ClydeStyle

Tag: decisions

  • What should America do with it’s minority population?

    Have you ever wondered why America didn’t just send African-Americans back to Africa after the signing of the emancipation proclamation?

    I know if I were a white guy saying this, it would look racist, but this is something I have always wondered because clearly, the majority of America did not want people of color here.

    There are so many disparities in America, from healthcare, criminal justice, housing, wealth, and such. Black men have been label so negatively that it would have made sense.

    After doing some research, I found that there were black organizations that wanted equality here because this is where slaves though they belonged after being abducted and separated from their homeland.

    So we stayed to be treated horribly with a few of us making it big.

    Many whites believe that Blacks should have risen up and created something big for themselves. They should have by now created whole communities to their benefit. History tells us they did, but can you guys what happened?

    Several race-driven massacres and instances of racial violence against African Americans have occurred in the U.S. history. Here is a list of some which happened in just the month of August:

    • August 1896: Polk County Massacre White workers in Arkansas attacked Black workers who were coming to work on the Kansas City, Pittsburg, and Gulf Railway. This attack resulted in the deaths of three African Americans and eight wounded.
    • August 14-16, 1908: Springfield Massacre (Springfield Race Riot of 1908) A mob of approximately 5,000 white individuals launched an attack on African Americans in Springfield, Illinois. The massacre resulted in six Black individuals being shot and killed, two lynched, and about two thousand driven out of the city. This event was one of the catalysts for the formation of the NAACP.
    • August 11, 1965: Watts Riots Beginning on August 11, 1965, and lasting for six days, a series of violent confrontations erupted between Los Angeles police and residents of Watts and other predominantly African American neighborhoods of South-Central Los Angeles. The Watts riots resulted in the deaths of 34 people and more than 1,000 injuries.
    • August 30, 1919: The Knoxville Riot This event involved a white mob attacking the Black community in Knoxville, Tennessee.
    • August 1947: Fernwood Park Race Riot This riot occurred in Chicago in mid-August. 

    Literally, whole communities were created by black folks and destroyed by white folks. Tulsa, or Black Wallstreet, is the most notable circumstance, but Willmingotn, NC and Rosewood, FL were equal devastating.

    During reconstructioning this happened all the time. So, you don’t want us to make it on our own, and you don’t want to send us back. What is left?

    Now, ICE is being used to eliminate brown people. Maybe America should be honest about what she really wants.

  • Convenience is killing us

    What is the cost of convenience these days? It seems like the better we are technologically, the worse off we get.

    Artificial Intelligence says the phrase “convenience is killing us” means that our constant pursuit of easy and readily available options, often in the form of processed foods, fast services, and readily accessible technology, is negatively impacting our health, environment, and overall well-being by encouraging laziness, poor dietary choices, and a lack of meaningful engagement with our surroundings; essentially, prioritizing immediate comfort over long-term health and sustainability.

    It has always been this way. For example, in the 1700s, we would have a wood-burning stove and a fireplace, and between the two, the family would be gathered together in one room to stay warm. The kids would be lying on the floor near the fireplace. Mama would be in her rocking chair knitting, and Papa would be smoking his pipe and reading to the family from the “good book,” and there would be good, stimulating discussion and togetherness.

    In 1830, a Scottish inventor created the thermostat, and with it, heat could be dispersed throughout all the rooms in the house with a controlled temperature and there was no need to gather together at the end of the day. By the 1900s, everyone was separated in their own rooms doing their own things. So much for togetherness.

    If you ask a person in their 90s about the way things were, you would discover that to them, it seems like we as a country are in one big hurry for nothing. Everything is fast and in a hurray. We want things now. No waiting! Patience is gone.

    And in our haste, we settled for less quality. In addition, we have sacrificed our health, created social isolation, lacked physical activity, created a negative environmental impact, and created mental health concerns. Is it really worth it?

  • The disease of Greed

    It is hard to think of greed as a disease. The reason is that people have a choice to be greedy or not. There are some definite psychological effects of greed that explain much about what our country is going through.

