Scroll Down and Click on Love

This morning, I was scrolling the different stories on Facebook and Twitter and just as the title says, I saw the good, the bad, and the ugly. Don't worry, I won't get into Clint Eastwood and his past antics, but the title fits. Anyway,  to no surprise, most of the post were about the presidential race and many were about Donald Trump and his latest comments. As I began to look at the different post, I was also led to other Facebook users who were not "friends." I went to their pages that were based in places like North Carolina, Virginia, and other parts of the south. Many of them had anti-Obama post and other post promoting "Southern Pride" replete with images surrounding the Confederate flag and the "southern way of life."

On the other hand, I went to pages that were anti-Trump. These pages either expressed wanting to do physical harm to Trump and his supporters or post making fun of the presidential candidate. There were other post making fun of southern whites - showing them toothless and smiling about their next president, Donald Trump who "don't use all them fancy words." Honestly, It all left me puzzled.

Then, there are people like me - an American citizen but just looking at all of this and shaking my head in despair. Since all of this mess began, I haven't been writing any post endorsing a candidate, and I have no desire to make fun of the other side. I certainly do not wish to physically harm anyone. Up until this post, I've been mostly silent and to tell the truth, I'll remain mostly silent because I don't know what to say.

I mean, what can I say to make sense of all this negativity? All I know for sure is that this negativity has always been around. It was always there settled like sludge at the bottom of this big so called melting pot. The events over the past few years along with the current presidential election has stirred up this nasty stew. But, I have not completely lost hope. We will just have to continue pressing forward. The solution? The solution is simple. In the end, all this stew needs is a little seasoning and plenty of love. YES - LOVE. Pray for this country. ~Peace

Fear and the Robeson Riots of 1949

On August 27, 1949, Paul Robeson's scheduled singing appearance at the Lakeland picnic grounds in Westchester County, NY was disrupted by a riot instigated and provoked by whites angry at Robeson's link to Communist Russia.

It is the same mental malady that has plagued many Americans since the first settlers -- Fear. There was the fear of black people, the fear of Russian Communism, the fear Arabs, the fear of illegal aliens, the fear of... well, you get it. Unfortunately, much of this fear is based on prejudice, assumption, and hearsay.

It's always good for Americans or any nation to protest and take to the streets on issues important to them. However, this civic right and passion should never result in riot or physical harm to others. It should never be, for example, the shouting matches that we are seeing now in Town Hall meetings concerning President Obama's Health Care Reform. It should always be reasonable dialogue that is even toned and productive in its objective and goals. Is this possible? I don't know, but this is something that I will continue to promote and strive for. Peace~

Well, do you want to know more about the Robeson Riots? Click here...

Poem: Confession Of A Mannish-Boy

When we first met
I looked into her eyes
I saw her smile
We held each other’s hand
We laughed and we talked
I told her that she was beautiful
I invited her out to dinner
We had drinks at my place
We kissed and we touched
We had passionate sex
She told me that she loved me
I knew that it wouldn’t last
When we first met