Tag Archives: Racism

Poetry

I Can’t Breathe

I can’t breathe

And I haven’t been breathing for years

I’m too choked up on tears

Or was it actually fears?

I can’t breathe

Garner couldn’t gather his breath in 2014

It was that cops job to suffocate on scene

He was protecting and serving like a heartless machine

I can’t breathe

Neither can Breonna Taylor after a misplaced raid

For innocently resting after EMT work a price was paid

Shot 8 times causing her light to fade

I can’t fucking breath

Ultimate action for non violent crimes

Cops choked out George Floyd as he lay their confined

Joining the pantheon of those murdered in these times

I can’t breathe

When it’s okay to kneel on black America’s neck

But lord willing we must keep Kapernick’s knee in check!

How dare he stand for equal respect

I can’t breath

Because I’ve lost count of the cases

So many situations so many places

Just to breath while black sours their faces

I can’t breathe

Because I was sentenced at birth

My melanin determined my worth

Just who are you to judge me on Earth?

I can’t breathe

because I have to teach my son to hold his tongue and hold his breath

One wrong word could mean his death

But even when he complies his life could be stolen by racist theft

I can’t breathe

Because black America doesn’t know whether to vote or fight

Either could. cause execution on sight

But am I supposed to live in fright?

I can’t breath

The hands of racism threaten my life

Where their could be unity they cause only strife

This is the reality of the black man, always under the knife

I can’t breathe

-Poetic Ice

the spoken word form of this can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpwQdzihmw4

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world observations

Politics in America: Desensitized yet Overly Sensitive

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For the past ten years of my life I’ve been paying attention to American politics and the response people have to the people in positions of power. It started when my mentor at my college, Senator Maggie Glover, took me under her wing and started to guide to academic greatness. Through her she ensured that as many of her students as possible had the chance to meet Senator Barack Obama as he was touring and gathering support for his first election. It was awesome to meet someone who made history. At the same time he turned this nation on it’s head in disbelief. From that point on I really started to take note of peoples behaviors and words.

After Obama’s election I had a few teachers, at an HBCU, Not show up to work for a few days. These teachers advocated for the opposition. I was young, but I was never naive enough to think that it was just because they were republican born and bred. They were opposed to an African American being in the greatest seat of power in this nation. Since they needed a job, they danced around how they spoke about him, eventually choosing to not speak about him at all. When you locked eyes with him though you could still see the rage and disgust though.

Fast forward to 2018 and the world has literally gone to shit as some would say. This is because people have become Desensitized yet overly sensitive about civil, moral, and political subject matter. It seems the art of debate has been lost, and the act of having screaming matches has taken over.

Desensitization 

The Desensitization has come about in my opinion due to the explosion of social media. Now everyone and their mother can rant and rave about what they don’t like and find thousands of followers who believe the same. Social media has done wonders for giving the masses a voice and a platform to SCREAM OUT LOUD about how they feel. Now we have entire Facebook and Twitter pages dedicated to opinions, whether they be laced with facts or not.

Now this platform has been turned volatile at this point, and it gets worse because every single day an act of violence, murder, hate crime, racism, prejudice, etc gets shared on there multiple times. After seeing that much pain, suffering, and just immoral behavior constantly the masses get desensitized to it. It is almost expected now every time one logs into their social media accounts.

That is a little broad so lets dig a bit deeper. Now the members of a race/ethnicity/sexual preference will be constantly shown negative acts towards them and subconscious accept that this is their world. On the other side of that people see that happen all the time and accept that it is happening to them constantly so it must be their fault, since they aren’t like me. Surely, they have done something to deserve this. Now this breeds a culture of people who just don’t care when injustice happens. We just keep on scrolling. (I don’t mean all people are like this, but we are starting to see more and more people who are.) 

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Overly Sensitive 

This is a category of people we all know too well. Its the people who instantly take whatever you post about and tell you that your are wrong for posting it or hurting their feelings for it. Every act the world does is an act against them. Have you noticed that they only feel this way if their beliefs are infringed upon though? They become charged if what they view as right is spoken ill of.  Now lets take into account what I said earlier about being desensitized to certain things they see, and it gives you the full scope of the people we have to deal with on the regular.

