Yes we got him, but now what?

I would like to say thanks to all of the troops who have so unselfishly put their lives on the line to protect our country. I would also like to say thanks and condolences to the families of those who lost their lives on 9/11. As many know by now, Osama Bin Laden has been killed. The country has been in a very upbeat mood and it seems to be as unified as when the attacks first happened, which is a good thing. The thing that concerns me is the growing number of people actually cheering that Bin Laden was killed. I don't think it's our place to cheer another person's death. He definitely did some horrible things, but how much better are we to cheer or wish for his death. Justice, in a way, has been served, but how does this right the wrongs that he has committed or the machine that he has put in place? Yes, it deals a crushing blow to terrorist everywhere that we will hunt you down, but do we really need to celebrate this man's death? I'm not anti-celebration but let's celebrate some more positive things like the effort of the troops, the leadership of the White House, the closure the victim's families can now feel and hopefully an end to the useless wars we're in. Maybe now we can reel in some of that money and put it towards paying the soldiers better wages, domestic issues, education, the economy, and things on this side of the pond. I just encourage everyone to keep a focus on what is important and let's not get wrapped up in the emotion of the moment and make sure we make out celebrations respectful and meaningful.

Politics- part 2

The second part of my politics post has to deal with the President. Many "Black Leaders" are starting to push the president to help the black community. Well, I'd love to see a fat check in the mail one day but that's not going to happen but as far as what would help blacks in America is the following....an agenda. That's the one thing that we're missing as a people. We have no unified platform to stand on or stand around. Are there things that need to be fixed in the black community? Yes. Are there things that African Americans need to do for themselves? Yes. Are there things that the government could do to help? Yes. What I don't think is that Barack Obama is going to or should have to sit down in the oval office and single-handedly write up a proposal or plan to help just black people. He is the first black president, true, but he is first of all the President of the United States of America. His focus needs to be on the betterment of the country not just blacks. What I will admit is that minorities are disproportionately effected by the fluctuations in the economy, incarceration rates, joblessness, poor education, and discrimination. What does this mean for African-Americans? We do need to step up and do what we need to do to make ourselves better, our community better and in turn make this country better. I wish it was as easy as having a black president, but that would truly be a fantasy. What I'm charging African-Americans to do is to come together. We're not crabs and this world is not our bucket. We have the opportunities to be educated, let's use it. Not to just get out of the hood, but to make the path for those that come behind us a little bit more defined. Until we have a platform to take to Washington, we're not going to see anything different from what we've seen in the past. As the old adage goes - The squeaky wheel gets the oil. Until we squeak as much and as loud as all of the other wheels, we will continue on our path which is one of little advancement. We've been able to make it through some rough times in the past and we have an opportunity to shape the history of this young country. Let's come together and do what it takes in order for us to show the resilience and the brilliance of African-Americans in this country. It's on us to make this happen. Take care.