ProfD

@Troy, no need for explanation. Steer the ship as you see fit. I'm enjoying this comfy chair. Pull.

It's par for the course that POTUS will never satisfy everyone. There's no shortage of Monday morning quarterbacks ready to tell us what they would have done differently or better.

Surviving is relatively easy to quantify. Thriving is a slippery slope because it means different things to individuals. I know folks who are more broke than a bag of glass but they're happy clams in their existence. OTOH, I know folks who are well off and miserable as h8ll for one reason or three. Then, there's the mix in the middle. Folks surviving and thriving to varying degrees and they're good with it. None are suicidal as far as I know. I'll keep uplifting everyone for good measure.

Don't stop preaching unity. Somebody will get the message. Lose the divisiveness and condescension.

Sure. Many of us do present good images and serve as positive role models to those around us. However, the media is counter-productive and extremely powerful in its far reaching effect in negatively programming how the world sees black men. Those same people make a ton of money exploiting its black minority. We should be turning the tables using their weapons i.e. media. Since I'm not a miserable person, in gambling parlance, I'm playing with house money. I know my testimony, personal success and positive attitude uplifts and motivates the brothas and sistas around me to do better. My family is extremely religious. I'm not. My folks are holding on to a belief that I'm running away from a calling. Nope. I believe my *ministry* is all about encouraging black folks to come together and do better. My ministry doesn't cost them any tithes and offerings either. I have more faith in my vision/dreams of seeing black folks win now instead of them waiting on a sky fairy. The Supreme Being didn't gift me with knowledge and talent for no reason. Surely, I'm supposed to use it for something. I'll go with uplifting black folks.

@Pioneer1, a few things here: 1) White folks have developed all types of weapons because maintaining power over other human beings requires a solid defense system. 2) Black folks have been taught and led to believe the white man is God so many fear him. 3) Black folks have been taught that their riches and rewards are in heaven. But, they have to endure h8ll on Earth in order to claim it. 4) Black folks have been taught that suicide is a sin. Your life is not yours take regardless of the circumstances and conditions. God would not approve of it. 400 years and counting of mental and physical conditioning have led us to where we are today. It's the chained elephant syndrome. We can break free anytime. BTW, elephants are the strongest and most peaceful creatures on the planet. Yet, it's not a liability for them. Ironically, an elephant only has one predator to deal with....human beings.

it is prudent to know the laws when opening any type of business including a marijuana dispensary. Black folks will continue getting hemmed up for selling marijuana on the street because that is a still a criminal offense.

@Pioneer1, I think it would have been awesome if the African men had gotten together and found some poison and convinced everyone to go out like Jonestown. Slavery would have been a wrap in less than 5 years. America would not be the country it is today. Of course, we would not be having this conversation either. "So my question is also what PERCENTAGE of other communities fought back or committed suicide rather than allow themselves and their children be subjected to the horrors of slavery....COMPARED to the percentage of our people and who did this among us?" Revisionist history at best but we'll never know the answer to that question. "Did they even LET it get so far that entire generations were born in it?" Yep. 400 years of slavery is at least 20 generations. Millions of folks were born into it. Keep in mind that slavery was a system and big business. It was run like a well-oiled machine. Also, while chattel slavery was horrible, there are accounts that some plantations were better than others. Just like today...n8gglets brag about their time spent in greater confinement. IMO, black folks were not enslaved because they were docile and/or lacked intelligence. We are strong. Also IMO, black folks do not commit suicide at a higher rate than others because we're born genetically predisposed to being able to survive under harsh conditions, That which did not break us or make us weaker made us stronger. Black folks can endure and overcome more than any other group of people on the planet. Unfortunately, we have yet to get ourselves together and realize our fullest potential instead of being victims of this system.

Modern day version of ending Prohibition at the state level. When white folks decided marijuana should be legalized, states jumped onboard. Still, it's important to remember that there are state laws and Federal laws. We live in the United States of America. Each of the 50 states has a right to make its own laws. Federal laws govern the land. Medicinal marijuana may be legal in Washington or Colorado. But, if someone commits a federal offense and gets caught with it, that's another charge. IOW, marijuana is still illegal according to the federal government. It doesn't care what your doctor said.

