Ride For My Team – Dinobrite Productions!

This is Gamecock Country!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New International Version (NIV))

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!

God’s On Your Side – Andrae Couch!

"Already Done" - Margaret P. Douroux & The Heritage Mass Choir!

Faith can change things!  But it changes the believer most of all! Glory to God!  We all are going through struggles and when we look back, we wondered how did we get through!  Nobody but God brought us through!

The Verdict Is In – Not Guilty!

What did you expect?  Too many factors, too many biases, too many opinions shaped this trial of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman from the beginning.  The trial seemed to me that the victim was the oppressor and the oppressor was the victim.  Isn't that the current culture we seemed to be facing?  Minorities despite where you live and how they are dressed are still considered threats to society. It doesn't matter if you hold the title of President of the United States, as a minority you are a threat to the very life of this nation!  This is another polarizing trial meant to maintain the country’s segregation of the races.

It’s time we faced the racial separation in this country and have a candid, honest talk about it.  I don’t care if you married across racial lines; I don’t want to hear you say that you married one of the good ones. A segment of any population can cause stereotypes.  The penal system might house a majority of minority population, but for what reasons?  White collar crimes suffer less time and punishment than being arrested for carrying 2 joints and/or a nickel bag.

Why are we running away from a national racial discussion?  Zimmerman said that “they always get away.”  Well, Trayvon didn’t.  How many non-minorities walked that neighborhood and were never considered to me a threat to Zimmerman?  How many got away?  Zimmerman was not held accountable.

They are some complex variables that are working behind the scenes and the voters are not noticing until it’s too late.  Haven’t you noticed Congress’ actions that they are not listening to the voices of America.  They are only paying attention to the constituents in their district because they reapportioned (gerrymandered) the lines that support ultra-conservative viewpoints.  Don’t ask how they got away with it, they did it in full view while many apathetic voters sat at home.  You don’t vote, you don’t have a say.  There is a push to change laws back to the old days such as changing Voting Laws.  Reform the Immigration law but in the process let’s keep them from being a part of America until hidden agendas are obtained.  Look at how the Ultra-cons are treating women and their rights now.  What is going on?

Look at this way.  The devil knows that his time is short but his aim is to kill and destroy.  If you leave the door open to your heart.  He will enter, tear it to shreds, and have you believe that it was the right thing to do.  You didn’t do anything to stop him, slow him down, or looked to God for help.  Now that everything is turned upside down, you are still wondering what happened.  We went to sleep while the devil never sleeps.

We are directing our anger at the wrong people.  Has anyone paid attention to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)?  ALEC is an American organization composed of legislators, businesses, and foundations which produces model legislation for state legislatures and promotes free-markets, limited government, and federalism at the state level.  In other words, these groups support states sovereignty.  Give power back to the states, keep the government out an let the state make the laws.  We are already seeing the effects.  It’s amazing that the many of the members of ALEC are the same businesses that we consumers support everyday. Examples, AOL, AT&T, BP, Charter Communications, DirecTV, Dow Chemical, DuPont, EBay, Fedex, Koch Industries, Taser International, Time Warner, UPS, Verizon, Visa and a large list of people we do business with and laugh at us after they got the money.

For decades, ALEC has been a conduit for the oil, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industries to push legislation that changes the rules to limit accountability when a corporation’s products or actions cause injury or death -such as when a Koch Industries pipeline explodes and kills teenagers, or when the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries withhold evidence that their products are dangerous.

Cooler heads most prevail.  We must look at the overall picture and not let tunnel vision act out our emotions.  Diversion and distraction are a few common methods used by the media to cause or maintain confusion.  They are designed to misinform and keep the people off balance even to the point of polarization.  Race is always a hot topic, it provokes deep-seated emotions and arguments but not enough for all us to sit down and discuss.  We can get too sensitive sometimes, but it’s better to talk about our differences and understand each other.  

If the media truly cared what is happening among races in America, it will also write about possible solutions, it would cover more on the homicides in Detroit and Chicago.  From January 1^st to the 4^th of July 2013, 200 homicides have taken place.  In 2012, there were an overall number of 500 shootings.  I question if the media is concerned at all about black on black crimes when there seems to more interest in the racial aspect of the crime.  

We Americans can use this upsetting moment to be respectful of Trayvon's parents by not destroying or offending anyone.  We can do something to show unity in our struggle for equity and equality.  We must vote not only in the primaries but get out there for the midterms.  If the states want IDs and voter registrations, let's get them.  Let's show these politicians that they can not continue to use us or ignore us.  Let's exercise our civil right to vote!

Chrisette Michele – A Couple Of Forevers!

Happy Birthday, 14th Amendment! (Ratified July 9, 1868)

The 14th Amendment, now 145 Years Old, was the second of three Reconstruction Amendments passed in the years following the Civil War. The 13th banned slavery, and the 15th prohibits denying the right to vote based on race.  The 14th Amendment resolved the legal status of former slaves–it granted them citizenship and “equal protection of the laws.” Today, the 14th Amendment is referenced frequently in court cases making claims for legal equality.

XIV AMENDMENT

SECTION 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

SECTION 2.

Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.

SECTION 3.

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

SECTION 4.

The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

SECTION 5.

The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.