Pioneer1

ProfD Hindsight always seems to be 20/10 through one's own lens. Looking back, people think life was better &/or they could have done things differently to improve their lot. Not only is this natural, but it makes sense...doesn't it? You didn't start off doing everything perfectly. You made mistakes and hopefully you LEARNED from them and did better. The fact that you're still living to communicate with me tell me you certainly DID learn from some of your mistakes, lol. What is the point of comparing & how does it make life better? Well first of all, how would you even KNOW life is better if you didn't have previous experiences to compare them TO? To somebody 3 generations into Slavery, the best they know is having a good kindly Master. They hadn't experiences a period of Freedom with which to COMPARE their condition to and realize that it's not good. Experiencing different generations and time periods not only give you a point of reference as to what was preferred and beneficial...but it also lets you know when and where something went WRONG and became negative. I clearly remember when Black-owned soul food spots & other businesses sold out to Asians. But you know what else is funny? I remember as a kid Asians occasionally going into Soul Food joints and buying food. Especially pork...like pigs feet and chitterlings. A wise business owner would have paid attention to that. Through my lens, I can see where life has gotten better but we still have a long way to go in making it so for everyone. When you say through YOUR lens life has gotten better.....do you mean for our people collectively or do you mean just for YOU? I don't believe we have to live in a world where some people have to be poor & suffer. There's enough resources on this planet for every man, woman & child to have a good quality of life. True. Is there enough intelligent brains for every man and woman to USE to bring that about? A lot of suffering and poverty....certainly not all...but a lot...is brought upon by stupid and foolish thinking and behavior. A bunch of nomadic people living in the middle of a desert that is constantly plagued by drought and famine........ Do they focus on irrigation projects to fertilize the area and produce agriculture? NO! "Haya! Haya! Haya! Grahhhbaaah!" Instead they constantly get married, throw lavish weddings that using up resources, have a lot of unprotected sex producing child after child that they can't take care of....and when they die of famine or starvation or warfare they think it's some sort of "divine will" that it happens. So they remain in poverty and scarcity generation after generation. You can't blame everything on Western greed. Some of this shit is cultural.

LOL!!! Well, protesting would atleast be a START. As one of my uncles used to say, there's a right way and wrong way to do anything.....and sometimes you have to go through the PROCEDURE to look civilized. You don't start off with a gang of gatted up niccaz with shades on busting through the doors making threat....lol. Efforts should be made to the DA, state officials, as well as trying to get the Federal government involved to correct this imbalance. Meanwhile there should be organized and effective protests on the ground level. You must play CHESS....not just checkers.

Much of that is determined by the amount of racial hostility our people face. The more OPEN racism and hostility AfroAmericans face from non-Black people, the more resilient, independent, and prosperous we tend to become. This is one of the reasons I'm actually GLAD Trump got into the White house instead of Kamala. Not because I'm a huge fan of Trump's. But because I knew that his presidency would rip the bandage off of race relations in this nation and expose it for what it really is.

I still maintain that something is literally "wrong" with the brains of most of these youths (under 30) today. It's not just a cultural or generational thing....although that's a factor. But the mental problems PRODUCE the dysfunctional culture, which in turn produces more dysfunctional offspring with mental problems. A diabolical cycle. This is why you should CRINGE at the thought of things calming down and returning to "normal" as it's been for the past 30 or 40 years. That only means the continued destruction of the AfroAmerican moral fiber.

I'm surprised you guys have been keeping up with this drama......lol. When I log on shit like this would come across my feed....along with what controversial thing Bill Maher said last night or what Democratic Senator John Fetterman did to double-cross the Democrats again.....and I'd brush right passed it to other news and events. I don't think journalism is dead, it's just being EXPOSED for what it has been for decades....the 4 branch of the government. And just like any other government employee, when journalists try to break rank and go rogue from the agenda or script their "superiors" lay out for them.....they get dealt with.

Shows you how much I've been keeping up with things....lol.....I thought BET Plus was still owned by Viacom along with the rest of the BET outlets. I didn't know Tyler Perry had bought it.

ProfD Tears & T-shirts & protests & marches have proven to be ineffective I think in this case protests and marches should be the first line of defense and put into effect to SEE if it helps change the jury. Any competent lawyers for the defense should make it a point that an all White jury is clearly not a jury of "his peers" and demand a new selection before the trial goes forward. At some point, Black folks have to take action to keep ourselves from being victimized & railroaded under the system of racism white supremacy This has been known and preached since atleast the days of the Panthers back in the 60s. Some Black folks have done this...some have not. Troy Is there any surprise a Black man in Texas would not get a fair deal from the criminal justice system. There SHOULD be surprise..... There are literally MILLIONS of Black folks IN Texas! Infact, according to a google search there are nearly 4 million Black folks in Texas making it the state with the largest Black population by numbers. What is the Black population busy doing down there that they can't DEMAND a fair deal from the criminal justice system?

