Here's one going around as of late:
​

There is so much happening in this tweet and so much wrong. Let's break it down, shall we?

1. So only blacks live in urban areas? There's no whites, Hispanics, etc. in urban areas? And if they aren't the only ones there, are they the only ones not getting access to education?
2. "Poor" doesn't equal "stupid." Never has. I've seen a lot of really smart folks come out of poor neighborhoods, and I've seen a lot of educated fools. I've heard a lot of awful big words come out of the mouths of folks in poor neighborhoods. There's an awful lot of people with masters degrees living on the streets or in affordable housing, and drop outs making billions of dollars a year. 
3. "Educated" doesn't equal "smart."
4. Instead of trying to convince people to use smaller words because you think an entire race of people is beneath you, how about you take action to improve the quality of education in poor neighborhoods? How about you volunteer as a tutor? Maybe apply for a job as a teacher at one of those schools? Volunteer at or start after school programs for kids in poor neighborhoods? Too much like work? Or are you scared? 

I hate tweets like this. Seriously. Here she is, thinking she's the queen of the virtual signal and she's being benevolent by standing up for the poor blacks in the United States, when the fact is that she just assumed way more than she was entitled to and spewed more racism than anyone can fathom.

It's blindingly obvious she's never spent a hot second in a poor neighborhood. Because if she had, she'd know everything she said there was hateful and racist. There are an awful lot of successful people in our world of all races who came up in a poor neighborhood. There's an awful lot of really smart people with large vocabularies in poor neighborhoods. Most of those people are working their butts off to get themselves out of there, or to give their kids a shot at getting out of there. They may not be getting a formal education in all cases, but a lot of them are getting a better education than you ever will. And most of them are smarter than you, lady. 

If the issue really is the education system, then stop telling everyone else to treat folks from poor neighborhoods like they're stupid, and start working to fix the education system. Maybe stop screaming at the sky because orange man bad for five minutes and start protesting the education system. Apply for a job as a teacher or counselor at one of those schools. Volunteer at or start after school programs and tutoring programs for kids in poor neighborhoods. Do some work to bring about real change. Change isn't convincing all your liberal white friends to treat black people like they're stupid to make yourself feel better. Change is getting stuff done and giving folks in poor neighborhoods a hand up. Up, not out. 

And, most importantly, don't treat anyone as if they are beneath you or too stupid to grasp your oh so advanced vocabulary. Feel free to speak to everyone you meet as your equal, regardless of their race, upbringing, where they live, or economic status. If someone doesn't know what a word means or can't figure it out from the context, they'll ask. 

Want to stop white supremacy? Then stop acting like you're better than anyone else. 

Take a moment to watch this very short video from Facebook. It was originally posted by a young lady named Coco Grissett. Watch closely and then let's discuss.

​Warning: short fight video.

There is a lot happening here for such a short video. The obvious, of course, is that there is an older gentleman being overpowered by two younger gentlemen. They are going for his head and neck and he is outnumbered by men, age, and strength. We don't know what lead up to this fight, of course, because cell phones only come out once the violence starts. 

The less obvious that we're seeing is that no one is bothering to help stop the fight, choosing instead to film, of course. That alone is the definition of our current society. Don't help, film. You might go viral! Right at the end, as the guy is being put into a corner and losing his chance to escape, the older man pulls a concealed gun and the two younger men quickly retreat from the fight. No shots are fired, they leave quickly without any more beef. The older guy did everything right under the law. He didn't pull the gun until his escape route and odds of getting away were eradicated. I have no idea what state this is in, but he may have been legally obligated to do that. If not, he may have thought he could still physically get the upper hand if he tried. He did not pursue them, and he did not fire shots at fleeing attackers (if he had, he'd be in jail, because when they flee your life is no longer in danger. You pull the gun to stop the threat, and the bulk of the time, just pulling it out stops the threat and shots aren't needed). 

Now, the stunner to me. The reaction of the bystanders. As I said, no one opted to help in this situation. Everyone was content to watch these two younger guys beat the tar out of this older guy and there were zero concerns for the safety of the older guy. But as soon as he pulled the gun to stop the attack and prevent grave bodily harm or death at the hands of these two young men, everyone watching started screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" 

Also as stated, we don't know what happened before someone decided to "World Star" this event with their cell phone. Either way, the crowd's reaction was horrible. Did the two men attack this guy unprovoked? Then why did no one stop the attack, or at least try, before it got to gun time? Did the older guy do something to the young men? Make a racist comment? Try to steal a wallet from one of them? Fondle one of their girlfriends/wives? If so, why did no one come out to stop the fight or help the two younger guys and detain the older guy for police? Why do we not hear someone in the background talking to 911? 

This is where we are in 2019. We see something like this and no one helps. No one calls 911. No one even gives a full story of how it started when posting a video! 

More upsetting, everyone is fine with the physical violence, even if it means one person could be killed... until the person losing gets the upper hand. If he'd fired on these guys this would have been a news story. Old white man shoots unarmed black men. Now, if he'd shot them while fleeing, I'd fully support the condemnation of the older man. You don't shoot fleeing attackers. You've stopped the threat, don't continue needlessly. But in 2019 we're expected to allow others to kill us instead of using a gun to defend our own lives. Especially if the person killing you is a minority. No one wants to help stop the violence and make a wrong right, but they will stand on the news and cry about the racist old white man who didn't let the two younger guys kill him in the name of political correctness. 

