Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Examining a Root of Racism toward Blacks

To the world and blacks,

Recently there's been a lot of attention directed towards the black community regarding shootings and racism. It is important that we analyze how we got to this situation and where responsibility lies. This is because, unless all parties take responsibility for their actions, the issues will never be resolved. So in order to cover this, we should consider experiences and the emotions played in various encounters. In this case I will describe my various encounters with black people and my initial impression, as that is the most likely to be biased and therefore the biggest hint we have towards racism.

Scenario 1 : big black guy with muscles in gym clothes. Here I am amazed by the physique and not really afraid.
Scenario 2 : black guy with piercings in his but also tight fitting clothes. Again I am not afraid and even though he is muscular as well
Scenario 3 : black youth in a uniform. Again no fear
Scenario 4 : black youth with loose-fitting clothing with A diversity of friends. Also not afraid
Scenario 5: black youth with loose-fitting clothing by himself or with other black friends with loose fitted clothing. Here is where fear starts to appear.

As you may have no might have noticed I am not normally afraid of black people comma nor am I suspicious of them. I know quite a few of them over the course of my life. I've met them in high school where they wore uniforms and became my friends. In college I met more and even though they dressed in loose clothing, the friends they were with were diverse and giving the impression of being nice people. I also encounter a random black people on the streets or at work but I have no fear from them. This is because they dress in tight clothing in which you might see their muscles, but they are in gym clothes. Also if they talk properly then there is nothing to fear as well. The parts that anyone is probably most likely to be afraid of is the black youth with clothing hanging around other blacks with loose clothing. This is because this is the image of a gangster or someone and who might shoot you. Whose fault is it's for this image? I argue for two parties primarily: the media and the black community itself

I blame the media because they are the ones that give us the impression that a random black person we encounter and loose clothing is someone to be afraid of. Often in shows if you encounter a black person and loose clothing they are likely to eventually shoot someone or become gangsters. While a white person and loose clothing is most likely to be a drug addict or someone who isn't cool. In fact, according to the media, even the white guy will shoot you if he doesn't have his drugs.

Now for the Inconvenient Truth that will probably make the black community not listen to me, but it is true nonetheless. The people who think black youths dressing in loose clothing is cool are gangsters. That's how they dress and gangsters are criminals. Therefore, a reputation that a black kid will be a delinquent or criminal comes from dressing like criminals. It's not because of skin color and I can prove it.

A black guy who dresses well and talks well is not often considered a criminal. The exception are scam artists, but that applies to whites as well. Consider Motown. They dressed in suits and were well loved. Consider Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, James Earl Jones, and even President Obama. They are highly respected so that only the low of society would be racist toward them. The same applies to some great athletes as well. Calvin Johnson, Michael Jordan, etc. These people don't walk around or talk like gangsters but well dressed and clean speech. So if talk or walk like a gangster, then you will be suspected of being one.

There is actually another scenario were I really felt afraid. It was when I was in Bahamas and rode into a poor neighborhood and someone came up and talked about how the place was the drug capital of the area. I was afraid of being kidnapped. The fear wasn't so much about color as it was about the area being so surprisingly poor next to a resort. To clarify, it's not so much the poor to fear, but desperation. People go to visit the poor all the time, and in places isolated from civilization. However, I will argue that poor who are away from civilization are far less likely to feel the desperation that people who constantly see rich tourists.

This is actually a reason why I hate the hashtag #blacklivesmatter. It takes issues that apply to so many people and focus them on a small group on the claim of racism. Many of the injustices I see claimed stem more from gangster imitation or poor vs rich than skin color. I also see them applying stereotypes in a hateful manner, which is just as bad as racism.

I argue that black lives due in fact matter, but that's because #LifeMatters. Not only that, but the way you live your life matters. Dress well, speak properly, and act properly and there will be improvement. Then let's work together to address the injustices where celebrities get away with crimes. Especially to the point that they can get away with crimes and still run for president.


#LifeMatters,
N. D. Moharo

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Life Matters

To society,
    I've noticed that the slogan Black Lives Matters appears to be marketed as the current civil rights campaign. If the goals are for justice and to stop the shootings of innocents, then I will agree those are good. Someone even tried to explain to me that the slogan implies a "too" at the end, which changes the impression you should get when you see it. However, there are so many problems with the slogan that it's actually slowing down progress rather than helping it. Intent may be good, but just as someone might say a racist word without realizing it is offensive, promoting "Black Lives Matters" will result in so much unnecessary conflict, tensions, and death.

