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  • Politics Is Like Hiring A Hitman
    by Scott Woods inPolitical on2020-08-13

    For me, politics is like hiring a hitman. I have values and things I care about. I care enough about them to at least bother voting for 5 minutes every year for one issue or another. And because I care at least that much, I vote for people who align with the ability to realize the things I care about.

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  • Punching Above Our Weight
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-07-24

    I believe our vote is the punctuation of our voice. Without that resounding exclamation mark, I believe our voices are just incoherent noise.

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  • BLACK PROGRESS AMIDST SOCIAL CHAOS
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-06-16

    Recent events have raised the profile of historical injustice and inequities here in the USA. The entire world has taken note of the fact that BLACK LIVES MATTER.   We invite all of our friends to engage in actions that result in the greatest movement for change in our history. It is imperative that we take advantage of this opportunity to affect a positive change by ACTING IN OUR SELF-INTERESTS.

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  • Living in a Black No-Man's Land
    by Roger Madison Jr. inOur Community on2019-10-28

    There are many narratives that define the Black experience in America in this 2nd decade of the 21st century. Our striving over the centuries of our sojourn in this nation is a tapestry of every human experience -- oppression, enslavement, forced assimilation, dehumanization, exclusion, segregation, isolation, struggle, perseverance, achievement, excellence, celebration, mourning, despair, progress, setbacks, lynching, assassination, genocide, terror, self-hatred, low esteem, pride,...

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  • Fighting Racism
    by Scott Woods inOur Community on2018-10-25

    I had a boss who was racist. Not an outright bigot, of course; her toolbox was more subtle than most. We bumped heads a lot over inconsequential things. She frequently couldn’t keep my name out her mouth. Lot of gaslighting. You know…2018 style. I tried a lot of ways to combat or navigate her issues. None of them worked, and that’s saying a lot because I’m really good at fighting racism. But at the end of the day – every day – she was my boss, I had to deal with her, and that was that. Finally I...

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Don't be afraid to PUNCH THROUGH

You want to know one of the most HORRIFYING things about pushing your way to success?  It's when you get to that point where you are ALMOST there!! That point is scary as hell!

You don't understand?  Ok, follow me on this one.  When you're driving towards to a goal, your mission is solely on that goal.  While you're working to get to that point, you're used to be in the trenches.  You're grinding away.  Making new relationships.  Fine tuning your craft.  Trying out different options and opportunities.  You're doing everything you need to do.  You're fighting your battles.  You take a loss here and there.  You lick your wounds and you keep on fighting.

Then one day, it finally happens.  You get that opportunity.  It's the one that you have struggling, pushing, and scrapping your BUTT off for and now it's here.  You deserve it. You earned it.  You fought for it.  It's yours!

Then, it happens!!  You pull back a bit!  SAY WHAT???? What the hell are you pulling back for now??  You are a warrior.  You fought for this moment! This moment is YOURS!   It's time to make it 'STOP', 'DROP' and "POP LOCK" BABY!! 

The problem is the wounds!!  You've been beat down so many times.  You've have so many "GREAT OPPORTUNITIES" thrown your way that turned out to be nothing.  You've had to 'pick yourself up' after being thrown to the waist side.  You've been used and taken advantage of on more than one occasion.  You're just at the point where you're just NOT sure if this is it.  So many times, you've told yourself that you would know when you've reached your goal but after getting burned a few times, you just don't know anymore.

Well, STOP, pulling back the reigns.   Part of the reason you got THIS far is because you weren't afraid to jump into the fire.  You weren't afraid to "PUNCH THROUGH" when you thought you had hit the jack pot.  The simple fact of the matter is, there really is no magical "I HAVE ARRIVED" moment.  It just doesn't happen.   The "POT of GOLD" is not at the end of the rainbow.  It's when you start following the rainbow because you weren't afraid to get outside and walk in the rain.

There are COUNTLESS stories of individuals who push and kept pushing until they got to where they are.  If you keep chipping away at the wall,  don't worry if you can't put a hole in the wall.  After chipping away, the wall will fall down on its own!