What would have been the perfect outcome here? If someone helped. If you step in, then all ends well. The two younger guys go home alive and without a prison sentence and there's one less story of unarmed black men being killed. The older white guy goes home alive and without being decried as a racist all over national TV for deciding not to die today. It might mean your video doesn't go viral. But at some point we need to put the phones down and start helping again. And at some point we need to reach a point of actual equality. The race of the men is this clip shouldn't matter. At all. If the two younger men were wrong, they were wrong. If the older man was wrong, he was wrong. You don't become less wrong because of the color of your skin. And your right to defend your own life and health shouldn't depend on the color of your attacker's skin. We need to be more outraged over violence. Being passive while a man gets beaten about the head and into a cornered wall by two other men should be just as shocking as the man pulling out the gun. But no one cares if you're being beaten to death. We'll make excuses for that. 

You want equality? Stop caring about their races. Start caring about harmony. Stop recording and start helping. Help whoever was actually in the right here. Defend whoever was right regardless of their race or the race of whoever was wrong. If it helps, that video would also go viral. 

Another addition to the "everything is racist, and everyone is oppressing me" cadre. 

​Franklin. Unofficially named Franklin Armstrong. And his treatment in the Peanuts movie about Thanksgiving is suddenly racist.

Why? Well, Franklin is sitting opposite the other kids at the table, alone. And suddenly... racism. 

But let's stop for a moment and take a look at Franklin's history, something a lot of the people screaming about it refuse to do. Franklin was, at his creation, a big step in race relations. He debuted in July of 1968, where he met Charlie Brown at the beach. He told Charlie Brown about his dad being overseas fighting in Vietnam, and they built a sand castle together. 

Franklin came into existence by the urging of a fan. 

It took some time and encouragement from several people, but Franklin finally met Charlie Brown on that beach. 

The major issue with Franklin at the time? He was depicted sitting in school with the white children. And Charles Schulz had an answer.
​

Franklin was usually the voice of reason in the series, and didn't appear in all the strips and movies. But he was considered a main character none the less. A lot of the things Franklin was depicted doing were actually subtle nods to the civil rights movement, normalizing a black character in easy to swallow ways. 

Franklin is anything but racist. 

But here we are today. A bunch of people - usually white people - telling us how racist it is to sit him across the table from everyone else, alone. There's no context or thought to history. That film wasn't made this year. It was made during a time 98% of these people didn't live through and apparently learned nothing about in school. 

I think it is a wonderful show of how far we've come in this country that people can't wrap their heads around real racism and the history of it. It's hard to believe we have had these issues in the past. But we've come far enough that people don't really grasp the actual severity of the past. They may think they do, but this argument proves otherwise. 

Yes, a movie made decades ago is going to have some issues we can't grasp today. The solution to that is to learn the history - and there is no shortage of resources for Franklin's history - and tell our kids about it. Explain why Franklin may have been seated across the table from the other kids. Explain why Franklin was such an important addition to the Peanuts group. Explain how Charles Schulz was easing in the idea of this character to normalize him without causing a melt down. And why he had to. 

Explaining the history of these things to your children helps them to appreciate what they have, how far we've come, and the freedoms they currently enjoy. That's what actual progress looks like. Not tucking the history away, but teaching it. Making sure your kids understand that it wasn't always this way, that white kids and black kids didn't always go to school together, and they weren't always allowed to be friends and play together. That they couldn't always marry someone of a different race and have people not give it a second thought. 

It's a Thanksgiving movie. A movie that celebrated friendship, and one of those friendships was taboo at the time. Maybe teach your kids to be thankful that we've come far enough that that friendship isn't taboo anymore. 

Franklin's Fandom Page
​Franklin Broke Peanuts' Color Barrier In The Least Interesting Way Possible

So Elizabeth Warren has presented us with a DNA test that proves she is, in fact, of Native American heritage (said this way because she obviously does not have official membership in a tribe) that goes back "6 to 10 generations." And I have questions.

I did a little research because of the claim that she was an affirmative action hire at Harvard and I have to say... I still can't tell if that's true or not. According to this, the Dean says she was an affirmative action hire, but for being a woman. Elizabeth Warren claims Harvard was not aware of her heritage when she applied, although claims are that she "checked the box" for her heritage. I assume this is that little bit at the end of job applications where they ask your gender, race, disability status, etc. that you aren't required to fill out. This one claims they were only made aware after she was employed. Oddly, this article also claims she is 1/32 Cherokee, pending a cheek swab test... back in 2012. This one claims she did try to benefit, and once told a story that her parents eloped because of discrimination suffered by her part Cherokee mother. 

The bottom line is, without seeing the actual application she filled out, I can't verify if she "checked the box," and I can't verify if she was an affirmative action hire for anything. But it does seem her history with this claim is a little shady. And it is leaning towards she at least tried to benefit from it. 

As stated, there was a "pending" cheek swab test at least as early as 2012. It appears that never happened. Trump offered her $1 million to take the DNA test. She declined. All of a sudden she releases a DNA test from a doctor that proves her claims out of the blue?

