The recent events has struck me in ways I just can't describe nor explain; every negative feeling & emotion has invaded me like never before! As I'm typing this,... I'm struggling big-time!
Change is an IMMEDIATE MUST; anything else WILL NOT DO!!! Here's what I plan to push for moving forward with my platform: Some...Components to help rid this Racial & Social injustice (Pandemic) Police brutality – MUST have an extensive vetting & screening process system in place in selecting new law enforcement officers! Certain criteria MUST be met for all law enforcement positions! An annual mandatory training program should be in place for all existing officers that will address various components, i.e, community interactions,... building trust & respect throughout their communities and exercising self restraint during challenging times in the field. Law enforcement officers should be held at a higher standard (and accountability) than the individuals they swear to serve & protect… They should NEVER feel like they have an unofficial licence to hurt & kill! A database needs to be in place for officers who were sited and or reprimanded for previous infractions. Racial discrimination & unfair treatment within the workforce – This starts from the very top executives to set the 'Right' culture within the company! Better vetting & screening process for hiring managers & supervisors; certain criteria MUST be met for these positions. An annual mandatory training program should be in place for all existing executives, managers and supervisors that will focus on, building trust & respect with ALL employees, provide an even & fair playing field to ALL employees for advancement within their perspective companies. Racial profiling, 'Buddy' system or nepotism should NEVER be a factor.. nor reason for advancement; ones qualification to do the job should be the only deciding factor! Not everyone is built to motivate, inspire & LEAD! A voice & action from the 'Silent' - There needs to be more activity from ‘Individuals’ who are looking from the outside... & who are NOT impacted or affected by this racial pandemic. These 'Individuals' will no long be allowed to play on both sides of this fence... Their silence will no longer be allowed nor accepted! NO ONE left behind - Providing the necessary means for areas that are economically challenged (i.e,.. healthcare, food, job opportunities, housing, etc...) is long overdue; this issue is a major agitator for the overall racial & social divide in this country. Once the black & brown people in this country feel like they actually 'MATTER'... only then will the healing begin! We need to transform into ONE TEAM,... AND ONE FAMILY!!! "It's NEVER too late for change when a heart is genuinely open to receive". ~ VT~ Who's with me?
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So much tragedy, destruction and despair has come upon us in a very short amount of time. The events that recently occurred has pretty much put my feelings and emotions in a ‘different’ place now!
I sat and watched a ‘brother’ of my color forcibly placed on his stomach, handcuffed, and ignored while he called out to his mother (who passed away a couple years before) for help! The brother was calling for his deceased mother because he had 4 police officers over him… pinning him down; one of the officers had his left knee and the full weight of his body pressed against the back of this brothers neck……………. FOR ALMOST 8 MINUTES!!!!! So you understand the full scope of this…. While the brother was face-down & handcuffed,.. one of the officers had his knee on this brothers neck, another officer had his knee on the brothers butt, another officer held the brothers legs pinned to the ground, and the remaining officer was standing guard. This brother pleads, “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe.. my stomach hurts,…. Mama, Mama, help me please, they’re gonna kill me”. His pleads were immorally ignored by the 4 officers. Approaching the 8 minute mark, you can see this brothers body go limp.. while the full weight of the officers knee pressed against his neck. You can also see the officer who was holding down the brother legs reacted to a bystanders comment, (“Let him go, he’s limp,.. you killed him”) by walking over to the brothers head to check for a pulse,… and this is while the full weight of the other officers knee on his neck. I’m in a great deal of pain right now; even though I already knew the outcome, I screamed at my television, begging the officer to get off the brothers neck! I saw this brother dying right before my eyes. What I didn’t see….. was an ounce of concern, empathy, compassion or moral compass from any of the 4 police officers!!!!! The brother, ‘George Floyd’ was pronounced dead moments later! Adding to my heartache……. I see a ‘brother’ bird watching in central park… he notices an individual who had her dog unleashed in an area of the park that requires all dogs to be leashed. The brother asked the individual to leash her dog; once the brother saw the individuals demeanor, he began to video record her and the situation. The individual got extremely agitated and aggressively approached the brother, demanding that he stop recording her. The brother asked her several times not to come close to him; while literally strangling her dog, the individual proceeded to take her phone out and threatened the brother she was going to call the cops. The brother then begged her to call the cops; then the individual said the following statement to the brother, “I’m going to call the cops and tell them that an African American man is here threatening me and my dog”. The brother replied, “ please call and tell them whatever you want”. I don’t know if it was her feel of self-privilege, or her unexplained ignorance….. knowing she’s being recorded, the individual proceeded to call the police and say the following, “Hello, I’m in the park and there’s an African American here threatening me and my dog… please hurry”; the individual said this 3 times,.. and each time, her ‘performance’ heightened into an utter life or death situation,.. thus screaming in fear in the phone! Mind you, the brother never moved from where he was standing,… and the individual had walked about 15 yards away from the brother while on the phone with the police. During her entire time speaking with the police, her poor dog was literally getting strangled. The individual finally leashed her dog, and the brother said, “Thank you” and went on about his way. I don’t want to think had this brother stayed at that location when the police arrived.. and NOT recorded this individual (white female) and her Oscar level performance while speaking with the police on the phone,… What would have been the outcome??? I’m sorry to say, this is a rhetorical question… NOTHING good would have come out of the situation for this brother! Until things change (starting from the TOP),.. this is a black mans ‘Normal’ in America! ENOUGH! I was beyond blessed to have played the game of football at every level beginning from age 10. I’ve gained an abundance amount of knowledge, not only from the actual game of football,… I captured a books-worth of life lessons as well!
