Pioneer1

Troy ((Pioneer turns towards Troy and raises up his right hand with the palm down for some dap )) Lol.....I'm telling you mayne! Me and my brother had similar experiences in school. The teachers taught the students that if someone were to hit you you were to tell the teacher because "violence wasn't the answer". But at home we are taught that if someone hit's you you hit them back or face an even worse punishment at home. But it wasn't that easy. Sometimes depending on who you were dealing with it was best not to fight back OR tell anyone. I went to about 5 different schools during my Elementary to Highschool days and every one of them had a handful of cats who were straight up ruthless. They carried knives and guns and unless you were just as ruthless or had a "crew" to back you up .....if they fucked with you you better look down and keep walking and hope they move on to somebody else, lol. The teachers and principles who were mostly White and mostly scared did very little to protect the students. I remember I was in the 5th grade and this one cat used to get picked on all the time. He was actually half-retarded and had no business in a class with normal students but they put him in anyway and he would get clowned on daily. Somebody must have told him to "stand up" for himself and when he did the boy he stood up to got his boys together and went into the class room and stomped him infront of the teacher who was hysterical and crying and ran.....not to the principles office...but OUT THE SCHOOL into the parking lot and into her car and she didn't come back except to collect her things. She quit teaching in that school, lol. I remember in the 7th grade some of the boys was bulling another and when one of the basketball coaches stepped in to protect him they were waiting on him with a Tech-9 outside in the parking lot and shoot it in the air and shot out his car windows. The only thing that happened was the one boy the coach saw holding the gun got suspended. I don't think these people who talk about "bullying" and the various methods to combat it understand how dangerous some places are and how limited the options are for some students. Only God knows the future, however if I had followed the advice of so-called "experts" in dealing with the bullies in my school I probably wouldn't be posting to you right now. You may or may not believe this but I think that some of it comes from the distrust of putting one's personal information on the internet. I rarely do any type of financial transactions online outside of buying plane/train tickets. I was thinking about taking some classes a few years ago and wanted to apply for some financial aid. When I found out I had to put my personal financial information including bank account info and amount ONLINE I got up from the admissions office and hadn't been back there since, lol. If you were meeting people face to face where they could dig in their pockets or purses and help support knowing they could walk away without providing any other kind of personal information besides an e-mail address you'd probably get a much higher response.

Well if I as an individual were asked how to prevent future tragedies like this..... For one, the FEDERAL government can stop acting like a big pussy in the face of some of these Conservative Republican state governors who are trying their best to push through and enact ultra-rightwing legislation like the "stand your ground" law that inspire the George Zimmermans of America. Why the Federal goverment even allows the states to enable such laws and stand back wringing their hands like they are helpless and why there is so much "back-n-forth" today over who has the power to overrule who is a bit confusing. As a kid in Social Studies class I was taught that Federal law ALWAYS trumps State law without a doubt. Another thing the Feds can do is actually go after the right wing neo-nazis and Klansmen who are stockpiling weapons and ammo like strawberry preserve. Some of these clowns even have TEVEVISION SHOWS on TLC and the Discovery Channel where they come on bragging about the amount of weapons they have blowing up trailers and demonstrating how much power they have! How in the hell in 2013 can a bunch of rednecks come on television and BRAG about what they have and what they will do if the "government" tries to take away thier guns without so much as a rumor of a Federal investigation? To put this problem on private citizens or the society at large is "passing the buck". Private citizens can only do so much without breaking the law themselves. This is a legislative issue that must be addressed by the appropriate officials who can actually do something about it legally.

An excellent example of one of the laws that need changing not only in Florida but in any other state that has this damnedable so-called "stand your ground" law that gives private citizens the right to use deadly force against eachother. Most people who really believes that they or their family's life is in jeapordy don't need a law to use violence or even deadly force to defend themselves. They're probably going to do it anyway as a natural reaction of survival. Laws like this....AND VERDICTS LIKE THIS....only legalize vigilantism and the profiling and killing of innocent people. Regardless of the reaction of the public, some people have actually gotten the message last night that they now have the right to pick fights and if they lose can actually kill the victim with no impunity.