I would like to know why this is such a big deal with her. She's so little Cherokee (and the DNA test most likely can't confirm Cherokee) that it really doesn't matter for anything. I've had a DNA test that proves I am 4 different races. At no point have I ever claimed to be any of those races. My great grandmother was Native American - Delaware - and I have seen a photograph of her as well as know her name. I don't claim to be Native American. I don't feel I have enough in my blood to claim that. I can also claim African and Middle Eastern. Again, at such small levels I would never dream of actually claiming minority status because of this. Truthfully, I can also claim "Asian" but the test isn't specific enough to say where in Asia and it might overlap with the Middle Eastern part. 

Elizabeth Warren is so little Cherokee that it doesn't even need mentioning. At no point should any boxes have been checked, and it didn't need to be mentioned to an employer unless it was casual conversation about family history or something. It certainly shouldn't be this big of news. Ever. At any point. 

​So something must have happened for her tiny heritage to be this kind of news for at least six years. Yes, since before Trump. And no, Trump wasn't the first to call her Pocahontas, either. 

Now, as I stated, I have also had a DNA test. I did mine through ancestry.com. When I got the results back they were vague at best. I know a lot of my family history, enough to know that my dad had grandparents who were from Germany and Austria. His grandfather was German and his grandmother was from Austria. She emigrated to Germany where she met and married her husband, then together they came to the USA.  

Now, if I look at my DNA results, they don't say Germany and Austria. They give me a map with huge circles and say I am 18% Germanic Europe and 7% Eastern Europe and Russia, which includes, just barely, Austria. It also includes Hungary, which my father's side of the family claims relations from as well. 

My mom's side of the family is heavily Irish and English. Actually, when my mom did her DNA, it said she was 83% Irish. My DNA results say I am 43% "Ireland and Scotland." I assume it is all Ireland in reality, because we have no record of anyone in our family coming from Scotland, but who knows. I am also 29% "England, Wales, and Northwestern Europe." So by that, I could be Irish or Welsh... maybe I'm French, who the heck knows. 

Here's an interesting fact. According to my DNA test results... I am 0% Native American! Odd, considering I have documented evidence that my great grandmother was, in fact, Native American. And we are blood related. I never met her, she died very young (26). But I got the picture and information from her son... my grandfather. Now, before anyone gets off on a tangent about him telling tall tales, remember the time period he grew up in. At this point in time, being of mixed heritage was not a plus. My family kept it very quiet, even my father. It wasn't something they discussed in mixed company, and even getting the information out of anyone was tough and had to be done in private, one on one. Even with evidence, though, I do not claim Native American status in any capacity. I certainly have never tried to use it for affirmative action. 

Why did I tell you all of this? The point of it all is that the DNA results cannot tell her she is Cherokee. They aren't that specific. It can't even break down exactly where in Europe my family comes from, so they are certainly not going to be tribe specific. 

Also, my DNA results list a ton of other places I come from, but there is so little in my DNA they aren't worth listing. They do, but I have to click a separate link to look at all of those. All of them are 1% or less. At 1% or less, they don't really matter to my genetic makeup enough to be considered. Which means claiming them as part of my heritage would be factual but useless. Any minority listed therein couldn't be claimed for minority status. 

At best, Warren is 1/64th Native American and at worst, 1/1,024 Native American. However, the study was also not based off of Native American DNA from in the USA. So she might actually be Mexican, Peruvian, or Colombian. Again, at such a small level she couldn't claim minority status. It's literally so small a percentage that it isn't worth mentioning. I could tell people all day long that I'm Russian. I wouldn't be wrong according to my DNA results that claim the general region, but it is 7% or less for me. It's meaninglessly small.  I'm Irish and English predominantly. Plain and simple. 

So Elizabeth, you're a white chick. Deal with it. 

​

Now, as many of you know, I am a long time resident of the state of NC, a transplant who came here 15 years ago and has called it home ever since. Over the last few years I have watched the battle over voter ID with great interest, as I am in favor of voter ID. At one point it was even made law. However, I only had to show my ID once when voting before the courts ruled it unconstitutional. 

See, apparently voter ID is actually voter suppression. Or, at least, that's what they're trying to convince us of. According to local activist groups, this is the GOP's attempt to stop African Americans from voting. 

Because liberals apparently think African Americans are incapable of getting an ID. This baffles me, of course, because I've never met an African American without an ID, whether it was a driver license or a state issued ID card. But what does it take to get an ID in NC? Well, before we get into the whole story here, let's examine this so you know where all of this coming from. From the NC DMV themselves:

Sounds easy enough. But what about the cost? We're being told they can't afford the ID! So the cost must be limiting.

Oh... it's $13. Well! There you go! $13 doesn't sound like much to some of you, but to a lot of people that is big money! They can't afford to pay $13 for an ID!

Wait a minute! Just because you are poor does not mean you are homeless! 

Here's the thing. I included the out of date information above for a reason. That was the no fee ID that was put into place when voter ID became the law. If you are receiving benefits, they actually give you information on registering to vote on the application for things like food stamps. They'll actually help you register to vote. In order to receive those benefits, you had to provide something that proves your identity and residency. If you successfully did all of that, you qualify for a free ID card to vote with! 

OK, so why am I getting into all of this?

