Sunday, December 23, 2007

Home Sweet Home (Revised)

Sunday, December 23, 2007
I first posted this video last night, but thought about it more and decided to edit it today. Initially I wrote this:


How disheartening is this? I honestly don't know what else to say. This is not the Baltimore I know. :-(




That isn't good enough. I have this really bad habit of shifting blame. I think we all do. None of this is my fault. Blame it on the city, the state, the parents, the system or the man. Just don't involve me. As long as my little world remains unaffected, I'm pretty cool.

We come up with all sorts of excuses and reasons to absolve ourselves. We proclaim on national television that bad things happen in the black community because 'George Bush doesn't like Black people'.

We love our scapegoats. I know I do.

It makes our lives easier to blame another entity. The absolute truth is each of us is the problem. Nobody takes personal responsibility for anything anymore. Think about our values and how we live. Our degrees and net worth somehow make us righteous members of society and hell, all that hard work must entitle us to a little righteous indignation, right?

We need to rethink the way we view the world and ourselves in it and stop placing blame. After all, the only thing we can really control is ourselves. We need to rethink progress and what it means to be human and civilized. We've lost sight of all of that.

Let's be real here. The people in this video are just extremist extensions ourselves. They do the same things we all do on a daily basis. We fight to not only survive but to thrive and so do they. We don't like when people try to stop us from doing what we want to do and neither do they. We wield our power and influence to get ahead. We justify our actions by reminding ourselves that it's our right to do what we need to do when we get ahead. They do the same.

Of course this is sad and disheartening. But, this is America, after all. Our home sweet home.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Ummm...I ain't snitchin'...I mean, sayin'...nufin'! What was with the gun-carrying, hate-spewin', weed-smokin' kid??? That was the saddest part of the whole minute of it.

That Dude Right There said...

"They do the same things we all do on a daily basis"

I have to disagree with you on this. I do not commit violent crimes or make threats against others on a daily basis. What I do to survive hurts no one.

iii said...

I am speechless!!!

bLaQ~n~MiLD said...

I totally disagree with your premise Mr. Jones. As TDRT stated, what I do to survive in no way causes violence or the treat of violence to others. The fact is that we have elements within our community whom did not have the proper guidance at home (parents) and in some regards that's because their parents were wayward individuals themselves. These elements grow up thinking that the ends justify their violent means. Whenever the 'Silent Black Majority' tries to speak up, we are shouted down (yes I said 'WE' because even tho you and I are on opposite sides of the spectrum politically, we have ascended into the SBM to an extent). At some point you get tired of being what my friend calls me "Captain Save a HO!"

That video was disturbing but what's even more disturbing to me...I have individuals in my family that think/act the same way. I've tried to reason but now I just stay away. The old adage goes "You can lead a horse to water but..."...you know the rest. One Luv!

~Damnit!

Mr. Jones said...

TDRT & Blaq - You both completely missed the point. TRDT immediately went into 'thats not me...that's them and their issue' mode. Blaq immediately began placing blame. The reality is we're all responsible and do the same type of thing every day. When you move beyond the prima facia and then you'll see where I'm coming from.

That Dude Right There said...

Damn right I went into a 'thats not me...that's them and their issue' mode. And you should to.

These thugs don't work legitimate jobs to pay bills and put food in their bellies like I do. They sell drugs, rob people, and do all kinds of dishonest and illegal activity. And I do not like being compared to criminals.

yet another black guy said...

i read the original post without commenting, bu this edited version is a lot better. i agree that these people are extremist versions of ourselves. though none of us are criminals, i'm assuming) all of us know some criminal activity is happening without trying in any way to stop it.

it takes a village to raise a child and a nation to raise it's consciousness.

One Man’s Opinion said...

The kid was the saddest part of the whole video. I need to stop by more often. Looks like I be missing some good stuff, Mr. Jones.

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