When Someone Shows You Who They Are, Believe Them The First Time

The title of this post is a quote by the late, great, Maya Angelou. She stated "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." This was Poet Angelou's way of trying to help us not to  try to make someone something he/she is not. Her way of letting us know that we cannot change the essence of who a person really is deep down inside and we ought not attempt to. She is speaking of the person you are when no one is looking and when the world is looking (character).

Other cliches and idioms include "A leopard doesn't change its spots," meaning that a person's character, especially if it is bad, will not change, even if he/she pretend it has and "You never get a second chance to make a first impression" with the first impression being the event when one person first encounters another person and forms a mental image of that person.

Donald Trump in my opinion is showing us in this spectacle of a presidential nomination race just who he is. Throughout this race he has insulted, name-called, bullied, incited, instigated, lied, and the list grows longer daily and at each event. With all of this said, his support base still grows causing me to wonder, what is it that all of these voters are believing they will be getting in a president? Mr. Trump has been anything but presidential throughout this campaign so far. It has been an absolute circus; an embarrassment to the United States.

Mr. Trump's slogan is "Make America Great Again," causing me to wonder again what "America" is he referring to? He makes statements about protesters being carried out on stretchers in the old days and punching people in the face reminding me of Bull Connor during the Civil Rights Movement and even worse, the likes of  Adolf  Hitler. Over and over again Mr. Trump has said how Mexico was going to pay for a wall that he intends to build sparking former Mexican President Vincente Fox to explicitly let him know that Mexico is NOT paying for any wall. Mr. Trump talks as if he intends to bully Mexico into paying for his wall. He has made similar statements about activities that would occur in other countries that he would make them pay for. At recent Trump rallies, people have been moved to physically fighting each other. A seventy-eight year old man actually reached across and punched a protester who was African American and was being escorted out of the rally by police. The protester was defenseless because he was in police presence and could not and did not strike back. The seventy-eight year old went on to say in a later interview that if he were to see the young man again, he would kill him. This is the kind of activity that has been spawned from the constant negativity spewing from Donald Trump's mouth.

Other players in this circus has been Pope Francis (who was correct in his commentary concerning building bridges compared with building walls), Sarah Palin, Chris Christie, and most recently Dr. Ben Carson. This race has been an absolute freak show and too many Americans seem to be loving it. The problem is, this is not a reality television show. This is not the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) or The Apprentice. This is a race for the highest office in the free world. An office where the person in the seat must be able to deal with world leaders and infinite issues. While he may be a very good business man,  Mr. Trump has not shown the ability to run a country throughout this race. When he does not get his way, he starts calling names and insulting people or he just doesn't show up as was shown with the second debate moderated by Megyn Kelly or the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). If Mr. Trump becomes president, he will not be able insult or call our world leaders names or not show up to meetings because the meeting is not going to go his way.

Donald Trump is showing us who he is and too many of us are not believing him. This nomination race is our "first time" in Maya Angelou speak and if we [Americans] are wise, we'd better believe him. Mr. Trump stated that he loves the "poorly educated" and I think I know why.  Once we elect Mr. Trump into the presidency, it will be too late.The same Donald Trump that we are seeing in this race will be the same Donald Trump we will see as president. The fact that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is now his front man is symbolic of what Donald Trump is going to do. I predict, the same thing that Governor Christie did to his New Jersey voters, is what Donald Trump is going to do to his American voters. At this very moment there are people who voted for Chris Christie who now have bumper stickers on their cars saying "I voted for Chris Christie and I am sorry I did," "My child is an honor student - My Governor is a moron,"  "I voted for Chris Christie and he screwed me."   If Donald Trump wins the presidency, there will be similar bumper stickers with his name on it on cars in a couple of years.

If you listen to Mr. Trump, he honestly believes that when he says "Jump!" that the Congress and the Senate are all going to shout "How high?" That's not going to happen and neither will it with the world leaders. His bullying and so called anger tactics will not bode well in the White House. He will not be able to just bellow "Get um out" and expect world leaders to leave with their tails between their legs. We Americans must really consider who and what we are supporting. Donald Trump is showing us who he is and we better believe him. Something to critically think about.

You are invited to listen to me live each Saturday at 6 a.m. eastern daylight savings time around the world on gobrave.org and locally in northern New Jersey on FM radio WP88.7 FM. You are also invited to follow me on Twitter @thinkcritical01 and @readingcircle01.

If He [Barack Obama] Can Do It, Anybody Can

As I start this post, I want to be clear that I am not playing the "race card," nor looking to do anything other than to make an observation. My view and opinion is solely my own and is just that, an opinion based on what I am observing during this presidential nomination race.