Well, voter ID in NC isn't out of the picture just yet. In fact, the NC GOP has proposed HB 1092, which needs to be approved by a 3/5 majority of both chambers, which is actually likely since the GOP has a super majority. At that point it would go to the voters to vote on. 

Yes, you read that correctly. They want to allow the NC voters to vote on whether or not to amend the state constitution to make voter ID a thing. That vote could happen during the November mid-term elections. 

Enter "Color of Change," the "nation's largest online racial justice organization." They argue that this law discriminates against African Americans. So what are they doing about it?

Well, Amazon is looking at NC as one of 20 possible locations for the newest headquarters. Apple is also looking at NC as a possible location for a new campus since we are an ever growing tech hub. Color of Change is requesting that both companies remove NC from their list of prospective locations because of HB 1092.

You know... the house bill that allows NC residents to vote on voter ID. It doesn't pass voter ID. It just gives the residents a say in whether or not they want this to be a state constitutional amendment. 

​According to this activist group, allowing the residents of the state to vote on it is discriminatory to African Americans. How so? Well, because, as you saw above, they can't afford IDs! Keep in mind, they won't be required to show an ID for the midterm elections, so these people they are claiming can't get an ID can actually still vote anyway. But apparently, they shouldn't be allowed to because... they might discriminate against themselves, I guess. 

It really does not make sense. These people the activist group claims to be protecting are going to have no issue voting. Registering to vote is free and it is easy to do. In this state, they pretty much ram voter registration down your throat; I've even been asked at local street fairs if I want to register (I already am registered, thank you). ID isn't required as of right now, so they can vote in the midterms without it. The house bill is opening up the constitutional amendment to the voters, meaning if you don't like voter ID requirements, you can vote no. If enough people vote no, the voter ID thing goes away. If they vote yes, then they obviously didn't agree that it was a bad law. 

So basically... the activist group is trying to turn away thousands of good jobs from the area in an attempt to prevent people from voting yes or no on a law they don't like and are apparently afraid they won't be able to turn people against. Does that not sound like voter suppression to anyone else? If you really do care about these people you claim to want to protect, let them have their own voice. Stop speaking for them. Get them out to vote instead. They have a right to get their voices out there to say yes or no on this bill themselves, they really don't need your help, especially if you want to speak for them without asking them, which is exactly what you are doing right now. 

Before I start any of this out, I just want to say... I still don't care about Kanye. Yes, I know a lot of people are treating him like the new hero on the right, but I don't. My stance on celebrities talking politics has always been "shut up and entertain me." They are, obviously, entitled to their opinions. I don't want to take that away from them. But I am tired of their opinions somehow carrying more weight than everyone else's in other people's eyes. They're people, too. No more and no less important than the rest of us. And while they are entitled to their opinions, I don't necessarily have to care. They don't have to care about me, either. And trust me... they don't. And I am not going to sit here and roll my eyes at the ones I disagree with and cheer for the ones I do agree with. Entertain me. Also, I'm not a fan of Kanye. I don't dislike Kanye, either. I can honestly say I don't think I have ever heard his music. I may have and didn't realize it, but I don't have any opinion on Kanye has an entertainer, and I can't form one on him as a person because I've never met him. 

But I do want to discuss it anyway because there are some serious implications here. And they really do go both ways.

First of all, why is everyone freaking out about Kanye now? Did everyone forget this:

He hasn't exactly hidden it. He didn't vote, either, but that's neither here nor there. But he did this shortly after the election, and this was in San Jose. The crowd boos. He keeps on. 

​So why now? Because he still hasn't turned on Trump over a year later? Because he hasn't gotten in line? 

Since this happened, a lot of his elitist celeb friends have "unfollowed him twitter," which is the 2018 way of ending a friendship. Hm. 

Chance the Rapper made a comment about how "black people don't have to be democrats." That was an amazing statement. People turning on him and he walked it back. 

Chance, I wish you hadn't. See, here's the thing. Black people don't have to be democrats. They don't have to be republicans, either. Like everyone else in this country, I encourage everyone to do their homework. Know what is going on in the world. You don't have to obsess over it like some of us. But be informed. When election time comes - local, federal, whatever - take a few moments to read up on the candidates. Know who you are voting for beyond their political party and the promises they make in their TV ads. Go by records, not by lip service. It really doesn't take that long. I promise. 

Anyone in this country can be whatever political party they want to be, and there are more than just those two. Heck... be an independent. Don't pick a party because you are "supposed to." It's OK to have opinions on both sides of the isle. You can be pro-gun and pro-gay marriage. You can support legalizing marijuana and be pro-life. You can actually be a caring humanitarian and believe the government shouldn't be involved in your healthcare. 

I liken political parties to religions. A lot of people believe what the party tells them to believe. Instead, believe what you want to believe and choose the party that best suits those needs. None of them do? Then do your own thing. I call myself a conservatarian, and people ask me why. My explanation is usually that I am too liberal to be a true conservative, but too conservative to be a libertarian or liberal. On the same thought process, I am a non-denominational christian. I believe in God. I believe in Jesus. None of the organized religions do it for me. So I have my own personal relationship with God instead. 

Either way, never choose a side because you are supposed to. Who says? Be your own person. Kanye is allowed to think however he wants. Right now, he's being chastised by the elites for going off script. Basically, he's being chastised for not thinking the way they told him to. He went off and did his own thing and that isn't allowed, so now he has to be punished. When Chance the Rapper looked like he was going off script, too, they went after him, too. Now he's back on script. Kanye isn't. 

