs, fats, and sodium, you could have a heart attack just thinking about it.

    The larger chain restaurants are even worse. Chili’s, Applebee’s, Cheddars, and even Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Outback are far worse than the fast food joints.

    The reason? They are in business to make money by any means necessary, and if that means over time, millions will suffer from degenerative diseases related to obesity — oh well!

    These restaurants are giving customers what they want. For most of us, if you put a plant-based burger with lentils, beans, and mushrooms as its base next to a quarter pound beef burger seasoned well, the choice (based on taste) would be the beef burger.

    Further, if you tell us the consequences of eating both, most folks won’t care. They will make statements like, “Well, we all gotta die of something.”

    By this same logic, why would anyone save money, buy stocks, have a 401k, or invest anything in the future? Our eating decisions will ensure we won’t be around to enjoy it.

    It is hard to blame the restaurants for making a buck, and they have the nutritional information available for everyone to see.

    In the US, there are 119.9 million people with high blood pressure and 38.4 million diabetics. Heart disease is still the number one killer in America, and 40 percent of all citizens are obese which is about 100 million. The lion’s share of this is based on what we eat. You could work out for five days and literally undo your progress over the weekend by eating at the restaurants listed.

    The Food and Drug Administration could do something about this. It controls the ingredients used. They won’t because too much money is spent treating our sickness, and too many lobbyists have dispersed checks for their silence.

    YOU have to make YOU better, or the advantage will stay with profit.

  • Scariest phrase: The past is of no consequence

    Do you ever think what it would be like to live without consequences? I mean, of course, there are always consequences, but we have a history of weighing the consequences and making the decision based on what we can handle or how much we have to pay.

    Former heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson, loved cars and loved to drive fast. One time, on a back road, he is caught speeding by an officer. The officer charged him $25 for the speeding ticket, which was huge back then. Johnson gave the officer $50, and the officer said he did not have change. Johnson said it was ok because he has to drive back this way.

    Clearly, he weighed the consequences and accepted his fate, which led him to pay in advance.

    Everyone seems to do that with concrete things, but what about abstract?

    If I say something to hurt my wife’s feelings and I can tell that I did based on her actions, I could just apologize, or I can simply trust that she will get over it and move on.

    If my 5 year old grandbaby gets caught playing with the electrical outlet and I slap her hands and yell at her until she cries, I could feel justified in what I did because she could have seriously gotten hurt. But I see that my actions were more than just disciplinary in nature, as her ego is bruised. Do I attempt to recover her or stand as the authority?

    What if I’m the boss over 40 employees at work and I create a hostile work environment? Or, I create racial tensions by paying my white employees 37 percent more than minorities? What if I decide to make all my supervisors white? What if I never lay off anyone white? Or how about I just treat everyone badly because I can? What if I allow my bias to lead me? What if I am demeaning to women in the workplace?

    The past has no consequences, which is one of the greatest lies ever told. Offenders must recompense their victims. But before that happens, there has to be an acknowledgment of the wrongdoing. You can’t curse your wife, and then the next time you see her, you just start talking sweet to her without acknowledging your past mistakes.

    When we don’t acknowledge our wrongdoing, we lower the victims self-esteem. God takes that personal.

    Let me be clear: There are always consequences! Whether you get them immediately or later, now or in the future, today or in the afterlife, consequences are coming! Make amends today before it’s too late.

  • In sports, we need an acknowledgment of the least valuable player

    Today, for many, can be considered as a hangover day because the Super Bowl was played yesterday. Lots of plans went into watching that game, and many folks will miss work today because of it. Congratulations to the Eagles on the blowout win!

    But I don’t want to talk about the Super Bowl because I live in Detroit, I have to talk about the Lions season.

    For the first time in my lifetime, I heard the media speak about my home team in a different light. They were actually picked as Super Bowl contenders.

    We watched them go 15-2 on the season, win the NFC North, and capture the Number 1 seed in the conference. All season, we saw the Lions overcome adversity to injuries and poor play. We had a great run.

    In their last game, we saw the coaching staff make blunder calls, the bottom finally fell out of our defense, and they could get no stops, and our quarterback, who is 80 percent consistent and reliable, was the least valuable player in the lost.

    We are not used to using this term, but it accurately describes what happened. Jared Goff seemed to be damaged goods when we got him from the L.A. Rams. Our then quarterback, Matthew Stafford, went to the Rams to play in Goff’s place. The year of the trade, he won the Super Bowl for the Rams and was their MVP. They don’t win the big game without him.

    Goff was a major part of the rebuild in Detroit, and it seemed like 2024 was our turn to finally win the Super Bowl. Most of the media predicted it, the fans believed it, but it wasn’t in the stars. We crashed and burned against a 6th seed Washington Commanders team with a rookie quarterback who was an absolute stud. He played like he was a superstar in the league for 10 years. The Lions, on the other hand, did not look deserving of their record, and the Jekyll and Hyde turnaround left fans devastated.

