"THROUGHOUT HISTORY IT HAS BEEN THE INACTION OF THOSE WHO COULD HAVE ACTED; THE INDIFFERENCE OF THOSE WHO SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER; THE SILENCE OF THE VOICE OF JUSTICE WHEN IT MATTERED MOST; THAT HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH." -QUOTE BY: HAILE SELASSIE,
FORMER EMPEROR OF ETHIOPIA

HELLO WORLD....

MAY THE PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF THE CREATOR OF ALL THAT EXISTS BE UPON YOU AS YOU READ MY FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS.

MY TOPIC TODAY CENTERS AROUND THE SENSELESS DEATHS OF YOUNG MEN LIKE TRAVON MARTIN AND OSCAR GRANT. AS I AM A FATHER AND UNCLE TO YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN, I TRUELY WORRY ABOUT THEIR HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL-BEING AS THEY GO ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. MY SON IS A GOOD YOUNG ADULT, HE IS EDUCATED, NOT A MEMBER OF ANY STREET GANG, HE IS NOT A CRIMINAL, HE LOVES AND RESPECTS HIS GRANDPARENTS, MOTHER AND SISTER, AND HE IS EMPLOYED... YET, BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN, HE COULD BE SHOT AND KILLED BY THE POLICE OR INDIVIDUALS LIKE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN SIMPLY OUT OF "FEAR". NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE ALARMING RATE OF INCARCERATING YOUNG MEN OF COLOR IS STAGGERING. WHY IS THAT HAPPENING IN THE YEAR 2013?

HOW WE HAVE REACHED THIS CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS CAN BE COMPREHENSIBLE ONLY BY EXAMINING THE FORCES EFFECTIVE BEHIND "IMPRISONMENT", WHICH IS THE MOST COMPLETELY EXERCISED SOCIAL EXPIRIMENT IN THIS COUNTRY'S HISTORY, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE GOOD OL' UNITED STATES WAS FOUNDED IN PENAL SERVITUDE AND EFFECTIVE SLAVERY.

NOW, I REALIZE THAT MANY PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE TO TALK ABOUT "RACIAL RELATIONS" IN THIS COUNTRY AND WILL BE QUICK TO SAY THAT "SLAVERY IS A THING OF THE PAST"; HOWEVER, A YOUNG "BLACK" MAN CAN STILL BE STALKED, CONFRONTED, SHOT, AND KILLED BY A "WHITE" MAN WITHOUT SUFFERING ANY CRIMINAL PERSECUTION. CONVERSELY, MICHAEL VICK, A WELL-KNOWN PROFESSIONAL N.F.L. QUARTERBACK WAS CONVICTED AND SENT TO PRISON FOR OVER FOUR (4) YEARS FOR KILLING HIS DOGS.... WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD SEND?

INDEED, A RICH WHITE PERSON HAS NEVER BEEN EXECUTED IN ALL OF AMERICAN HISTORY. YET IN ALL CLASS SOCIETIES TO THE PRESENT, THE CRIMES OF THE POOR ARE PUNISHED FAR MORE HARSHLY. I MEAN, FOR A VERY LONG TIME, I THOUGHT THAT ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN WERE SENTENCED UNDER THE THREE STRIKES LAW, AND IT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO THAT ONE OF MY "SELF HELP" GROUPS HERE AT SAN QUENTIN THAT I MET THE FIRST "WHITE" GUY SENTENCED UNDER THIS LAW. AND HE GREW UP POOR. I MYSELF, AM SITTING HERE WITH A THIRTY (30) YEARS TO LIFE PRISON SENTENCE BECAUSE I WRONGFULLY STOLE MONEY FROM A RESTAURANT WHILE INTOXICATED ON CRACK-COCAINE. NO ONE WAS HARMED NOR PHYSICALLY INJURED AND THIS WAS MY SECOND FELONY CONVICTION, YET I WAS GIVEN A "DEATH SENTENCE" IN SLOW MOTION UNDER THIS LAW.

PART OF THE PROBLEM LIES IN MASS INCARCERATION AS AN "ACCEPTABLE SOCIAL CONDITION" IN OUR COUNTRY. THINK ABOUT IT, AT NO TIME IN HISTORY HAS A COUNTRY IMPRISONED SO MANY CITIZENS AS THE UNITED STATES DOES NOW. HOW DOES OUR SOCIETY IGNORE THE REALITY OF OVER TWO MILLION IMPRISONED AMERICANS, WITH OVER HALF OF THEM "BLACK"? DO WE STOP TALKING ABOUT PRISONS AND RACE RELATIONS BY PUSHING THEM "OUT-OF-SIGHT AND OUT-OF-MIND"?

MY SOLUTION TO THESE ISSUES IS TO ENCOURAGE SOCIAL AND MORAL CONCIOUSNESS, SELF-DETERMINATION, AND CREATIVE AND COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP WHO WILL STRIVE FOR HUMAN DIGNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL PEOPLE. TODAY, WE MUST ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS OF WHAT IS NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE DEATHS OF YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN. WHAT IS ESSENTIAL TO DECREASE THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE PRISON PERCENTAGE TO BE EQUIVALENT TO THEIR PERCENTAGE OF THE U.S. POPULATION?

AS I PONDER THE FATE OF MY SON AND NEPHEW, I DO ASK MYSELF, WHAT WILL BE THE CONDITION OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN IN THE YEAR 2100? WILL HISTORY CONTINUE TO REPEAT ITSELF? A GREAT MAN ONCE SAID,

"WE MUST LEARN THAT PASSIVELY TO ACCEPT AN UNJUST SYSTEM IS TO COOPERATE WITH THAT SYSTEM, AND THEREBY TO BECOME A PARTICIPANT IN IT'S EVIL..."
-QUOTE BY: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR

I WELCOME ANY AND ALL COMMENTS... PEACE...