The leftist celebrities don't apologize when the right chastises them for their opinion. Why should the right leaning celebrities? Your opinion is your opinion. It's been a long time since I gave a celeb opinion much attention. Articles come across my screen all the time about who said what about which politician, and I don't even click on them anymore. They have an opinion? Good for them. I don't care. It isn't going to change my mind, and it shouldn't change yours. Just like Kanye. His opinion shouldn't change yours if you really believe what you believe. And yes, you can enjoy his music even if you don't agree with his political opinions. A successful black man with a differing opinion is still a successful black man, and you should be excited about that. 

If you know what you believe and why, and if you know what is going on in the world or at least your own country, your opinion will be hard to sway. That means that celebrity won't change your mind, which is how it should be. You are now free to enjoy their music or movies regardless of their opinions, because those opinions are irrelevant to you. Everyone has an opinion. You won't agree with all of them. But we are all free to have those opinions, regardless of what they are. Allow others the same respect. Even Kanye. 

It has been a big part of the ongoing story today that the Florida school shooter, Nikolas Cruz, was a member of a white nationalist group, Republic of Florida. According to ABC News:

As of 2/15/18 at 11:40 PM, this is still an active article with no updates, corrections, or further clarifications. Since the reports are unconfirmed - and they admit to it very briefly in the article - this was a poor choice of headline. A good portion of people out there won't read the article, only the headline, so they won't see the claim is unconfirmed by law enforcement. 

Also as of 2/15/18 at 11:41 PM, from the Tallahassee Democrat:

You can click those images above for proof of time, screen shots taken at 11:42 PM EST. 

World News Tonight with David Muir at 6:30 PM EST, was also reporting that the shooter was a member of ROF, a white nationalist (I can't provide a clip because you have to sign in with your cable provider, and I don't have a TV). WNT is also ABC News. 

Now, both articles are claiming that this Jordan Jereb guy claimed the Florida shooter was part of their group. But according to the local source, law enforcement has found no evidence that the claim was true. 

*sigh*

​And then there's this gem:

Source

Confused yet? Hold on, this gets better! 

Below all of this there is a screenshot quote from this Jordan Jereb guy. The quote gets traced back to Gab, so I head over to Gab to make sure the screen shot is for real. Not only is it real, but this guy is losing his mind, and also claims it was a prank and he was had. He is also now not claiming to be a leader in this ROF. Here are the screen shots I took from his gab account. The first one is the one I was checking on, the rest are just the follow ups. Keep in mind, it is being reported that there are only about twelve members in this group, and if that is the case, then they should know if this kid was a member or not.

So now major news networks are still running the story that the shooter was a white nationalist and member of ROF, but it appears this may not be the case. Between a group claiming credit for the prank and local law enforcement not finding any evidence he was a member of the group, it may be time for the major news networks to clarify that this Jordan Jereb is walking it back and law enforcement is not agreeing with their sources. And they need to do it a little more obviously than their small admittance that this is all unconfirmed information. 

Right now, the folks on the left are giddy that they finally landed one that isn't a Bernie supporter. I, personally, don't usually care about the political affiliation of mass shooters. It really doesn't play a roll. It does, however, get forced down your throat if there is any inkling that their first cries of "right wing nut job" were correct, and if they are not correct the political leanings suddenly don't matter to them anymore, either. 

But this story is confusing at best. At worst, it is creating yet more division in a time of crisis, and since the reports are not confirmed, it seems premature. 

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center:

Bottom line: we really don't 100% know if this guy was a member of ROF. The cops aren't done investigating it, but as of yet have found no evidence that he was. At the end of the day, it won't matter. Even if they find no evidence ever, and if this Jordan Jereb guy publicly states he was not a member, the anti-gunners and the far left are going to run with this. And, as usual, we will all immediately be called white nationalists for not being on the far left. 

​Great. More division. 

2/16/18 Update: It is beginning to be admitted this was a hoax. Some media outlets are beginning to add notes stating this news is possibly not true. The law enforcement agency is apparently tracking the membership of this group, which is why there is no evidence. More information:

Normally, I don't use foul language on this website, but because of the statements in question, use of foul language is necessary for this article. 

So we're all outraged again. Let's discuss the comments in question, since now we're being told how racist the comments were. 

We all know how eloquent Trump is with words. And, as he does, he has made a comment that has the media and some leftists absolutely triggered. 

Inappropriate? Yes. Racist? No.

Why? Because a lot of people have thought it. And no, it doesn't have to do with the folks from those countries being brown. It has to do with the countries themselves. 

This past week, immigration has been big news. A court ruled that DACA has to be kept in place. Trump ended the refugee status for people from El Salvador who were living and working in the USA since the earthquake in 2001. The FEDs raided "maternity hotels" in California for birth tourists. It's been a rough week for non-citizens. 

And then this comment came out. Why do we want people from shithole countries in the US? 

Yes. Why do we? 

In recent years, there has been a push from the left to allow anyone who wants in to the USA to come in. And from the right, there has been a push to be more selective about who comes in. Some folks claim the right hates immigrants. Some claim the left just wants the votes. 

