Black People : America - The Grim Truth

[awo dino]

The problem with western thinking is we have separated physical reality from imagination. So we close off all kinds of opportunities. If you wallow in self pity and think you aren't in control of your life, guess what? that is what your reality will be. your imagination becomes your reality. I too was hurt on the job. Except, i didn't have the luxury of workmen's comp. or disability. I was working on my own. My wife had already lost her job due to illness. Lupus. we lost everything, bankrupted by the system. I could have applied for s.s.i., but did not want to be under the control of the gv't. so i went to school. no pell grants, since i had worked. I make less now than i did as a carpenter with no high school diploma. i have debt. I live check 2 check, and can't afford the smallest of luxuries. i don't come from old money. my parents were working poor. i can't even afford music lessons for my children, which causes me to awaken in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. and guilt. SO WHAT. i will get the money for the move. I came here to where i live to start graduate school with 3 suitcases and 400 dollars in my pocket. Where there is a will (and faith) there's a way. When we lost our home, we made cheesecakes and sold them. we made shirts. we did all kinds of things. so if you want it hard enough, you can manifest it. one thing is certain; at minimum wage, your life will suck. You can change your life. i don't have a choice. My children's quality of life and my own depend on me making a courageous change. YOU CAN DO IT!

For me $800 is like amazing. i could not imagine.

properties? Job opportunities?

Maybe I should just live in an imaginary world and believe that I can reverse the fact that I've not been injured on my job...and instead of helping me, they decided to leave in that position until I became further injured.

Maybe I can live in an imaginary world and believe that one day, I'll get the right job so that I can get that plane ticket and just leave all of my debt here...

Isn't that what this thread addressed in the article. The author spoke about how the employers do their workers in on the job. Some of us are not privileged to have OLD MONDY or extra money outside of that job that offers only mimimal pay to keep us stuck in capitivity right here.

When you base your assessment of African Americans based upon what you saw in Atlanta, I think that is like demonizing us as a whole.


But, I still love you Omowalejabali.

Just sayin.

 

[bientempo]

You just mentioned a FACT that i will generalize as say MOST Black folks in america really have ZERO knowedge of how they operate. Foreign exchange rates. Folks dont realize how far $500 us dollars can stretch in most countries around the globe which have a exchange imbalance with the us currency.

People suggest folks avoid tourist raps in many coutries because they know that prices are higher and this is why the propaganda machines (corporate media) demoize certain countries as unsafe for "tourists" or "americans" because these are usually countries which have industry based on tourism and typically in countries which are becoming economically more competitive as their infrastructure is developing. which means they can offer better quality service at lower prices than the dumps run by corporate america.

for example. if i am certain i can find a lower fare to brazil from mexico city than flying out of LAX, and im talking about first class instead of coach. the key is finding reasonable fare to mexico city and that becomes increasingly difficult since travel to mexico city will put me on a "terrorist watch list" if you know what i mean.

dont bet on it as far as the fare rates. I can fly to europe(spain) cheaper than I can fly to mexico city. santo domingo to Panama City to Mexico city. this would be normal for most Dominicans as they cannot transit the USA. Taca, Copa, Lan are not cheap airlines. Maybe from LAX you can do better.

 

[Omowale Jabali]

dont bet on it as far as the fare rates. I can fly to europe(spain) cheaper than I can fly to mexico city. santo domingo to Panama City to Mexico city. this would be normal for most Dominicans as they cannot transit the USA. Taca, Copa, Lan are not cheap airlines. Maybe from LAX you can do better.

If i fly outta LAX too many homeland security agents will be tracking me. lol!

 

[medusanegrita]

Darling you need to come down here and work at an inbound call center for USA Medicaid, for a while. I guarantee you a mind change, When you get jumped all over for not getting $25 Over the Counter benefit per child, instead of per household. And your free medical, dental. While you are talking to me on your Cell Phone, asking me "you got somebody der speak english I don unnerstand you".

been there done that. Also got handed over to a secretary to change the callers 6 kids over to another doctor. Or This oneMadam how do you spell your daughers name, **** don you know nuthing, I said Shaniequ, I know but how are you spelling it, I cant find anything in the system the way I am spelliing it. Its S H A N E - Q U A with a dash. Thank you I found it, what would you like to have changed. NOT A STEROTYPE really happens.