First, I don't believe Kanye has mental/ psychological issues. Like so many others before him, he's using his fame and celebrity platform to enrich himself and remain relevant. The whole belief that artists are tortured souls and/or prone to mental problems is overblown. Surely, there are savants and weirdos capable of extraordinary things. But, many of these musicians and artisans milk their fame and celebrity. I'm sure most of you remember Michael Jackson (MJ) as a little boy; smiling and dancing and singing. He was normal all the way up through the Off the Wall" album. After the success of "Thriller", Little Mike (MJ) became a clown. Rest his soul. Kanye West was a normal nerd; confined to making beats in the studio for other rappers. His song "Through the Wire" catapulted him as an artist. He was still a normal dude until Amber Rose broke up with him and his mother died. Then, Kanye caught the MJ syndrome. Fame and celebrity are opiates especially for people who seek attention and validation and/or those with self-esteem issues. Some artists fall into that mold. Just like ESP, I wonder why the most spiritual folks haven't been able to put their heads together and solve the problems that plague humanity. "Was 400 years TOTALLY involuntary for ALL slaves?" "Were there NO other options for our people collectively? OR would DEATH have been an option or perhaps even a better alternative than seeing our people endure centuries of slavery, suffering, and humiliation?" You're asking the *right* questions. The answers are complicated. Hundreds of thousands of black folks committed suicide during the transatlantic slave trade whether it was jumping overboard or shortly after showing up on plantations and realizing the life ahead of them. Hundreds of thousands black folks tried to escape slavery. Once caught, beat into submission or killed as an example to others, fear kept the rest of them in check. Folks born into slavery were conditioned from the cradle. They didn't know any other way of life. No matter how cruel and inhumane the conditions, human beings naturally have a desire to live. Ask the question...why would people in the poorest places on Earth continue to reproduce knowing the life ahead of their offspring will be harsh. According to Kanye's logic, it could be considered a selfish choice. I believe it's simpler than that. Human beings are designed to procreate and have a will to live regardless of the circumstances and conditions. The real questions to ask are 1) why do human beings treat each other so badly whether it is slavery or impoverished and 2) why don't human beings do a better job of taking care of each other.

I would say that the ideal real man and real woman have served us well because through procreation they insure the continuation of our existence as human beings.

@Pioneer1, rather than make an ignorant statement, Kanye should have asked the question of why black folks endured slavery for 400 years. Questions and answers using logic are the keys to solving problems and gaining knowledge and ultimately, overcoming ignorance.

@Cynique, surely, I've seen men cry for many reasons. It Is a human emotion. But, this encouragement of men to be more sensitive and believing it's OK to cry for anything is BS. @Troy, great post. Chris Rock handled that situation like a real G on several levels. Will acted like a real b8tch on as many levels.

@Cynique, to answer your question...nobody could turn me into an effeminate male. That's not the case I'm making here. The whole idea that it's OK for men to cry and express their feelings at the drop of a dime or the belief that everybody's a winner is BS. A battlefield full of men wouldn't be allowed to sit around crying and "feeling some kinda way" because someone said or did something they didn't like. Man up. I'm noticing in TV commercials that they're quick to show gay black men overtly expressing displays of affection. I wonder why they don't show gay white men in the same manner. Obviously, when I was growing up, things were different. Some might even consider it hyper-masculine and chauvinistic. We take great pride in being men. While there have always been soft dudes; gay and effeminate dudes too, they didn't get the same passes as today. Masculinity is under attack especially for AfroAmerican men. White men are letting it ride because their position of strength is secure in the grand scheme of things. The last thing the system wants to see is strong black men. Especially if strength encourages unity. Unstoppable force.

@Pioneer1, you're right..MTG isn't completely stupid. She's been given latitude to stir the pot. The former POTUS brought that clown element to the GOP. But, as I've mentioned before, AfroAmericans cannot do what they do and get the same respect or pass. They use dumb n8gglets to reinforce their superiority mindset. Walker fits right into the mold.