Of course, any call to stop immigration from anywhere for any reason is being called racist. But let's break some of this down. 

- The folks from El Salvador have been here for almost 20 years. They came here as help after an earthquake. At this point, if you want to stay, you should have made motions to become a citizen. Now, any of these folks who have made steps to become a citizen should, obviously, be left alone. But if they haven't, yes, they should be sent home. It's long past time. And for those who want to whine about how hard it is to become a citizen, yes, it is. By design. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. If you want it, do the work, like so many other immigrants before them have done successfully. 

- The same goes for Haiti. Anyone who came here for relief... if they have made steps to become citizens, leave them alone. If not, time to go home. 

- As for these countries being called shitholes... well, I'm sorry, but isn't that the excuse the left likes to use for why we should let everyone in? The countries they are coming from are crime riddled hell holes? 

- Immigration into any country is not a right, it is a privilege, and one that can be denied. No, we don't have endless resources. Yes, we are over $20 trillion in debt. Yes, we have our own shitholes in the USA, as well as homeless and abused. We have a human trafficking problem here. We have a gang problem here. And our resources should be spent fixing those problems within our own country. And our own citizens should be working alongside the government to fix those issues. 

Because of all of that, who we bring into the country should be selective. The color of their skin doesn't really matter. What they have to offer the country, does. And if you don't have any marketable skills, if you aren't going to help our economy and infrastructure, if you are going to use taxpayer dollars for your own gain, then no, you don't need to be here. At some point, you need to start fighting for your home country. Is your country a crime riddled hell hole? Then why aren't you trying to fix it instead of running from it? We have our own issues here... but no one is running away from them here. We're trying to fix them. 

Somehow, this is racist. Because anything you do or say that the left doesn't like is racist. And as far as the left is concerned, everyone should be let into the country no matter what, and to hell with the laws on top of it. 

Yes. Some countries are, in fact, shitholes. And the people leaving them may well love their home countries, but not enough to stay and fix the problem. Instead, they come here and expect to stay, regardless of the laws, for as long as they want, feeding money back home to their families who did choose to stay. And they don't want to be citizens, they don't want to assimilate, and they don't want to be part of our society. You came here because of a specific problem. You have been here for a very long time. Without the people in those countries, the issues never get fixed. So maybe it is time to go home and start building your country back up with the skills you learned here. 

And where is the outrage over Haiti? Trump is racist for his comments, but what about the Clintons? You remember the Clinton Foundation, right? All the money they raised for Haiti that never made it there? The Haitians that were protesting because of such? That was covered up instead of raged against. But words!!!! Oh my God, words! 

It is always words over action. Everyone cares, no one acts. If you actually care about these people... help them. In real time. Don't just talk about it. Actually do something. Raise money to rebuild some of these countries. Make these "shitholes" livable so these people can go home to their families and their home countries, and maybe their countries can actually thrive. If the countries thrive from your help, they won't need to live in the USA because their countries won't be shitholes anymore. If you care that deeply, stop talking and start getting dirty. 

Bottom line: our resources are limited, whether the left wants to admit it or not. Our immigration should be limited to people who have something to offer the country, not to people with limited skills and those the elites in California want for cheap labor. And if you really cared about these people, you'd act in a real way to help fix their countries. People in Haiti are still living in houses made out of trash. Why not start fund-raisers to purchase manufactured homes to ship and set up down there? Why not go to some of these countries and start cleaning up? Why not work to help these people get their own corrupt governments out of office so they can thrive? Take the time to teach your learned skills to some of these people so it can benefit their country. Instead of bringing them all here and throwing money at them, bring them home and help them in real ways. But right now, our own citizens must come first. Let's get our gang problems under control. Let's stop human trafficking, which is actually a huge issue in the USA. Let's help our poor and homeless and give them a leg up. Let's make sure no children are going hungry. Hey, we have people recovering from hurricanes and other natural disasters here, help them. There's an entire town here in NC, Princeville, where people are still rebuilding from Hurricane Matthew. A historic black town, with people who can't afford to rebuild, folks living in hotels. Let's spend the money and get them back in their homes now. Let's spend the money and the effort on our own people first. It's time for some of these other people to do the same. Help your country. Help your people. And it's time for the USA to start spending our money on our own. Stop screaming for illegal immigrants when those folks in Princeville are in desperate need. Those are our countrymen. Where's your outrage for them?

Well, here's the latest controversy. 

In case you haven't seen it, H&M, a clothing store, has come under fire because of a picture posted on their website for a children's hoodie. The hoodie says, "Coolest Monkey in the Jungle." The child modeling the hoodie is the only black child in the series of photos for that particular hoodie and it's variants. 

Outrage ensued. 

Now, in defense of those screaming racist, I have to admit... someone should have caught that. However, I can't say I would have caught it, either. Just being honest. As a consumer, I probably would not have made the racist connection there. It's a kid wearing a hoodie that the store is trying to sell. I normally don't pay that much attention to the model past seeing how it fits them as far as sleeve and body length of the item. But as someone in marketing, they should have made the connection. 

