A SYMBOL OF OPPRESSION IS FINALLY REMOVED!

There has been much controversy and discussion about the removal of the Confederate Flag lately.  Many claim that it is a symbol of victory and an important part of history but there is much violence, racism and hate associated with this flag:

Bree Newsome (with assistance of a friend) took the initiative and climbed the flag pole to take down the flag herself.  We all understand and know what transpired during the civil rights movement.  There was no equality for people of colour during that time.  People of colour couldn’t use the same fountains and washrooms of whites, they couldn’t go to the same schools.  And if you spoke or advocated for equality; you were beaten, degraded and even killed.

I applaud those who came before Bree Newsome and stood up to their oppressors, people who demanded respect and equality and who didn’t want to be treated like they were unworthy.  All over the world people like; Harriet Tubman, Representative John Lewis, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Booker T. Washington, Mohandas and Kasturba Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, Malcolm X, Desmond Tutu, Bob Moses and Ella Baker fought their oppressors and demanded change around the world.

Today, this type of oppression continues by those who are supposed to serve and protect everyone.  It is common to see videos of white policeman beat and kill so many people of colour.  When politicians are debating creating barriers, fences and walls to keep immigrants out, what else are we supposed to conclude except that these same politicians are pandering to the white racist America.  If they are treating minorities from other countries this way, it isn’t inconceivable to believe that politicians and legislators want to keep America’s minorities disenfranchised, poor, uneducated and oppressed.

So, when you hear your friends say things like; “they do it to themselves”, “if they were not committing the crimes, they wouldn’t be in jail”, “they are supposed to listen to the police” and so many other ignorant statements, they are just regurgitating the sentiments expressed by corporate media to insure we keep those same minorities lucid and submissive.

The REVOLUTION OF LOVE continues – we are the many that have had enough of those few who want to continue this oppression.  Knowledge is power!  With knowledge, determination and passion POSITIVE CHANGE is inevitable.  So many have given their lives to ensure those people who have oppressed others and their symbols are removed but never forgotten.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT LOVE

What is love?  We all have ideas about what love is and how we are supposed to give and receive it but have we really taken the time and thought about how we love?  Poems are written about it, artists sing songs about it, movie plot lines revolve around finding and losing love – everyone has an opinion about love but most importantly, we all have experience the positive and negative aspects of being in love.

Here is the definition of love according to The Concise Oxford Dictionary (Ninth Edition):

•  An intense feeling of deep affection or fondness for a person or thing; great liking.
• Sexual passion.
• Sexual relations.
• A beloved one; a familiar form of address regardless of affection.

We all know and understand that there are different types of love but the feelings associated with that love are very similar.  Those feelings stir emotions and find their way to the deepest crevices of our minds and our hearts.  Here are some powerful quotes surrounding love from people of all walks of life:

“The conclusion is always the same.  Love is the most powerful and still the most unknown energy of the world.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” – Mother Teresa

 

“Keep love in your heart.  A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.” – Oscar Wilde

 

“New Age values are conscious evolution, a non-sectarian society, a non-military culture, global sharing, healing the environment, sustainable economies, self-determination, social justice, economic empowerment of the poor, love, compassion in action, going beyond religious fundamentalism, going beyond nationalism-extreme nationalism, culture.” – Deepak Chopra

 

“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows.  For love is the beauty of the soul.” – Saint Augustine

 

“I love dogs.  They live in the moment and don’t care about anything except affection and food.  They’re loyal and happy.  Humans are just too damn complicated.” – David Duchovny

 

“Love is a trap.  When it appears, we see only its light, not its shadows.” – Paulo Coelho

 

“I love argument, I love debate.  I don’t expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me, that’s not their job.” – Margaret Thatcher

 

“The more I think about it, the more I realize there is nothing more artistic than to love others.” – Vincent Van Gogh

 

“A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.” – Mahatma Gandhi

 

“Your ordinary acts of love and hope point to the extraordinary promise that every human life is of inestimable value.” – Desmond Tutu

 

“Who could refrain that had a heart to love and in that heart courage to make love known?” – William Shakespeare

 

“If in my youth I had realized that the sustaining splendour of beauty of with which I was in love would one day flood back into my heart, there to ignite a flame that would torture me without end, how gladly would I have put out the light in my eyes.” – Michelangelo

 

“Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it.” – Maya Angelou

 

“When I found somebody who I fell in love with, it made me feel different than I felt the rest of the day.  It was electrifying.  That’s what inspired the “Off to the Races” melodies.  That’s one of the times when you’re feeling electrified by someone else and they make you happy to be alive.” – Lana Del Rey

 

“To be brave is to love someone unconditionally, without expecting anything in return.  To just give.  That takes courage, because we don’t want to fall on our faces or leave ourselves open to hurt.” – Madonna

“The winds that sometimes take something we love, are the same that bring us something we learn to love. Therefore we should not cry about something that was taken from us, but, yes, love what we have been given. Because what is really ours is never gone forever.” – Bob Marley

 

Every one of us has their own idea or concept of what love is but, there is no denying that we all feel the same way in terms of how the power of love affects us.  The quotes above are perfect examples of how love differs in intensity based on what or who you are loving.

 

Together (and with love), we can make the world a more positive one!

 

WHAT IF…..

What if you knew you had one month to live?  How would you live it?

It is important to live each day without judgement and to live with compassion, love, kindness and respect.  Enjoy each moment as if it was your last.  Brighten someone’s day with your smile, kind words, good karma, and positive energy because we really do not know what may happen tomorrow.  If you live each moment with good intentions, imagine how amazing life would be for your for all the people you connect with.  How are you living today?

For all those skeptics…..

What if climate change/global warming is happening?

There has been so many scientific reports indicating that are planet is warming up.

Global warming is the increase of the average temperature in the atmosphere and oceans over time due primarily to human influences. Since the late 19th century, scientists have monitored the fluctuations in temperature and studied global warming theories and trends to determine the causes and to assess the extent to which they are due to human activity. The greenhouse effect is largely caused by human-generated carbon dioxide (CO₂) and, to some extent, by increases in solar activity, etc. The term “global warming” is used to imply a human influence while “climate change” is most often used in association with changes in climate with no easily identifiable cause, such as the processes that produced the Ice Ages. http://marinebio.org/oceans/conservation/global-warming.asp

What if everyone had to witness the horrors animals go through in the name of fashion, sport, and how they eventually become food on your plate?

Would people be more compassionate about animals and what they go through?  I came to believe that if I indicated that I loved animals – why would I engage in eating them?  Many people say they love animals and are pet owners – how can people make the distinction of loving their pets (whom are animals) yet eat others like; cow, pig, chicken, fish, lamb, duck etc? In my opinion you can’t be an animal lover if you eat them – that seems hypocritical.

What if you were born as someone you have made judgements of/against?

Think about all those individuals who have protested and committed acts of violence against black people during the civil rights movement or the people who protest against gays and lesbians having the same civil liberties as they do.  How about all those bullies that were directly responsible in making the decisions of teens/children and even adults to commit suicide easier because of their sexual orientation.  How about all those men who are chauvinistic and misogynistic.  Imagine if all these people had to live the lives of those they have tormented, would it make a difference?  If we all took a moment and walked in someone else’s shoes, would there not be more love, understanding, compassion and respect for one another?

What If?…………………

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!