I’ve learned - In addition to natural God given talent, you have to have an exceptional work ethic…. And a ‘Unmeasurable’ size heart! I also learned going into the sport that… it was extremely combative, violent, physical & emotional game to play; the game of football plays at such a fast pace…. There is NO time to think,.. you just ‘Play’! The majority of your ‘thinking’ is done during the preparation (practice) phase of the game. I learned at a very early age that the more ‘Thinking’ you do when you’re actually playing…. the more you are at-risk in getting hurt and or injured! Another thing I learned was… NO PLAYER likes getting hit low (below the thighs)!!! Getting hit low at a high rate of speed can and will end a career faster than anything. The reason I’m pointing this out is because the NFL has adapted a new ‘Helmet’ rule that prohibits a player from making contact with his helmet ‘ANYWHERE’ on an opposing player. What does this mean? Well, it means a few things,…. this new rule will now force a player to do a hell of a lot of ‘thinking’ before making contact on an opposing player, thus placing himself at-risk. This new rule will most likely force a defender to target an opposing player (at a high rate of speed) below their thighs… and right at the knees, thus creating a higher risk injuries. Case and point, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost wide receiver, Marqise Lee for the season during last week’s preseason game due to a low hit. Unfortunately, this will be the ‘Norm’ (injuries) during games now due to this new ‘Helmet’ rule. I understand that they (NFL) are trying to reduce the amount of concussions the players are getting…. What they should do is research the game of ‘Rugby’; it’s as close to the game of football as you’re going to get. They don’t wear helmets, and they have less than half of the amount of head injuries/concussions the NFL has. The NFL needs to go back the drawing board... before it's too late! What do you think? LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffery has decided to forgo their perspective team bowl games to prepare for the NFL draft.
These 2 young men are making a decision that is in the best interest of their future. In other industries, this is called a 'Business' decision. Others will say that these 2 young men are turning their backs on their teammates, coaches, school and fans by not playing in the bowl game. Others will also say that these 2 young men are extremely selfish in making such a decision. In my personal opinion, I do not fault their actions at all; it's their choice,... no one but them knows their circumstances,... i.e, financial, health, personal goals,.. etc. From what I understand, these 2 young men are projected to go high in the 1st round.... in translation, they are projected to make millions! And if for some reason (injury, bad showing..) they slip low in the 1st round, or even worse... if they drop below the 1st round, they will lose millions! Again, no one but them knows their situation and circumstances that got them to make the decision they made. I wish them all the best... and I hope & pray that they carry themselves with humility and class... most importantly, I pray that they 'Pay It Forward'. What are your thoughts on this? There is absolutely no question that Mr. Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the most electrifying players in the NFL! He is as close as they come to being a 'Human Video Game'. But some past events has placed a huge cloud over his performance on the field!
Some people say that Odell Beckham Jr. is a very passionate and competitive player,.. and he sometimes let that get in the way of him performing at 'his' highest potential. Others are saying,... though we haven't heard about any major issues away from the gridiron,... the young man has some serious anger & 'attention seeking' issues,.. Odell Beckham Jr. needs to get professional help before something really bad happens on the field. Or could it be a combination of the two? What are your thoughts? With all the off-the field controversy regarding Colin kaepernick this season,..... Now that he was announced the starting QB for the 9ners.... How do you think he will do as the starter?
Want to hear your thoughts...... There's an un-written rule in sports.... 'You can't lose your job due to injury'. But what would (should) you do if you were the Dallas Cowboys?? Rookie Dak Prescott has been playing 'well beyond expectations' during the first 5 weeks of the season. Hypothetically speaking, If veteran Tony Romo is ready to play next week,... Should the Dallas Cowboys pull Dak Prescott out of the starting lineup for Romo? or should they stay with the rookie while he's still on a 'roll'?
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To All...
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June 2020
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