Dr. Umar Johnson | Brandt Edwards

I’mma drop this gem and keep it moving. In the South Florida area, and much like many areas in the nation, yesterday was the first day of school. Excitement began anew as we sent our young explorers to the care of those charged with assisting to lay the foundation for their lives moving forward. But let me give you something to think about, and I may be wrong so I can be straightened. Have you ever thought how attending school strips our children of their individuality? It appears as though school is a conduit which creates motion turning the wheel that supports the corporate structure of this country. Don’t get me wrong, I believe education is paramount and the thirst for knowledge is essential in being able to survive the cruelties this world has to offer. But is standardized testing a measure of a child’s intelligence. It appears as though students are being groomed to pass a test (or series of tests) and are not prepared for the trials of everyday living upon completing their formal education. At the time of my entry into college, my SAT/ACT scores weren’t phenomenal but I was still able to get a “piece” of scholarship, graduate near honors and still accomplish great things. Uniforms save money but hinders creativity and competition. Sh*t, who didn’t want to be freshest on the first day of school; showing off the latest fashion or the hottest trend. Now the only differentiation a person has is with their shoes and/or accessories, maybe.

If I provided you with these demographics what would you think: bells, gates & walls, one or few unlocked doors for access, timed schedule for activities, a cafeteria, drab-looking facades, cramped quarters, socialization mentality, authoritarian structure, dress code, emphasis on silence & order, negative reinforcement, walking in lines, loss of individual autonomy, abridged freedoms, no input in decision making, set times enforced for walking, eating, etc.; given all that, where would you think your child (my child) would be? If you were to say prison or school, you’d be right on both accounts. Wardens are equivalent to administrators; there’s a high inmate/student to guard/teacher ratio; and instead of lockdowns, there’s lockdown drills. This dissertation is in no way an attempt to discount the efforts of teachers, as they have the responsibility of educating students based on the curriculum they’re implored to instruct. It’s the system itself that needs to be revamped. People attend schools for ex-number of years, face enormous debt as a result of loans and then, if they’re lucky to find a job, work in an industry that suppresses their creative desires and repay those loans at a high interest rate. All the while, especially during their formative years, any thoughts of being entrepreneurs or innovators are being shredded with the sentiments shared by both parents and teachers alike, “Finish high school, go to college or get a trade, then get a job!” Is that living or slavery? What made individuals so unique in the days of yesteryear were their abilities to be sound in all aspects of life; penmanship, the studies of the sciences, philosophy, being proficient in world history and culture, which made many of our predecessors soundly astute. And despite all I’ve written, our children still have an opportunity to break the cycle destined for them if they continue to follow protocol. Like all things, it begins at home first. Equip you child with the weapons (information/knowledge) to question everything being presented to them. Be involved in their development every step of the way; ensure that they’re being challenged and their abilities are being enhanced. And lastly, encourage individualism; not saying that your child shouldn’t be sociable or be a “team player”, but as mentioned before by this writer, we were born to stand out and be from amongst the crowd by our thoughts, talents & ideals; so support that. Keep in mind that prior to the fame, success and glory, they must capitulate (Stephen A. Smith word) to the norms of society until they establish their own brand, have control of their own business and have complete sovereignty over their own assets. All our lives we’ve been taught to avoid incarceration as it’s a detriment to anything you want to accomplish in life; so why are we subjecting our children to the psychological constraints of an educational system which in some instances has been proven to be non-beneficial. “We Are The Change!” I’m gone! (b)

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As I bask in the warmth of the afternoon sun; with blue skies filled with soft white decor suspended above the horizon stretched as far as the eye can see, this black man stands firmly entrenched in utter mental disarray. Shedding the skin of a past littered with lies, misinformation and propaganda, to the hope of returning to an indigenous state of simplicity and spirituality. The road less traveled they say is the most difficult. Radical thinking leaves you as an outcast. Being a part of the crowd is the norm; removing oneself from that crowd leads to ridicule and rejection. It’s safer that way; all the opinions match; a united front for those who dare question the status quo.