Trayvon's father Tracy Martin............ Could be played actor Delroy Lindo...... DELROY LINDO

Although I understand and respect the position of some Black nationalists, many of them are no better than the White anarchists with that "A" with the circle around it running around demanding and end to this system.....but haven't came up with a better one to replace it. There must be a balance between blind-Patriotism in the face of a clearly racist/imperialist past (and present in some respects).....and the recognition that Black people seem to fair better in America than any other nation on this planet CURRENTLY. I think this balance is achieved by first acknowledging that WE as Black people belong in the United States more so than probably any other group besides the Native Americans. Most AfroAmericans are decendants of people who have been in this nation for centuries as opposed to Latinos and Asians who are 2 and 3 generation immigrants and even most Whites descended from Italian, Irish, and Polish immigrants a century ago. Our roots go much much deeper. Once you realize and recognize that this is OUR land and OUR nation you stop thinking like an outsider who has no say in which direction the nation goes and realize that not only do you have a right but a DUTY to chart the course of this nation! One of the reasons I chose to start a group called the Michigan POLICY and Commerce Think Tank (which is currently in a transition phase) was so that we as AfroAmericans can focus more on the policies and local ordinances that effect us and determin which ones we should keep and which ones should be changed to our success. We need to focus on establishing legislation that favor our community instead of constantly REACTING to laws that other people have created without our best interests in mind that most of our people have to struggle to first understand and IF they manage to jump over that hurdle....then try to adapt to them.

I don't think the older generation is to blame, but there were certain necessary values that I don't think were passed along. I don't like giving my exact age over public forums but I'm under 45 and don't consider myself part of the "older" generations of AfroAmericans who grew up during socio/legal segregation. I was blessed to come along during the transition but it allowed me to get a TASTE of how White people used to be as a warning of what society could return to if ever Black people lose what our fathers fought for. I grew up in a workingclass mostly Black neighborhood with a few well to do professionaly class Black families sprinkled within it. What I heard most from those in the generatoin before me, many of whom were in my own family was of the "disappointment" in the younger generations that got "everything". They said that one of their mistakes was trying to give their children and grandchildren material assets that THEY never had without giving them the proper values and instructions to go along with it. It's sad to go back to my old neighborhood where most of the families were "home owners" (I put home owners in quotes because most of them were mortgaged and as far as I'm concerned you don't own your home until the mortgage is paid off) and now most of thier children have lost the homes or had to sell them because they couldn't keep them up. Many had thier homes "confiscated" through legal proceedings because of illegal activities operating out of the buildings. I think one of the main values that weren't passed along was that as long as we remain in a White controled society Black people must work/study atleast TWICE AS HARD as Whites to succeed or get the same recognition for thier accomplishments. Asians seem to understand this and are making sure their succeeding generations do also.

If you want to entertain conspiracies............. Just like there are some who believe that some state governments raise speed limits knowing that it would lead to more traffic acccidents and injuries to fuel the medical industry- I've heard some people say that all this "texting" was PURPOSELY designed to detroy the attention of much of the public to not only lead to more accidents and injuries to fuel the medical industry but also to make the people more socially inept and akward. Whether these conspiracies are actually true or not, it's clear that human beings are "social creatures" and corporate executives are taking advantage of this well known fact to the fullest. Where as a generation ago, most people who were unemployed or at low wage jobs KNEW BETTER than to sign contracts to make monthly payments for a phone with all types of shit on it they really don't need......now if they don't have the latest I-pod, smart phone, or texting app they feel "left out" or backwards. They're addicted to constant communication and mental stimulation! They can't stand to be alone with their own thoughts and focus on self development. Now imagine if something were to happen where all of this collapsed and they had to go back to READING and TALKING to strangers! Some of them would melt down into panic attacks or become suicidal at the social ineptness they would experience.

"Far right extremes of our community" ?????? I'm not sure if the author if this essay realizes that the far Right is ANTI-BLACK. There may be pro-Black extremists in our community but you wouldn't find them on far Right of the political spectrum but somewhere towards the end of the Left right next to the Communists, lol. Other than that, I agree with much of what the author has said. I think as Americans who are enjoying the rights and benefits that comes with being a citizen of this nation...we have an obligation to pay a certain amount of homage to it. Although I've heard some argue that if the British had maintained control of the colonies, Black people would have been freed a lot sooner. Having visited England before, I believe if America was STILL under the control of or atleast were in the Common Wealth with the United Kingdom.....the conditions of Black people in America would probably be better off. England like much of Western Europe is much more socialist in the way they distribute jobs, education, and other social opportunities.