    Scientists have discovered that greed is linked to the part of your brain’s reward center, leading to a pleasurable experience or sensation when a greedy person acquires something. That pleasurable sensation reinforces the greedy behavior.

    So imagine buying an extra house. You are living in your dream home, and you add another home, fix it up, and sell it. You make a 60 percent profit on the house so you buy another one. Then you do the same thing. How many more times can you do this without wanting more? When you absolutely love the benefits, it’s hard to say no.

    There is a part of greed that leads to social isolation. Most multimillionaire and billionaires experience this because they are so laser focused on making more money.

    A greedy person will do almost anything to satisfy that urge. In most cases of greed, we see where manipulation and deceit have been repeatedly used to fulfill their desires.

    Probably the worst thing about greed is that it lacks empathy and causes stress and anxiety. There are problems when you have a lot of money that many of us will never experience. When you are greedy, there is constant pressure to get more stuff. What’s worse is that you stop caring about the well-being of others as you pursue your prize.

    A greedy person is never satisfied, and that is why it always ends in a crash and burn scenario. Typical of Republicans is that they always want to give tax breaks to the rich, believing that the benefits will trickle down to the other classes. This has never happened in the history of America, but it is still their talking point.

    We saw ridiculous downsizing since President Trump has been in office, and already, he has reneged on his campaign promise not to touch Medicaid.

    The problem is greed, and as long as Congress allows, Trump will be greedy. I just hope that the checks and balances kick in before the masses in America reach their breaking point.

  • Modern day house slaves function like their past counterparts

    During slavery, house slaves were unique in that they could live in the Master’s house and always be in close proximity to the family. They would learn domestic skills like cooking, cleaning, and even child care. Sometimes, the slaves would be taught how to read. Definitely, these house slaves had greater benefits than being just a field slave that worked outdoors.

    House slaves dressed better, did not have to work as hard, could get scraps, and other items considered trash by the Master. Life was definitely better.

    But at no time did the house slaves have any influence over the Master, nor could they even express their opinions. When the Master did something that they didn’t like or agree with, they’d better just keep it to themselves. The wrong kind of expression on your face could end in a backhand by the Master if he thought he wanted to say something about his actions. So the house slaves were just that – a slave and they had no opinion or independent thoughts of their own that they could express.

    In Congress these days, we have seemed to resurrect the house slave. Republicans in Congress, instead of serving at the pleasure of the people who elected them, are now serving at the pleasure of our new dictator, Donald J. Trump. He is never challenged, questioned, or  advised even when he makes a decision that violates the constitution.

    Now, let’s not be nieve and think that Democrats have no house slaves because they sat back and allowed Joe Biden to leave our border wide open. They didn’t wave or salute. Trump has been a bit outrageous with his latest decisions, and the recent town hall meetings in Republican districts have been very vocal about their concerns over Trump’s decisions.

    The bottom line is this: We can not properly implement democracy if the checks and balances won’t hold the line. In other words, Congress has a job to do, and it is not to be the Congress for the president, but for the people. We voted for representatives who would be the voices of the people. Our country has lost sight of this. If we continue down the current path, it won’t be long before we are all house slaves or we really have an insurrection.

  • What’s up with the fresh fruit in the US?

    We are being grossly short-changed in our fruit consumption. We pay more for produce than any other nation in the world. Much like healthcare, we are charged the highest price possible, and the purchase is nowhere near the quality.

    We are told that fresh produce costs more to farm than processed foods. So for that reason we are paying a little more for our fresh produce. The problem with this is that 70 percent of our produce comes from California. Arizona and Washington are second and third, respectively, but why? There is a huge difference in living in the South than the North when it comes to produce.

    Although some produce is imported, most of the in-season fruit is grown in the South but not shared across the country. South Carolina and Florida grow very nice watermelon, but if you live in Michigan, you can only get what is shipped from Mexico. You have to really search the farmer’s markets to get something more fresh, but all the commercial grocers have horrible fruit.

    When fruit ripens, the sugar to liquid ratio increases, which is what makes it sweet. Because our government has chosen to ship our fruit from overseas, our fruit has to be picked well before it ripens so that it is more solid and hard so it can make the trip over here. By the time you are washing it off at home, all you have is some strawberry imposter that can’t get any sweeter.

