Organization and Mobilization: What will it take?

I'm going to have to make this short and brief, because I initially wrote a several page discourse on this subject, and somehow lost it when I was trying to post, so instead of trying to remember and rewrite this blog I'm just going to highlight the main points:

1: Right now we see that whether we like it our not, marches are still effective.

The immigration debate has proved that if a people stand together and are determined to have their voices heard, those in power and others will listen.

Have we gotten so bourgeois to think that we are above that now? What is our justification given the fact that our community is increasingly getting worse? If you have any other ideas, now would be a good time to exercise them.

2: Stop blaming those whom we attribute "leadership" or "messiahship".

I don't care if we like it or not, Jesse, Sharpton, and Farrakhan, etc. Are not going to save us. A leader and messenger is only as good as the followers and the listeners. Many of us have heard the word, but refuse to act.

Faith comes by hearing yes, but once you hear then what? I don't care what religion you subscribe to, there is not one that tells you that once you believe you can stay as you are. So it is with movements and organizations. If you truly believe in a cause then what are you doing to ensure it moves forward?

3: If we keep waiting on "we", I will accomplish nothing.

We love to sit around and wait on others before we decide to do something. This of course, is public enemy #1 to black people. What happens if those who we are waiting on decide they are waiting on someone else, who is waiting on someone else? Don't answer, you all ready know, you get the problem facing our community. We have to make a conscious decision to do something on our own. If "I" don't take the initiative, who will?

4: Stop allowing ourselves to be distracted.

In the Quran, Shatain/Iblis(Satan) tells Allah(God) that his #1 goal is to keep us off the sirahtal mustaqueem(straight path).

How does he do this? Well for one he makes us believe that "entertainment" and self gratification is the end all to life. He gets into our "religion" and have us so confused right seems wrong and wrong seems right, but most importantly as the Quran tells us he mixes truth with falsehood. In other words he gives us "white" lies. Oh you know what I'm talking about.

He tells us oh alcohol is not that bad, as long as you drink in moderation or Premarital sex isn't that bad, as long as you wear protection, or the best one, you don't have to go to church,mosque,synagogue, as long as you believe in your heart you can do that at home.

This goes right along with our stagnation.

Centuries ago, we were organized around freedom, then we were organized around civil rights, what are we organized about today? What should we be organized about?

Can any of us honestly say that we can look at the world we live in and given our present condition feel that our children or theirs will live in a much better world?

If not, then what's our excuse for not actively attempting to at least try to make it better? What will it take?

Why are we still surprised in 2006?

Maybe I watch and read the news too much(OK that's probably the direct answer), but its becoming painfully obvious especially after a careful analysis of history, that there is nothing new under the sun.

I remember when Katrina happened, everyone was all upset because of the actions or lack their of by the leadership. I was amazed at the responses especially those of Kanye West, as if this were some new revelation.

I mean come on people. The actions taken against people of color throughout history around the world has been pretty much the same for centuries.

I believe its time to stop acting so surprised and get to a point were instead of getting upset we need to WORK toward ensuring these things can't and won't happen again.

Now we have millions of Muslims going berserk over the cartoons of our Prophet(saw), as if we should expect the West or more importantly Europeans and those of their descent to ever respect us as a Religion and people. They haven't done it once or very seldom since our origin 1475+ yrs ago and they are definitely are not going to do it today.

If we really want to do our religion and people justice we would stop protesting and get into the business of strengthening our Ulmah(Muslim Community). Furthermore, it never ceases to amaze me how quick we protest over what the West has done, but won't protest what we have done. As if our societies and countries couldn't use that same zeal and more to make us a better people.

The same goes for the Black community in America. As much as I agree with the talk about the evils of white people to us, I'm starting to get a little weary with our talk. Talk is pointless without action. The real question should be, what are we going to do about it?

