"Mexican" Means You Too!

On Friday, I met a Senegalese shop keeper. A man sat in the front of his store and was quiet as everyone else was laughing and talking. I joked about him being quiet. The shop keeper explained that he had recently arrived from Senegal and did not speak English. To which I replied, "he got in under the trump administration?". He laughed and said "he ain't trying to stop us, he's blocking Mexicans"...

He can't be serious right now... I guess he is not reading the papers about how the occupier is deporting or planning to deport thousands of Ghanaians and Haitians. He obviously has a false and frightening sense of comfort believing that he is not included in the round up. I guess he did not hear the "shithole" comment either. SMH...

It is scary to be so detached that even when it is happening right in your face, when it could happen to you or your loved ones, you are oblivious... It is scary to live in a country and not understand the unspoken...

This makes me think of the Brown folks who were not Mexican but who voted for the jackass and then landed on the news crying their Brown eyes out when their loved ones got deported or turned around at the airport despite having followed procedures. Some folks seem not to know what it really means to have natural melanin, not gifted by the sun, in one's skin in America... They don't understand the depth and breadth of disdain of some for people of color (POC), that there are no exceptions and that "Mexican" is a code word that means YOU TOO...

The attack right now is on Brown or Black people but Yellow folks should not be feeling so comfortable. History tells us, and them too if they read, that ultimately their time will come. Normally I don't like the term people of color. It sometimes allows one to skirt the real issue or matter at hand and not be specific about or to whom one really speaks. Often it is too broad implying that POC share similar experiences, circumstances, concerns, expectations and/or responses. Of course we don't. Not in most situations... In this instance however...

I am reminded of the now seemingly forgotten but famous quote by Martin Niemoller, a German Pastor humane and brave enough to speak out against hitler's inhumanity.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out

— Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out

— Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out

— Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me

—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Apathy is dangerous and silence is complicity when there is a racist mad man occupying the white house. Contain him/it! ALWAYS speak out... Don't wait until it happens to you. By then, the train has departed the station, is off the track and fully derailed. Your voice will have no impact. It will fall on deaf ears as a precedent has been allowed to have been set. 

You ARE your Brother's Keeper... 

It is YOUR duty to #resist!

Bullying Is Not a Rite of Passage...

Somehow in America we have come to accept that bullying is an inevitable part of childhood, a rite of passage if you will, that we all get and give our fair share of and that somehow, miraculously, we will all get over it. All too often, however, such is not the case... If your child is a bully, handle it swiftly and sternly. Find out what is wrong with him or her, get them some counseling and/or give them a dose of their own medicine.

I remember slapping a boy, for what I do not recall. It was the week of a long anticipated Girl Scout camping trip. His Mother made a big deal of me slapping her son. I can't say I blame her. Her son had done nothing to me that I can recall and he did not hit me back. Of course he could have cleaned the floor with me if he so chose. He was younger but definitely the bigger person in both stature and character. His Mom came to our house and told my Mom what I had done...

My Mother told me if I did not apologize, I could not go camping. She knew I was excited about going on this trip. As much as I really wanted to go camping, I really did not want to apologize. I held out all week until the night before I was to go. She was dead serious. I was not going unless I apologized. I sucked it up and we went to his house and I apologized in front of everyone. I did not mean it but it did not matter. I had to humble myself to get what I wanted.

The next day I went camping, Camp Sacajewea somewhere in South Jersey. I don't remember where but I will never forget it because I HATED IT! LOL! I spent one night in those woods with outhouses, no lights and visions of bears and snakes and creepy crawlers dancing in my head and my Mom was coming to get me before the sun set on me for day two at Camp Sacajewea. LOL!!! I was outta' there!

All I could think of was that I apologized for nothing. Hey! I was a kid not yet ready to receive the lesson that this was not going to be one of my shining moments. My Mother made sure that I would never forget that this was not a shining moment for me. I think I remember being a bully on only one other occasion, of which I am also ashamed. I learned my lesson... The golden rule I live by today is to treat others as I wish to be treated.

Moral of the story is when your Mom blackmails you, know the value of the weapon she is bribing you with (smile). Thank You Mom, it was a valuable lesson. And "Corky", the boy I slapped who I am grateful did not give me some of my own medicine, 50 years later, I am genuinely sorry...

Bullying is not an accepted rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. Be Kind to Others. Our children are watching and mimicking...