Pioneer1

Troy Not only are the girls developing faster. It seems to me that many of the girls are developing masculine traits both in behavior and physique. When I first started noticing how much this younger generation of girls were fighting....physical fist fighting.....I thought it was the influence of rap music as well as television shows like Jerry Springer. And knowing how people are, many people of both sexes like conflict and drama. But generally speaking girls just don't have the chemistry or build for excessive physical combat. But over the past 20 years I noticed more and more girls getting in fist fights with other girls at schools, on the streets, and engaging in combat sports like MMA and boxing and wondered what was going on that so many girls enjoyed physical fighting. Then I observed how so many girls were growing taller, many of them losing the curves in their hips and thighs, developping broader shoulders, and developing a more mascuine demeanor in the way they sat and carried themselves and it made sense to me that something "chemical" is happening to these girls because not only were they turning into men psychologically but also physically! I know exactly what you're talking about as far as the macho ulta-mascuine show so many men in this society are expected to put on at all costs. The more I studied Western culture in comparison to African, Latino, and other cultures around the world the more I realized that much of the so-called "macho" and "manly" traditions of Western culture was nothing more than an over compensation for the lack of confidence and sense of weakness many Western men feel....especially when they come into contact with men of African, Asian, and Latin American cultures. When a person isn't sure about something, they're constantly seeking out ways to "prove" it to themselves whether it's their religion, their intelligence, or their masculinity/femininity. You don't hear about men in Nigeria or Brazil going mountain climbing, parachuting, or alligator wrestling. They consider it neither fun or a test of manhood or masculinity.....infact most of them...like most Black men in America....think those activities are dangerous and crazy as hell. They.....like most Black American men....tend to prove their manhood by direct confrontational violence and excessive sexual activity with women. Others tend not to try to "prove" a damn thing because they're already pretty sure who and what they are.　 It's still funny to me when I hear how crying is seen as weak and feminine through out much of Western society as this too is often a cultural and racial trait..... Growing up in mostly Black Detroit, I equated seeing a boy or man cry...not with weakness...but with some sort of VIOLENCE getting ready to come down....lol. I know when I get very angry my eyes water and I shed tears, as most of the Black men I know are the same way. I also know that many Latino men and Italian men cry when they get very upset. So as a Black man growing up in a relatively urban mostly Black environment I was never too culturally indoctrinated with the fake macho-masculine expectations so many men in the West are indoctrinated with and as I got older and observed more and my reasoning became a stronger force in my decison making usually overriding peer pressure and emotion I learned to focus on getting the help I needed to accomplish a certain goal regardless as to how it "looked". We have a large transexual community in my city and where as 20 years ago I wouldn't have even talked to a dude on the street I saw running around with a dress on, but now I've found myself sitting at a coffee shop having entire conversations with them and even sitting down at their table not carrying who sees me. I've found myself treating women who dress and act like men the same way and not even being shocked if they use the men's room. In line with the subject of this thread..... I believe that outside of the chemical influences, much of the violence in this society and indeed around the world comes from people not being allowed to be who they really are and the frustration it brings. I believe once people stop worrying about what society thinks of them and start acting in accord with TRUE nature....not what we've been TOLD was natural...and start doing what they really want to do, the imbalances and dysfunctions of this society will naturally balance themselves out and stabilize and much of the violence will cease.

