Kirbaybay

Had a chance to watch this video for the first time lastnight.  If anybody thought by Obama becoming president magically changed the conditions of this country, you better wake up.

an hour before this viewing this, I was watchin the 14th Annual Critics Choice Awards, where they gave a life time achievement award to actor, Richard Gere.  Before he went up to stage to receive his award, they talked about his achievements, making a point to highlight his time in Tibet,working with the Buddhist monks and finding ways to free the Tibetan people.  When he is up there to give his speech, the subject of these people is all he addresses.  I especially like the part where he says “I just stumbled across the people of Tibet”.  Right. 

Anyway my reasoning for bringing this up is because I see a trend happening with the rich, elite of America, particularly celebrities.  So many people want to talk about the injustices going on outside of America, but very rarely do I hear these same people talking about the injustices going on in our very country!

An unarmed man, who was handcuffed and pleading for his life, got shot in the back BY POLICE.  Whats even more baffling is:  There were about 20 witnesses to the murder of Oscar Grant.  And nobody did anything (well until after the riots and protesting occured).  I am actually surprised that that same police officer that pulled his gun is still living and unharmed.  Now, in no way am I advocating that any police officer should be shot dead, because after all they are still human too and maybe they have some bit of conscience left.  However, what I am questioning is the type of fear and cognitive dissonance that is being maintained when these witnesses are seeing a murder take place by authority and feel powerless to do anything about it.  And Lord knows there will be no justice served for this young man because that is how absolutely shitty (there is no other word to describe it) our criminal justice system is.  What if Richard Gere had stood up on that stage and said, “Racisim still exists in America people, wake up”.  Or maybe it didn’t ‘have to’ be about race, maybe he could have said “an unarmed man got shot in the back by police, we have problems America”.  What would have happened then?  No nothing drastic, but it would be something.  It would definitely be something. 

What type of internalized hatred/doubt/fear is being confirmed in the hearts of those that witness such actions, myself included?  Healing can not take place if the truth is not realized.  how long will it be before this country can heal?  If the truth will set us free, than as a country we have to make firm, loving, yet drastic steps to uncover and allow the light of truth to be seen or nobody is free, not the elite, the white, the privleged, the poor, the people of color, the men, the women, the oppressed and the oppressor. 

I think about this quote:

O Son of  Spirit!  The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of they neighbor.  Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be.  Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of my Loving-kindness.  Set it then beofre thine eyes.

I pray I can find a way to demonstrate this in every aspect of my life, to not become saddened…overcome by the injustice that continues to happen all over the world, and pray that this material suffering doesn’t get the best of me.. or anyone around me.. that I can continue to hold my head up high and know that I am spiritually strong and able to overcome the material forces that vigilantly try and break me down.. because I know I remember that I was created out of love, no one or anything can harm that.  The only person that can doubt that TRUTH.. is myself.

Thou art My stronghold; enter therein that thou mayest abide in safety. My love is in thee, know it, that thou mayest find Me near unto thee.