ProfD It seems that as we get older, we pay more attention to certain things & develop strong beliefs/opinions & confirmation bias sometimes along with a dose of cognitive dissonance. But, at least we're still alive & alert & communicative. There will always be people who think [insert timeframe here] was better depending on their environment, conditions, circumstances, situation, etc. As I alluded to in my opening post, as we get older....the more qualified we are to compare and determine which generations are better in which respect. Unless somebody is suffering from some sort of dementia, being older allows you to see things in society through a BETTER lens. You have more knowledge and wisdom to weigh the positives and negatives of the generations you're comparing. Considering the fact that in most major cities in the United States you can barely find a good Soul Food joint today, as opposed to 50 eyars ago when they were pretty abundant....I'm not sure what that tells you. Troy 40 years ago (1986) I'd finished undergrad by then, shacking up with my girlfriend at the time, but I could afford my own place IN NYC - Shacking up? Not YOU....lol. You don't sound very religious but for some reason I took you as being generally conservative and reserved....even as a youth. I pictured you as being kind of like "Preach" from Coolie High. While your friends were busy running the streets and clowning around, I pictured you somewhere in a room buried in books and trying to study your way out of the ghetto. No time for shaking up and rolling around in the bed all day with females....lol.

Just what California needs......a White Latino governor, lol.

ProfD Back in the 1980s, I witnessed brawls between neighborhood gangs with 30-40 n8gglets throwing punches at each other. Later on, they started bringing guns. This was before Gangsta Rap took off.😎 Two questions for you: Did you see GIRLS out there fighting and scrapping in the street like so many are doing today? Did you see youth attacking and killing the elders and even their own parents like so many are doing today? You're right. Outside of Los Angeles and Chicago....I remember there were indeed a lot more street gangs in the community back in the 70s and 80s than there are today. Know why? Because a lot of these young people are so fucked up they don't even have enough sense TO unite with others in the same neighborhood and form a "good" street gang...lol. Back in the day gangs used to have CODES where they wore certain clothes, talked a certain way, respected and obeyed leadership. So if it's "going down tonight"....everybody was down and got involved. Half of these little niggaz running the streets today are too fucked up in the head to even get along with eachother. When was the last time you saw more than 3 young AfroAmerican men walking together? You may see a bunch of Africans sitting packed to a table or walking down the street, but you don't see a lot of AfroAmerican men with eachother today because a lot of the youth can't get along with eachother in a basic social way. .....let alone organize a gang with actual leaders calling shots that they'll obey. All of them want to be the leader.....so they end up falling out with eachother. The best they can do at uniting is these little flash mobs where nobody is in charge and everybody is doing their own thing. aka Contrarian Since you have no proof of that, it's nothing more than an opinion given in response to my opinion. The "proof" of my statement is in the very nature of the word "problem" itself. The antonym of PROBLEM is SOLUTION If it is actually a PROBLEM then one of the SOLUTIONS is for it being in the state it was before the problem developed. Again, we may not KNOW what the solution is or how to arrive at it....but we know it does exist. Name a problem that doesn't have a solution.

That would be terrible. For the political divisiveness to end and for things to return to and remain "normal" isn't a good thing. It means the people are going back to sleep. That would be an almost worse case scenario for Black America. Since the late 70s the racists are actively engaging in a SLOW ROAST. Sloooooooooowly trying to re-enslave the Black population and replace us with Latinos and Asians. We NEED divisiveness and struggle because that is a sign that Black people are actively resisting the racists and their agenda to stifle our political and economic power. It actually needs to intensify, not tamp down and calm down. A divide America is actually one of our best opportunities for success. Integrating with the devil was one of the worse mistakes our people made.

This is just for show. They'll announce THIS bust to deceive the gullible, meanwhile thousands of tons of cocaine are ALLOWED to flow in through other routes. ....not to mention the synthetic cocaine that they're probably growing in some lab.

May our dear brother rest in peace and power

ProfD There are several avenues for making the case. There may be several avenues, but if they're all leading to the same location....does it matter which one you take? When Rome ruled the entire world, there was a reason why people said "All roads lead to Rome"....lol. Violence & war is how white folks get down when diplomacy fails. Sounds like the Mafia. White folks have been using violence to conquer & dominate using sticks & stones. Long before advanced weaponry which is just an extension of it. True. But THEY actually graduated to now using ballistic missiles and Apache helicopters; meanwhile...... For whatever reason, you give white folks credit for being intelligent when they are barbaric more than anything else. Well.... If they're NOT intelligent but rather stupid barbarians.....what does that say about the intellect and status of the people THEY'RE ruling over?