Cynique Most of the youth who have the "I don't give a fuck" attitude it takes to actually do something are ALREADY engaging mayhem (against their own communities) on a daily basis and don't need a not-guilty verdict in the Zimmerman trial to prime them into action. Most of the youth who have enough sense to be outraged are generally the conciencious law abiding time who just want to finish thier education and make good in life, lol. They are hardly going to go out throwing bricks through windows or cussing at the police.

I've thought the same thing about Gabourey playing Rachel if a movie about Trayvon was made, lol. You know what................ I have so much confidence in what you have predicted that I suggest you make these points a "sticky" and post them in a thread at the head of one of the forums so that as the situation progresses we can see which ones you were spot on with! The way things move today.......I'd say a year or 2 will be sufficient time to see how much of what you said comes true from public reaction, to the civil lawsuit, to the movie.

There WAS a Border's books not too far from where I live that I used to frequent. It was a 2 story building that took up the whole block and had a patio on the upper floor outside where people could sit, read, eat, chat, and even smoke. When I had the time I used to love going there with a good book and smoke a cigar and have a cup of coffee often engaging in powerful conversations that only coffee and fresh air can stimulate. I even met a few women there.....lol....that was the pick-up spot. Like many things in this world, it had to come to an end. Borders went bankrupt and it closed down. Looks like Barnes and Noble might be headed in that same direction. I really missed that place. Not just because of the books and wealth of knowledge, but because unlike Starbucks where you come and generally only talk to the people you walked in with, it was a place where READERS and people who wanted intellectual/social stimulation without the stupid immaturity of a bar or nightclub could come and interact. ((Pioneer folds his arms, looks down, and shakes his head in disappointment)) I think this "E"-conomy isn't just ruining the economic market but I really think it's destroying the social fabric of society because helping to make an environment where people don't know how to even socially interact with eachother anymore. It seems as if "they" want a fat, lazy, stupid populous. "Don't you think, or try to connect the dots.....let US take care of everything." "You just put in your little time at work, go home and eat some ribs, or to a bar and get drunk, then crawl your ass to bed so you can be rested to do it all over again tomorrow."

If Zimmerman goes free....... Yes, it would be a tragic injustice. But if you look at the utter MADNESS in urban areas all over this nation and how so many Black people are slaughtering eachother on a weekly basis and the killers often times not only go free but aren't even apprehended. Do you mean to tell me that THIS case is going to be the pinnacle for Black justice in America? Are you telling me everything rides or dies on THIS case? Michael Jackson said, "Shumm on......" you gotta be kidding. We need to get our priorities together. And what if he DID get off scott free.....then what? Police and racists have BEEN shooting and killing dozens of Black men and women even since Trayvon's death and outside of a few rallies led by older Civil Rights leaders like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.....there hasn't been much of a reaction from Black people collectively. So the question is even if Zimmerman goes free.....what would the consequences be? Fat negro girls and sissified negro boys will still be hanging out at the malls or on the street corners yapping on their cell phones grinning and calling eachother "nigga" and "bitch" shamelessly not giving a damn who's hearing or seeing them. Maybe if Trayvon were a Hispanic and Zimmerman got off, maybe there would be some unrest. But many of the Black youth today are too fat, lazy, and stupid to pose a threat to anyone but themselves.

Ah hem..... Did someone ask for ME? I doubt if you'd even get that argument from most smart people (which is probably why you put "smart" it in quotes) , because most people with good judgment will readily see that Carson is not ready for the political major leagues. Oh Carson may be very smart.....probably even smarter than Obama from a strictly intellectual standpoint or a contest between who can store the most knowledge in their heads. Med-school is much harder than Law school and if you want to be a doctor you usually have to start preparing yourself as early as highschool. Any 4 year degree will get you into most Law Schools. But Mr Carson doesn't have "it". He doesn't have the charisma Obama has to make people like and support him unconditionally. He doesn't even have the charm to be an effective politician let alone President of the United States. He's too "dull" and soft spoken in speech. He doesn't even know how to properly use body language. Look at videos of his speeches and lectures and how the audience reacts to him. Although you see a lot of heads nodding in agreement the only time he recieves applause is at the beginning and ending of his presentation. He doesn't have what it takes....what is absolutely NECESSARY to draw out and arouse strong emotion out of people in order to stir to action.....or atleast to the voting booth. -and that's CHARISMA.

