Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Mississippi Man Killed For Being Black


Earlier this month in Jackson, Mississippi, an African American man by the name of James Craig Anderson (seen above-l) age 49 years old, lost his life to an ignorant and racist act. 

A White teenager by the name of Deryl Dedmon (seen above-r), used his Ford F250 pickup truck to run over and kill Mr. Anderson. 

This horrible incident was caught on a department stores parking lot video camera surveillance, and thank goodness it was! Which is why I'm having trouble understanding why this young man is even having a trial? 

He and his friends were caught red-handed on tape brutally beating and then murdering a human being, all while chanting racial epithets of "White Power" according to witnesses. 

Why is there a need to prove the case, when the courts already have hard core evidence to put Deryl Dedmon under the jail?

"This was a crime of hate", Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, told CNN in a report aired Sunday. "The evidence will show that." 

The two 18 year old's drove 15 miles to Jackson, in search of a black man to attack, prosecutors said. 

At least five other teens are believed to have acted with Deryl Dedmon, but so far none have been charged.

On a Face book page set up by Dedmon’s supporters the teen’s great aunt said, “He is not a racist or a murderer…. If anything, he is being tried by the media, suffering from reverse racism and placed in jail without bond. I am sick of the race card.”

The aunt of Mr. Dedmon must be delusional as her nephew beat and ran over a human being with his truck until he was dead simply because he was Black, how is that not racism? 

While killing Mr. Anderson, witnesses confessed to hearing Mr. Dedmon along with his friends yelling racial slurs while carrying out their killing spree, so his aunt's opinion appears to be irrelevant. 

Why should the media be blamed for covering national news, and making all aware that the state of Mississippi hasn't changed much since the Emmet Till days? 

Honestly, if the great aunt is crying out that her nephew is innocent of these crimes, then it only makes it more obvious where his ideology comes from.

All children born into this world are completely ignorant. They know nothing until it is taught to them, like a computer that is programmed to act a certain way. So when you have a bunch of racist people having babies, what do you think those innocent children are going to learn growing up in a house like that? The children have no choice but to become a product of their environment, unless they seek to educate themselves outside of the madness.

I've traveled through the state of Mississippi once before, and I'll gladly confess that it's a state I never want to go back too. My spouse and I were lost and needed directions to get back to the highway, so we walked into a store that looked like a run down shack. The town was small, and there were only dirt roads; no sidewalks. 

We entered the store smiling as we always do, but we were met with frowns. Immediately, the cashier ducked underneath the counter -- literally. As we looked in the other workers direction for assistance, she stood in complete shock as if she saw a ghost and then turned her back to us without a word. 

We asked for directions to get back to the highway, and the cashier directed us all while hiding beneath the counter -- never once did we make eye contact. 

My spouse and I couldn't come up with any other reason of why we were treated so poorly, other than the fact that we were black in Mississippi.

This story is very much true and is testimony to how racist people can be, especially in the state of Mississippi. There's a lot of work to be done with people in the Southern states,  who still live as if slavery was never abolished. 

With that said we should start with justice for James Craig Anderson, a man who did nothing wrong but was made an example out of for all the world to see, that racism is alive and well in 2011.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2011 LA














North Carolina Women Sterilized After Birth Without Knowing


Elaine Riddick is just one out of 7,600 victims that were sterilized in the state of North Carolina without knowing. 

At the age of 14 years old the state of North Carolina, deemed Ms. Riddick unfit to have any more children. She became pregnant after being raped by her neighbor who was ten years her senior, and when the time came to deliver her baby through a cesarean section -- unbeknownst to her the doctors sterilized her.

The state of North Carolina claimed they sterilized Ms. Riddick, due to her being mentally deficient or “feeble-minded” as official records note. 

Riddick, along with an estimated 2,000 victims of North Carolina’s forced sterilization program will have to wait until February of 2012, to find out whether they’ll be compensated or not.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2011 LA

Watch the video below to see what these victims endured.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Customer Service Humor Quote...


If you can master the art of dealing with customer's emotions (seen above), then you should earn the medical degree of a therapist.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2010 LA

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

91-year-old Found With Two Corpses In Her Home

             Jean Stevens holds a photo of her with her dead husband

A 91-year-old woman was found living with the corpses of her husband and twin sister. The woman was told that she'd be allowed to keep the bodies, but only if she installs a mausoleum or crypt, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Jean Stevens, has indicated through her attorney that she plans to build an above ground vault on her property, to store the bodies of James Stevens and June Stevens, according to Bradford County District Attorney Daniel Barrett. "If she does that, the bodies will be released for that purpose," he said.

Stevens previously told the Associated Press, that she kept the embalmed remains of her loved ones because she wanted to be able to see them and talk to them. She also said she's claustrophobic, and couldn't stand the thought of their bodies in caskets in the ground.

State police discovered the corpses in mid-June. The body of James Stevens was on a couch in the detached garage, and the body of June Stevens was on a couch in a spare room off the bedroom.

Stevens had them dug up shortly after they died; James in 1999 and June in October. Jean tended to their remains at her rural property outside the northern Pennsylvania town of Wyalusing.

A decision on charges could be made as early as Friday, and authorities are looking into several possible violations, including misdemeanor abuse of a corpse. There was also possible summary violations of the state health code, which regulates how bodies must be disinterred. Police haven't said who retrieved the bodies.

Okay, how did she take the smell of dead bodies in her home? How could she watch the skin from the bodies deteriorate until the bone was exposed? I understand missing your loved one's, but this was going a bit far.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

To see the news clip to this article click here.

