The south has always it seems been the center of controversy; whether it has been the fight over the flag controversy in S. C. or the fight for the freedom of those involved in the Louisiana Jena 6. It is interesting to learn that although my south has been centered around so much controversy, I am starting to see the ways and reasons we seem to be in the middle not just in the middle but the catalyst for so much. I can only imagine what we would have seen in the past if I could go back in time and walk with my ancestors that settled here (forced to settle here). Although we have come so far in the years since the confederate flag flied high and proud ... at least for some, we have still maintained and continued to let those negative lessons and history dictate how we look at certain things today. I continue to find it hard to believe that the effect of this has truly affected me .... or at least my mentality. I am unable or I will decline saying that I am okay with my history .... but my history has not affected me negatively. I mean I know the playing field may not be equal, but it is true that at least now I can play on the field. Opportunity is what it is... and we seldom take advantage of the opportunity that we have .... Blood of my ancestors was spilled not for me to complain, but for me to excel. I know that many people may say how can he excel when we are still in bondage. First of all I do not consider myself in bondage, held down, held back, or even less than he.... Truely we have for so long shifted the blame for what we can not attain. I mean whose to say that I am not going to have troubles as I walk through life ... we all do .... I also know that I have a target on my back thanks to the media depiction of my generation ... MY people ... you know how we are viewed .. in case you are wondering .... just look at the 5 o'clock news national or local and see how many stories are aired about the volume of crime and criminal activity in the inner city. So you say it is the city.... right .... but why the city ... well any time you have a group of hungry individuals .... imigrants or whatever, you will have those that will have to shape their thoughts and actions to survive ... just look at wild animals ... not saying we are animals, not by any means but how can we complain about the south and our cities in the south when we have control and the ability to change these things that have trapped us by symbols such as a flag.... man if I where some of my forefathers I would be rolling over now .... watching how we use excuses and a no win attitude to take for our brothers and sisters ... not just material things but life .... the life.... of innocent people.... no we are not animals but we have let history shape our mentality so that we have become like animals ... because only animals attack and kill without reason ... or at least many times they only do it for hunger and unless we are canibals, we need to have or use some reasoning in the way we handle these situations. Now I am not saying that we should embrace the flag of the confederacy, but we do need to let go of what it stands for and fight for what we should .... and protect that which we should love.... that is my thought for now ... we need to educate and uplift but instead we bread ignorance and we destroy ...
thoughts for the future.... are only thoughts until we produce substance from action
Young William