{1 WEEK LATER} ((Pioneer is back in Troy's crib sitting on the couch with his shoes off eating a sandwich and drinking a gingerale)) Troy You know...... I was looking forward to more videos from Legaci But after you started telling her about your big butt and glasses -LOL- she took off and we haven't heard from our sister since!! Now..... I know this is your house, but.......lol. The next time a fine brown sista shows up at the door smiling and talking sweet..... Let ME do the talking first, LOL. Sounds like a plan?????

Troy I'm not going to beat up on the girl. But anytime you have to look up and "think" about what your name is............... No a guilty verdict certainly won't bring our young brother back, but perhaps it will actually save MORE lives in the form of an effective DETERRENCE. Perhaps it will make some fool who thinks he's Charles Bronson from Death Wish think twice...think real hard...before pulling a heater anyone who might play their music a little loud or walk down the street with their hat on backwards. Perhaps it may even force the State of Florida along with other states in the Union to re-consider that bogus "stand your ground" garbage that gives private untrained citizens the right to do something that even the POLICE themselves don't have the right to do......use deadly force on mere suspicion.

After taking time to watch (or rather listen to) the author in full, I must say it's refreshing to hear someone articulate some of what I've been warning about for years. Despite his sloppy appearance, he seem to look quite younger than his 50 plus years. Did anyone catch him mentioning how him and his friends would go to Black neighborhoods to monitor the youth and get "cool" ideas to make money off of? I remember hearing something similar from Sally Jesse Raphael. She said that her and her friends used to go Uptown (I'm assuming either Harlem or Washington Heights rather than Riverdale) to see what the young people were wearing so they'd know what would be trending in the future. See, you have to watch shit like that and pay attention to it or it'll go right over your head. Artists be they musicians or designers routinely steal their "creative ideas" from AfroAmericans and get paid from it!

I admit, I know very little about official military strategy but...... Why does America invade nations only to re-arm them and re-build their military? Can anyone answer that question?

Listen gal...... Cynique Michael Evans from Good Times said: "BOY" is a WHITE RACIST WORD.

Interesting story.............. I remember when I was 19 I was working in a shopping mall and there was a woman of about 45 who also worked there that I had a huge crush on. She was very professional and educated, and very serious but she was still nice and social when she wanted to be. Now I saw older men of about 40 and 50 flirting with her and she'd smile back at them But when I ATTEMPTED to flirt with her she'd stop me and "put me in my place" with various remarks that let me know that a boy my age had no business talking to her like that. Well.......... Usualy I took her shit and moved on, but for some reason one day I was irritated about something at work unrelated. I flirted with her as usual and said something to the effect of "that a girl". She spent around and looked at me sharply in a way only a Black woman can and said, "Excuse you????" I said something like, "You heard me, you fit the profile of a girl to me....unless you want to pull up that skirt and prove me wrong" I'm not sure if those were my exact words but there were similar, I know I asked her to pull up her skirt if she didn't like what I said. Now for a split second all types of thoughts rushed through like will she report me, will I get fired, will she hit me, will we get into a cussing match. She looked at me for a minute, walked up to me said, "Sheeeeit, I ain't never been THAT easy" and lightly pushed me out of the way as she walked past smiling and finished her business in the store. I didn't expect THAT reaction! I got scared and stopped flirting with her LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! But from then on when she came around she'd look over at me with a slight smile and a twinkle in her eye. I'd smile back or wave but I couldn't bring myself to flirt with her again because she gave me a reaction I didn't expect and I wasn't sure where to take it from there. All that time I had been hearing that old saying "be careful what you wish for....you might get it", but didn't understand what that meant until then.