    This placebo effect for produce does not have the nutrients, taste, smell, or vibrance that it had in the 70s.

    You really don’t know how bad this is until you travel outside of the country. Jamaica has more than 30 fruits grown there. Some I had never heard of, but all were absolutely delicious! Not only was the taste amazing but the cost was ridiculous! On welfare, I would be able to afford a bounty of it all.

    In totalitarian regimes, people eat what they are told they can eat. In a democracy, “we the people” are supposed to decide what they consume. I don’t know what to call what we have in America – I just not that it is worse than the other two.

  • Judges Thomas and Alito are just the tip of the iceberg

    Life constantly proves that we are flawed. As a part of our moral development, we should seek to excel in integrity, goodness, truth, and character, but we have lost our way.

    If we can no longer expect our Supreme Court justices to be honest, how can we expect it in other courts? It seems that there is always a problem when people don’t speak out against injustice. We made that a habit in our country, and it still hinders us today.

    The only thing needed to start a revolution after slavery ended would have been for whites to stand up and acknowledge wrongdoing. If some would have just called it as they saw it because never is it ok to make people property.

    During the Civil Rights movement, our legislative, judicial, and executive branches had a golden opportunity to move our country light years ahead by simply speaking up for what is right! Today, there are horrible police practices that many police, if they were not guilty themselves, could denounce as evil, but they stand silent. Some of the districts that our children are supposed to be educated in are failing. Some of that failure is “teacher failure,” but no one is saying that. Prison conditions in America are deplorable, and very little is being done to change it. Veterans still don’t have all of their promised benefits, but again, we are quiet.

    It’s hard to name an area of interest that isn’t corrupt. Pastors in churches are taking advantage, and some are even getting paid to sell a bad version of hope. And even in the presidency — from Trump to Biden — there are major struggles with integrity and truthfulness.

    Sadly, it seems that we declared independence from the wrong things. Where we should have set ourselves free from lies, laziness, selfishness, and bigotry, we embraced these and would go on to forsake fairness, honor, moral virtue, and serving others. Our freedoms are not for the better but the worse in America. We are free to dishonor our constitution and look out for number one — self!

    There are more justices guilty. We will see more police brutality, bad teachers, and corrupt politicians. And unless there is accountability being enforced, America will implode from within. We won’t have to worry about foreign enemies destroying us. We’re killing ourselves.

  • Be who you want to be

    In Proverbs 23:7, the bible tells us that we are who we think we are. It literally says as a man thinketh, so is he. This is a very easy going statement that makes it seem that if a person thought they were great, then they would be. Or if I believed I could be a millionaire I could be. There is one common denominator that decides how true the statement is and it’s our belief.

    So many people have thought less of themselves or lacked confidence because of the way they were raised, or what someone said or the disposition of their family.

    Some even buckle under pressure to be something or act a certain way or even live up to another person’s expectations.

    Futher, we live in a society where people do a lot of comparing and measuring each other. We are pitted against another in competition and no one really wants to work together. As a result our society suffers from low self-esteem, self-worth and insecurities.

    The bible makes it so simple that your heart actually holds the key of who you can be and if you can see it, then you can be it! If you can be an eyewitness to other people’s accomplishments it’s easier to see the possibilities within yourself.

    So, we are now in 2023 and we want to make changes. The changes don’t have to be believed by anyone else but you. Right smack in the center of your heart will this change take place. You may doubt in your mind and your family and friends my not even want to support your change, but your change is for you!

    Stand tall and believe in your heart that on some level you can do anything anyone else can do. Follow your heart and allow yourself to grow and learn the character and depth of the person you really are. Look around you and see all the possibilities others have done and believe it because you are next!

  • How much control do you think you have?

    Control is defined as the power to influence or direct people’s behavior or the course of events. If life was a card game then our biggest bluff would be pretending to have power.

    Control is something we all know exists and we have all been the victims of someone controlling us. There are many things that we desire in our flesh that become entrapment for control. People try to control us with jobs — especially promotions; sex; money; expensive items; and even reputations.

