Monday, December 31, 2012

Oh The Land Of The (fill in blank) And The Home Of The (favorite cuss word here)

"We're entitled!" That's the answer that my friend gave me when describing to my friend how this nations problems, differ from those of the other countries. Entitled or not, I honestly believe that for the new year, we need to make sure that the battle is worth the war. This year ended amazingly for me. The highlight of this year was not the South Carolina-Georgia game in Columbia. It wasn't me getting a full time job and loving it. It wasn't going back to school and finish out with all A's. It wasn't even the brand new friends that I have made from work, or from play. The greatest thing that happened to me this year was "The BronzeLens Film Festival."

It is a festival that celebrates the black film makers, and I saw my favorite movie of the year there. Its a movie that is called "Colored My Mind: Diagnosis." The movie brings about the awareness of Autism in the black community. For a long time, its been looked over due to either status, or education (or the lack there of), and how 5 black mothers, all of different backgrounds of fame, went to Washington to make sure that EVERY FAMILY who has an autistic kid is assured top medical help as they learn about the conditions, and how to manage it... Nia T. Hill, the director of the film did an AMAZING job, and I can not wait to see what features she gets to direct. She is great, and I hope you check her out! Another moment in the festival that stood out was when I met David Frankham. He is the executive producer, and director of the"Witness" series on HBO.

For those who don't know, "Witness" follows the everyday lives that photo journalists who follows conflicts around the world. They followed a woman through the jungles of South Sudan as the Arrow Boys fight to keep their villages safe from the L.R.A. lead by Joseph Koni. They followed a young man through the streets of Juarez, Mexico, as he follows the cops as drug trafficking is ravaging this town in fear and death. Another young man is followed as he revisits Libya where he nearly lost his life, and lost a colleague and personal friend in a mortar attack, but he goes back and captures the country in its latest uprising for civil rights from the black community. It ends as they follow another photo journalist as he travels through the slums of Rio. He follows the police and the military as they attempt to clean up the streets from drugs and gangs as the time of the World Cup and Olympics comes to town in the next collective 4 years. But during this, there are reports of all this crime that is going down and all these "gangsters" that has been killed, but there are no bodies to confirm... So As bad as the drugs are, the law is worse! It has gotten so bad that forensics teams are going around Rio to unearth all these bodies that has disappeared... Its a great series, and like I asked Mr. Frankham, I do hope there is a follow up series.

The series seriously opened my eyes to how full of shit we are as Americans. What were the biggest issues in this country? Gay marriage, marijuana legalization, gun control, and chick-fil-a... These issues are all very insignificant in comparison to what is going on around the world... We sit here and complain about what marriage is, and celebrate a dumb ass plant, and are all so concerned about who can get a gun, and how a company decides to spend their money, to over look at how, by the grace of God Himself, we have it SO easy. You don't have men walking around with already shitty guns, with a flashlight taped to their heads shooting at the first thing that moves (friend or foe) TRYING to protect their kids and families, or at least the ones that weren't kidnapped or killed in front of him. Yes. an Arrow Boy was shot by another Arrow Boy while they searched the jungles for the L.R.A.
 We aren't mothers and fathers who are scared to talk to the police in fear of being killed by the cartels, or talk to the cartels in fear of being killed by the police... We aren't children riding in cars when grenades are thrown in and explodes in our laps... We aren't going dying in front of the cops as they stand around, and you beg for your life...
We aren't in a race war, and we aren't overthrowing a government... We aren't losing our lives to let the world know how bad it is over here...
We aren't people being forced from our homes for the world. We ain't parents and friends that are fearing the worse when our loved ones comes up missing, or when they're names flash across the news and you think they are in jail or in the hospital, but their ENTIRE BODY IS MISSING...
No, we don't any real issue in this country. You will NEVER get rid of guns in this country... Marijuana is just fueling the killings and the corruption of the Mexican government and people. Way to go, America... Gay marriage... for it or against it, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! And Chick-fil-a is still delicious.

So the issues we have here can not hold water to what is going on around the world. Anyone who complains about anything in these United States, does not have a viable argument. You know why? We elected these assholes to make the rules the way they are right now. These are the people who are about to reach the fiscal cliff, where the money is about to get out of control cause of greed by those we elect to office... HIGH-FIVE AMERICA!!! Wanted change, we got it, but it wasn't what we expected...

So, its a new year. It is a new chance to try again. So, instead of complaining, and bitching and all that about what problems we have here, when we get to that moment, lets consider the world for what it is... a place that is messed up and in need of more help and prayer than you can imagine. I don't ever want to know the fear that these people around the world lives with... 1st world, 3rd world, no matter, it is not fun to know life in fear... So, we need to re-evaluate our reasons to complain... YOU have it so much better... I have it so much better... WE NEED TO DO BETTER BY OURSELVES!!! We need to make sure that we can extend a helping hand in one way or another, cause who knows when we will need a far away prayer, or a far way pat on the back... Happy New Year... lets make 2013 count.

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