The pussification of men in American society is very real and happening before our very eyes. Discipline has been stripped away from men. They've been convinced that it's wrong to spank their children. Everybody deserves a trophy or a participation certificate no matter how weak or sorry they are when it comes to being competitive. Men who cannot compete against other men in sports are now getting sex changes and competing against women. Of course *s/he's* going to win. Still physically a man. Males with too few strong male role models are especially susceptible to becoming soft emotionally. It's by design under this system that black men will be the most compromised no matter how strong they look. Buck breaking.

@Cynique, you're right. Scientists have been claiming for a long time now that humans only use a fraction of their brains. Again, the genius of the Supreme Being was to put a governor on our brain. Just like a dump truck that cannot go more than 50 miles per hour, our brains will only allow us to do but so much. No matter how many heads we put together, we're still limited in what we can do. But, I guess we should be ever so grateful that we have as much brain power as we do especially when compared to other mammals who in some ways seem to do more with less.

See my post in the other thread about money. Money is the most powerful drug in America. Once AfroAmericans got a hit of money, they've been stuck in neutral. The lure of money will make the brokest n8gglet do something dumb...like blow up progressive plans that would benefit him. A well intentioned AfroAmerican with too many bills and/or a lifestyle they cannot afford can be compromised. Look no further than AfroAmerican pimps in the pulpit. They've got a whole congregation of people under the sound of their voices. Instead of teaching our people how to dismantle the system of white supremacy, AfroAmerican preachers are telling them to be obedient and subservient to it. Oh by the way...leave a few dollars in the plate before you leave. The preacher needs a Bentley. His wife wants a diamond. AfroAmerican unity at a micro-level requires a willingness to sacrfice the trinkets for the trophy. Since MLK Jr. got sprayed, nobody has really been willing to step up to the plate and take the weight. That money drug is mean. Then, there is fear.

@Pioneer1, well bro...Money is a mean motherf8cker. AfroAmericans have access to just enough money to keep their mouths shut and go along with the program on all sides. Gross consumerism is the opiate that keeps AfroAmericans from fighting for more than crumbs. Being able to afford trinkets..clothes, shoes, house, vehicles, vacations, liquor, drugs etc., is enough to keep our people stuck in neutral. The system of white supremacy has mastered the art of giving people just enough to anesthetize them into obedience and subservience.

IMO, there's no shortage of articulation and intelligence within the Hip-Hop community. It doesn't sell well. Just as the media picks out the most ig'nant n8gglet when covering a news story...the entertainment community is doing the same thing. The least intelligent form of Hip-Hop is selling like hotcakes. Those who control the media outlets enjoy highlighting it too. Mumble rapper interview...take 1 thru 15. As NF Jr. says, black folks are the entertainment under the system of white supremacy.

Unfortunately, those high emotions are being transferred to black male offspring. As a result, there's a bunch of sensitive azz dudes running around incapable of solving problems using logic and reason. They're making irrational decisions based on how they feel. Now, we've got black men running around snotting and crying when they're upset. Some of these dudes are physical specimens...athletes. Reduced to tears. Will Smith just made an apology video for the slap seen and heard around the world. N8gglets please stop it with the tears and other gross displays of emotion.

For sure, neither the GOP nor Mumble Mouth Walker wants to debate. As a native son, Walker's intellectual acuity would make the entire educational system in the state of Georgia look bad from elementary school through to its institutions of higher learning. I'm a huge proponent of black folks and I do not put them lightly. However, as I've made it my duty to call balls and strikes...that Mumble Mouth n8gglet is dumb. Walker would be the male version of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green if he's allowed to go to Washington.

I believe human beings have moments of heightened awareness but it's not something we can control in such a way to produce constructive results or significant outcomes. I think the world would be a lot different if people could harness and/or access ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, etc. The Supreme Being knew better than to give humans that much power. Gave us just enough mental capacity to *think* about it.

Please let Mumble Mouth Walker debate Senator Warnock on prime-time TV. That would be entertainment worth watching while eating popcorn.

@Troy and @Pioneer1, unanswerable questions require more thought and usually result in confusion.