These people won’t bat an eye at something that doesn’t directly pertain to them or mock the values that they hold dear. The moment you say anything to them, or just post something on social media that goes against what they believe they will cry out as a victim and retaliate. In recent times, we all can agree that most of these fires are started when peoples political, racial, or civil rights views are in question. People fight for their political parties all the time. We all it bickering, they call it congress. At the same time people will always stand and fight for Racial equality, but the other side of the coin is people fighting for racial injustice. You’re naive if you don’t see that.

Its just taxing as hell to deal with in our daily lives. On a personal level its hard to walk around with all my views and passions and have to keep them bottled up because I have to be strong, or I don’t want the atmosphere around me to be charged. I have to keep my mouth shut so I’m not stereotyped as the Angry Black Man, or the Woke Negro. I don’t claim to be either, I’m just aware of the world around me. After a while I will break and say something openly about how I feel on a situation. Once I do it will be backed with facts and said in a none aggressive way, but even that is seen as an attack and a battle will erupt. That is the part that kills me, that’s why I’m writing this now. Politics and other things have turned Americans into Desensitized yet overly sensitive beings of emotions. Those emotions are usually rage served up with a sizable dose of judgment.

I honestly don’t know if anything can be done for us as a nation. We’re encouraged to have opinions, but apparently it better be the “Right” opinion or you’ll be condemned for it. I have to walk around devoid of most emotions, play the part of the smile with sarcasm just to cope with the world. With the way that the world is set up if I do much more than that I’m frowned upon and told that I’m a problem. But am I really? Or is what I have to say just different from what you believe, so you’re lashing out at me? Think on that…

-Poetic Ice

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Poetry

In this Land

I live in a land that boasts its Christian values Values it didn’t create, but did twist to its own whim and will

This is a place that hosts a multitude of races

Yet it’s natives are the minority’s with ever smaller growing territory,

I’m sorry family,

This land is filled with the descendants of immigrants

But it’s current leaders wish to expunge them like their parasites/

In this land those with melanin have less rights than a fetus conceived through rape/

It’s become harder to feed our kids than it is to Vape/

Our land is the land of the free

Unless you’re talking of speech, expression or religion/

Oh this land is so unique 

This is the place where email location is more important than experience doing a job/

Our flag proudly waves Red, White, (Black) and Blue/

Especially if you let our cops use a baton or two/

This is the land for you and me!

Wait that’s only if you don’t want skittles and tea/

But you should serious come to this land

Where even today there are systems I. Place to make you feel more beast than man/

All of us no matter the color suffer the same fates/

We’re citizens of these Great United States.
-Poetic Ice

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Poetry

Dusting off…

It’s been a while since I picked up a penA long time since I used ink to sin

It’s time I stood up and fought

With the ultimate power, thought 

Or should I saw the power of knowledge 

Knowledge isn’t solely obtained in a college/

Sometimes a higher IQ belongs to a dealer in the street/

We’ve reached a time where the minds need to meet/

The scholar and the thug must join

A political tyrant threatens our education health and coin/

We need unity against the mental illness of racism/

Heroes to stand against fascism 

Warriors to defeat political bigotry

So our country can reclaim its dignity

It’s time to fight together against what they have in store/

For the betterment of our humanity, we go to war!
But only as a unified force will we succeed in bettering our land. Then and ONLY then will it be Great again.
Poetic Ice

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world observations

Happy 4th of July!!!

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Happy 4th of July everyone!!!

I know that America has been kind of crazy this year. Everyone is either combating equality, police brutality, hate crimes, racism, or even a rise in shark attacks right now Everyone has had something to say about homosexuality, confederate flags, and innocent people being slain while attending church. Churches have burned down quietly without media attention and said media focus on stars becoming pregnant or becoming women.

Instead of all this psychosis and hatred can’t we just remember that in 1776 a brave group of Americans decided to declare independence? Hence forth Americans have fought to obtain and maintain equality for it’s citizens. We’re all citizens that benefit from all that fighting and sacrifice yet all we can do is focus on how we don’t believe in something or think something is wrong thus we hate it and protest it. Some let their hate drive their hearts to violence. Others get driven to suicide. Why does this have to happen when all the sacrifices since 1776 made it so they didn’t and shouldn’t?