I think we all can agree that this race has been unprecedented in terms of the behavior exhibited by too many of the candidates. Yes, we know politics can get down and dirty; however, this race has taken down and dirty to an all time low.  Thus far the race has been an embarrassment to the United States of America. I can't imagine what must be going through the minds of world leaders watching this buffoonery along with we, the American people. This circus has included everyone from the Pope to the former president of Mexico and the topics of debate have ranged from penis size to Barbara Bush. The debates have been utterly ridiculous.

As I watch the debates, I am reminded of a time when I was a kid and a bunch of us would gather around and crack [jokes] on each other. I remember Darren, Glenn, Michael, Jerome, Frankie, Todd and myself standing in a huddle making jokes about each others' sneakers, clothing, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, head sizes, lack of athletic ability, lack of sexual knowledge, lack of being able to fight and on and on and on. Some were more quick witted than others and garnered the biggest laughs. Many would call it running the Dozens.  I wasn't very good at it, so in most cases I just stood around and laughed at the various put downs oftentimes becoming a target for not being able to pull off a laugher. In some instances, nick names for certain group members were created emanating from the jokes about him. The teasing was all in fun and to see who was the most skilled at creating the funniest put down. I share this because watching these debates look like this same activity to me with the exception of these men and women are running for the highest office in this country, if not the world. What I am seeing is nothing close to presidential, yet they are all vying to be our next president.  As I try to determine who I will vote for in November, the only thing I keep hearing is "Little Marco," "Lying Ted," "Con Man Don," and "You're a liar, No, you're a liar."  "You lied, no you lied" and more and more vicious attacks.

Donald Trump has mentioned on several occasions with venom and disdain how Mitt Romney, John McCain and Hillary Clinton should have beaten Barack Obama "easily,"  and each time he says this, I have to question, why should it have been so easy? He says this with an anger....with a burn and the burn is not for Bernie Sanders either. Mr. Trump's tone and body language when he references the races against Barack Obama leads me to read between the lines of what he is really saying or shall I say, not saying. When he dismisses Clinton, McCain and Romney for losing to Barack Obama, what he really is saying is how could you all lose to that Black man? It's written all over his face. He has literally called all three of them "losers," and he is not just saying that because they lost. He is emphasizing "loser" because they lost to a "Black man."

When the race began there were nearly twenty Republican candidates and close to five Democrats seeking their respective nominations.  I believe these numbers were so high, particularly on the Republican side of the house because somewhere in these candidate's heart of hearts each said to him/herself, "If Barack Obama can do it, anybody can." If that Black man who was a community organizer can make it to the highest office in the land, then surely I can, hence the candidates we are witnessing today.

The truth of the matter is, not just anybody can do that job and it is not as easy as these candidates seem to think. Again, if Barack Obama can do it, how hard can it be? I've heard all sorts of "First Day in Office" promises spewed during the debates. "I'm going to repeal this.............," "I'm going change that......."  Listening to these candidates, one might think that being President of the United States is a dictatorship that does not have to deal with the three branches of government. If you listen to Donald Trump, he believes that just because he says "Jump!" that everyone, including other world leaders are going to ask "How high?"  He is in for a rude awakening and based on what we have seen so far from him, when this happens he is going to get frustrated and either start insulting, calling names or just not showing up (picking up his marbles and going home like at the debate moderated by Megyn Kelly or the annual Conservative Political Action Conference). The response coming from former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox about Mr. Trump's wall is nothing compared to what Mr. Trump is going to receive if he behaves with the world leaders the way he has been behaving during these debates. If Trump were to win, I don't think a leopard changes his spots that quickly. There is a sadistic part of me that actually hopes Donald Trump wins just so that he can see that the presidency is not what he thinks it is. Being President of the United States is not the same as being a business man negotiating deals.

Anyone in a leadership role can tell you that from the outside looking in, it is very easy to talk about what you would do or be the Monday Morning Quarterback; however, when you are actually in the seat, it is a whole different story. I believe President Obama found that out as well and he had it even worse than some of his predecessors because the congress and senate blocked in one way or another just about everything he proposed.

As we grapple with our decision as to who we are going to give the nod to be our next Commander-in -Chief, we must really take into consideration that old adage, "Be careful what you ask for (or in this case, vote for) because you just may get it." Don't believe me? Ask New Jerseyans who voted for Chris Christie.  Something to critically think about.

You are invited to listen to me live each Saturday at 6:00 a.m. ET as I web stream around the world on gobrave.org and locally in northern NJ on FM radio WP88.7 FM as host of The Reading Circle with Marc Medley. You can also tune in on my podcast The Marc Medley Show on Spreaker  and follow me on Twitter @readingcircle01.

