Observations – Part 1

Observations – Part 1

I’ve been seeing tons of social media posts about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. over the weekend and today, in particular as today is (for most) the official holiday to celebrate his birthday. This is typically a good thing in my opinion (side note: It’s my blog so most of the opinions expressed herein are my own. If they aren’t I will clearly state it, as I did in “Opinions are like Assholes”.) as many in the U.S. and some parts of the world still do not understand the extent to which his actions and beliefs shaped U.S. history. Yes, you read that right, he helped to shape U.S. history and not just black history or African American history. As I continued to read the posts and messages from certain people/accounts, as well as the comments in response to certain articles or posts, my brain started whirring which means that a poem or something similar is about to start brewing. And to be fair, I think I’ve always had these opinions, I just may not have shared them out loud so here goes! My observations at this time as I continue to be brave:

Good:   I see many Facebook, twitter, pinterest, tumblr and vine accounts posting these wonderful phrases, statements, beliefs and catch phrases about a remarkable leader, about being a better person, about Dr. King’s legacy, etc.

Bad:       These are the same accounts (people) that at times, post some seriously effed up ratchet-like stuff that do nothing but drag society’s low points even lower during the rest of the year. Well to be fair, they post some nice shit about religion around Easter.

Good:   Some minorities blame some white people for not being more open or receptive to occasions like this or for not knowing all of U.S. history, and more about the contributions made by minorities in this country.

Bad:       Some minorities have NO clue about their own damn history while some continuously make fun of their own history, or go so far as to undersell its importance and contributions.

Good:   Not all white people are racist, prejudiced assholes.

Bad:       Several white people are racist, prejudiced assholes.

Good:   I can avoid assholes who are racist and prejudiced by not interacting with them, or blocking, unfriending or changing the channel, etc. if they’re on social media or the news.

Bad:       I can’t avoid assholes at work, in some social settings, or when they’re splashed all over the news, so I have to learn how to control my temper.

Good:   I can change my habits to support my core beliefs, values, etc. by determining where to spend my hard-earned money, where to boycott, what to watch, which earworm is acceptable, etc.

Bad:       I can’t control the management of some companies, what society throws money at to make it popular, etc.

Good:   I have the opportunity to educate myself on companies, legal practices, history, etc. so that I can make informed decisions about where to shop, etc.

Bad:       It’s sometimes difficult to get some couch protestors to actually DO something about horrible companies, legal practices, etc. other than post messages on social media pages.

Good:   If all someone wants to do is post messages on social media, find a way to use that! Chances are, if that’s their major avenue to interacting with others, they’ve already built a decent networking and/or word of mouth base. Maybe someone who is less couch-potato-like and sees their posts will be the ones to actually do something.

As you see, this list and my thoughts could continue for quite a few pages.  So what else should be added? What are your thoughts?