Nicotine, Fear and Solidarity

To: Lance, Nazer, Adonis and affiliates
From: Just ray



I wasn't sure where to post this, but after reading lance's recent post I felt it made sense to put it here immediately after. I won't pretend as if I know a lot about politics, but in a lot of ways I do keep myself informed of generally whats going on. Quite honestly i don't think i have to flat out say who i will be voting come november. My background alone should give a reasonable answer to the question of "who are you voting for?" That being said, a McCain presidency truly scares me. Especially lately with all the ignorance and pure hatred that is directed towards Obama.

Truth is the stigma towards obama has always been there, news casters and political experts can argue that race has not played a factor in this election. But thats all bull shit, because it clearly has played a large factor at least in my eyes. I wont quite get into all that, but if you want to hear what i think just ask me another time.

What i really would like to get at is the fear that comes full circle all across the board. It is obvious that recent ads about Obama and Ayers clearly instilled fear into blue collar white America. Even watching the video below, where the elderly woman says she has been reading about Obama and he is "an arab" scares the shit out of me. There is kind of a dual reaction i think to all of these things. The fact that people can actually begin to believe that Obama is in fact a terrorist puts chills down my spine. It also just shows the stigma to folks of middle eastern heritage. As if the big bad "arabs" are out to get you. I know what we could do lets tell are children stories that arabs hide in your closet while you sleep and under your bed too!!!

Folks like to talk about the civil rights movement and equality between all people as if everything is all good now. As if after the 60s and 70s we all of a sudden started holding hands and singing a whole new world together. Lets be real for a second folks. Race is an issue as of today so stop acting like it isn't.
I do however give McCain a bit of credit for "defending" Obama. ALthough it was just a bit to late for all of that. Fear and racism have a sort of snowball effect. Picking up every ignorant person along the way and fusing them with stupidity.

The main thing that bothers me really is the fact that everyone seems to put a lot of pressure on Obama. Obama promises change through out his speeches, however even if he were to become president the responsibility doesn't solely rely on him. We as a nation have to take action ourselves. We can't expect him and his administration to carry all the weight. We have to lighten the load and do our parts as well. For fear of getting to carried away and ranting for way to long heres a new piece from your friendly neighborhood poet-

Nicotine, Fear and Solidarity

A lot of people ask
Why it is that I smoke
And I know
That it is a bad habit
That I need to kick

But personally
I’m not quite ready yet,

See while I’m slowly killing
Myself grit after grit

I would rather be inhaling the
Nicotine
Rather than drowning in the
Hatred

That lingers in the air
And comes and goes like the wind

And can damage your soul
The way earthquakes
Damage the earth
Like some form of
Cruel and unusual
Punishment

Punishing my future children
For simply being themselves

And I am greatful for every scar
On my skin
Because it reminds me
That I am capable of feeling something

Something rather than being numb
Numb to my senses
Numb to the pain that motivates
Me in every single solitary way

And as my heart grows heavy
I hope for a better day
But the truth is I’m walking towards it,
but every step I take it seems even farther
Away….

We fear the unknown
We fear the other
And it has us questioning

Lost human connection
Through conversation
Leave it all up to
text messaging

I hate that even though
My ancestors are island people
I am generalized as being
Chinese or Mexican

The media fuels the flame
Towards chinky eyes
And brown skin

While magazine covers
Encourage our beautiful women
To be thin

While fox news criticizes
A black candidate
On the basis of his name

Quick to jump the gun
Point a finger
And redistribute
The blame

Blame the government
All you want

When universally as a
Whole we could care less
About our health

So fuck those
Who claim their
Down for redistribution
Of wealth

When we as a people
Can hardly organize
And redistribute
ourselves

When shit goes down
We look to the highest
On the ladder

Instead of standing at the bottom
Looking each other and asking
What the hell really matters?

To afraid to dialogue
With one another,
When we need to
Figure out what’s been
wrong all along

Fighting a war on terror
In the name of god

Muslims against prejudice
all praise due to Allah

Its not that I don’t
support our military troops,
But even more
I support our underprivileged
Illitary youth

Some complain that
We have hardly have classes
Addressing people of color

Even though the support
Is hardly their from my
Sisters and my brothers

While our parents
Only solution
Is to pray for peace

When it seems as though
It becomes so helpless
That God needs to bend his knees
And start fucking praying for me

I am positively
Desperate for
A more positive me

But were too intimidated
Of our potential as a collective
Afraid of what
we could possibly be

We as a people need to
Educate, organize and mobilize
In solidarity

Fuck relying on the few
When what we need
Is many

Fuck mountains out of mole hills
Cuz all we doin’ is digging
Holes we can’t get out of
Because shits too deep

Fuck dodge commercials
Because a ignorant white girl
Told me and my friends
“Go back where you came from
This is my country”

Fuck hiding behind the crosses
We wear around our necks
Because it wont protect us from
The monsters in our sleep

I hope for the day
I can stop worrying
That my children
Will be called,
CHINKS
GOOKS
BITCHES
HOS
NIGGAS
SPICKS
BEANERS
DIKES
MONKEYS
FAGGOTS
As they walk down the street

Give me a call when your ready to make a REAL change
Because for now leave me alone and let me smoke my cigarette in PEACE.

-Just Ray