​The child's mom made a statement about the controversy, too:

When I was baby, many moons ago, my mother did this with me, too. I was actually a Sears catalog model, the only time I was cute enough to be a model. My mom was paid in portraits. Now, this was in 1980, so I have no idea what they do now. Plus, this kid isn't a baby, they may actually pay him with real money. But it was how my mom got professional portraits of me as a baby, since my parents were on a budget. She didn't get a say in what I wore in these images, nor did she get a say in the pose. I was a baby, though, so it wasn't anything controversial, and in most of the pictures I was just sitting there smiling. 

But she was there for every photo shoot. I was never away from my mother. And every single picture that was taken, my mom got a copy of. A lot of them are still hanging around her house, a happy reminder of when I was small and cute. 

At some point, I think we, as a society, need to sit back and take a big, deep breath. The kid's mom was right there. She saw what he was wearing. She read the shirt. She probably has the picture at home in a frame. And now, every time she looks at that picture, she's going to get upset because such a big deal was made out of it. 

I don't think H&M did anything malicious here. No, I don't believe racism was the intention. I think someone needs to pay a little more attention because people are so terribly sensitive, but I don't think it was done on purpose. 

And what has this controversy actually accomplished? Well, for starters, that kid is probably never going to get a modeling gig again. If he is getting paid, that could mean less money for his college savings. If he's only getting paid in portraits, that means less portraits for his mom, and those are something his mom cherishes. Both he and his mom are going to think about this every time they look at that portrait. 

We need to stop being outraged on behalf of other people. This kid and his mom were not upset. They didn't see it has being racist. Not even after it was pointed out. But even after she made her statement, people carried on.

What right do you have to speak for this woman and her child? What right do you have to be outraged on their behalf? Mom is obviously capable of speaking on her own behalf. Give her the respect of not speaking for her regardless of her wishes or beliefs. 

But this is where we are as a society now. We feel we need to speak for people, whether they want you to or not. Like when the feminists get up and say things like, "On behalf of all women..." No, not on behalf of all women. On behalf of yourself. Because you don't speak for me, I can do that myself, and I do it just fine. 

Stop speaking on behalf of entire groups of people. Stop being outraged for other people. Every person on this Earth is capable of individual thought, and you don't have the right to take those thoughts away from them or to steal their voices by speaking on their behalf without their consent. If we could stop this nonsense, a lot of the issues with race and gender relations would be rectified pretty quickly. Not everyone believes as you do. I know that's a tough concept to grasp, especially for those who like to box people. But people have their own thoughts and morals and ideas. Racism and sexism and all the other isms are different to individual people. Just because you see racism doesn't mean everyone else does. And racism isn't lurking around every corner. 

​Learn to laugh at yourself. Like this:

Yes, you read that right! It's time, again, for another article from Buzzfeed that would destroy the career of literally anyone else on the planet if they wrote it about a minority group; but it's not racist, it's funny. Yeah. This is yet another divisive article that actually has nothing to do with any group as a whole, but for some reason, the people at Buzzfeed seem to think it does. So let's take a look at what they think white people ruin. Spoiler alert! They think white people ruin everything! Reality check! Neither white people nor black people ruin anything!

Mac and Cheese

The example they use, of course, is that Food Network clip of the lady making mac and cheese with veggies and mustard. It went viral and had everyone outraged for a while. Literally no one makes mac and cheese like that. No one makes food like cooking shows. Seriously, no one but those people have that kind of time. So don't worry, your fake cheese product and noodles aren't actually getting ruined by anyone.

​Protests

This was that one run Pepsi commercial that outraged everyone that is outraged by everything. White people didn't ruin protesting... Antifa and BLM did that on their own. God forbid there is a depiction of a protest that doesn't include burning down coffee shops, beating people with bike locks, attacking one or two people in a group thirty deep, setting people's hair on fire, or throwing bodily waste on people. 

K-Pop

I was not aware anyone actually cared about K-pop this much. But apparently there is an all white K-pop band now. But you're cool with Eminem? 

Sneaker Culture

I thought women were supposed to have cornered the market on shoes. Isn't "sneaker culture" actually sexist? Is this a war on women?

Makeup

​Really? Because makeup was never worn by white women throughout history? Ever? Oh, you got pissed because someone on YouTube decided to use much darker foundation than they need so they could get people to click on their video and talk about them? But Rachel Dolezal is OK? She's the one I would have highlighted! But you won't, because she pulled one over on you.

Trees

They're upset because a bunch of people don't want their cars getting crapped on by birds. Granted, if my car was that expensive, I wouldn't be street parking it. However... don't you dare step on a man's sneakers. 

The USA

Oh, because a majority of white people voted Trump! Funny! A majority of people also voted for Obama! Twice! How about our minority friends get out and vote instead of demanding people vote the way you want them to. You came out for Obama in large numbers, so you proved you can do it. You want minorities to vote for? Run for office!

The Oscars and Grammys

Because, of course. Award shows are a bunch of rich celebrities who don't actually contribute anything useful to society coming out to pat each other on the back, but let's get up and scream because the awards aren't going to 98% minority films even though minorities aren't making films. You want awards? Go out and earn one. What's stopping you? This is America. Can you act? Can you sing? Can you write? Then create. And please, do a better job than the award winning song "Bodack Yellow," which has to be the worst mess I've ever heard and it still won an award. 

Migos's "Bad and Boujee."

I don't know what that is. The video is a woman making food listening to a song, and then she apparently stops the song and adds her own lyrics. Because you aren't allowed to like music by black people or have any fun with music by black people. You should just give them awards. 

