Although the number of universities in the world is rare, plenty are in the United States, and this country provides financial assistance to those who consider formal education important. Lately, efforts are made to forgive debts owed by mostly young people in this regard, who have chosen the path that is said to close the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Education is “the great equalizer,” in an increasingly modern world that demands particular knowledge and skills for a profession. It is “the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the power of reasoning and judgement, and generally preparing oneself or others, intellectually, for a mature life.”

I come from a country with a college that opened in 1827.It was the first institution of higher learning in Africa, south of the Sahara, nicknamed the Athens of West Africa.

Fourah Bay College, one of the two constituent colleges of the University of Sierra Leone at the time, was affiliated with Durham University, N.E. London, England. Its motto remains “Non Sibi Sed Aliis”-not for oneself but for others. The other, Njala University College, was attached to the University of Chicago, Illinois, US, which I attended. Almost everyone went to these colleges, tuition-free, stayed on its campuses free and received allowances every semester.

If a third world country can do this, what is wrong with America? Does the GOP not see any problem with illiteracy? Well, when you do not know a problem, do not worry about it. Why stand in the way of student loan forgiveness? Listen to a former First Lady of the US who is not highly regarded in some quarters, read the most common Christian prayer. Watch her say, “Forgive those who TRESPASSES against us.”

Now, read my engagement with Trumpers on Facebook:

liberties will be gone, our Constitution violated and his Dictatorship will be rejected. After I responded with the 45th Lady’s Lord’s prayer video, the whole conversation was deleted but I had managed to get these screenshots by then. Haha !

Thanks for lending me your attention. Be NICE!

PS:

See photo page for more.

To teach in schools in Texas, you must have studied Texas history, and you should have a teaching diploma. There are no benefits, and the pay is low for a substitute teacher, so you do it for love and dedication to young people. It costs you more to do it than you bring in.

the GANG found a vantage position, the fire lane, clearly marked NO PARKING,

for proximity to my car, but I saw them, walked up on them and asked why.

were they parked in the FIRE LANE. The answer: “We are looking for direction.”

If you believe that, I just ran the 100 meter-race in five seconds.

Others wear T-shirts with “It started in Japan” inscription.

The brevity of the United States of America Constitution cannot be exaggerated since it is four pages long with 4,400 words. Its concise and exact use of words presented in a readily understandable form put it among the shortest in the world. Yet, the unsuspecting truth is that few Americans take the time to read it as if they do not care what it states. Strangely and amusingly, a lot more is known about the changes made to it, of which there are 27. Our Constitution, amended only 27 times, is a good thing. Ask around and discover the common ones: First, Second, and Fifth.

The First is on freedom of religion, speech, the press, rights of assembly, and petition. The Second is the right to bear arms, and the Fifth is your rights in criminal cases, which the 45th president is said to have invoked a ridiculous 440-plus times even though he is on record saying if you are not guilty, there is no need to plead the 5th(paraphrasing).

Expressing meaning to a friend last night through gestures with my hand indicating I was shooting a gun at him, and told him I just shot him, then asked if he was going to call the police. “I do not have time to wait for the police; I will just shoot back,” I received. That is your Second Amendment right.

We have rights to speedy trials that ensure you are tried without unnecessary delay, represented by an attorney, and more. That is, our Sixth Amendment rarely talked about.

If you are accused of a crime, your lawyers are expected to put themselves in your position and do everything possible to add value to your needs. Someone who has been sued, especially by the State(s), does not want to sit through depositions, produce documents and agonize through an extended jury trial if there is a way to avoid all that. They want a prompt and sensible resolution that involves minimum inconvenience and expense. They expect their lawyer(s) to execute a strategy that attempts minimal activity and risk and achieve timely and equitable solutions. The Constitution guarantees a free lawyer if you are indigent.

Why would anyone fight for a protracted or delayed trial if the right to a speedy trial is beneficial? Nowhere does it say if you are applying for a job and about to be charged with a crime, the court case must wait until your application is processed.

One party in our country refuses to admit the truth or its existence about anything, and many of its members believe that they inherently deserve privileges and special treatment. As such, they continue to refuse to accept the results of the 2020 election purporting that they stole the election from them though overwhelming evidence proves otherwise. Shamelessly, they beat the drums of lies and stupidity instead of stepping on the brakes. For them, if they did not win an election, it is because of fraud.

Their resolve has been to change the election rules and put election deniers in charge so they can falsify the outcome in their favor should they lose. It is like placing a rapist to head a female prison. This action is happening in over half the country, approximately 29 states.
Consequently, we now have two Americas comprised of those who abide by the law and believe in the constitution and those who do not and will storm the Capitol to stop our democratic process. Unfortunately, to those who say this is not who we are, this is who almost half of us are.
To prove this point, a twenty-year-old boy whipped this card out of his wallet.