   Here are the issues I have with BlackLivesMatter as a slogan (and why it'll never gain full support)

  1. It sounds so racist: Someone explained that the slogan implies a "too". Why isn't that too explicit? Otherwise it can (and has been) interpreted as "Black Lives Matter More"
  2. It's easy for extremists: Black Gangsters who want to simply murder can use the slogan and it's hard to anyone to disassociate with them. They act with what people understand to be the slogan's meaning.
  3. It's associated with crime: Again with extremists. That's the impression in the mind of people, especially the cops. How often when an innocent cop is shot do we see the same people who say "Black Lives Mater" say "Cops' Lives Matter"?  More so, since it's associated with crime, cops will not support it. If both parties can unite, then there will be peace.
  4. It sounds so black-centered: Why should other minorities support this? Why support a slogan that sounds like it will die as soon as the blacks are covered? I often saw that when the same things happen to other minorities, they don't get the hashtag support from the "black community"
  5. It accuses people of stupidity without giving them a reason not to: Someone said that this is a point of people being judged on looks and how people aren't looking deeper. If the audience is stupid, why make it harder by making things implicit instead of explicit? Why make things complicated when they should be simple?
  6. The slogan will result in more shootings: The blackLivesMatter slogan is always said against cops, which strikes fear of retaliation into innocent cops. This fear only increases the amount of innocent shootings because they are now rightfully scared for their lives. Even more so in gang-ridden territories. Hence the name is having the reverse effect
  7. It won't win: Civil Rights won because it was a name all could fight under. As Black power, it failed epically and only divided the nation further. 
  8. Refusals to change the slogan reinforces the idea that it's black-centered and not about real justice: It should be easy for them to usurp the slogan "All Lives Matter." Since that gets attacked, those watching the issue only see that the blacks don't care about others. 


    The solution? A new slogan that takes the point and makes it invulnerable against extremists. As long as extremists can take a slogan, the cause can be easily destroyed, but if they act against the slogan that can't be violated, then it's easy to disassociate with extremists. The proposal: Life Matters

Reasons:

  1. Someone explained that "All Lives Matter" has the reputation of being used by people who want to ignore the issues they are trying to bring up. I don't believe that was the origin of the phrase. More so that it was to make that too explicit. But since the black community won't believe that explanation, a different slogan is needed
  2. Life Matters takes the core of what someone can expect to be good about Black Lives Matter. It makes it specific as well by saying each life matters, therefore don't kill. Cops should not shoot innocent blacks and blacks should not shoot innocent cops.
  3. By making it specific and general, no side can claim to adhere to it while murdering another
  4. It's easy to condemn extremists and identify who is truly for justice and who is for malice
  5. This is a slogan everyone can unite under and the cause doesn't die.
  6. It's simple yet powerful. It's true.

The rest is up to the community. What is best for society? Stubbornly using a slogan that only creates conflict and is easily used by extremists? I see some twitter feeds that promote hate and use the hashtag #blackLivesMatter. There is certainly fear in innocent cops that some blacks they come across will shoot them. That fear is deadly. Using a bad slogan will only slow progress and result in death for many parties (especially blacks and cops). Is that good? No. So let's adopt a slogan that is rooted in peace, life, and love. Any refusal will show that you don't care about society and justice because now I have shown why BlackLivesMatter is an evil slogan despite any good intent. Good people want peace and progress to be as soon as possible with deaths avoided. Let's march on that.

With Love,
N. D. Moharo

#LifeMatters

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Political Correctness

My Dear Child,
               I write to you that you may not worry about being Politically Correct. In my day, it is politically incorrect to say anything that might be construed as sexist, racist, anti-semetic, etc. On the other hand, there are no complaints about insulting Christians, some political parties, etc. This is because Political Correctness is just that, Political. It changes often and will always be inconsistent because it isn’t based off Love and Truth. This is why it was “right” to insult the Japanese during WWII and why they insult Christians today. The world with its god of selfishness doesn’t care about respect, but about how it believes it can obtain and maintain power. Therefore it will do what it can to destroy the message of True Love.
               So I write to you that you instead focus your energy on Love and Truth. When you are known by these two things, even those you supposedly offended may come to your defense. This happened recently when a white actress said a racist term. The media attacked her, but her black friend defended her, calling her family. Consider also that Jesus was never politically correct. Instead he spoke the Truth and teachings of Love.
               If someone knows you are trying to speak the truth with no malice behind it, and they still take grave offense, then they don’t really care about respect. Instead, they seek entitlement, which is simply selfishness. Honest people want respect. If they know you care for them, then they will listen to the truth, even when it hurts.
               The purpose of Freedom of Speech is that people may find the Truth to improve their lives, be able to express their concerns, and propose ideas. As long as it is not used to express hatred and destruction, then your words will never violate or abuse this important right. Society depends on the Freedom of Speech to be used correctly, not the political tool of censorship.
With Love,