When We Place Conforming to a System Over People

"Excellence too often is not prioritized over conforming to the system, yet we want to be recognized for our individuality."  

"How can a society predicated on the conviction that individuals can only be evaluated in reference to the average ever create the conditions for understanding and harnessing individuality"

I begin this post with the quotes by author Todd Rose to generate thinking and reflection concerning the notion of we as a society placing systems and standardization over people. In my January 18, 2016 post (see Flint, Michigan's Water Problem is Another Example of Placing Money (Profit) Over People), I wrote how we in too many instances place profit over people and now I am asking us to tackle the ramifications of our placing a system or systems over people. Now let me caveat this early on with the fact that I am not against taking a systematic approach to obtain a desired result; however, I am against prioritizing a system over individuals. The system in and of itself should never become more important than a person or the people.

I experienced a combination of events causing me to write this post. I've had numerous conversations with people sharing how they feel that their creativity and ability to apply methods that they know through education and experience will work to obtain a certain goal is being overridden by a one-size fits-all cookie cutter system/process. I see it every day in education where students are tested ad nauseum to the point that we no longer foster a love of education but a fear of education. Frustration levels among employees are high as the words in a rubric are used literally to determine an evaluative rating. Then I began listening to the audio book version of Mr. Rose's book THE END OF AVERAGE: HOW WE SUCCEED IN A WORLD THAT VALUES SAMENESS.

While I have not completed the book, what I have learned so far has been eye opening to say the least.  I was not aware of the term"Taylorism"  until this book. By definition, Taylorism is a theory of management that analyzes and synthesizes workflows. Its main objective is improving economic efficiency, especially labor productivity. It was one of the earliest attempts to apply science to the engineering of processes and to management. Its development began in the United States with Frederick Winslow Taylor in the 1880s and '90s within the manufacturing industries. If we were to parallel the objectives of the manufacturing industries with education today, the main objective for educators would be to improve student's standardized test scores.

As I am making my way through THE END OF AVERAGE, I cannot help but to mull over how Albert Einstein eloquently reminded us to think twice before measuring ourselves (and others) against inappropriate standards with his thought that "Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid."  

If the ability to climb a tree is a metaphor for standardization and the fish is symbolic of our individuality (students, teachers, employees, etc. etc.), are we not prioritizing the conforming to a system over the various talents and skills that are within each individual?

Alfie Kohn wrote THE CASE AGAINST STANDARDIZED TESTING in 2000 and an excerpt from the synopsis of the book reads as follows:

Our students are tested to an extent that is unprecedented in American history and unparalleled anywhere in the world. Politicians and business people, determined to get tough with students and teachers, have increased the pressure to raise standardized test scores. Unfortunately, the effort to do so typically comes at the expense of more meaningful forms of learning.

The expense of more meaningful forms of learning and teaching seem to be at the heart of the issue. It actually seems as if the system has become more important than the person and the test score more important than the student.

Without a doubt, systems and systematic approaches have its place,but there must be a balance between the letter and spirit of the system. We are reaching a point of diminishing returns. Caitlin Emma wrote an article titled Education Department: Too much testing, partly our fault in the October 24, 2015 edition of Politico.  An excerpt from the article appears below:

The Education Department took some of the blame for the sometimes stressful, excessive and time-consuming testing at many schools and said Saturday that it hasn't done enough to help states tackle the problem.

The Obama administration is responding to loud complaints from across the country about how much time students spend on testing and the dozens of consequences now associated with poor results on those exams for students and teachers — policies it had a hand in expanding. Schools have taken on a "test-and-punish" culture, advocates say, a movement that got underway with the 2002 No Child Left Behind law.

"In too many schools, there is unnecessary testing and not enough clarity of purpose applied to the task of assessing students, consuming too much instructional time and creating undue stress for educators and students," the plan says. "The administration bears some of the responsibility for this, and we are committed to being part of the solution."

The department issued a "testing action plan" with recommendations and proposals for cutting back on testing that include easing up on the widely criticized use of student test scores in a proposed rule about evaluating training programs for teachers.

It seems as if humans, the part of any equation that should have top priority are always last and to really throw salt in an open wound, we [humans] are last under the guise of what is being done is best for us or in our best interest, when in reality it is not. This is clearly seen as we continue to value profits and systems more than people.

For further insights, I highly recommend reading Mr. Rose's book and then reflecting upon the impact the average-size-fits-all model (standardization) has on our ability to recognize individual differences and talents. Refer to Einstein's thoughts on judging a fish to climb a tree. Something to critically and reflectively think about.