ProfD Most higher paying jobs require a certain amount of education. Back in the day....before racism broke up most of the unions....there were plenty of good paying factory and government jobs that required little more than a highschool diploma. Adults are responsible for fixing their own mistakes. While this is true, it must be kept in mind that a lot of people don't have the intellect or knowledge TO fix their mistakes. Regardless of how it looks, classes exist for a reason. Most def.... And for GOOD reason.

ProfD It could last forever if someone was willing to keep it going beyond him. I don't see that kind of movement among the MAGA base. These people will enjoy the BS POTUS OJ is creating & when the proverbial picnic is over, they'll get in their pick-up trucks & go home. In fact, the MAGA base is already becoming jaded. In 2 years or less, they will fade away like the Tea Party. If I may, allow me to use YOUR OWN WORDS to push back against this belief.... Don't think out of 74 million people none of them will try to take advantage of the atmosphere he's made by keeping the flame burning and keeping the momentum going long past his presidency. They're using him and his presidency as the "pilot episode" for a long term series. POTUS Obama was the 1st of a kind that we'll never see again in our lifetime. If we don't, trust me...I won't be shedding any tears over it. We needs a full fledged FBA brutha (or sista....but preferably a brutha) in the White House. No more funny ass niggaz with funny names of questionable racial backgrounds. We needs a JEROME JACKSON up in that Oval Office. I believe starting with the 2028 election, the next few POTUS will be plain in terms of their personality & actions; rather dull & boring. The fact that you believe there will even BE a 2028 election gets you marked as "Optimist Of The Year" in my book....lol.

Now I know why the doves were crying.........🤣

ProfD As a Gen-Xer, I did not act a fool but I had plenty friends who did the same sh8t & in some cases much worse. Back in the late 1970s/through mid-1980s, DC had gangs. Many of them graduated to become drug dealers & killers. Those same Gen-Xers are either stretched out in the penitentiary or no long longer with us. Some of them managed to reproduce too. In our generation them crazy ass "down for whatever" niggaz were actually only a few and far in between. That's why they stood out. Because most of us....the vast majority....were NOT like that. Today is different. Today nearly EVERY kid wants to be a thug, clown, somebody nots to be fucked with. So the vast majority are smoking weed, getting tattoos and clowning in the streets. So the difference isn't so much the behavior as it is the PERCENTAGE of those engaging in the behavior. These young people are doing the same dumb sh8t as their parents (Gen-Y) & in some cases...grandparents (Gen-X). That's another thing. They grew up hearing stories from their parents and grandparents about how crazy the 80s and especially the 90s were and they have a distorted image that every young Black male was walking around like Tupac. So they want to make a name for their generation too. Cynique In reality, not all problems have solutions when you're dealing human with beings. All problems DO INDEED have solutions. We may not KNOW what those solutions are, but they do exist. If it doesn't have a solution, it's not actually a problem. Efforts to turn homosexuals "straight" , come to mind....lol.

ProfD Perhaps you're right. When I go back to Detroit or visit places like Chicago and Atlanta, I see plenty of wealthy Black people. But I've also seen far more dysfunctional Black people today than in the past growing up. Maybe I weren't as aware of them as I am now.

ProfD Lol, that's like going to the local police station and filing a complain over police brutality against one of their officers. Actually, knowledge and intelligence is the VERY THING that will help AfroAmericans not only face but overcome that very system! Knowledge and intelligence allows you to build the tools and effectively use them to get what you want accomplished in nearly any human endeavor. That's how White folks were able to get dominate others....through knowledge and intelligence. They were intelligent enough and knowledgeable enough to develop sophisticated weapons that allowed them to conquer and dominate.

ProfD No, he won't be around forever but the foundation of socially accepted racism and fascism as well as the fascist restructuring of the government that he's attempting to lay COULD last for decades to come. For more than 10 years he's been busy making openly racist and hostile language "acceptable" in the media and in society in general. The things he's said and has encouraged his followers to say was unthinkable just 20 years ago for any private citizen to be allowed to say let alone the President. When the media reported him saying "when a man has money women will let him do anything including grab them in the pussy".....and folks still voted for him by the millions, I knew it was down hill from there....lol.

