If you knew better, you'd do better

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "There is a time when silence becomes betrayal."
If you're reading this, I'm asking you to wake up and open your mouths!
I'm asking that all of us (myself included), truly examine some of the issues that are so rampant in our communities and our nation.
In this day and age, the country seems to be founded on capitalism. Basically, I'm saying that money is the motive.
I have seen many of my people fall victim to making the "Almighty Dollar."
In doing so, they forget what is really important.
These days, we leave behind the things that back in the day were key to our everyday lives.
I'm talking about faith in and service to God, making and nurturing healthy relationships, supporting and empowering one another.
But, we choose to value tangible things...things that can slip through our fingers at any moment.
Yet, we wonder why the things we have don't last and why people are so temporary these days?
As humans, we all NEED certain things to sustain us. Human contact is one of them.
But, because we have made other things more important, we will do anything to get it.
We'll even sacrifice our dignity, integrity, and respect just so that others will notice us.
We desire to be unique so desperately that we will do anything to get that title. We try to impress others to give them something to talk about.
On one hand, we'll buy fancy cars, clothes and have a "dime" on our arms, but on the other we won't be taking care of priorities like putting food on the table or being able to take care of ourselves and our children.
I think this desire stems from when we were slaves. The belief that we are less than our oppressors was beaten and branded into our minds so deeply that it still remains with us today.
RJ Wright once said, "Competition doesn't breed community." I completely agree.
Our oppressors created competition and division between us by separating us into two categories: house n*&^%s and the field n*&^%s. This paved the way for hatred within us.
Now that we are so far removed from slavery days, we don't know where the hatred comes from. However, the effects of our past still affect us, because of the lack of the community, love of wealth, and strong desire for independence within self.
When will we wake up and realize that united we stand and divided we fall.
I think it's high time we build each other up! Let's hold each other accountable for our actions. Let's allow love back into the picture and stop allowing fear to drive us into the ground...it gets us nowhere.
As we all know, talk is cheap. Where is your walk? You mad? That's probably because you know I'm right. Don't take it out on me.... do something about it.
If my opinion means absolutely nothing to you, I hope that I have at least prompted you to start the conversation within your circle.