2010 LA

Sunday, June 13, 2010

The Great Myth of Hard Work


Growing up your parents try to prepare you for the real world by teaching you the facts of life. 

"Make sure you keep your grades up." 

"Make sure you go to a good college." 

"Make sure you always do your best, in order to be the best at whatever you do." 

"Strive for success." 

"Hard work pays off."

Really? Does hard work really pay off? Does trying your absolute best guarantee you success? 

In some cases this may be true. But what about other cases, when you work hard and give 100% at all times and you continue to be screwed over? 

Sometimes you're screwed over so much, that you have to stop and look at yourself to make sure you're not the one who's screwed up

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

Through experience I've learned that giving 100% hard work and dedication can sometimes be detrimental to survival. 

Imagine this; going for a position, being told you have the skills for the position, being told that you must train for the position for two weeks with no pay of course, but then afterwards you'd be hired. 

After giving 100% hard work and dedication and even doing your soon-to-be bosses job better than him or her, you're told that you're no longer good enough for the position. 

Has this ever happened to you? Has your intellect, positive work ethic, and ability to do a job better than most resulted in a firing, demotion, or just plain being used?

What do you think would bring on such a horrible action? You know you've done your best and are repeatedly told by the higher authority that you're phenomenal, perfect, a leader, and great at what you do but you need more experience at being perfect. 

Huh? Wouldn't that puzzle you too?

My conclusion to this madness is that there are some authority figures who fear strong, intelligent, and phenomenal individuals. 

You being the way you are is a threat to their existence. They fear if they bring you on board that you might show them up, and make it look as if they're not doing their job. Or maybe they're more afraid that you might take their place instead.

So what should you do?

Should you not give 100% on a job, in order to appear weak so you won't pose a threat? 

Should you kiss ass? 

Should you play dumb to make your boss feel like they're smarter than you? 

Or should you just be less vocal in the workplace?

Yea, I know. This all sounds pretty ridiculous doesn't it? 

It's kind of reminiscent of slavery when "ole massa" forbid the Africans from reading and writing, fearing that they would gain to much knowledge and somehow become smarter and wiser. 

Dumbing yourself down to make another person feel better about themselves should never be an option, never! You only short change that person as well as yourself.

So should you find yourself in a situation such as this, hold your head high and remember your worth. Take the experience as a mental note to make you stronger, and know that there is something much better waiting for you. And don't worry, those that treat people poorly because of the power they possess will eventually lose. 

Es verdad.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2010 LA

Saturday, March 13, 2010

A Lesson In Love...


I understand what it means to love so much until it hurts. I've physically felt the pain in my chest and had my breathe completely taken away, as the thoughts of every moment my love and I encountered one another played back in my head like a movie. Every thought took me back in time, reminiscing about every moment that made me fall in love.

After I come to, I look up at my sweetheart lovingly and with a smile in my eyes. I stroke my partners face gently with the back of my hand, our eyes meet and we both smile, and I mark yet another moment that I have fallen in love, again.

Lesson: Sometimes we forget how amazing our better halves are. It's easy to take each other for granted being around one another every day and becoming to comfortable. But it's important to stop and think back to the good times, besides, you never know how much time you have left. Wouldn't you want to spend your last days with someone or something worthwhile?

Recognize your blessings.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2010 LA

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Working Poor in America


Can you imagine having a job but still being broke?

Having a job but still being hungry?

Having a job but still being evicted?

Having a job but still not able to save?

Having a job but waking up everyday not knowing if you still have a job?

These are situations I've encountered from conversing with everyday hard working people. Its a harsh reality that no one should have to endure.

At my current place of employment, I meet people who ask me for food due to not having any money to buy a lunch. I meet working people who ask if I have anything extra in my fridge that I don't want, so they can feed their kids that night. 

I met a young lady who was due to give birth in two weeks, and didn't have anything for her new baby coming -- not one thing because she couldn't afford it. I meet people who live in motels, because they can't afford an apartment or furnishings.

These stories break my heart, and pisses me off at the same time. When there are drastic situations such as these, that's when the employer should take a stand and do something. 

There should be food drives at places of employment for those in need. How degrading is it to come to work everyday for eight hours, and not be able to feed yourself?! How does an employer expect anybody to work on an empty stomach?

I plan to either start a union or write a very detailed letter to the president of the company about this matter, just in case the CEO is out of touch with what many of his workers are currently going through. 

It's time to shine some light on the dark areas of certain establishments.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2010 LA 

Update: This facility I previously spoke of has been shut down, due to a class action law suit. As I said before, the light will eventually shine in the dark areas.

BIG Hearts Can Make A BIG Difference!


While on a personal mission to save the world in my head, I use to think I had to be rich in order to help people. 

My problem was I wanted to help so many people at one time, which often kept me stressing over not having enough money to do it. I began to realize that my heart was just really big, and not having enough money shouldn't stop me from doing the little things that can make a difference.

Even if you're not financially well off, giving what you can is better than nothing. It can be as little as donating canned goods to a local shelter, or ten dollars for gas to somebody that needs it, a ride home from work, a compliment, a smile, acknowledging some one's hard work, or buying a homeless person a hot meal.

I know first hand about these things because between my spouse and I, we've done all these things and more but it always felt like it wasn't enough. So we'd play the lottery a few times, in hopes of hitting to have enough money to help needy people all over the world. 

Big dreams I suppose, but it never stops us from wishfully thinking about it. So until that magical day we'll be happy giving what we can, until we can really give what we want. You should do the same.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA