We really are. I listened to man who called into our local radio station. He had just completed a 20-year stint in jail. And complained that the "we" in our community has turned to "I". And he is right. That's just happening in Rochester, New York. It's happening in other communities.
We are complaining about the recession and how "tough" things are these days. Our ancestors had it tougher than we did. They had to fight for the right to vote, the right to read, the right for an equal education, the right to live in non-segregated communities. I could go.
Now, we have all these rights and what are doing with them? Literally nothing. A lot of African-Americans came out in "record numbers" and cast their votes for the first time when now President Barack Obama ran for the highest office in the land.
We, as a people, don't value education. Younger generations don't understand why dressing for success is important. Pants falling off your butt won't get you to Wall Street. Ebonics-like speech won't help you become a doctor and don't get me started on bling. Somehow, we have to get back to basics. Open a book, learn your history, and how to count, learn how to spell, pronounce your words properly, know your math facts, and talk to people face to face. What you learn in your mind, no one can ever take from you.
The only people who should be complaining about tough things are those who survived Hurricane Katrina and the hurricanes in Haiti. Right now, they know their situation is temporary and are trying to rebuild their communities. We should be doing the same, but we aren't. What's it going to take for us to learn our lessons before history repeats itself. What will it take?
Posted By: Marsha Jones
Saturday, August 28th 2010 at 1:44PM
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