Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch . . . . .

Ok

This will be short…I think….to the point…I hope…..and all me…I KNOW.

I wanna first start by saying, I am not knocking “the people”, if you will, for their stand against or support of Chikfila, which for the purporse of the rest of this blog, will be referred to as the chicken shop. If that is what you believe, whatever it is, then by all means, fight, protest, kick, scream and serve up hot chicken sandwiches in order to prove it.  But at what point does the protesting become minstrel shows that are playing out all over Fox, CBS and CNN ????

Are we fighting over the chicken shop??? Really?? Because this has nothing to do with rights….unless I missed that part of the story, which I totally could have…i. could be 100% uninformed or only slight-informed on that which I speak of, which is the reason I am about to shut down my portion of opinions in regards to the chicken shop protesting that is making natioanal news.  But from what I did read, I didn’t see where rights would be challenged, workers would be fired or worse, NOT HIRED or not served, dependant upon their sexual preferences….all I know is a group of people or at least an owner was not afraid to speak his beliefs in a time in our country where differing opinions seem to be frowned upon.   Now…like I said…he could have said more but I didn’t read it or hear about it and frankly I don’t give a shit!!!!! I also don’t give a shit who people marry…. Gay, straight, transgender…I don’t care….i have my own life that needs sorting out by my hands so I really have little time to be worried about whats happening in the bedrooms and households and at this point, in the minds of other people.  

Most of which I will likely never meet.

I am not a chicken shop supporter or protestor.  If in the event I feel the desire for chikfila, trust me, I will go.  Plain and simple.

In the meantime, I don’t care who goes in my place or who protests against it.  I do think its quite “interesting” that  some of the protestors are bringing strife and harm to the EMPLOYEES, some of which are gay.  The people who work there have nothing to do with what the owner or the coworker next to them for that matter, have to say…..but this is America.  We punish the peons when we can’t get to the majesty.  We don’t care. 

Meanwhile….

Back at the ranch.

Four year old Lloyd Morgan Jr was laid to rest, after succumbing to a stray basketball court bullet that he caught right in the head.  All he was doing was watching the game.  That was in NY.  Guess that’s too far from the chicken store.

Meanwhile….

Back at the ranch…..

80 year old L. Farrahkan took to the streets of Chicago with the Fruits of Islam in order to at least TRY to restore some order to the dangerous streets and neighborhoods of Chicago where this summer alone, gang violence and bullets have already taken the lives of 275 people, varying ages, including but not limited to Heaven Sutton, 7 years old, who was shot as she was selling candy outside her home.   Ten year old Kitanna Peterson was by a fire hydrant when she caught the bullet that went thru her wrist and abdomen.  Now I can’t name every case, age and post a pic for each but I would also like to mention six year old Aliyah Shell…..i have a friend who’s daughter shares the same name. 

Then there was 16 year old Joseph Briggs…I think he may have been trying to break up a fight.  Tiffany Edwards' life was cut short leaving a gas station.  She was only 25.  This paragraph hasn’t even left Chicago yet. 

Yet and still, people would rather mudsling from opposite sides of the sidewalk over the right to buy a fucking chicken nugget.  Chicago’s murder rate has rivaled AND surpassed the dangers of the troops at war!!! How does one have a better chance at surviving a war full of suicide bombers and camoflauged assassins rather than walking home from the park on the South Side of Chi???

Meanwhile….

Back at the ranch…..

A kiss-in has been planned for the chicken shop 0_-

*sigh* 

Black people staged sit ins for RIGHTS.  ….now we are staging kiss ins for AGREEMENT. 

Man fuck this.

I HAD to have missed something said or done by the chicken shop ppl….it HAS to be more than this, but the truth is, if I REALLY wanted to know…i. would…..whatever else may have been said, does not matter much because the truth is ,  while hundreds of people were filling up chicken shop lines all over Amercia yesterday and causing record breaking sales, the men who sleep in the tents under the Morris Street bridge downtown, continued to live and sleep there, despite the weather conditions of Indiana and regardless of who marries who.  While hundreds of gay people crowd Chikfila and garner more news for the themselves and the place they apparently now hate, a child somewhere will die from a bullet.  Whether its Chicago or Indiana…>Cali or NYC…..somewhere today, someone will not make it out alive.   They will not see their dreams into fruition, they won’t even get to experience their first day in their newest grade of school. 

One day, the police will stop shooting up black men and killing them in BROAD daylight.  One day, the police will stop being abusive gang members who are legally tazing, beating and arresting humans as if they are dead animals.  One day, they won’t remove black women from hospitals in pain, carry them out to squad cars like pigs and then let them die on jail cell floors from a traveling blood clot.  Too bad they were hoping for drugs.  One day, young men with nothing more than weed in their back pocket, will be able to be arrested IF it comes to that, and survive the arrest.  Not get shot in the head and blamed for suicide.  One day fathers won’t have to shield their 2 year old daughters from bullets at any given moment.  People won’t be afraid to sit on their stoops and porches out of fear of what they might see or who might die. Young men will be able to safely go to clubs and return home just as alive and breathing as they were when they left.  But in our society, we just bow our head, have silence for a moment and go right back to partying on top of the spilled blood and shell casings. 

This blog is too long.

I must stop writing.  I feel like I could go on forever.  I don’t want it to misconstrued…..while I don’t “understand”, I am not knocking standing up for your rights and for what you believe in.  I’ve seen gay people rally and stand together in unbelievable amounts for even the slightest hint of discrimination.  I only wish my African American sisters and brothers could do the same thing.  I only wish we could stand together like we did for Trayvon Martin, and by “we” I mean people of all races, genders, creeds, colors, class AND SEXUAL PREFERENCES.   I wish we were all headed out on buses to Chicago to stand alongside FOI.  And the truth is, i'm planted two feet in Indy....i could just as easily hop my ass in a rental and be there next to him.  But this isnt about protesting.....there are other ways and means to reach people and these communities.  I do NOT have my fingers pointed, trust me.  I don't mean it like that.  But it is a frustrating site to watch.  I am not even saying people aren't juggling multiple protests and such ....

 I attempt to use the avenues i have been gifted with to be the change i wish to seek.  I attempt to write healing into my community with each word and/or performance.  I can safely recall numerous times I have and will again, attempt to be a positive outlet for my communities and do SOMETHING about helping to curb the violence the children of the village i live in.  I am criminal justice major and I hope to become a probation officer and use my gift of poetry and writing to help bring these young men and women to a more positive state of living.  I know i can't stop every stray bullet from making contact.  I know i can't prevent gang violence or change EVERY mind out there....but damn......idk....i'm trying.....

Afterall, these are OUR babies laying in these caskets…..

But then to again

Maybe they aren’t.

To call random people "kin"  would almost be agreeing that it takes a village to raise a child……

Village??

I don’t know that THAT is what we are anymore…..

Perhaps we are simply individual ranches……they are usually found alone with the closest neighbor being a softball field away....
are we just ranches now???

Homes on the range….?

Where the deer and the antelope go separate ways…….

But will gladly come together in the name of chicken.

jY