AARP Online Community: Sweethack

Sweethack

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Background

Gender: Male

Status: Single

Ethnicity: African American

Religion: Buddhist

Location:
WOODBOURNE, New York
United States

Quote:
Always challenge yourself and stay focused. There is a whole universe out there, to which I would like to bring harmony and peace. As long as I am serving others and not getting distracted by trying to be the great I AM, I will know peace of mind, a sense of completeness and happiness

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About Me

I like to read and spend time in meditation and chanting. I also like to go to out of the way places that are mentally stimulating. I love independent movies and documentaries. I like to journal and listen to NPR and music, Jazz and Classical on my radio. I also like Latin Jazz and Salsa. I like to go for walks and long rides. Finding a place where there is good fresh food to be had for a reasonable price is a joy. I am a thinker and like to think out of the box. Love to keep my mind occupied and photography is one of my joys. Feel free to communicate with me if you have some idea you would like to share. Peace, Love and Light everybody!

Interests:

Reading, Photography, Fishing, Nature Walks, Cooking, Writing Blogs, Essays, and Short Stories. Caribbean, African, Central American, South American,and Asian, Literature and Current Events, The Peoples of the African Diaspora and their History, Music, Culture and Literary contributions to the Americas and Europe. Jazz, R&B, Vocalists of any kind of music both male and female. I love vocals without instrumentation. Coffee Houses, NPR , The study of Nicheren Buddhism and Soka Gaki International.

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My Journals (1)

The End of Racism.....NOT!

It is the age of Obama and some are naive enough to join George Will in saying that his election signals the end of Racism. Although I hope to never use racism as an excuse for my shortcomings and failures, I will not ever join Mr. Will in saying that Mr Jackson(Jessie) and Mr Sharpton(Al) should go sit in a corner and be quiet. There are still too many instances of police profiling and police brutality on a world wide basis. Think of what the so called color blind therory(advanced by conservatives to suit their agenda and not the advancement of people of color) has done to the plight of Blacks in Canada and England. Blacks in Canada are routinely discharged for being disruptive when they complain to surpervisors and cowrkers about discrimination. In England, on my last transcontinental visit, Blacks both of African and West Indian origin were treated as fouth classs citizens. I noted several things. First of all the lack of inclusion of Blacks in the media(both print and screen). Secondly I noted a virtual absence of Black Men in the buisneess district of London.Thirdly I noted that their was not one bookstore owned by people of African descent in London. Finally, I was horified to see on the bilborards, in the train stations pictures of mostly Black Women under the heading of "Gone Missing". Could not wait to get back home and folks this is the so called liberal or tolerant part of Europe. Wonder what it would be like in Germany or Russia. Well I know that Africans are routinely killed in Russia and no one has ever been brought to justice for that! Well hey yall, over here if whites want to kill Blacks without penalty, they must first put on a police or sherif's uniform. Not to mention that the current head of state in France is a known Anti-Semite who refered to rioting people of African and Arab descent as animals. We have a long devide to overcome and we won't even begin to get there by false celebrations or unrealistic conclusions about where we are as a world in matters of race. Untill we can be more tollerant, the bigots are just as imprisoned by their additudes as those discriminated against on the basis of color are by their tormentors and opponents.

Added: March 5, 2009
Views: 119 | Comments: 2 | Bookmarks: 0

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Comments (3)

judithdance29 says:

I lived most of my life in VA and grew up in segregated schools in the country. Lived most of my adult life in Richmond where there is still something of a mania about dead Confederate generals. I now live in Indiana (since retiring) and find it even more repressive than VA. I miss VA and my friends, but one thing I don't miss is the abundance of Confederate flags and the accompanying racism. One can find them occasionally in Southern Indiana, but in Indy, not so much. We have come a long way, but racism does still exist and George Will is not on my list of sources to be heeded. Also I believe sexism and ethnocentricity thrive.
As regards your last comment about "attitudes," I like the saying that "one's attitude about others frequently says more about the speaker than it does about the other person." We still have work to do to make this world a place of equality, love, and light.

Posted: April 8, 2009 9:50AM EDT

Sweethack says:

Yes we all have alot of work to do. Even African Americans must work to clean their minds and hearts of bitterness and racism.I have friends who come from all over the ethnic spectrum, and have girlfriends too. I have been shamed by comments from family and associates who are black

Posted: April 15, 2009 4:44PM EDT