ProfD

@richardmurray, surely, elected officials can introduce legislation. Regardless of level, they cannot push it unilaterally in a democratic system. I define smart people as those who have some combination of a gift, talent, knowledge, skills and abilities to identify and solve problems and a bonus is having the personality to galvanize and/or motivate other people to help them. If/when I'm called to ministry, politics or otherwise, maybe I'll take heed.😁😎

As I mentioned in the other thread, I'm not a preacher or a politician. I'm just a musician who reads and thinks a lot and who has opinions on d8mn near everything especially as it relates to Black people and dismantling the system of racism. Until brotha @Troy asks me to stop littering the discussion board with my thoughts and/or bans me, I'll keep providing my opinions on various topics from the comfortable chair I've found on the forum.😎

Elected officials get their marching orders from special interest groups (people). They come up with policies that benefit their constituents. I'm not looking for consensus among 40 million Black people. There's enough smart people among the various Black voting blocks (special interest groups/constituents) to gather information and craft it into policy. One small problem...I'm not a politician or preacher. I'm just a musician who reads and thinks a lot and who has opinions.😎

It's hard enough getting folks out to vote in general elections. Even fewer folks pay attention to voting in primaries and caucuses. Poor people and minorities make up a huge portion of the voter populace and most of them consistently vote against their own interests. Considering the state of play as it relates to US politics nowadays, the time is ripe for new parties to emerge and break up the gridlock of the two-party, lesser of two evils system. 😎

Right. No other group of people is berated into voting for nothing in return except Black folks. Conversely, Black folks have not presented any real policy issues to which politicians can be held accountable. Facts. Black folks have been voting for 1) lesser of two evils and 2) nothing tangible in return for a long time now. An exercise in futility. 😎

Not sure of how I got summoned into this discussion.🤣😎

A multi-ethnic person might qualify as non-white.😎

H8ll to the naw on a one-time 10 stack check. As Cypress Hill said: We ain't going out like that.🤣😎

@Pioneer1, cut those checks and let our people live. We definitely shouldn't undermine ourselves by talking against reparations.😎

No doubt. There's a mutually beneficial arrangement between the US and its allies... Israel and Japan. Regardless, that has nothing to do with the debt owed to FBA/ADOS as it relates to the USA's greatest sin. When it comes to reparations, I don't understand how and why Black folks make excuses for the USA and/or think it's too hard to do. It's really not.😎

Great Britain wasn't built on slavery. America benefited from 400 years of it. Absolutely. Beyond having the most powerful military on the planet, there's a reason the United States of America (USA) is #1 super power and folks from all over want to come here. Despite its warts and open sores, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on planet other than the USA. I know the USA can be better and atone for its greatest sin of slavery in the form of a reparations package for FBA/ADOS.😎

It's really an ethical question. Regardless of whether one turns a head or chooses to participate it's really a matter of their conscience (mental) and physical being able to take the weight and/or deal with any consequences. @richardmurray, enjoyed the read. Let me restate what I wrote more succinctly.... Jews and Japanese folks got reparations from the same United States of America that enslaved Black folks (FBA/ADOS). America wasn't responsible for the holocaust. Yet, we've been giving money and everything else to Israel for 76 years.😎

Right. Black elected folks in those areas should be working to make sure poor people are taken care of adequately. As NF Jr. says, we should be insuring those who need the most help get it. 😎

Not if it's a matter of greed. Especially if the end result is destructive. if the objective is to dismantle the system from within which means selling out could be corrected at some point and serve the greater good of Black folks, that could be constructive. Some of our beloved Black leaders had to make concessions i.e. sell out up to a point. They didn't do it selfishly.😎

The US military can deploy its soldiers including reservists anywhere in the world. It's part of the contract when they sign up for military service.😎

Black folks in executive, legislative and judicial positions at every level of government have bought into maintaining the system. Black folks aren't codified well enough to break the system or make it work in our favor. To the point that @richardmurray often makes, the Black populace isn't a community. Regardless of any differences among them, Jews always seem to be on code as it relates to maintaining their power, wealth and security.😎

Reparations should be the primary agenda and religion of FBA/ADOS folks. IMO, pursuing reparations with religious fervor would be a better use of energy than trying to figure out what time heaven opens and how to get in there. In fact, reparations would allow FBA/ADOS to create paradise right here in America. Check out Dubai.😁 Jews got reparations for the holocaust. Since 1948, the Jewish state of Israel receives billions of dollar and weapons and everything else every year from the US. Same goes for Japan.😎

Right. As a cheap labor force, many prisoners are going to work making products or in service industries. It's modern slavery.😎

Always great to read you and glad you took time out to pop in on the family. 🤗 We still chopping it up around here.😁😎

A former prosecutor should know better than anybody else. That's what makes her case even more ridiculous. Under the system, it's a fool's errand for Black folks to believe they can do and get away with the same crap as white folks.😎

Once considered the Harlem of Washington DC, houses in that area are now selling for $750k or more. Of course, Black folks aren't benefitting from it. Generational wealth usurped through gentrification. The National Park Service has designated Mr. Carter G. Woodson's former house as a historic landmark.😎

It's all good mayne. Keeps the sword sharp. Appreciate your contributions around here.😎

Sista Mel, we use the term white supremacy from a contextual perspective to describe the system of racism as created and practiced by white folks in their colonization and domination of non-white people over several hundred years. 😎

I titled it that way not for accuracy but to be provocative. In another post, I mentioned this was an exercise. Black folks haven't organized to codify the reparations package.😎

@Troy, I figured it was just a matter of time before you would drop the hammer. Starts out fun but eventually shooting those racist clay targets gets boring.😁😎