ProfD

As the gun control debate continues, it only makes defenders of the 2nd amendment more nervous. So, the most logical thing for gun lovers to do is run out and buy more guns before the stores close. I doubt supply chain shortages will affect the gun industry. But, that won't stop folks from making sure they've got more than a couple firearms. Besides, if the government makes it harder for folks under 21 years old to buy an AR-15, those individuals are beating the legislation. Politicians will talk a good game but I do not believe gun laws will change in America. The 2nd amendment generates too much money. 😎

Several months ago, we were told gas prices were going up as a result of the *ahem* conflict. Nevermind that the US only gets 2% of its oil from Russia. Most US oil comes from OPEC. Then, there's US oil reserves as a result of pumping a half million or more barrels per day over many years. In other words, there's no good reason for the price of gas to hit a $5 per gallon average or higher anywhere in America. Yet, the greedy oil companies and their allies will get away with it because Americans are too complacent to complain. I had a feeling that after a 2-year lockdown due to a pandemic and economic slow down and raising the minimum wage, Americans would be forced to pay up. Sure enough, we've got inflation and higher interest rates to go along with runaway gas prices. I'm just wondering if Americans will tap out before the midterm elections. To that end, I wouldn't be surprised if gas prices drop precipitously shortly after Labor Day.😎

It definitely looks like America is on a collision course to implode under its largesse of racism, greed, ignorance, stupidity, etc. As I mentioned in the asteroid thread, maybe it will take a catastrophic event to force a reset of humanity. Especially if *good* people are indifferent, afraid or unwilling to quarantine the *bad* people. Most human beings want the same basic things in life. A relative handful of folks are keeping the multitude from fully enjoying paradise. 😎

Very few people seem to know or care avvut what that slogan "Make America Great Again" really means. The thought of a pre-1950s America does not seem like the most idyllic place for ANY minorities. No offense to those who grew up during the 1950s or prior and thought it was great.😁😎

South Africa has a total population of 60 million people. White folks make up 7.9% of the population or 4.7 million people. Even as minorities, white folks believe they are supposed to run a whole a country. Unbelievable. 😎

The latest news is that Abbott Industries has resumed manufacturing baby formula. No clear timetable on when it will be readily available to feed the babies who really need it the most.😎

@Pioneer1, *no contact* is the best way to avoid an argument. If you must engage in non-constructive conversations, stick to asking questions and *wait* for the answers without interruption. 😎

@Pioneer1, while some believe it is turning purple, beyond Atlanta, Georgia is still a very white state. Voter Suppression is their power play. IMO, Stacey Abrams is putting up a helluva fight considering the strength of her opponent. It's going to take a lot more resources and effort to correct the ills of her home state. NF Jr. provided the best commentary on POTUS Barack Obama. The Democrats *selected* him and used his intelligence and charisma to further the party agenda. There was no way those white folks were going to allow him to use their money to champion a pro-Black agenda. That's not how politics work. I have heard of brotha Gregg Marcel Dixon. He's running to unseat James Clyburn who happens to be one of the key folks in galvanizing the black vote to secure the POTUS nomination for Joe Biden. Brotha Dixon has the right amount of passion and energy to put up a fight. If he's able to beat Clyburn which is an uphill battle, I think he'll end up in a position similar to Rep. Cori Bush (MO). Folks like Abrams, Dixon and Bush have their hearts and minds in the right place politically. But, black folks need to provide them with a solid agenda from which to work. 😎

It's no secret that the system of racism uses EVERYTHING to undermine AfroAmericans which includes immigration. Immigration has impacted AfroAmericans for several decades now. Look no further than the labor force from the blue collar on down. That's why I have two (2) constants, 1) tear down the system of racism white supremacy and 2) build your own house. I told @Cynique that I would refrain from what blacks needs to do but....😁 AfroAmericans need to utilize their knowledge, skills, abilities, talent and resources to build its own wealth through vertical integration. AfroAmericans need to create jobs and opportunities for ourselves instead of being child-like dependents on a system that doesn't give a f8ck about us. When AfroAmericans have their own proverbial house in order and become self-sufficient, that gives us the power to build a nation within our country. An excellent point was made in the video about black folks leaving their home countries and coming to America. Rhetorically, I wonder why black folks leave a whole country of their own instead of building it. 😎

Yep. Forcing people back into the workplace is about 1) control and 2) money. Some management folks believe they have to "see" people on order to believe they are working. It's also harder for some *managers* to justify their jobs when they're not looking over someone else's shoulder and/or taking credit for their work. Nevermind that an employee can show up to the building and spin around in their chair for 6 hours and take 2 hours between lunch and smoke breaks and talking to other coworkers. IOW, productivity cannot be measured solely by folks showing up to punch a clock. Office buildings cost money to operate (lease and utilities). But, they also feed into other businesses too. When folks show up for work they also have to spend money on transportation, gas, food, child care, etc. Controlling people and feeding the economy is driving employers to bring folks back to work. 😎

Amazing that it has taken 100 years for folks to literally dig into from an archeological perspective what happened in Tulsa, OK. That's just one of several places black folks were thriving only to be massacred. The saddest thing is that black folks are not any more safe from race soldiers today than they were back in those days. 😎

Absolutely. Since you're hip to NF Jr., you understand my approach to the forum. Mostly constructive dialog with a side of humor. No arguments though. 😁😎

Agreed. We need raise and groom more folks like a Stacey Abrams and back them. It takes a LOT of money to toss a hat into the political ring. 😎