    The city of Detroit was left stunned as the unthinkable happened — we got beat bad on national television! The fans wanted blood. As usual people need to place blame, and it seems unanimous that fans are angry at some of the calls by the coaching staff, but the guy who was supposed to be the golden goose, laid no golden eggs for us.  It seems as though Goff can’t win the big game, and that’s why Sean McVay got rid of him in L.A. He saw something in Goff that wasn’t right and needed a quarterback with heart.

    We can only think about what Stafford would have done with this team as he never had nearly this amount of talent around him when he was here. Detroit has a lot of self reflection to do in the off-season. Time will reveal everything!

  • Immigration isn’t everybody’s issue

    If you looked up, fear mongering in the dictionary, you would see a picture of old Uncle Sam because America’s preferred use of getting a reaction from its citizens is always fear. Politicians and talking heads often want to inform the general public what they are afraid of, and lately immigration is high on the list.

    It seems that the “powers that be” like to use the “magic” approach to politics. They like to distract you with the right hand while stealing from you with the left. Today, that right hand wants us to be concerned about border security. Why?

    We are told that migrant crime is high. It is not. We are told that they will take all of the good jobs. False. Mexico is dumping its prisoners on us. There are far more women and children coming over.

    There are always going to be poverty crimes because you have poor people. So, it makes sense that poor migrants will commit petty crimes at times. The jobs that they work are definitely jobs that Americans would not take. You can tell that our government doesn’t really want to fix this problem based on the amount of help wanted signs at the border. You could leave Mexico on the right day at the right time and have a job in the US within 48 hours.

    But why is this such a big issue or better, what are we avoiding by spending the time talking about this? Well, nothing has been done about the criminal justice system. We still have people in prison for cannabis in places where it is now legal. Nothing has been done about voter suppression. There have been attempts to dump student loan debt, but nothing concrete. And let’s not even begin the conversation on reparations.

    The more we talk about immigration, the less we spend on issues that really matter. If Congress was paid based on the work they completed, our Congress would go broke.

    We must not let what matters to us die on someone’s desk in Washington. We need to make a statement with our voting and even seek even greater ways to get our positions heard.

  • Our political parties have failed us completely

    Next month, our Supreme Court will hear arguments as to whether former president Donald Trump is eligible to run for president given the 91 charges he is facing. The people are confused as to what is really happening because Trump is claiming he is immune from wrongdoing and that the charges are not valid.

    There would have been a time in our recent history that the Republican party would select a more presidential candidate. George Santos was booted out of Congress for all the lying and cheating he has done. How is Trump different?

    Would Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush or George W. Bush approve of such a candidate like Trump? Further, with the danger of election interference by Russia and Trump facing a ton of debt, are we not taking a chance with him being vulnerable to more corruption because of his debt?

    Then there is current president Joe Biden. He might as well be 300 years old because, for some reason, despite the level of stress that comes with the job, would any former president agree with Biden continuing in this role? It is hard to believe that Bill Clinton and Barak Obama would agree that Joe is ready for another term. We know that both parties could support better candidates. But at this point, they can not be trusted.

    The two-party system does not work for this reason. They have lost the trust of the people, and that is probably the only thing that can be agreed on.

    So what is the country to do? This clear, good Ole Boy network in politics has betrayed us. The parties have lost sight of what the people really want. The majority of the people are tired of seeing money by the billions sent overseas, and we have millions of struggling people here.

    We are tired of wars and being involved in wars. We are tired of our government taking care of everyone else by us.

    Solution: All three branches of government need to be replaced. One huge election and nobody over 70 should be allowed to take any position. Our smartest and brightest people are between 40 and 60 years old, and we need to tap into that market. We need to have a greater balance of medical professionals, former teachers, business executives, and blue-collar workers in Congress. We should maintain a third of each. We need to pledge to take care of home first and settle our own issues so that we can reach out together as a country to help others, but not until we are good at home. Finally, we need to be as diverse as the U.N. white people should not dominate the branches. We need to embrace diversity and build a country that works for everyone and not just some.

  • Aren’t we tired of Black history month?

    As a Black man in America, it is difficult to continue to deal with Black History Month. It’s not because Blacks haven’t done many noteworthy things, nor is it that our contributions weren’t significant. But it has to do with purpose. Maybe I’m missing it, but I don’t see the benefits.

    For years, we have had telethons, walk-a-thons, and other various fundraisers for all types of ailments. Diabetes, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, breast cancer, MS, lupus, dementia and many others. We have been finding a cure for so long that most of the money raised is to really help us cope with the reality of the disease.

    We know already that many of the degenerative diseases are caused by the Western diet, but if you listen to the diet advice from the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association, they will tell you to eat everything in moderation basically. The point is: Why raise money to fix something that you really don’t want fixed?

    Our country is good for giving the natives “busy work” to take their attention away from the real issue. No gatekeeper in American wants to get rid of any degenerative disease.

    This is significant because I think Black History Month is more busy work, just like MLK day and the Juneteenth celebration. Busy work design to get Black activists to feel as sense of accomplishment and get them off the real issue.