Xeon 　 But I will say this -America deserves what it voted for. I will not comment about the events that have taken place over the past weeks. They speak for themselves. Half of eligible American voters refused to partake in this past election. That says something. For millions, it was too much of an inconvenience, indifference, apathy or because I don't like either one of the candidates. Fine. This man did not have to win if everyone voted. They left it in the hands of the electoral college. Perhaps you're right, or............. Perhaps one of the reasons over half of the people did NOT vote is because they pretty much figured that it wouldn't have mattered anyway believing that Presidents are usually SE-lected before they are E-lected. Don't forget that nearly 3 million MORE people voted for Clinton than for Trump yet he STILL managed to find his way into the office of the Presidency. Just like Gore got more votes than Bush but Bush ended up in office. The question should be asked, in a so-called Democracy where the majority rules....exactly how many MILLIONS MORE people have to vote for a candidate in order to ensure victory over their opponent? 4 million? 5 million? Would it take a candidate 25 MILLION more votes than their opposition to solidify the deal with anything less being grounds for forfeiture? And if you're saying that EVERYONE voting probably would have kept Trump out of office; then what you're REALLY saying is any nation that receives less than 100% participation from it's citizens is a nation worthy of the misrepresentation and possible tyranny it ends up with. I don't think the punishment fits the crime (?).

Cynique You're right when you make the distinction of "devout" Muslims, because Christianity itself tends to be more intolerant than Islam....or atleast the Bible as a book tends to be more violent than the Koran. The only difference is most Christians in the West TODAY aren't as devout as most Muslims are in the East who really believe in thier religion and seem to take it quite literally. But just a few hundred years ago Christians were killing women, burning people at the stake and executing people who refused to accept the Bible as the infallible word of God. Religions in general tends to produce intolerance....even more so than racism and culturism. Atleast when you're dealing with a secular racist you can usually appeal to their intelligence and reason as to why they shouldn't commit a violent act againt another human being. But when someone believes "god" is instructing them to be violent or that "god" wants them to kill those who don't believe or follow their way of life, how can YOU as a human being present an argument strong enough to talk them out of it? Speaking of Arabs in particular....... Not only is racism and anti-Blackness strong in Arab culture, but Arabs were enslaving African people before Europeans started....lol. Infact they were the ones who turned Europeans on to Africans as slaves. Arab slavery was more brutal than British slavery because often time it involved castration of the males and "circumcision" of the females that removed the clitoris for sexual pleasure as they were kept as concubines. The weird thing about the Trump ban against immigrants is that most non-Latino immigrants tend to be conservative and even Republican in their political orientation....lol. Most of them are anti-abortion, pro business, anti-homosexual, believe in strong family traditions, and a large number are anti-Black and seek to stay as far away from Black Americans as possible. Most non-Latino immigrants including Arabs voted for George W. Bush and support the Republican party....even AFTER the wars he waged. I talked to a lot of immigrants who even supported Trump, despite the nationalist rhetoric he spouted during his campaign! I don't know who are the dumbest, the Republicans who want to ban and deport one of thier largest support bases......or the immigrants who repeatedly forgive and support a party who hates them and what they represent.

Troy You did an excellent job in breaking down who profits from Black death in society. From more jobs for police, lawyers, corrections officers, to more patients for nurses and doctors and more bodies for funeral directors.....people are getting rich off of Black misery. I don't believe so-called "broken families" (and I say "so-called" because we're living in Western society where everyone is expected pattern thier families after the upperclass European model and when you can't meet that often unreasonable goal, your family is considered somehow "broken" or "dysfunctional"....when in reality it's the model or nuclear family ITSELF that is dysfunctional and unrealistic) is the major cause of violence in urban communities. Is it a problem? Perhaps... But I truly believe that the MAIN cause is chemical: -the drugs and especially the alcohol that Black people consume in an attempt to imitate the larger White society without knowing the negative effects it tends to have on Black, Brown, and Yellow brains. Many of us are old enough to remember the old saying that you shouldn't give a Native American alcohol because it will run them crazy....what makes us think Africans could tolerate it any better? -the lead and other environmental pollutants found in the waters of most urban municipalities that are scientifically proven to cause violence. -the vaccines given to most children in the United States have been proven to have a far more powerful and negative effect on Black boys and have been shown to delay or even retard certain social and intellectual skills as they develop leading to increased frustration and conflict. The psychiatric effect that these chemicals have on the brains of developing young people is the underlying cause of the hostility, low achievement, and violence that you see in urban landscapes all across the nation. If you're over 40 years old you can just stand back and observe the younger generation of AfroAmericans...how dry their skin is, how slow they get around, how fat so many of them are.....and you can tell that something is psychologically wrong with many of them. Especially when you compare them with Black youth from the Carribean or Africa. Until the chemical aspect is properly dealt with.... Until THAT factor is recognized as being a part of the problem......it will not be solved.