The pandemic forced employers to allow folks to work frim home (telework). Productivity didn't seem to suffer. Yet, two years later, companies are looking to bring workers back into their offices even if it's a couple days per week or month. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-musk-says-tesla-needs-070712003.html Tulsa CEO Elon Musk has laid down the gauntlet. Workers can either put 40 hours in the office or pretend to work somewhere else. Musk is also threatening to cut 10% of the workforce due to a "super bad feeling" about the economy. Nevermind that Telsa made about $19 billion during the pandemic. The company hasn't missed a beat in producing electric vehicles or traveling to space. Nonetheless, the CEO calls the shots. If anyone is looking for employment, be on the lookout for job openings at companies like Tesla when the smoke clears. 😎

I'll start topics that have less to do with racism and what black folks need to do.😁 Sista @Cynique, hopefully, you will show up more often than Halley's comet. I miss your cynicism, er, presence around here.😎

@richardmurray, white supremacists and their race soldiers do not separate black folks by phenotype. The buffalo shooter only gave a pass to white folks. Otherwise, all black folks are subjected to the same forces within the system of racism. None are exempt based on phenotype, status, money, privilege, etc. Self-preservation within the system of racism has always forced black folks to side with the lesser evil. Fight for the US or Great Britain. Two sides of the same coin. Therein lies the reason for fragmentation or variance. Regardless of where someone resides on the planet, they should be *free* from any form of oppression. There should no system of racism. My definition of a black *leader* would not be someone who has an *individual* agenda in the black *community*. Reads more like opportunists. There is no shortage of them. Look no further than AfroAmerican churches and politicians. That's also why I don't believe black entertainers and athletes are role models and leaders in the black community. Many of them have made money. But, none of them has successfully used their platform to galvanize black folks into a collective capable of overcoming the system of racism. It is not that these *successful* black individuals cannot bring black folks together. The two biggest problems are 1) no knowledge of self (history) and 2) they do not understand the system of racism. The further removed people are from their own history (knowledge of self) and the more they are absorbed into the fabric of a racist system, they go beyond fragmentation and variance into becoming more diluted i.e. individuals. The system of racism thrives because white folks *know* their history and everyone else's and they do everything it takes to maintain their power over the entire planet.😎

IMO, the most monolithic AfroAmericans has ever been is during 1) slavery and 2) civil rights movement. Even during those times, black folks were fragmented in their ideologies. ADOS were taught and thought differently from black folks who were born and raised *free*. Black immigrants allowed into America and white countries in general show up fully prepared to function like *guests* and take advantage of opportunities given to them. So, there's this mix of black folks in America with very different experiences and perspectives. However, the racists figured out a long time ago how to keep ALL non-white folks confused. Every time a black leader rose up who could potentially shepherd a large number of black folks into a collective, that leader was assassinated or discredited. History proves it. Again, since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, AfroAmericans have not had a voice of leadership. For over a half century and counting, black folks in America have been a bunch of individuals trying to maintain in the system of racism. Not a day goes by that I don't think about what *I* can do to unite black folks and protect us from them. "I'm still learning".😎

This a very important distinction to make. The refined racists use their ignorant white brethren as overseers, prostitutes and race soldiers. Beyond liquor and legalized dope, many black folks have been anesthetized into a false sense of inclusion and security. The refined racists use *status*, jobs, money and material things to 1) make incarceration more comfortable and 2) put down resistance. Yesterday, the POTUS gave an impassioned speech on gun control. He made a few *feel good* statements fully well knowing there will NEVER be legislation to reshape the 2nd amendment. No amount of mass shootings will force white folks to stop buying assault weapons. In fact, the violence in America reinforces white folks' *right* to bear arms. They have to be able to *protect* themselves. That is code for being prepared for a race war. That's also why it's extremely important to understand that political parties in America are two sides of the same coin. Neither party has ANY desire to undermine the system of racism.😎

Yep. It's not always easy but we have to stay on code. 😎

Yeah mayne, I think you may recall my position in this regard from an older thread. I've always felt that black folks should have *dealt* with white folks who murder our own a long time ago. None of these mass murders would be happening now if white folks truly *feared* us.😎

Never engage in arguments. Most are pointless. Nothing constructive comes out of it.😎

I'm not advocating that we take up arms and start a race war. We're out-numbered in that regard. My position is that we should be armed and ready for anything that might happen.😎

Agreed. In order to be well informed, it's worth reading and watching *news* from all sides (left, right, center, foreign, etc.). Gathering information (knowledge) is the only way non-white folks can begin to have a clue about what racism white supremacy is and how it works. There is an adage that the best way to hide information from people is putting it in a book i.e. writing it down. Well, that's still true today. A lot of people refuse to read/watch and/or think for themselves. Instead, they rely on their upbringing, environment and a healthy dose of BS coming from whichever side of the media they favor* in order to from their opinions. That's why white folks appear to be divided in their ideologies regarding it but they're not confused and they're totally on the same page when it comes to the maintenance of racism white supremacy. 😎

I still don't *get* what folks find so attractive about her. Then again, I'm from the original chocolate city where beautiful sistas would put Ms. Berry to shame.😁😎

The nature of the *crime* and the way it played out does not warrant a pregnant woman getting shot. Unbelievable in the wake of the police response in active shooter situations (Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX) within the past 3 weeks. If there is any confusion between a race soldier and a police officer, those Missouri cops are an example of the former.😎