Admin ((shruggs shoulders)) If Jeantel was White OR Black.....if she were good looking and articulate there would probably be more POSITIVE things to say about her than negative. And that's just human nature, you can't change it. Well, if you go to court to fight a traffic ticket with a t-shirt on that says, "F*ck the System"..... That SHOULDN'T hurt your case either, lol. But we all know that justice isn't blind...and neither are most judges. Human beings tend to be very bias and easily swayed by appearance and words and how well someone presents thier case, which is why most people hire LAWYERS instead of trying to represent themselves. We also know that defendants who go to court in a suit and tie are exonerated at a much higher rate than those who show up in thier county jail jumpsuit or even in their typical "street" clothes. Which is why Zimmerman is wearing a suit! Because Rachel stands in the position of being Trayvon's "friend" and because society has been taught that birds of a feather flock together....she is seen as an extention of Trayvon's character. Thus how she presents HERSELF has an effect on how Trayvon is seen in the eyes of the jury and the public at large. If she is seen as stupid, thuggish, low quality, ect.....then they will have less sympathy for her or her friend Trayvon and Zimmerman's actions will seem more "justified".

I don't think there is any shame in making sure YOU are safe before you go running to someone else's rescue. An old acquaintance of mind was recently killed at a nighclub after coming to the assistance of a woman who was allegedly being assaulted by a man. He stepped in to defend the woman and help usher the man out and later that night he came back shooting. Like so many homicides in Detroit and other urban areas of our nation, no arrest was made in the incident. Now the brother is dead. The woman is nowhere to be found....probably still frequenting other nightclubs. And the shooter is probably somewhere chilling looking for his next stunt to pull. In this society, "chivalry" gets you nowhere. People don't appreciate heroes like they used to.

This is all the more reason why I've been saying for years we need to have a NEW Industrial Revolution in this nation. Too many people are going to college and coming out expecting a cushy job where they can sit on their ass and play with computers and cell phones instead of actually doing physical work that builds and produces.t The bubble has to burst at some point. What we see going on in the Western world today could be considered an ECONOMIC GENOCIDE of sorts. Just like tearing down the housing projects without building more affordable housing was a signal that instead of focusing on erasing POVERTY, they decided to focus on erasing THE POOR THEMSELVES. On the economic front....., Instead of producing enough decent jobs for the millions of low skill and unskilled who are already unemployed and the millions more on there way, hey have now decided to simply ignore them and forget about them all together. A lot of young Black professionals have foolishly bought into the hype many other young and less experienced professionals have bought into that if they work for free or or "bust thier ass" for peanuts that somehow one day the executives or "corporate" will recognize thier value. The older generation of Blacks failed to teach them the tricks and traps of the corporate world. The bottom line is the only thing that counts and they'll use anyone stupid enough to present themselves for free labor. Many young White professionals are catching on to this pimping game and are now suing many of thier former employers where they worked for free as interns. Maybe this is a good thing............. Truth be told, there are too many people "blogging" and using social media anyway. It's taking away too much valuable time and energy that could be used for the rebuilding of society. Maybe some of our youth will become so disenchanted with trying to make it in the artificial cyber world that they'll trade in their Docker pants for a pair of overalls, move to the country and learn how to farm and grow their own food.

Cynique I'm already "straight"...lol. Straight as an arrow, with no sugar in my tank. What do I need with a book that instructs women how to get rid of toxic men. Besides, we all know that "girl" is term of endearment in the Black community. Fact about it..... I don't know the age of the author but I have YET to meet a woman over 25 who has taken offense to being refered to as "girl", lol.

Let the girl make some money.....dang.

It seems that during the 60s and 70s a lot of the more ignorant of Black practices that came up out of slavery, sticking their tongues out when they laugh, and laughing with a "hee heeeeee" at the end. .....but then in the 90s some rappers from the South started resorting to old plantation type behavior to make thier music distinct from rap from other regions. Like refering to light skinned women as "red bones". Or using terms like "what yo name is gul??" or "who dat is??" This old slavery garbage started catching on again with many Black youth to the point now you hear 16 and 17 year olds who talk like they just stepped off a slave plantation. ((Pioneer leans over to catch Troy's conversation with Legaci and hears....)) ((Pioneer quickly leans back the other direction and grabs his cap and car keys)) Ok, well...I'm out out of here, lol. .....good night.