I asked him if he believed “white men can’t jump,” and he responded, “I don’t have to jump; everything comes down to me.” So I advised him to enroll in college to interpret and experience the world, which he has done.

PS: Welcome to my neighborhood.

A Beto yard sign was removed from its stand and thrown on the lawn.

The yard sign was placed inside the window instead, and the window was defaced.

This sign around the corner was untouched. (A black residence)

A neighbor and baby enjoy the sun before it sets

The neighborhood golf course

Sixteen-year-old next-door neighbor arrives home from school.

Our country has opulence, SO THE MINIMUM WAGE MUST BE INCREASED.

NO ONE SHOULD BE HOMELESS IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.

Here is a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z are represented as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then,

H-A-R-D-W0-R-K: (8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11) = 98%

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E:(11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5) =96%

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E: (1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5) =100%

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T: (2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20) =103%

A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G: (1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7)=118%

So one can conclude with mathematical certainty that while Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, the Bullshit and Ass kissing will put you over the top.

This joke is not original(Not mine, the sketch is. Can you see how much I struggled with the sharpie?). Have a nice day!

I went to work on July 7th, 2016 but could do little or nothing, so instead, I watched video after video of unarmed black men killed by the police. My eyes were red as the waterworks kicked in; call them tears. I then went to one of our meeting rooms with a large card and a sharpie, made my protest sign, rolled it up, and planned to leave my car in the office garage and walk to the light rail station on Galatyn parkway a few feet away to board a train to the protest downtown.
As the clock ticked, the countdown to a dangerous moment was on. My brain triggered a surge of adrenalin, aware of the danger ahead, causing my heart to beat faster than usual, pushing my body into a different mode.

At 4.30 pm, I hopped on the train. The temperature was 98 degrees Fahrenheit, and I was sweating profusely, frightened that things, anything might go wrong and the result would be death(s). So I became weak since I had just been off work, and dinner time was creeping on.
Not to pass out, I entered the McDonald’s on Commerce street(downtown), a few meters away from where we were to meet at 6 pm and ordered a cheeseburger, some fries, and a large cup of coke.
Out of the restaurant, I strolled across the street and received a handshake from Alexander, one of the protest organizers. The other was a white pastor named Jeff. The protest was not a black lives matter event, but some have tried to pin that name on it.

We listened to speeches and marched through a chosen path downtown unmolested by the police. They were very friendly and happy to watch a peaceful protest. As night fell, we ended up at the old courthouse before dispersing.

By all accounts, the protest was over, but some people just lingered as I hurried back to the rail to board the train to beat the crowd. Once on board, my phone buzzed. It was one of my sons with the worst message of my life. “Dad, they are shooting downtown.”
Upon arrival at home, I turned the TV on in the breakfast nook and saw what looked like fireworks, but the gunpowder in the air was not for celebration, marking any pleasure. So this was an offense punishable by law unfolding in real-time, and worst still, these were law enforcement officers gunned down by someone who was not a protester.

My heart beats, but Michael Krol, Lome Ahrens, Michael Smith, Brent Thompson, and Patrick Zamarripa had no pulse. That breaks my heart.

PS: With five officers dead, and nine plus two civilians wounded, Dallas police made sure Micah Xavier Johnson would have to talk to a robot strapped with a bomb. He was blown to pieces.

We acknowledge good policing:

I was born on July 24, 1955. That makes me 66, and I attach no secret meaning or symbolism to it. I do not consider birthdays special since they are not unique to anyone. Everyone has one, and you can only have one. On the day of my birth, millions of others were born across the globe, so as much as I celebrate them, the common thread is that we grow old together, as age is not just a number. You get old, weaker with muscle loss, wrinkled, then you wither and die.

I share this birthday card, made and given to our boss at CoreLogic, where I worked, in charge of an offshore group located in India, to express how birthdays can be fun to celebrate using candies. Get 100 Grand to chew on your birthday, and you should be happy you are still above ground.

On the top left of the card, I wrote: “Birthdays come only once in a year, so make sure you enjoy this ’cause you will have to wait till 2016 to get another.”

Happy 2022.

PS:

Some riveting reactions by texts. Names withheld.

You can read the story on tornadoes here, posted July 13, 2018

Book report

Roxanne steers an unusual path that is fair while acknowledging our country’s failings and clumsy attempts by many to forge a false account of connected events, leaving forests behind.

Such attempts are nothing more than jury-rigging.

Claims that “America is a nation of immigrants” made by presidents are discordant with facts laid bare in this book. Raspy and jarring, she displays a lack of harmony with the famous line produced and discharged formally and with authority that America is a nation of immigrants.

For Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, that is a lot of guff! Openly conveying such sentiments, if myths, is harmful.

This fundamental change in approach reveals the true nature of America as it wrestles with settler colonialism, white supremacy, and history of erasure and omission. With a lone exception (Donald J. Trump), John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden have all paraded this feel-good myth.

