The Pain Is Real: the longest 8 minutes

Dear Readers,

I had to do it.  30 days ago, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, down my pen, turned off the computer and walked away. I needed a mental break. It was necessary to put space between me and the chaos of the constant Corona virus news and the racial tension that is causing a bitter divide. It became too much for me to take in. For four months the world has been sheltered in place, and we were battling fear, anger, frustration, uncertainty, and confusion. I felt guilty because during this time of upheaval, I was successful in creating a mental and physical bubble to protect myself  from becoming sucked in by the sensation of the news media and the grappling of the political leaders.

In the midst of financial ruins, I am blessed to enjoy my same level of income and additional earnings from private tutoring.  I used my time wisely and began to concentrate on personal projects. It’s unfortunate that it took a pandemic for me to realize how much I needed a break from the running on my hammers treadmill. I am not ashamed to admit I am thankful for the break from my ” normal”, these four months have allowed me the time to understand that I need a change from ” normal”,  and that there are areas of my life that need to be explored. After four months of cleaning, reorganizing, building up my brand Conversations with J. R. Floyd, yoga, meditation, reading books on self improvement, updating my resume, and with the announcement of all the phrases of New York City restarting the economy, I Declared myself ready for change.

And then it happened….

The killing of George Floyd. I ignored the news and refused to answer the phone. I didn’t want to engage in conversations about race. I wanted to stay in my bubble of peace and progress. Then I woke up one morning to a message from my son, pleading with me to use my platform ” Conversations with J. R. Floyd’, “ to speak to the hearts of people about the brutal treatment of black men and women. I wanted to stay silent, but my son, my only child, a black man, father, husband, and raising a young black man pulled at the strings of my heart, a mother’s heart…  his plea sounding like George Floyd’s calling for his mother with his last dying breath. I got up from my bed, showered, made coffee, put myself together and sat down to go live on Facebook , Instagram, and my podcast on Anchor. I addressed the public….then I clicked off.

my son and his first born

The riots, looting, burning of business, arrests, anger, tears, and hatred was more than I was prepared to deal with. I didn’t want to be one of those people who took a normancy mindset, the complacent attitude of accepting the killing of a black man as just another thing that happens in a world that isn’t moved by seeing a man being murdered. 

my family

So, for 30 days I detached from social media, the news, and did not engage in any conversations about race or death. For four months the world has been watching the numbers of deaths increase due to the virus, yet, the only concern is getting back to “normal”.  Where have people been?  There is no more normal. This recent upheaval about the brutal treatment of black men and women, is another virus that’s going to continue to eat away at race relationships until there is CHANGE. There are some people wanting to get back to their normal, wishing that this issue of race will fade away; their thinking is that issues of race don’t include them until it hits close to home. I am thankful that at least this time the entire world is marching and standing firm on the belief that all lives matter, including Black Lives. It took 8 minutes and 56 seconds for George Floyd to die. What is it going to take for all the millions of blogger to band together with one voice to support the one race the human race. 

The pain is real. Thank you for stopping by Drathepen.

 

 

Declaring a day of Healing and Unity

Dear readers, I will continue to be the voice of reason. What are we doing to our society and children living by these lines that divide the HUMAN RACE. This system isn’t working it is breeding anger and hatred into an already broken society. These dividing line due to race,  religion, class or separation due to economics. What will it take? The  bigger question  is What as a society are we willing to sacrifice  to hold onto the belief one race is more superior then the other and that we are not all endowed  with the same ” unalienable rights.”  I notice that there is  silence when subject like these are posted. We the people should no longer be satisfied with being silent.

What Say you?

 

the failure of our nation

Dear Readers,

Oops. Its happened again, and this time the results are catastrophic. What do I mean?  let me just say that people’s private opinions are reshaping our interaction in society. Yes, we have a right to our views, but what happens when a person’s private thoughts go public and their sentiments is meant to gravely offended another person due to race.

Roseanne Barr’s racist comments about Obama’s former adviser Valerie Janet likening her to a cross between the Muslim brotherhood and a “planet of the apes’ characters.”

In her defense Barr claimed that her statement wasn’t intentional it was a side effect from taking the sleep aid Ambien. She continued to say that, “I have made a mistake …I wish I hadn’t ….”  Supporters of Barr claims that she had a right to “Freedom of Speech” I’m not questioning whether she had the right to speak freely, the question is when the insult is directed towards a person of color, why is public opinion quick to plead the First Amendment?

We are supposed to be a progressive society advocating for the equity of all people. People of color have tirelessly marched, protested and given up their lives all in the name of change. We have struggled through the degrading institution of slavery, segregation and Jim Crow, lynching’s, burnings, rape, brutal beatings and being murdered in cold blood. We have never claimed to be victims of these circumstances. We have spoken out against these injustices due to the color barrier. Why in this day should people of color continue to be treated as the lesser or the other.

Why should people of color endure behavior that was theoretical ended decades ago. People are either turning a blinds eye or just plain ignorant if they truly can look at themselves in the mirror and say that racism is a practice of the past.

What do people hope to accomplish by lashing out with racist remarks. We are a society that has moved from hope and compassion to anger and hate. The bitterness between the races remains as a dividing line. We have become a society that seems to embrace moving backwards indulging in racism and sexism. I understood that when I decided to blog about this issue that this post might be met with silence, and I am willing to life with that. But what I am not willing to do is to keep silent about issues that can have a negative impact on the minds of younger generations. We must not allow them to think that this type behavior is the norm.

What Say You?

What Happens If?

Evil, Racist, Chauvinist, and Anit-Jew… the naming calling can go on and on…. For the people who do not agree with Trumps views, you have the right to voice your position it’s called VOTING.  What will make America Great again, is to have leaders who will actually perform their duty to the people, and not use their position to fulfill their own sick agenda. WAKE UP AMERICA! This is not a joke there are thousands and thousands of people throughout the United States who agree with Trumps ideology. He is DEAD serious about what he wants to accomplish. The power is with the people. I challenge you to organize a voter’s registration drive and let America’s voce be heard. Send this message to Trump that we will not go back to the days of SEGREGATION and SLAVERY. We are one nation under God.

What Say You?