As I said before, I do believe there is some validity to ANCIENT astrology, but like many forms of religion....much of what is practiced now a days seems to be just another form of ESCAPISM. A lot of otherwise intelligent men and women make important life decisions such as who to date/marry and what careers choices to make based mostly on outdated and often fabricated Greek mythology....only to end up more confused and disappointed! Rather than going through the trouble to think and make the hard decisions to try and secure a particular outcome....many people would rather leave it up to the "stars" to set everything straight for them. Or on the other side of the same coin....... When something goes wrong, instead of self reflection and retracing one's steps to find out what one did wrong, they'd rather blame it on "fate" or "the stars" to dodge personal responsbility for thier situation. I've also noticed that many historically oppressed groups like AfroAmericans and women tend to be attracted to things they feel will give them some sense of power in a society that often times deprive them from so much of it. So while a wealthy White family has the money to bail their son out of jail and pay for a good lawyer to keep him free, a poor Black family often goes to a fortune teller to get advice on what to do about their son and a poor Latino family will pray to a particular saint and burn a certain candle for a favorable outcome. Cynique Do you have a ghost writer or something? How DO you come up with all these stories....lol. That story you told sounded like something Morris Chestnut and Kerry Washington would star in.

I don't believe in banning people based on race or religion, however.............. I DO think that people from other cultures who come to America should be given a proper understanding on American culture (or the lack of it) and how what tends to be socially or familially unacceptable in the land they come from may be perfectly welcomed here. We have a very large Middle Eastern population in the Detroit area and people from the Middle East have strong cultures that tend to be very INTOLERANT of many contemporary Western values like women's rights, homosexual rights, and even race mixing. Traditionally, most immigrants...especially those from the Eastern Hemisphere...who've come to the United States have pretty much gone out of their way to avoid intergrating into American society. They come here to get an education or own a business, but as far as being an American and mixing it up in this society....many would rather stay outside. They like the freedoms and economic opportunities of America, but they don't want to accept the tolerant and often secular values that made the peace, stability, and economic opportunities that they come here to enjoy! I don't know how many times I've heard men from Arabia or even India and parts of Africa say that they wouldn't marry an American woman, or they don't want their son marrying an American woman. I ask them why, and they say American women are too "loose" and sexually free....yet many of these SAME dudes are trying to bang as many American women as they can get their hands on!!! People should get a proper understanding of American society and our basic customs before they come here and agrees to accept them on condition of being sent back if they start engaging in "honor killing" and other forms of intolerance.

Very true. It's one of the most stressful jobs on the planet because you're under pressure from so many different people with often opposing agendas...and you have to be able to juggle them. I don't think the job as President is going to be as wonderful as Trump thought it would be. Michael Moore said he thinks that Trump will QUIT before his term is up....lol.

What branches of Western and Eastern Astrology are you comparing to arrive at your opinion. The typical astrology most people in the West are familiar with uses zodiac signs based on the Greek zodiac like Libra, Taurus, Virgo, ect.... It's nothing but Greek mythology re-established.

Magus is also the root of magician. Yes sir. The Zoroastrian priests....known as Magi....practiced arts that a lot of the less knowledgable Greeks and other Europeans who visited Persia saw as supernatural. So unexplained phenomena in Western thought started being refered to as "magic". They said the same thing about various African and Native American practices when they came in contact with these people. Because they didn't understand the science of the people, they called it "magic" and often "witch craft". ...until THEY learned how to do some of it, then it was accepted as "science".