She puts down that the official negation of the US as a nation of immigrants by Trump is unlikely to change the liberal rhetoric. To be clear, Trump is a son of a European immigrant mother and grandfather and is married to one. Maybe that is why he prefers people from Norway, not Haiti, Mexico, or Nigeria.

And Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers, was born in the Caribbean, was not an immigrant, and was no friend of immigrants, as this book shows. On the contrary, his Federalist Party pursued anti-immigrant policies, states Roxanne. Moreover, he enslaved people, as did George Washington.

She writes about the denial of American racism, with police violence as the most tangible expression of systemic racism. She confirms that police killings of black people have become visible with the presence and easy access to video recordings reducing unpublicized police killings.

She declares that “being black in the United States is a marker of slavery. Consequently, a black individual is a principal target of racial discrimination and violence, mimicking the violence imposed on black bodies under slavery.”

Addressing Arrivants, she bemoans some more known facts. First, “Enslaved Africans did not come to the Americas as immigrants, indentured servants, or settlers. Instead, indigenous agrarian villagers were kidnapped or taken as captives in wars, forced-marched in groups to the Atlantic coast.” Second, “they were transported across the ocean against their will and with violence so unbearable that many committed suicides.”

On Native Americans, she believes “the US republic was born from its birth the engine of capitalist accumulation in expropriating native land to sell to land speculators, slaves and later the railroads and white settlers, under the Homestead Act.’

This book provides insight into Settler Colonialism, Private Property on Steroids, Free-Soiler Imperialism, Settler-Colonialism as Genocide, and the Settler Move to Innocence. In addition, there are explanations of Settlers’ Claims to Indigeneity in Appalachia, Rancher Indigeneity, Irish Settling, Continental Imperialism, US Colonial Occupation, The Border, Americanizing Columbus, and more. (All her words)The longest chapter, “Yellow Peril,” highlights this country’s long history of anti-Asian sentiments in forty-eight pages.

Acclaimed reviews are in order: “Dunbar-Ortiz’s fascinating and accessible historical account forces a reckoning with the various layers of the US imperialist project, from territorial control to economic and political influence at the expense of Black populations, migrants, and indigenous peoples.” Alexandra Delano Alonzo

“A compelling counter-narrative to America’s autobiography as the making of “the nation of immigrants,” Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz not only chips away at this settler account but also provides the narrative glue for an emancipatory movement beyond the settler-native dichotomy.” Mammood Mamdani

Roxanne is the winner of the 2015 American Book Award; professor emerita, born in San Antonio, Texas, grew up in Oklahoma.

You must read this book!

PS: What is now Central Park in New York was a settlement of predominantly African Americans in the 19th century.

“This land is your land” by Woodie Guthrie is deep. Please read about it.

It will be hard to give reasons or cite evidence against the thought or suggestion that, relentlessly, people are grouped based on shared physical or social features belonging typically to a person to determine the identity and inappropriately, their worth or capabilities.

This set of circumstances has been obtained since time immemorial and goes on rampantly even now. Over time, the expectation has been that the young people’s current breed would be creating a better world. But when we have the free world leader espouse hatred, bigotry, racism, theft, and corruption, it becomes astonishing that there can be children today, bereft of behavior that conforms to accepted standards of morality and responsibility.

It came as no surprise to learn that white high school goers from Archer City in Texas found it amusing to burst out into chants of build the wall at Hispanic students during a high school volley ball match further south, in Snyder Texas, echoing Donald J. Trump’s rally-goers’ conduct.

Archer City, Texas, with a population of under 2000, predominantly white, is about two hours away from Dallas. Before white settlement, Apaches, Wichitas, Tawakonis, Kichais, Caddoes, Comanches, and Kiowas camped and hunted in the County area. Its fatty deposits of oil and gas, strengthened by its plains and prairies soil, have created sustainable commercial life for its current inhabitants.

It is a Republican stronghold, and Trump flags proliferate the landscape. Hopes of a successful 2020 election recount to overturn the result are expressed by yard signs. But unlike Trump, there is the belief in renewable energy, so for a stretch of about 15 miles from Archer City to Windthorst, there is wind technology juxtaposed with oil pumps.

Windthorst a German settlement that bills itself as the home of pride and tradition sets an example for America with a signpost asking us, a divided country, to look forward and heal. In Archer city itself, people now pin their hopes in prayer as a pandemic ravages our land.

Hopes that these high school students’ action to be an aberration are high after young people all across America, last Summer raised their clenched fists in the streets, day in and day out, to fight racism and injustice.

After all, we are just people, so we will always reject race, the inappropriate and undesirable manner of judgment, causing discrimination and injustice. If you harbor the platitude that “white men can’t jump,” then here is Jeremy Wariner beating two black guys in a 400-meter race.

PS:

Does this not look like my story on Deep Ellum?

As you continue to read this Dallas Ad, you continue to see some more lifting. Shameless. Intellectual theft it is!