    Some times we come across people who have such a “poker face” or a demeanor that demands respect that we surrender our controls to them even sometimes without even realizing it.

    Truth is that there is only one power. You guessed it: God our father is the only power (authority) and so when we talk about control we are speaking authority and this comes from God. Now, some folks have taken false liberties in the interpretation of Romans 13:1-2 is saying that all power is from God and you must obey the higher powers. The translation is better render we should obey all powers that surrender to God for they are of God. It’s understood in the text as of course Paul would have never told us to follow a blind leader or one who only seeks vain glory for himself.

    The God of heaven is the only authority and he doesn’t want to be blindly followed. For biblical leaders, we were always told to support them who have spoken to us the word of God and whose faith follows (their actions) (Heb. 13:7).

    So then reputation, demeanor, temperament and lifestyle have everything to do with your precieved power. It seems as though people are always looking to follow. The manner of person you are will determine the influence you have and how many people will follow you. If you want to be impactful, you must seek to lead a life that is concurrent with the teachings of scripture.

    God is always raising a few good men and women to work in his kingdom and effect the world. Are you one of those leaders?

  • Happy appreciation day!

    Only part of the United States participates in this annual ritual known as Sweetest Day and I have been doing it wrong. Whereas Valentines Day is to celebrate romantic love, Sweetest Day is to appreciate all the folks in your life for who they are. Male or female doesn’t matter — it’s just a day of appreciation.

    Granted Hallmark gets excited when in comes around probably more than anyone else but in these tough times it’s good to take a day and evaluate relationships and appreciate them.

    I was reading an article about a woman who dropped her boyfriend off at Kroger and she stayed in the car. While she waited on him she took the opportunity to go through his phone only to discover he may have been having an inappropriate relationship with her sister.

    She was so enraged that she waited for him to come out of the store and she ran him over with the van — seriously injuring him and killing an innocent person walking out behind him. She then, stops the van, gets out and begins to attack her boyfriend while he is lying on the ground wounded.

    It appears as though she snapped and could not bear the information she discovered while invading his privacy. It is unclear if the sister was a minor or not but whatever she found, she was in that moment willing to give up or greatly alter her own life because of it. She, of course, is now facing a ton of charges and if convicted she will get life in prison.

    There are so many things wrong with this scenario. It is for this reason why we need to really evaluate the relationships we have to see if they are for better or for worse. To truly celebrate Sweetest Day we should first purge the toxic relationships and covet the really good ones. So here’s to all of you who are making this life better for others! The world would be nothing without you!

  • You always have a choice

    Choice is an act of decision making or selecting when faced with two or more possibilities. It’s given to everyone regardless of race, color, creed or gender. Even though there are powers that will attempt to destroy your choice, everyone still gets one.

    It seems as though the key to life would be to consistently make good decisions. Further, choice is one of those markers that reminds us that we are free.

    Our lives are filled with choices. We decide where to eat, live, work, play and sleep. We choose our mates and careers. We have a choice as to what gender to claim and what religion to believe.

    None of this is new information but it’s the backdrop to the real purpose of this blog and that is making bad decisions. Why is it that people make bad decisions or can’t see how illogical we can be at times. It seems that we struggle most with choices when our emotions are involved.

    Emotion tends to cloud our judgment and force us into seeing things as no-win scenarios. Then we make a flurry of bad decisions and next thing we know all hell has broken loose! We got pregnant, dropped out of school, started smoking, quit our jobs and stop going to church. We make decisions about our relationships that dig us into a hole and severe otherwise great friendships.

    Some would argue that we have too many choices. They believe that the bad choices say a lot about the development of our minds and that maybe we are not smart enough for all of these choices. With whatever stage of life you are in, it is important to make sound choices and count the cost before jumping feet first into an opportunity that sounds too good to be true.

    The worst part of bad decisions is the aftermath when you’re sitting in the mess you caused. It’s not rocket science. Choice should be logical and decisions should be rooted in common sense. And above all else, stay ahead of the learning curve.