Man Delano ! What's up with all this magical and astrology talk.....lol. If you're an expert in magic then I wish you'd moved to Washington D.C. and focus on driving the evil forces out of the government. But to answer your question: I believe in cause and effect. I believe every effect has a cause. My beliefs are similar to Troy's with regard to magic. In the physical world when we KNOW the cause...we call it "science". When we DON'T know the cause we call it "magic". It's like a little kid who believes that Santa Claus is the one who is bringing the gifts UNTIL they're old enough to realize the truth of who's REALLY bringing the gifts. However I also believe in a spiritual world, and I've had spiritual experiences But I don't consider this "magic. I believe effects in and from the spiritual realm also have causes....known and unknown to us. I guess the real reason I hesitate in using the term "magic" is because of the origins of the word. Actually when you study religion, the word "magic" comes from the word "magi" who were members or priests of the religion of Zoroastrianism of ancient Persia from which Christianity derived some of it's teachings. In the Bible it talks about the wise-men from the east coming to see baby Jesus bearing him gifts. They were also known as the "Magi" and used astrology and observed stars to find the place of his birth. They believed his birth would herald a new "age".

The astrology practiced in the West is mostly entertainment based on mythological misunderstandings. However the REAL astrology as practiced by ancient cultures was based on the gravitational pull of planets and stars on human chemistry and how it affected moods and behaviors. Extremely high science when practiced in it's true form.

Del in about two weeks the 26 days will expire. I wold say his approval will be between - 26 - 31% plus or minus 7. That's not much of a prediction brutha....lol. For one, 26% to 31% plus or minus 7 basically amounts to a margin of 19% to 38% ! .....a statisical hole big enough to drive a truck through. While I don't believe anyone KNOWS the future except God, I do believe some people can indeed PREDICT future events based on various factors. But for me to honor a prediction I have to have a specific event tied to a specific date. It can't be blurry or vague allowing for too much wiggle room. By the way..... What does "Let's call them Lily" mean?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brown-girl-magazine/nonblack-people-of-color-_b_14434776.html The article is basically a call for non-Black people to thank us for paving the way for them in America, to apologize for their roles in perpetuating White supremacy not only against us but against their very own selves and self interests, and to start supporting Black people and organizations more instead of avoiding us. For years I had hoped that other people of color would one day wake up and "see the light" and finally recognize the truths of what those of us who've been here for generations before them already knew. And lo... Donald Trump comes along and stand before them with a big ass flashlight in his hand SHOWING them what's up. In Trump's America there are only 2 races.....White and "Other"....lol. Thank You President Trump!

Del Does anyone still think Donald Trump is a figure head? Or unimportant With the possible exception of Franklin D. Roosevelt, I think all of the past Presidents were basically figure heads or masks hiding the real faces of power. However I don't think Trump is unimportant. I think he and more importantly what he represents will play a crucial role in the future of this nation for the very reaons you mentioned above. He and what he represents could very well be the force that will unify so many different factions of this society that couldn't seem to come together before his administration. Just yesterday I was reading an article in the Huffington post about how non-Black people of color are finally starting to realize what time it is and how Black people were right all along...lol.

In view of that, he might've suspended marching for white acceptance and focused more on blacks coming together to love and respect each other Yeah. Infact he was starting to do THAT before he was killed. King wasn't a god, but his powers were clearly SUPERnatural.....true to it's definition.....in that his powers of influence and persuasion were above that of most natural human beings. Most leaders have a measure of charisma and influence over the people, which is how they became leaders in the first place. However people like Malcolm, Garvey, and King were not only exceptionally intelligent and socially shrewed, but also EXCEPTIONALLY CHARISMATIC. It's very important to undertand this fact because it's one of the key reasons I believe that had he still been living the problems that affect the Black community wouldn't have grown to nearly the extent that it has. He wouldn't have just stood by with a sour look on his face wringing his hands in helpless frustration like so many self-appointed Black leaders do today. In the 70s and probably all the way through the 80s he would have been so active in establishing economic and political gains for the Black community that the situation we see today would be non existant. The thing that would have made Dr King so effective is his unprecedented power and influence over wealthy, middle class, and well educated Black people. The base of most "Black leaders" are the poor and those on the street level, but King had most of the well to do "responsible" Black folk in his corner and this influence over them would have forged the economic and political institutions that would have sky rocketed Black progress. Ofcourse you'd still have SOME poverty and violence and division in the Black community as you had even 100 and 200 years ago, this exists in all human communities. But I seriously doubt that had he lived that things would have degenerated to this point.