We’ve become an entitled society of spoiled brats who think things have to go our way or no way at all. We think violence and hateful rhetoric will sway all to our side when we think the “opposition”  is gaining too much ground. That’s not the case. Its an American Instinct to rise up and fight against that violence and hateful rhetoric until equality is restored. Hence the declaration of independence back in 1776.

So starting today, can we go back to being Americans again? standing side by side hand in hand against the world and not each other. Can we just celebrate Independence day together as we should and not worry about a person’s sexuality, race, religion, or any flag other than the Star Spangled Banner? I am, life is easier when you look at the masses as brethren and not opposition.

Happy Independence Day!!!

-Poetic Ice

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Poetry

Gift of Love

There is no time like now/
The present to present our presence/
A presence of love and Yule tide cheer/
Where none of us live in fear/
We all embrace our fellow man/
Not bolster a nationality or skin tan/
Accept one and all as human/
Knowing we are flawed, we are men/
Just beings in search of love/
A quest ordained from those above/
The time is now people, join this happy holiday/
Spread not hate, but love each and every way/
Seek not the need for violent acts/
None are justified, and that’s just facts/
Give the gift of love, that would be nice/
It’s free of charge, filling, and melts the ice/
The ice around a malice filled heart/
It may not fix the world, but it’s a good start.

Love one another people, happy holidays

Poetic ice

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world observations

Flag On The Play

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I live in the south eastern part of the United States of America. That pretty much means my food is preferred fried, Grits applies to breakfast and women (Girls Raised In The South), and Friday night Football is second only to religion. With that said that would make the coaches the spiritual leaders of the cities and the children under their tutelage. These children look to their coach’s for tactical advice on the green battlefield as well as inspirations for their daily lives. For a lot of boys these coaches become another parental figure that they could talk to no matter what. Sadly they may be the only person that the child ever gets the push to succeed from. Coachs more often than not should be synonymous with motivator.

Unless one of them says a potentially detrimental comment to one of his players. Then he’s not a coach, he’s a hindrance to that child’s growth and future. A mockery of the title. Today I found out that one of my very gifted younger cousins was signing up for the Educational Talent Search (ETS) program. That made me smile, because in too was a part of that program and it benefited me so much. Naturally you would think that any school official or coach would encourage this. But not one coach in particular at Conway High School in Conway, South Carolina.

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As my cousin signed the dotted line on his application this coach decided to say to him “I Don’t know why you signed up for that, you aren’t going to college. You’re going to jail.” go ahead read that again for yourself and let that sink in. Is that something for anyone to say to a child? Is that something for a coach to say to his player? A teacher to a student? Especially a student signing up for a program to better himself?

Flag On the play!
This man has no real clue what kind of profound effect he could have had on him or any other child he’s said comments like that to. What if the child who looks up to him believes that there is no other option for them? What if they only had a support system at school, and now that trust and support was stripped with that comment? He very well could have sent the child down a slippery slope with those deadly comments.

Word got back to our family and his parents were notified of this during the game tonight. His father, now enraged, pulled his son from the team during the half. With a little consoling he let his son continue playing because it would be wrong to punish the child for the ignorance if an adult. After the game the parents met with the coaches and the Athletic Director to discuss what to do about such a comment being said by a coach. The coach in question tried to play it as a joke taken out of context. I want to know what context am I supposed to take “You’re going to jail” in. It’s straightforward and not a joke in anyway. If it was supposed to be, it wasn’t funny. Especially not to an African America young man and his family. We’re all to aware of the amount people from our race that overrun our prisons. We don’t need coaches that sentence our youth to jail instead of encourage them to succeed.

The more infuriating part is how the Athletic director. Was. Trying to down play the situation as a joke like he would use on his kids. His examples “I bet he can outrun you.” or “I bet you can’t catch him” saying things like that as playful jokes and saying “You’re going to jail” are two different things. The director Was starting to get upset at the fact that the parents didn’t find humor in this and weren’t leaving. He began huffing and puffing for someone to get them “out of his building”. Seriously? He was upset and on the defensive as if he said the comment himself, and mad that they wouldn’t just sweep this under the rug. Once all the huffing was done and the demands for disciplinary action be taken were made it was decided that a Meeting would be had tomorrow to decide what actions to take. I don’t know where this will go, but I on behalf of my cousin was offended by the comment and trust the right actions will be taken. I pray for it.