Then all the other social programs that you have, shoot. Then you tell me I am confused.

Plus the fact that you would have people telling you what a great wage you were making, at 18000rd or 489us a month, with maybe some bonus on that of that. all this for listening to the crap above for 8 hours a day.

When I said you were 'confused' this is the comment I was referring too...

I do have my visa an go to Miami once in a while. love it when you see somebody pay for grocerys with food stamps then crawl into an escalad.

This bothers you apparently because you think of those who receive this type of assistance as lying cheats apparently - food stamps don't go with an Escalade.

But here and now, someone like Bro Oma says he had to get foodstamps, and had 5 cars with a PHD and that... and you don't question that or see as peculiar? No, because as stated by the above comments, it's the poor that harass and give the hard time and cheat the gov and spent their money on frivilous things they can't afford... like lobster and an esculade apparently, and they are the ones who should be demeaned.

But when the rich have to resort to it, then they should more respected for their decision to have to go on it.... more respected than the poor apparently.

I ain't buying it. The formerly rich shouldn't be more respected while receiving any type welfare than the poor who are already on it.

That's is just like poor white people who get more respect than black people on welfare, and the blacks are often the ones scapegoated for it while the whites on welfare or blushed over.

Or how the millions of $$ in corporate welfare is more respected and less demeaned then the pittance they give in poor gov assistance.

But I've said all I'm gonna say on that subject for this thread.

 

[Omowale Jabali]

When I said you were 'confused' this is the comment I was referring too...
This bothers you apparently because you think of those who receive this type of assistance as lying cheats apparently - food stamps don't go with an Escalade.

But here and now, someone like Bro Oma says he had to get foodstamps, and had 5 cars with a PHD and that... and you don't question that or see as peculiar? No, because as stated by the above comments, it's the poor that harass and give the hard time and cheat the gov and spent their money on frivilous things they can't afford... like lobster and an esculade apparently, and they are the ones who should be demeaned.

But when the rich have to resort to it, then they should more respected for their decision to have to go on it.... more respected than the poor apparently.

I ain't buying it. The formerly rich shouldn't be more respected while receiving any type welfare than the poor who are already on it.

That's is just like poor white people who get more respect than black people on welfare, and the blacks are often the ones scapegoated for it while the whites on welfare or blushed over.

Or how the millions of $$ in corporate welfare is more respected and less demeaned then the pittance they give in poor gov assistance.

But I've said all I'm gonna say on that subject for this thread.

What are you talking about?

I clearly stated that when I applied and recieved an EBT card i was unemployed and virtually homeless, while i was in ATL.

If i qualified i definitely was NOT 'rich'.

I also mentioned that i had 'divested' which means ZERO assets with the exception of a life insurance policy that i borrowed from to move back to LA.

Furthermore, at no point have i claimed to posess a Ph.D. I actually was enrolled in a MBA program at the time which i had to discontinue after one semester since i was in process of re-locating for the 4th time within the same 3 year period.

Have i asserted the need to be respected more than anyone else? NO.

At the same time, i recognize that any one of us are capable of losing our jobs, losing our homes, and losing our means to provide for ourselves within this unstable economy in the us.

I actually gave one of my cars to my daughter when hers broke down. I donated 2 others to a charity. Did i own any of these when i qualified for the EBT card? Yes, down to one and it was NOT a luxury car but a pick-up truck which i used to haul lawn and landscaping tools.

Have you ever worked in a homeless shelter or for a program feeding the poor such as the union rescue mission? There are plenty of folks who hold more advanced degress than myself and who are retired that lost life savings due to declines in their retirement/pension/401k plans who also lost jobs or retired and found their retirement savings lost equity and they were unable to find work due to age descrimination.

What makes one person more worthy of respect than another?