N. D. Moharo

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Concerning Smoking

Dearly Beloved,
               Some people wonder if smoking is a sin. My thought is that it isn’t most of the time, but it can be. In fact, it’s always an evil to encourage someone else to smoke, because smoking is definitely not good for anyone and those around that person.
               If you remember my words about Love, you will recall that anything thing that is opposed to love is an evil. We are supposed to desire what is best for others. When it comes to smoking, and many other addictions, there are but millions of reasons to avoid it, while only one okay for doing it. Even that one okay reason is flimsy. Does it make you look cool? No, to the rational man, you look stupid because that is what you are when you get addicted purposefully. The one valid reason, which is what addictions thrive on the promise of, is relaxation. The problem is that you might be free of stress at the moment, but it will build up later to become almost unbearable.
               If we consider smoking, we know it is bad for our teeth. Therefore we have to brush quite often and for a long time every time you smoke. What once was okay to do only twice a day, can become required 8 times a day. Why create more work for yourself or others? If you ignore, then you suffer the horrible consequences. You can see the stress is already building up just for this one side effect, and there are hundreds more.
               Of course, there are three reasons why smoking is still around. One is that people are selfish and try to convince others to smoke in order that they can continue smoking. Second is that people think they can get away with smoking. By limiting the areas they can smoke, it has helped the situation, but it’s not enough. The third reason is that most attention is spent on future consequences instead of the present. When people do some addiction, they aren’t looking at the future. They are looking for something in the present. Generally it comes down to “look cool” or “release stress.” When these two are dismantled, then we might be able to get rid of it.
               Let’s get rid of the “looking cool” first. As I said before, people are selfish and try to convince others to smoke in order that they can continue smoking. That means you “looking cool” to these people is really them thinking, “All right, now we don’t have to worry about smoking around this idiot anymore.” You also showed that you aren’t above the influence. You are not a hero at all. Heroes are able to stay above the influence and do what is right, even if everyone is against them. Heroes are cool. Even if people don’t say it publicly, when you stick to good morals, you look you cool. To prove that, I got a message from an old classmate who told me that he admired my ability to do just that. People want to be strong, and sticking to morality is strength.
               How about relieving stress? The thing about addictions is that that relief is only for an instant. If you want it to last as long as before, then you need to be more intense. This can means the first time, you can be relieved for two minutes. The second time, only two minutes. The third, two minutes if you smoke for twice as long. The third, two minutes if you smoke four. Eventually you need to do an entire pack for just one moment of relief, and you have to do it every single day.
               So that’s still technically focusing on the future. Let’s focus on the now and what that means. Money! Can you afford to buy a pack? Can you afford to do that every day? Wouldn’t you rather buy a fun video game with the money you save? How about going on a fun date? Speaking of that, most people hate kissing smokers. So if you smoke, you can’t kiss unless it’s another smoker, but why limit yourself to a minority that is a bomb ready to explode? Remember what I said about stress? It builds up very quickly when you realize all of the consequences just from smoking once. If you cannot smoke, you’ll snap because you cannot think until you do so. Also, it can make you sick. The problem is that you are addicted just from doing it once. You may not think you are addicted, but soon you’ll want it again. It’s the same with every addiction. You cannot think until you feed it. Therefore it is a sin to do it the first time, especially when you know of the evils.
               I used to think it was okay to allow people to smoke as long as I wasn’t around them. But then something changed my mind; you. I became curious about the effects of secondhand smoke on women who are pregnant and the babies they carry. When I read that it could lead to brain development issues on babies still in the womb, my opinion shifted entirely. You don’t always know when a woman is pregnant until she is 6 months in. That means smoking in the present is causing problems for another family and raising a child is hard enough to begin with. In addition, I have asthma and it does not react well to secondhand smoke. When you smoke even in the open air, there is a large radius where others can’t enter. It causes suffering almost every single time, but smokers have grown to be apathetic to this. Know this: Smoking is never an act of love, only selfishness. If you smoke, I would not only be sad because it’s bad for your body, but also your soul.
With Love,

N. D. Moharo