Mel Are your comments based in facts, local observation and/or is it just how you feel personally? Actually, my comments were based on all 3. I personally know White women and a few Latina women who consider themselves strongly pro women's rights, but still have very domineering conservative husbands who have so much control over them that they wouldn't "permit" them to even attend a march like this. They are only pro-woman verbally. In a "cutesy" sort of way like a little girl in pink stockings and a Hello Kitty backpack poking a little fist in the air shouting "girl power". It looks and sounds cute but pretty much ineffective in eliminating true sexism and inequality. I'm glad women around the world stood up to make their voices and concerns heard, however I don't think marching and protesting ALONE will change things to any meaningful extent. Sexism and the devaluation of women is ingrained in Western culture and unless most of these women are ready to totally abandon Western civilization and build a new one......they're not going to get what they want. If they want true change they should do like the sisters did in the movie Chiraq and threaten to withhold sex from the men in their lives until all of the structural sexism in society's various institutions are eliminated. That would be far more effective than marching.....lol. 　 Also, here's the mission and vision of the Women's March - here's the link . The overarching goal is to upend the more than 5,000 years of patriarchal rule and return our culture to the egalitarian culture it once was. I believe that time is coming very soon but again it can't be solidly established within the framework of Western civilization as so many women in the West would like to achieve it. Just like many Black and Brown people are so in love with the amenities of modern Western society that they'll tolerate the racism in it, many women are so in love with the amenities of modern Western society that they'd put up with some degree of sexism rather than delve into the unknown in hopes of establishing a new society.

Lol......damn.

Troy I agree, this nation isn't better off today than 8 years ago. And Black America is certainly in worse financial shape today than 8 years ago. The financial crisis of 2008 really hit Black America hard and a lot of people lost their homes and other real estate from that bubble bursting. All Obama did was just slow down the ball George W. had already got rolling. He didn't even stop it let alone reverse it. Perhaps out country is indeed broken right now. But you know what? Just like it's better to have a broken family where the parents are separate than for a woman to continue living with an abusive husband who beats her every night.... Perhaps it's better for a nation to be broken and divided than for them to be united under an oppressive regime of terror.

It will, however, help galvanize people in such a way that they thwart anything bad Trump might do and prevent this shit from happening again. They tried that same strategy 16 years ago with George W. Bush. All the protests in the world didn't stop him from carrying out his agenda, especially when it came to Iraq.

What would Dr King think about these issues? This question is posed as if the Right Reverend Doctor would have been just some passive observer not actively involved in solving the problems of the Black community. Martin was a TRUE activist in the sense that he actually took action himself as well as effectively mobilized others to take action to address the injustices he saw in society. My sense is, if he were alive today that question would be a classical moot point because I doubt that many of the problems listed would even exist or atleast not be AS SERIOUS as they are for him to worry himself with.....because he would have addressed most of them in their infancy stage before they had progressed. He would have mobilized the Black community to nip them in the bud, so to speak.

I like the fact that women are standing united against Trump's sexism and misogynism but what good is it to hold a march against it then turn right around and go home and sleep with the same type of man you're marching against. Most of the White women out there marching have White boyfriends and husbands who hold the same views the Donald Trump holds...and many Black and many if not most Latina women do also. This has been the problem with the feminist (not womanist) movement for decades. Preaching against sexism while endorsing it through their behavior. American women....especially White American women...more so than women of any other industrialized nation has done more to reverse the social and even financial gains women have made in Western civilization because of the desire to return to old fashioned "family values". Sexism and misogynism is ingrained in the very fabric of Western civilization.