I sat and watched the entire funeral of Mother Coretta yesterday, and I marveled at the standing ovation President Clinton got before he even spoke a word. When are we going to have a black version? Taking nothing from Pres Clinton, he made a profound remark yesterday "What are we going to do in her honor?" "If she is a role model, why don't we model her behavior?"

I would be lying if I said I wasn't getting sick of all the talk and nodding of heads, without seeing any actual movement in our community. For instance, TV One and the Black Family Channel according to what I read aired the funeral, and what did BET do? Continued with business as usual filling our youth and adults with degeneracy and filth that producing nothing but savagery in our minds and beings.

Remember this in the beginning was the word, yes every creation begins with a word, you need people to deliver the message, but after that it must become flesh. Its one thing to hear but you must also obey and carry into practice.

God did ask Elijah(PBUH) "Can these bones walk?" Even though I live amongst the dry bones in the valley, my faith and trust in Almighty God lets me know that if we all unite under principles and our God, we will certainly live to see a day when these bones will come together and dance.
Its not going to happen as long as we are afraid to prophesy unto the winds.

Sheep Syndrome

What is it about man that we refuse to use our God - given ability to reason? Oftentimes I find myself analyzing people whether religious or not, political or otherwise, and it pains me to see how "sheepish" we can be.

Oftentimes, I'm critical of religion and politics, I don't mean to harp on them so much(or maybe I do) but sometimes you just have to step out the box and just see how crazy we can be.

Ever asked a "religious" person why do they believe? Its almost like pulling teeth on occasion. Most people tend to believe whatever their parents believed and their parents before them. Never once questioning if there might be potential something flawed in their "beliefs". The real question is not only why do they believe, but are they truly believers?

Think about it, if your raised under a certain religious affiliation, how much of your belief is your discernment and how much is your family's? The sad truth about us humans is that we tend to do what is most convenient and/or comfortable, therefore most likely we believe whatever we are taught or raised as, because doing contrary would be a little too uncomfortable.

Case in point, religious "holidays" in America. We become adults, realize how foolish our childhood beliefs and fairytales are and in most cases even realize that oftentimes they are contrary to our religious beliefs, but instead of breaking the cycle with our children, what do we do? We put up a tree, talk about tooth fairies, and bunnies laying eggs, mainly because everybody else is doing it, and we don't want our children to "miss out".

What are we really doing to ourselves spiritually and physically when we decide to go against our core to appease others?

Then there's politics. Personally, I love politics and hope to be a Senator or maybe President someday, but I can't get with this whole political party thing. Maybe in theory, but have you ever noticed that some people are so loyal to a party that they will vote in that party's favor no matter what?

That's the most dangerous behavior that is being played out daily in our so-called democracy. We have a bunch of sheep in office who don't have the backbone to do what's right and better for our country.

I think its about time that we look at the man/woman in the mirror and consider our status. Are we sheep or shepherds? There's nothing necessarily wrong with being a sheep, but don't be a blind sheep. The difference is that a sheep with sight will follow the right shepherd to the greener grasses, whereas the blind sheep just follows any ole shepherd. Now what if that shepherd just happens to be as blind as you are?

Then as Jesus(PBUH) said "if the blind lead the blind, both fall in the ditch". That ditch can represent hell in all its many forms whether physical or spiritual.

We have to learn to break the mold and do something contrary. Believe it or not, oftentimes contrary is the right way. We have to have the courage to stand up and do what's right no matter what.

For you religious folk, that's what made Abraham(PBUH) and all the Prophets(PBUT) for that matter so important... They heard the word of God and obeyed Him. It didn't matter if they had to leave their parents, wealth, or status behind, it didn't matter if they faced certain death, they did what had to be done.

The same goes for the political folk, where would we be if the founding fathers didn't make that choice to break from England? Or if Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, MLK, etc. Didn't decide enough was enough.

Many of us talk a good game, but how many of us are truly willing to deny themselves, comfort, stability, status, wealth, etc. Die daily, and pick up his or her cross?