How would you feel if someone told your child that they weren’t going to college, and that’s they were going to jail? Let me know what you think because I’m pissed about it. But that’s just my two cents. Go Tigers.

Poetic Ice

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world observations

Lowe’s: Never Stop Improving… Ignorance?

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Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, or form condemning the Lowe’s Home Improvement stores. Just the one idiot I ran into today. That is all. Lowe’s is quite awesome actually.

Today I ventured to Lowe’s with my brother-in-law for our home improvement needs. Anytime we need anything we go to Lowe’s, it’s closer than Home Depot and I personally like the atmosphere better.

NOT TODAY, since we were talked to like a pair of idiots who lacked the ability to do home improvement projects.

We went into the store looking for corrugated glass to replace a window in my home. Just because I feel you should know, the window measured 24×31 inches. Not a real hard concept right? Just pull out your tape measure and look at it, and BOOM you have measurements to go by when you go to the store. Also, on a side note My brother and I are both employed full time at steady jobs, don’t have money leeching vices, or various kids to pay child support for as I’m sure the associate at Lowe’s thought.

The glass panes they had measured out 24×48 inches. That means that said glass needed to be cut down to fit the window. A simple task that is offered at Lowe’s, and one that my Brother-In-Law could do with ease. We sought out an associate to perform the glass cutting task and found a gem of a man whose name I won’t mention.  When he approached us he already looked as if we didn’t belong in his section of the store. I brushed that aside as my brother spoke with him. He told him that he needed this glass to replace the window, but he needed it cut down to size. Also that he would like two of them to possibly make it a double paned window again as it was before. This lovely being looked at the price and size of the glass and back at us. His demeanor growing ever more ignorant.

“This is 24×48 inches, and about $57.00.” he said to us with a hint of superiority. My brother responded, “I know, I need it cut down to 31 inches, and would like two of them.” This I thought was a simple task, and not much to ask. I guess I was wrong, and far be it for me to even try to understand how this next turn of events happened. He started speaking with a certain tone of voice. One that hinted he didn’t believe we knew what we were talking about and that we were beneath him. He to us and stared at the price tags and back to us again only to say “You know that means I’m going to have to charge you the full price for these if I cut them.” My brother simply responded “Okay.” I figured that would be the case, we were still taking the product out of the store, so we needed to pay for it. IT’S COMMON SENSE, but that doesn’t stop ignorant comments from coming out.

“You know that means you are paying around $116 dollars. You still want to do that?” Was all he could say. My brother and I made contact and shared a mental “What the F**k” moment then my brother calmly responded to him. “So, I need this cut down to fit my window, it’s only 31 inches.” The man was in a stupor that we still wanted to make a purchase after his announcement of the price. “This is 24×48, I don’t understand what’s going on.” He went on. My brother was starting to get as agitated as I was with the guy. “You know what, I’ll cut the glass myself with the saw that I own.” He said ending the conversation. The man looked at him with a shocked look and back at the glass, “So you are getting it? It’s 48 inches.” He said again as if we broke his Psyche with the thought of us using a saw. My brother nodded and said, “Yup, no problem, my saw could cut it just fine.” and we left him standing there looking like a fool.

We walked off and we were both shocked and amazed that ignorance could just run rampant like that. I’m no naïve kid, and I realize that I’m in South Carolina, but there is still no damn excuse for people to be in disbelief of one another’s abilities. There for damn sure is no excuse to talk down to someone else when they are trying to do something for themselves and you don’t think they have the ability to do so. I personally hate it when I go somewhere and the associate/clerk starts throwing prices at you because they feel you won’t ever be able to afford the services their great establishment offers. Prejudice and Race are an ever present issue in this world, and it seems we’ll never out grow it. I hate the way that guy spoke to us, and acted with us. He was looking around as if we were trained apes sent to prank him. I take solace in the fact that not everyone is like that.

Have you ever encountered Ignorance without reason? Prejudice without precedence? What’s your world like around you? Let me know.

 

That’s just my 2 cents on the world around me, whether it be ignorant or not.

 

Poetic Ice

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