I don't believe Hollywood is THAT liberal. It's ran by rich, powerful, egotistical White people (regardless of their religious affiliation). Most of the negative racial stereotypes that saturate this society is fueled by Hollywood. Infact, I think we need to establish clearly what it means to be a "liberal" I'm seeing too many wealthy, snobbish, people with elitest mentalities who are just as closed minded and almost as racist as any redneck except for their one or two little nitches of concern like being pro-environment, or the right for a woman to have an abortion being thrown into the "liberal" category . Liberal used to mean being open minded and believing in fairness to women and Black people. Now any fool who smokes weed on a consistent basis is considered a leftist. Things have gotten so confusing and convoluted in this nation that entire neighborhoods of poor and working class people....if it's mostly White....are identifying themselves as "conservative" when they have absolutely nothing in common with the rich businessmen who operate through the Republican Party. Meanwhile most wealthy suburbs are full of White people who are vegan, do yoga, and are environmentally conscience and call themselves "liberal" but STILL hold to traditional values like marriage, stay-at-home parenting, and even have negative views about Black people and really don't want them living next door to them. Really........ Take a stroll through your average Whole Foods store and most of the people who shop there will be labled as "liberal" even though most tend to be wealthy, snobbish, and not fond of Black people. I think we should either have clear definition of what liberalism is so that it can't keep switching around and getting convoluted generation after generation. And don't get me started on the term "Progressive"........ If people want to see a REAL Progressive in action, they should study the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Not these elitist snobs in suits and ties who are just as conservative as their Republican counterpart but may not be quite as ruthless.

The murder rates in Chicago and other major cities were going DOWN until the media began hyping it up and broadcasting the homicides and shooting incidents for every single weekend....then it began to rise again. The same thing happened in Los Angeles a generation ago. Gangs were more of a Latino thing than a Black one until Hollywood and the music industry started putting a Black face on gang life in L.A.....then the youth started imitating it. Don't look for the government as a whole to do anything to stop this. There are racists at all levels of goverment from local to federal who WANT this to happen because it helps justify their beliefs. On top of that, police, lawyers, and private prisons are literally "making a killing" over the violence that goes on in urban areas so it's in their financial interests to keep the madness going. I've said it before and I'll say it again........ The only time this will stop is when RIGHTEOUS BLACK MEN decide collectively to put and end to it by marching into these neighborhoods and doing what needs to be done.

"Now" in their grips????? Lol...since when has the United States NOT been in the hands of greedy White men who sought to maintain and dominance? As Troy pointed out, Black people have seen this and worse since the founding of this nation. The worse Trump can do is just take the mask off what has been going on for centuries and make that which was covert for a while more overt again. Which probably wouldn't be such a bad thing since so many people don't even believe let alone understand what really goes on unless it's presented to them in a literal and quite graphic manner. Often times through direct experience. The average Trump voter..... You can talk to them until you're blue in the face and still not convince them they're making a mistake. But which their medical coverage is dropped.....they'll understand their mistake clearly and QUICKLY. When that social security check is cut off an that pension is snatched.....then they'll get the picture. But to answer your question directly.....I'm not sure. I just know this is my nation and I don't know of any other I can go running to. But no presidential election is ever a "fluke". I sincerely believe that every President who gets in office was chosen well in advance of the "election" by the REAL powers for that position.

Troy I posted these questions to Xeon LAST YEAR and he STILL hasn't responded.....lol. I've used the term Negro myself from time to time as well as the word "nigga" too. But it's not so much about whether or not I like the term, my focus is on his intent for using it and why he chose THAT term as opposed to "Black" or "African American" or "AfroAmerican". As I pointed out, Asians used to be refered to as "orientals" and "Chinamen" yet I don't recall Xeon ever using those old outdated terms for them. But I recon you and I can only speculate as to why he favors this term "negro" since he seems incapable.....for the moment...of telling us why himself.