Here we go again. My conspiracy theory tendencies had taken a back seat for quite some time. By that I mean that I haven’t been seen on any street corners, perched upon a soapbox and warning the people of what awaits us at the next turn. OK – not lately, anyway. Make no mistake – I may be quiet, but the wheels are always turning. No matter how I try to supress the urge to educate the people, it always seems to creep up on me and attack at the least expected moment.
I was listening-but-not-listening to the news just a few moments ago and I heard a story about AMTRAK and Homeland Security launching OPERATION RAILSAFE. It is touted as a plan to secure the rail corridors . . . complete with random security checks of customers and their baggage. It started a few days ago with the announcement that it is not entirely safe for Americans to travel abroad at the moment. The powers that be claim that terrorists have targeted certain high profile tourist attractions (particularly those that attract Americans) and said that although this is not a call for a halt to travel abroad, it is advised that extreme care be taken.
This is typical of a right winged, hawkish entity pushing their never-ending agenda to have the government take control of our lives. I’m not outraged – it’s what they do. What bothers me is that they pass laws such as The Patriot Act and initiate agencies such as Homeland Security with the public saying “Bring it on. We need more security”. The public becomes a willing pawn by being scared to death. To further kick up my dander, the reporters stopped passersby at the train stations and asked how they felt. Of those they showed, their answers all had the same pathetic feel: “It makes me feel so much safer”. Wake up, people.
There is always a cry for increased security and it is always proceeded by some catastrophic event (or threat of the same): suspected terrorists arrested or explosives found in a foreigner’s home (yes – by “foreigner”, I mean of Arab decent). There’s even a new one in Washington. D.C. And I am saddened to say that these “tricks” works every time. Citizens blindly give up their basic civil rights for what is perceived to be better protection from evil, when in reality, they are simply relinquishing their freedoms.
In an election year when right-wing politicians are desperately trying to unseat their foes or fill seats that have been vacated, it is important that we look a bit closer at the things that candidates are saying rather than cower in fear that we will be destroyed if we do not relinquish our rights. Our rights are much more important than some “perceived” threats that are thrown our way. While it is important to maintain some level of safety and security in our nation, it is also important to remember what the forefathers of this nation fought for to begin with.
Wake up, people. Please.
*************************************************************************************
copyright 2010 blackstarr
freerealm@gmail.com
young, white suburbanite (from “The Village”)
Posted in poetry, political commentary, social commentary, The Village with tags beamers, blackstarr, blackstarr_, BMW, joelle blackstarr, openmike night, poetry, suburbanite, the village, the wordsmith's alley, urban, urban legends, young white suburbanite on May 26, 2012 by joelle blackstarron any given friday night,
a young white suburbanite,
cruises in his beamer,
into the city, bose blastin’ fiddy.
he sports the latest, greatest, hippest, dopest, phattest rags
that his daddy’s silver spoon could buy,
but that silver spoon is the very reason why.
he protests the riches that they don’t deserve,
lashes out at his very own private federal reserve.
he’s looking for some black flava,
or some brown suga’,
or some white powder,
music getting louder.
young white suburbanite,
in the middle of the night,
loses himself in another man’s culture.
not understanding the subtleties of cp time,
he hits the club way too soon,
stands around with beer in hand,
realizes that the night was not so well-planned.
but he’s fly and hip and dope and –
and thinks he’s ahead of his time,
but the reality is that he simply
got there way ahead of time.
the music swirls within his head,
and the sistas think it’s so dred
that he’s holding his own,
while out of his element.
but to his detriment,
the beer pulls him to the dancefloor.
now, whitebread ain’t so fly no more.
and we think “ooh, that’s gotta hurt!”
beer has him moving to the beats,
the sight has us fallin’ out our seats.
*
“yo – young white suburbanite!
some fly sista would like ta get witcha”,
but homeboy’s homeboy has had
one too many rollin’ rocks.
young white suburbanite
struggles with all his might
to get his homeboy standing upright.
now, homeboy’s homeboy wants to fight.
young white suburbanite
came to the city,
blastin’ fiddy,
lookin’ for some black flava,
or some brown suga’,
or some white powder.
*
whitebread
got that gangsta beat going ‘round in his head.
cruisin’ in his jet-black beamer.
he’s just trying to understand
why we always catch it from the man.
tries to understand what that’s like,
he beats a path to every open mike,
struggles to get a feel for what it’s like.
a fruitless pursuit and he can’t see why
he can never feel the pain like you and i.
he innocently protests and lets out a sigh –
“it wasn’t me and i refuse to carry that lie”.
it’s neither out of compassion,
nor because it’s popular fashion,
but, instead, because the guilt of the fathers
prey upon the innocence of the sons.
*
on any given friday night,
deep within the urban blight,
from dusk until daylight.
lookin’ for some
black flava,
brown suga’,
white powder.
out of the gloomy mist and into the light,
comes an urban legend . . . a young white suburbanite.
*
copyright 2008 blackstarr
*
freerealm@gmail.com
*
(photos were obtained from across the internet. if they belong to you and you wish them to be taken down, i will gladly comply)
Leave a comment »