    Instead of Black History, we need to tell the true American history story. Celebrate the good, bad, and ugly because it is truth. By doing this, it becomes easy to challenge the status que in talks of reparations. Many people still believe that reparations is about slavery. We don’t need reparations for slavery. Far worse scenarios have happened after that. Every decade since slavery could qualify for reparations. Instead of celebrating Black History Month, let’s talk about that for a month!

  • King’s dream would be different today

    In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did his famous “I have a dream” speech, and it had everything g to do with equality, diversity, and inclusion.

    He dreamed of an America that would serve everyone and allow for freedom for everyone. His speech pointed out our areas that needed work and delivered a hope that things would change.

    Now, more than 60 years later, that dream never came close to happening, but what’s worse is that the country is on the brink of anarchy.

    Politicians are complete sellouts, and the greedy has completely taken over. We live in a time where something caught on camera can’t be trusted. We live in a time of alternative facts and fake news. The Republicans could care less about anyone in America, but themselves and the Democrats are rationing our resources to foreign lands despite all the things we need here.

    King’s speech was about taking care of the republic and making sure that the least of us could make it. Our government has lost sight of that dream.

    At the time of King’s speech, neither candidate for president would be considered a good choice. Joe Biden tried to run for president in 1988 and 2008 before winning in 2020. He copied a British politicians speech and tried to make it his own in 1988, and when he was found out, he dropped out of the race. His work on the 1994 crimes bill and what has happened to more than a million African American men as a result should have kept him out of the oval office forever.

    There is no other era in history where Donald J. Trump would be considered a serious candidate for president. On the issue of integrity alone, he would not pass. This is how far we have fallen.

    King’s speech today would emphasize taking care of America first on every level; canceling student loans; no more wars; universal healthcare; and reforming criminal justice system, prisons, police force, corporate greed and increasing social security benefits.

    If we don’t start taking care of America, there soon won’t be an America!

  • Election season is one big storm for both parties

    The Republican party sees themselves as this big.

    It is sad that we can not put our trust in either political party. I can’t remember things being this bad, and I’ve been paying attention for nearly 50 years.

    Our criteria need to change. We desperately need an age limit, and I would add a financial limit. Imagine if Congress could only be between the ages of 35 to 65 and could not reside in a household that makes more than 400k? The smartest people in our society are definitely not the richest. The level of greed in our government is killing us and not a benefit to the middle class and poor.

    In addition, we need to give up the party system. We already know that there are conservatives and liberals in both parties already. Neither party has been a benefit to the average American. Further, the rich in Congress is out of touch with what the middle class and poor need.

    This is a perfect symbol of the Democrat party.

    We need good wages and a better credit system that works for us and not against us. We need universal healthcare, and everyone should be able to afford to by a house. For example, instead of loans being based on income, the majority should be based on work consistency. A two parent family should be able to live comfortably in America.

    We spend way too much on the military, and as a country, we don’t need to be involved in everything. We have spent more money on Ukraine than we have provided for our poor in this country.

    Every politician has this Pinocchio effect.

    Corruption is at an all-time high. Promises are made and not honored; a “tit for tat” mentality runs rampant with our government; and far too many people are struggling.

    What was once progression has turned into our demise. We need to take serious notice of the America we think we are. Change is need immediately!

  • Columbus Day should be put out of its misery

    We welcome October with a plea to the government to put an end to the big lie surrounding Columbus Day. Everyone already knows how far the truth was stretched to cover up the evil that this day represents.

    Even if some turn a blind eye to the offense of this federal holiday, others have already begun to replace the celebratory part of the holiday with something called Native American Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

    Originally, Columbus was credited as the discoverer of America despite the fact that millions of people were already here. Columbus made four expeditions to the Caribbean and South America enslaving and decimating populations paving the way for European colonization.

    The White House made a proclamation last year to the holiday, and sadly, it gave the true history of the holiday. In speaking about Italian-Americans, it says, “Things have not always been easy; prejudice and violence often stalled the promise of equal opportunity.  In fact, Columbus Day was created by President Harrison in 1892 in response to the anti-Italian motivated lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans in 1891.  During World War II, Italian Americans were even targeted as enemy aliens.  But the hard work, dedication to community, and leadership of Italian Americans in every industry make our country stronger, more prosperous, and more vibrant.  The Italian American community is also a cornerstone of our Nation’s close and enduring relationship with Italy — a vital NATO Ally and European Union partner.”

    Now, I agree with these sentiments regarding Italians, and there are other cultures that contribute to many positive things in America. However, I can make a powerful argument that African-American contributions far exceed the others, and despite having Republicans and Democrats make promises of change, Black people have continued to struggle.

    Columbus Day is a slap in the face. It needs to be a part of some museum where we put our troubled past away forever. I love the idea of celebrating the originals. And paying homage to the true innovative beings that dared to follow scientific theories to get to the New World.

    It is as if you can’t believe anything that was told to us in “American history.” With so many lies, it makes you wonder what else they are hiding.