Prof......YOU were a teenager before. Did YOU run out in the street with a pack of other boys blocking traffic, grabbing your crotch, and throwing up a finger at the police and passing drivers with a big grin on your face? Did you get together with other boys AND GIRLS by the dozens and go out invading liquor stores smashing up shit and snatching liquor and snacks out of the place with big grins on your faces? These kids are different. The Crack Babies have grown up and have produced children of their own....lol. Perhaps the previous generations saw the next generation of youth as being worse because they actually ARE worse.

ProfD AfroAmericans have decades worth of data & evidence to make the case for current circumstances, conditions & predicament. True. Continuing with the analogy... The question is when are AfroAmericans going to take action by 1) taking that case to court & 2) changing the conditions. Analysis & studies work up to a point in building a case. Nothing changes without action & effort You make good points as usual. I'll give you 2 things to consider in direct relation to your 2 questions.......... 1. If AfroAmericans DID decide to take their case to court, which court (or legal body) would AfroAmericans plead their case TO? What court (or legal body) in this world has the power to gather and verify the facts concerning our treatment and render a verdict? More importantly, who has the power to ENFORCE the verdict and any penalties and restitution that may accompany it? 2. Changing the condition of a person or people usually involve increasing their level of KNOWLEDGE in order to effectively bring about that change. You exchange a shitty job for a better one by KNOWING how to get and perform that better job. You exchange a raggedy home for a better home by KNOWING how to either purchase a new one or how to properly repair your raggedy one to improve it's conditions. Improvement comes from KNOWLEDGE....either yours or whoever is trying to help you. Knowledge comes from INTELLIGENCE -the ability to comprehend and retain information enough to put it to use. Here's the question............ You ask when will our people "change" their condition. Given what you have observed of our people, do you believe that our community COLLECTIVELY (not as individuals) has the intelligence to ascertain the knowledge needed to change our condition for the better? "Hey there bud...... Let me ask you a question........ You've been living here in this park begging humans for food for years now. Why don't you learn how to build a house and grow your own trees and nuts for food instead of relying on humans?"

I'm going to presume that most of us on this site are over 50 years of age, so we've been around and have observed atleast 2 if not many more generations in order to make a comparison. How many of you think the OVER ALL financial and social conditions in the United States....especially for AfroAmericans...are better today than they were in the 70s or 80s? Whether you say yes or no, please state your reasons.............. I'll go first by honestly saying: I'm not sure. Houses and cars are nicer today than they were 40 years ago.......but homelessness itself seems to have increased. I'm not sure if homelessness has increased relative to the size of the population or if the actual percentage itself has increased since the 70s or 80s. However I believe the percentage of homelessness indeed HAS increased. I think jobs are more plentiful today than they were back in the day, but the relative wages aren't paying the same. It's harder for the "average" person without a college degree to make a decent independent living today than back 40 or 50 years ago. I think dating and finding intimate relationships is either harder or trickier today than 30 or 40 years ago. I'm not determining this based on myself, but based on a lot of the younger men and women I'm seeing and hearing and the problems they are experiencing. A lot more people are dealing with personal trauma, baggage, and even psychiatric issues like autism and ADHD than back in the day. While social media has made it easier for those who ARE attractive to hook up with eachother, it seems as if there are a lot more people with "weird" problems....both men and women....that take them out of the sex/dating pool all together. I also believe that incarceration is far higher today than it was 40 or 50 years ago. Even much higher than the 90s during the so-called Clinton Crime Bill era that has received so much notoriety. Even in the 90s you didn't see or hear about so many private prisons as you do now. Again, I'm not sure if the increase in incarceration is due to the increase in population....or if the percentage has risen.

ProfD If you steal a house & fix it up & other folks show up as squatters...are they illegal aliens? They are certainly illegal as well as accomplices to YOUR theft....lol. However whether they're aliens or not depends on their citizenship status. Individuals don't have the power to dictate that they get a livable wage. Unions even have a hard time getting pay increases. That's why I can't be too hard on adult AfroAmericans who are working these low wage and minimum wage jobs. Many of them are taking what they can get to survive. If they could find jobs with higher pay, they'd take them. Feudalism never really went away. Like Slavery, it just transformed itself. And most Central Americans are streaming into the United States to go right along with it and take their place as good peasants for their "lords". The government tries to create rules & safeguards to make life bearable for citizens. Ultimately, politicians end up working within the interests of those who control wealth. The labor market is controlled in such a way to enrich the wealthy while providing the average person with just enough to survive And even THAT is tricky, because who is actually "average" and how do they decide who is average and who is not? Do they factor expensive medical and legal issues into their "averages"? Average people often make stupid and expensive mistakes, do they factor those in? A lot of average people are falling through the cracks because average from their perspective often looks like PERFECT from those in the working class.