Manns Medium

So much has been made about the rioting and looting seen in Baltimore, Maryland Monday, April 27, 2015 and many had decent questions and concerns but to a person those questions and concerns still remain because nothing was done to address them because so much energy was spent trying to make sure that yesterday was not a repeat of Monday.  All those meetings and not one to address the true concerns of those living in that community.  All those resources and not any of it was lent toward fixing the problems those citizens endure each and every day.  All that news coverage and nothing solid to help those who live and love that community feel better about their community.  All that money and none of it to be used to locate more jobs in that area or secure local financing to where those from that community to borrow and grow these jobs with a services that they know is greatly needed in that area.  So much time, effort and money wasted on reacting to an issue inste...

All across the television we saw peaceful protests being combined with rioting and looting, many of us thinking that all that violence was a part of it.  We watched as those facing the cameras had all types of descriptions to justify the actions taken and excuses of why it happened.  We heard from people who say that they were angry about the violence being perpetrated upon their community and how they lack closure because nothing seems to ever be done about it.  They say that if only we would have accountability and hold those responsible clearly responsible then this type of violence would not befall a city.  They say that it is because the schools fail to provide all children with a way out and a way up, that what is learned in school is not sufficient to give a child the dream of being all that they can be.  They say all this, yet as we watch the video of the rioting and looting, none of this appears true and it is time for the truth. Who ever said that...

Throughout the coverage of the shooting and killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, there has been major coverage of the race angle from the disparity of representation in the local government to comparisons of how cities that are not predominately black are governed but all the while, it appears that many have forgotten the lesson that was taught so long ago during the civil rights struggle and made famous by a Baptist preacher known as Martin Luther King. Lest we forget, Dr. King advocated non-violence and maintained that stance even after facing far much more law enforcement resistance than the residents and transplant face in Ferguson.  In an interview with one of the national news agencies, an interviewee was quoted as saying that the reason they were looting was to get justice and instead of those standing near this individual correcting him, they just nodded their heads in agreement.  Seeing and hearing this, I immediately was taken back to the time where e...

Today I heard a very disturbing fact.  One of the many reporters on the ground in Ferguson, Missouri reported that several small but rowdy groups have descended upon Ferguson and is mainly the cause of the unrest there.  It’s disturbing because these “transplants” don’t have to stay there after they make it so very hard for those who do to survive in the place that they call home.  These selfish, unthinking and cowardly people, migrate into an area, create hate and discontent, then slim their way out leaving devastation and hopelessness in their wake.  If this sounds a little familiar, it should because this is the very same thing that is happening in Iraq, Syria, Israel and so many other countries where dialogue and compromise is a very dirty word. We call those who perpetuate this type of discord terrorist but when it comes to people who travel from place to place with their own agenda and not really caring about the cause of the gathering of people but only s...

There is so much wrong with this story that I truly do not know where to begin.  I say that because it does not have just one lesson that we all should take from it but several which make me even more sure that things happen for a single reason.  That is so that we, as human beings, will learn from it and make the necessary changes in our culture and our lives to not repeat them. Here are the lessons that I took from this. Police over-reach is a serious and deadly problem where police are becoming emboldened and taking the lives of people without having to face any serious consequences for making ill-advised choices.  That thin blue line that many talk about has become a huge yellow streak down the backs of those watch commanders, trainers, police captains, chiefs and politicians who were hired to serve and protect.  They all sit idly by and allow event after event to take place all over this United States hiding from the truth and running away from responsibili...