Juneteenth: 150 Years of Freedom

Today is Juneteenth.

It's time to remember on the tens of millions of our African ancestors who were kidnapped from their homeland and forced to be slaves in North and South America and the Caribbean.

We remember those who died on the ships during the long torturous voyage across the Middle passage.

We remember our ancestors who were stripped of their humanity and identity. Let us never forget the trials and tribulations they were forced to face.

We remember every crack of a whip, every lashing of flesh, all of the blood shed in the cruelty of slavery. 

We remember every man and woman who revolted or ran to freedom.

We remember the black men who fought and died in war to ensure that freedom would be a reality to their people.

Let's celebrate and walk in the freedom for which our people have bled and died! Let us use our freedom wisely, guard it carefully, and embrace it totally.

Let's continue to fight for justice and stand against injustices in the world! We must not let racism, hate, prejudice, nor bigotry have the last word.

Allow this Juneteenth to be a reminder of our tenacity, our ability to hold on to hope, and to our faith in God.

Let all African Americans continue to hope and work toward a better future while remembering and rejoicing over our triumphant heritage. We shall forever strive to newer heights through liberation and excellence.

Fellow Christians: America was Not Founded By Christians

Despite popular opinion, the United States was not founded upon Christian principles, rather it was founded on the principles of Deism and the rejection of theocracies (government controlled by religious leaders). Most of the "Founding Fathers" were Deists meaning they believed in the existence of God, but did not believe in a structure of organized religion, the power of prayer; the life, death, burial, and ressurection of Jesus Christ; that the Bible was divinely inspired; or miracles. Deism is talked about thoroughly in the book 'The Age of Reason' by Thomas Paine who is also called the Father of the American Revolution.
Thomas Jefferson, who was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, was a deist.  When He wrote the D.O.I., Jefferson was sure not to include any references to any religious dogma; He wrote about the "wall of separation between the church and state"; Jefferson did not believe in the Divine Nature of Jesus Christ, but was fond of the Bible's teachings about morality. He cut and pasted from the New Testament scriptures dealing with morals and but left anything and everything else that dealt with miracles and the Divine Nature of Jesus Christ.
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So I wrote this to say, as Christians, we have to understand where our help comes from. It doesn't come from a Republican... it doesn't come from a Democrat. In fact, it doesn't come from anything in politics! Your help comes from the Lord! The Lord who MADE Heaven and Earth!

Don't get drawn into these political arguments believing that being on a certain side is more "holier" than the other. The fact is, when the American government was set up, they denied Jesus Christ as the Messiah. And the way the political process and economy has been established in the USA, has and will always deny Jesus Christ as long as it is identified as Capitalist Democracy.

 
Yes, we should be involved with the political process. Yes, we should be aware of social issues in our own communities and the world around us. Yes, we should fight against injustice by using the political system and discourse. Because we are citizens of this nation. But we must remember our first allegience is to God in Jesus Christ and the commandment that we love one another as He loved us.
 

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35(NIV)

So be informed of the issues on the ballot (local, state, federal); start dissecting these campaign ads;  get to know the people who are running; because everyone that proclaims to believe in God... is not a Christian. And you will know if they are a Christian not by the issues they support  or do not support, but by the people they have encountered and touched.

Trayvon Martin had to Stand His Ground to Fight for His Life

Trayvon Martin used "Stand Your Ground" Properly; George Zimmerman uses it as an excuse for his negligence, disobedience to the law, and self righteous vigilante attitude. 

The medical report still does not give reason as to why Trayvon felt he needed to get physical with Zimmerman. IMO Trayvon was approached by Zimmerman in an intimidating manner, Trayvon saw the gun but didn't see a badge or a uniform, and immediately feared for his life. I really do believe Zimmerman tried to do some type of "citizen's arrest" and did not expect Trayvon to fight back because he had convinced himself that he was going to "save the day". Trayvon was fighting and beating that man to survive.

It's not "Stand Your Ground" if you are stalking the victim, it's not "Stand Your Ground" if you approach the victim and question them, it's not "Stand Your Ground" if the victim is defending themselves from you; It's not "Stand Your Ground" if you realize on your back on the ground that you made a decision to not follow the directions of the law and that you might die for doing so, that's not "Stand Your Ground". 

And many of you will use the excuse that the pictures being shown of Trayvon are from when he was 12 and 13. Even so, Trayvon was still a child. He was not astronomically muscular or 7 feet tall as some of you want to put him. (I won't even touch that right now.) Anyone who has ever feared for their life or the life of someone else knows that something inside you rises to do things that are normally above human measure.

Those of you who want to defend Zimmerman and say that he was right to shoot Trayvon. I want you to put your own child or a child that you love in Trayvon's shoes and think if they were in the same situation, from the things you taught them about strangers that approach them, what would you want them to do... Fight back or let the strange person lead them away.

Don't use the law as an excuse for your elitist attitude and "super hero" psychosis. Zimmerman put his self in a situation that he didn't have to be in if he had just listened to law enforcement. If "Stand Your Ground" means you don't have to listen to officials of the goverenment or follow laws in general, then yes, let the anarchy begin in Florida. If "Stand Your Ground" means that I can shoot and kill anyone just because I feel uncomfortable about their presence in my neighborhood,  then yes, let the lynchings begin, again, in Florida.
But if "Stand Your Ground" was meant to protect victims from perpetrators, then Trayvon had every right to use this law in his defense. Trayvon was being followed, he was approached, and he feared for his life. So he had to Stand His Ground.

Endure Til the End (Freestyle Poem)

It's 2:41 am right now. And I'm thinking.

Thinking about the world. Thinking about America. Thinking about the people. My people. Black people.

Why should "they" care about "us"?
Do "we" even care enough about "us"? 

Will we continue the fight?

Arrested. Charged. Not yet convicted.

Justice has not yet been served... yet I hear a lesser roar from the crowds.
I don't feel that  heat, that electricity that we were pumping through the circuits of America just a week ago...

What happened?
Have we been "appeased"?
Have our protests been "justified" now and we can all go back home to sit on our couches to wait?
Or will we continue to stand...

Stand for Trayvon. Stand with the South Side of Chicago. Stand with Black Boys and Black Men. Stand with Black Girls and Black Women.

Will we keep our Black fists balled tight and feet planted on the ground...

What shall we do?

No Justice. No Peace.

No peace without justice.

I wonder. I hope.

We can... We will...

Endure.