​Especially boujee.

You apparently aren't allowed to say "bougie." Since that's the first time I've seen the word, no problem. 

And Quavo's name

Don't know who that it is. There was a video attached, and apparently the narrator was saying it wrong. The caption under it was the totally not racist "WHITE PEOPLE RUIN EVERYTHING!" I assume this video must have destroyed whatever the career of this assumed person is. 

Kodak Black's "Tunnel Vision."

There was a video of white people who don't dance like professionally trained backup dancers. Again, just give them awards. Oh, and it's perfectly fine for them to make fun of white people doing anything at all, but don't you dare return the favor. Even in good nature, you're racist.

There's a bunch more songs they listed

Again, I assume all these singers had their careers permanently destroyed because a white person dared enjoyed their art. 

I also just learned that "Bodak Yellow" is apparently someone's national anthem. I guess I'm in trouble for calling it the worst garbage I ever heard. Not taking it back. The song is awful. My national anthem is the Star Spangled Banner. Because I'm American over any of my ethnic backgrounds. 

Our National Dance

All I saw was a bunch of people in the stands of what I assume is a sporting event to watch millionaires play a game, swaying back and forth. We're not allowed to sway?

More Dances

We're not allowed to dance anymore, either, you guys.

Internet Challenges

Only minority groups are allowed to take part in click bait challenges on YouTube. 

Car freestyles

And don't sing in your car. 

Hip-Hop

Again, just throw awards and money at them. I'm sorry, but we hear all the time that white people don't do enough to support black businesses, and then we're told we aren't allowed to enjoy the fruits of black businesses. Make up your mind. Oh... and, again... you're OK with Eminem?

More Music

Even the theme from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. We get it. You want our money, you just don't want us to enjoy the product. 

#BlackGirlMagic

It's a picture of a white model wearing a shirt that says "Black Girl Magic." What would be more outrageous? If the shirt said "White Girl Magic."

Saying things like "YAAASSS queen!!!" and "Snatched my wig."

​OK. I've only heard one person ever say either one, and he was flamboyantly gay. Does he get a pass? By the way, the example? A hat with "Yas Kween" on it... on a mannequin. 

Joints

Heads up, California. If you're white, you aren't allowed to smoke weed. Only minority groups do drugs. Somehow that isn't racist. 

​Chopped cheese

OK, you have the corner on junk food. Fine. 

Childhoods

The video is a kid selling candy and an old lady wanting a business license from the kid. Ironically, a white guy is coming to the kid's defense. By the way, in recent years, there has been a string of lemonade stands shut down due to business licenses... shut down by the police. The race of the kids? Varies. This has become a real issue as of late for children in general. 

Identifying as Filipino/Black

We're lookin' at you, Brown University!

And googling "things white people ruin."

 

​​Funny. When I searched that image I included above - via Google - I found mostly historical images of the civil rights movement, jokes about stupid white people, images from Charlottesville, and a bunch of other images about white racism.

If you made it this far and aren't leaving in a steaming rage, you may be wondering why I bothered with this since Buzzfeed is such trash to begin with. They're known for not exactly being a unifying website, just wanting to draw in clicks to keep the advertisers happy. 

Well, I did this because I am getting really sick of crap like this. And I don't care who writes these articles about who. This is divisive. Period. This is forcing people into boxes that are predetermined by their skin color, and a lot of folks don't fit in those boxes. And rather than uniting us as a people, they point out any difference they can find, no matter how small or meaningless. 

When you walk outside, odds are, no matter your own race, you run into a lot of people who are a lot of different races and ethnic backgrounds. You have, most likely, not gone head to head in the street with anyone who hated you based on those races or ethnic backgrounds. The occasional off color remark is made sometimes, but let's face it... even the stories people tell online, a good 90% or more are fake as hell, and you can tell because there is such amazing detail, down to entire conversations. Some of the messages are good, some are bad, but a lot are fake. I have never heard anyone make a comment to me about being white, and in return, I've never made a comment about anyone else's race, either. We all just sort of leave each alone. As it should be. 

Even social justice warriors... they're nuts in a group, but once they get outside their campus or protest group and join up with the rest of society, even if they just left for a fast food run, they don't act that way. 

Can we stop, just for a minute, and grasp the concept that the only time you hear this crap is from click bait websites like Buzzfeed or from celebrities who are desperately hanging on to a dying career or YouTubers who are trying to get people to like them? This list... these apparent outrages from the minority community... they aren't real life. It isn't what is happening around you. We aren't this divided and hateful toward each other in reality, and we shouldn't be.

We are all Americans. If you really have an issue with someone, treat them like the individual they are and not the group they belong to. One does not represent all. And if you have an issue with one, you shouldn't take it out on all. As an American, you can speak to your fellow Americans. Rationally. We don't need to keep doing this to each other. If you believe your race or ethnicity isn't represented in a career field, then please, join that career field! They can't be represented there if no one wants to take the plunge. You can't wait for someone else to do it, you need to be the one to do it. And then inspire others. Because if you can, they can. 

This needs to stop. I don't care who you are or what your race or ethnic background is. I really don't. I was raised to take people on an individual level and not as a group. I expect the same respect. You should, too.