I Am Black and An American, Darn It!

Yes, I am on another rant about the unnecessarily absurd political correctness we've been bogged down with in this country.

So, I pose this question: Why is it that a black person is automatically labeled African-American? I mean, how did we come up with this deduction? Why is it assumed that my ancestors came from Africa? What if they were from Jamaica or the Bahamas or Fiji, or even South America for that matter? Or maybe they were blacks born in Greece or Scotland. Why are all blacks dumped into the same ancestral gene pool? Who died and made the powers-that-be "Kings of So-Called Political Correctness," or rather "Political Incorrectness?"
My father's grandmother was half-white, and my mother's grandmother was a full-blooded Black-foot Indian. That would make me a mix-blooded American, wouldn't it? But I'll just settle for Black-American, or better yet, just plain old American, because that's what I am. Do we ever hear white people called Dutch-American or French-American, or Egyptian-American? (Actually, the last one would be pretty funny:-) Even the Native Americans' ancestors came from somewhere else. Almost everything we've been taught about history is poppycock!

So, to sum up this rant that could go on forever (and I do mean forever) let's just dump all this political correctness garbage in the garbage because that is where it belongs. I am black, and I am an American! Do you hear this, people? I am an American! And I'm a nice one, too. Really, I am:-)
Have an awesome day, my fellow Americans!

Suggested Reading

Book: The Third
Author: Abel Keogh

This is a book I couldn't wait to read because I knew it would be good, and I wasn't disappointed. Imagine living in a time when it is illegal to have more than two children unless you pay the government for the privilege. (Not hard to imagine since our country is slowly heading in that direction anyway.) This story is about a family that finds themselves in this dangerous situation when the wife becomes pregnant and the husband is unable to purchase the mandatory credit needed to be approved of the right to have a third child.

The Book

In this stark and haunting look at the not-so-distant future, an environmentally minded society elects to limit the number of children couples can have, enforcing dire consequences for lawbreakers. But when his wife gets pregnant with a forbidden third child, Ransom Lawe is forced to choose between the government who's trying to save the world from ecological disaster and the family he loves dearly.

When Ransom Lawe, a recycler in the Pacific Northwest, finds out his wife is pregnant with their third--and therefore illegal--child, he's forced to choose between the government who proclaims a desire to save the planet and his hope for a place where his family can live in freedom. But with the Census Bureau Sentinels closing in on his wife and unborn child, Ransom's choice will either save his family or tear them apart forever.

Abel Keogh offers a stark and haunting look at a not-so-distant future in this chilling new novel. Crossing lines between good and evil, freedom and oppression, and political and environmental responsibility, The Third is a gut-wrenching tale of intense loyalty and unconditional love.

I finished this book quickly because I couldn't put it down. Very thought-provoking story, not to mention the author is a great guy:-) Get your copy of The Third by logging onto Amazon.com

Sick People Have Feelings, Too!

This was a pretty emotional Mother's Day for me for various reasons ranging from one end of the Girl-o-Meter to the other. I feel renewed gratitude for my children and the amazing people they are, and I'm thankful for a husband that loves me and the spastic children he helped to create. I, too, am a little spastic at times, but since this communicable ailment rubbed off my children onto me, I think my husband deserves the credit because they get it from his side of the family. (He will beg to differ:-))

Today I found myself pondering my mothering skills, wondering if I've been doing my job okay and vowing to do better. I've had different examples to follow.
My mother-in-law is as patient as they come and has raised some great kids who are doing their best to raise good kids. My mother, who was an alcoholic all her life, did her best for us when she was sober, which was not often. Despite her weaknesses, I learned from her the art of survival, which got me through some tough times in life, including my suffering the consequences that came from past poor choices.
My grandmother was one of the sweetest women in the world and was a major influence on me. She suffered many trials, but she stayed strong and held onto her integrity until until she passed away in 2007. I've really missed her, even more so today, and I was grateful for the time I was able to spend with her during her last weeks before she succumbed to ovarian cancer. She was incoherent a great deal of that time, but when she was coherent, she communicated well for the most part and we had some wonderful conversations. Other than taking bathroom breaks and jaunting to the kitchen to grab a plate of food, I never let her side for the time I was there, even when she was sleeping, because I knew she knew I was there. For me, that was the most important thing.
Yes, I miss my grandmother, and I'm sure I always will, but how grateful I am for the opportunity I had to just be there, to let her know she wasn't alone. She was sick, but she still had feelings, even when she didn't, or couldn't voice them.

Which brings me to a neat little booklet I read last week. Communication for the Cognizant, Nonverbal Patient was written by Jean Alleman, Trudy Brown, and Susan Robison, and is an excellent resource for anyone caring for a sick patient who may not be able to express their needs.

About the Booklet
If you're a patient whose mind knows what to say but whose mouth is unable to convey those thoughts, you've probably become very frustrated with finding a way to get your needs met. If you're the caregiver watching or trying to help the patient, you've likely become frustrated as well. Communication is about to become easier. With the help of this book, patients will finally be able to express their needs without speaking.

Simple sentences such as 'I am thirsty. May I have some water?' and so forth allow patients to point out the thought they need to share so caregivers know just how to help. With colorful illustrations and an easy format, Communication for the Cognizant, Nonverbal Patient is the book that will give a voice to patients.

To order this helpful booklet, log onto tatepublishing.com or mycompanionvoice.blogspot.com for the ebook.

Thinking For Ourselves - Think About It

"Is there any vestige of truth left in our declaration that we think for ourselves? Or do we even trouble to declare this any more? Perhaps the man who says he “thinks for himself” is simply one who does not think at all; because he has no fully articulate thoughts, he thinks he has his own incommunicable ideas."
Thomas Merton

I have always been a person who likes to go against the grain. I don't like to conform to what society deems "important." I never have. I am not politically correct, and I don't read the newspaper or listen to the news and accept it all as truth. I mean, how many of us have the "Of course it's true because it was on the news or in the paper" mentality? How many of us take what the medical profession says as gospel? How many of us believe everything we've been taught by the world? And if we do, why is that?

From the time my children were young, I've always encouraged them to learn as much as they could and strive to stay informed because I didn't want them to grow up letting someone else do their thinking.
Thinking for ourselves is so important, especially with all that is going on in the world. We are faced with information (sometimes indoctrination) coming at us in every direction. There are many paths to choose, varying in length, ease, and difficulty. There are also endless possibilities placed before us, and it will always be that way on this journey we call life. It is up to us to not just choose the good part, but choose the better part. If we strive to do this, there is no way we could ever be led astray. And when we do this, we are truly thinking for ourselves and will not be swayed by the media, by celebrities, or any worldly thing.
In the complicated world we live in (and it's only going to get more complicated,) truly learning to think for oneself is is definitely a priceless and crowning achievement, one that does not boast with pride or sound a trump glorifying the fact, but an achievement that will earn one the blessing of hearing an affirming inner voice whisper, "Well done. Now let's continue on, shall we?"