However, what if I told you that it wasn’t meant to be that way? That within yourself you possessed the ability to change your reality. Your mere thoughts and gestures held more power than the actions of others who took opposition. Your voice could make plants grow or whither. Your thoughts could heal your body in the physical realm and enhance your soul in the spiritual one. The foods you ate were genetically modified to change your DNA structure; chemtrails lined the skies to your detriment. Religion was a means of control and television a form of slavery. Corporations based their profits on your consumption, paid politicians to push their agenda and didn’t care about your well-being. A society where the NRA pushed for gun control during the era of the Black Panthers but now deems it unconstitutional in 2014. Where Black Leaders are silenced, jailed or killed for attempting to uplift their people. Where after over 400 years, the Willie Lynch syndrome continues to affect our culture and the exploitation of Black women on primetime telecasts is at a premium; that there are more prisons being built than educational facilities. The CIA introduced drugs to the neighborhoods of Southern California and the government bombed a community in Philadelphia. Pharmaceuticals companies have replaced street level drug dealers. Where the government has a machine to control the weather & create natural disasters (HAARP). And the endangered species are no longer housed in zoos or placed in wildlife preserves for their protection, but are hunted daily on city streets; nothing more than a newspaper or Internet article reflecting a life lost and a killer exonerated. That the version of history that we were taught in school was revised to favor the nation’s agenda while hiding its crimes. (Sigh)

If I told you all of this and more, would you believe me? Of course not! My name doesn’t carry the same cachet as an Amos Wilson; doesn’t resonate like a Cornell West, Dr. Umar Johnson or Tavis Smiley. But despite that, does it make it any less true; is the message any less real? Like having a megaphone and yelling “fire” into a crowded movie theater, some people won’t move until they feel the heat, are engulfed by the flames and suffocated by the smoke. And as humanity sits back comfortably, unsuspecting of the events taking place behind the scenes, the puppeteer strings the masses along like marionettes as we abide by their commands. The “Matrix” live & in effect. However, there will be no Neo or Morpheus to free the minds of the oppressed and enlighten souls.

“People don’t want to know the truth because it may force them to make changes that they’re uncomfortable with; changes that they aren’t willing to make. A comfort level has been established where a change in mindset won’t allow them to accept anything to alter their reality or ability to function. There’s no other truth than the one they’ve embraced. The truth destroys their desired reality, points out their shortcomings and look at themselves in a way they don’t want to acknowledge.” (#forbiddenknowledge)

“I sit alone in my four (4) cornered room staring at candles.” Not contemplating suicide, but trying to decide if passing along information to enrich the lives of so many is worth the banishment that comes with it. And that’s always the fight taking place within the soul of person tainted by the world around them…

“Imagine being born into a dream: a mass illusion transformed over thousands of years by billions of people into what today you call reality. The billions of people subdivided into territories they called countries, into belief systems they called religions and into groups they called races.

Countries subdivided into states, provinces and cities, which then subdivided into neighborhoods that subdivided into neighborhoods that subdivided into buildings or single-family homes. Religions divided into conservatives and liberals sects, which then grew into more conservative and liberal branches. Races divided themselves by all of the above, including color, tone, ethnic makeup and financial status.

Each group then teaches and defends that its way is the way and its truth is the truth, and each group creates its own reality out of what it believes. Each group then tries to sell you on its current forms and laws, telling you that this is what is ‘right’. Each teaches you that the closer you are to following its form, the happier, more successful and peaceful you will be. And somewhere deep within, you know that it is your right to be happy and to be at peace. So you buy into it, and regardless of how little sensed the illusion makes, you keep participating, for if you stop, you will be judged as an outcast, a troublemaker, a bum.

You are taught that if you stop participating in the group’s way of life, your hopes for happiness, success and peace will also end. The group tells you that if you go against the norm, you will not find happiness, peace or success. So you buy into the illusion the group offers, believing that there is no other way. You carefully weave and contour the illusion into one you can live with for now. But my friend, regardless of how you choose to weave, contour and experienced the illusion, it is still an illusion.” – James Blanchard Cisneros, “You Have Chosen to Remember: A Journey From Perception to Knowledge, Peace of Mind and Joy” “We Are The Change!” I’m gone! (b)

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Listen to the show on Thursday nights at 7:00 pm: www.theporchfellas.com on the Anti Robot Network

Brandt Edwards

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