You are invited to join me live each Saturday at 6:00 a.m. eastern time as I host The Reading Circle which is web streamed around the world on gobrave.org and is heard locally in northern N.J. FM radio WP88.7 FM. You are also invited to follow me on Twitter @thinkcritical01 and @readingcircle01.

Is A Show About The Fallen Angel Lucifer Symbolic Of Our Fallen Moral and Ethical Values?

"The series focuses on Lucifer Morningstar, "who is bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell and resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the beauty of Los Angeles." (FOX)

"12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (Isaiah 14:12-15 KJV).

 Let me begin by being clear on what this post is not. As a radio talk show host and one who is in the media, this is not about censorship or censoring; however, it is about questioning why a show would be created about the epitome and purveyor of evil. It is about questioning what the creation and viewing of such a show says about us as human beings. I keep hearing how America is in decline and how our morals and ethical values are being destroyed and it does cause me to wonder if this is not true with shows such as Lucifer premiering on FOX.

Think about the degradation we have seen over the last fifty plus years. There was a time when full body nudity, sexual acts and profanity on television and radio was only hinted or subliminally suggested. I've seen in my lifetime us move from suggestion to blatant. Lyrics in songs, particularly hip-hop/rap are barely listened to if most of the words are not F.... this or F...that or nigga' this or nigga' that. In many instances the entire song is nothing more than a string of profane words to a beat. I can remember when I was a kid, my mother disgustedly turning off the radio when Donna Summer's Love To Love You Baby would come on the car radio if me and my sister were in the car. She would turn that knob with a vengeance in utter disdain that such a song would be on the public airways. Now our lyrics make Love To Love You Baby look like Mary Had A Little Lamb. I use this example to illustrate that just as Lucifer is considered the "fallen" angel, that like him our moral and ethical values could also be considered "fallen."  I am no prude or perfect, but I am not blind either. I have witnessed and continue to see the decline in the quality of all of our lives as we slide further and further into the moral and ethical abyss. We are to the point where anything goes.

In my view the creation of a show titled Lucifer is yet another example of the same progression that we have made from not being able to show or say certain things on television and radio to being able to blatantly show what used to be considered "private parts" and saying the vulgarest of words. There was a time when there was always the hint of an evil being but with this glorification of the fallen one, it is flagrant and in our face. The title of the show is Lucifer, a one word title. Does it get any more unabashed than that? Lucifer has made the big time! An entire series about him. He must really be happy now. I'm being facetious and sarcastic, but is this not ridiculous?

Do we not have enough evil in the world that we need a show about the one who seeks to kill and to destroy? Could this show be a part of the deception to perpetuate all of the evil and heinous acts occurring in the U.S. and abroad? Do we have to wonder why we keep getting what we are getting? Now I know there will be some out there telling me that this is art imitating life and my response will be that this is art perpetuating a bad and wrong way of life.

After viewing the advertisement for the show, I wondered what would be the response from the Christian community, if any?, and as I was conducting my research for this post I did learn that there are groups who have already begun to take action such as signing petitions to let FOX know of their displeasure. The next step I would think would be to stop purchasing anything from any of the advertisers and sponsors of the show. When all is said and done, the economics will speak louder than words. If the companies who sponsor the show are not patronized or receive enough negative publicity for being a part of such a travesty, Lucifer will once again be banished, this time not from heaven, but from FOX.

While I am not for censoring FOX, I am for extremely low viewing and ratings of this show based on the subject matter. I thought we had sunk to a new low with all of the "Real" this and "Real" that (housewives, husbands, preachers, etc. etc.) and the Kardashians this and the Kardashians that (which I still have yet to figure out why everything is defined by the Kardashian girls, but that's another topic for another day) but Lucifer takes us to a new low.  You can rest assured I will not be watching one episode of Lucifer as I am not that curious and secondly we see more than enough Lucifer in our daily lives. Don't believe me?, just listen to first thirty seconds of any news broadcast.

I'm sure I have made Lucifer angry now, so I guess I better watch out. As always, something to critically think about. You can hear me live each Saturday at 6:00 a.m. ET as a book talk radio host on The Reading Circle with Marc Medley. I broadcast around the world on gobrave.org and locally in the northern NJ area on FM radio WP88.7 FM. You are also invited to follow me on Twitter @thinkcritical01 and @readingcircle01.

 

The Boycotting Should Have Begun Long Before The Oscars: We Are Focusing On The Wrong End

For the last week or so, I have monitored the debate on whether to boycott the Oscars or not and found it interesting to read and hear the various viewpoints. From where I sit, we as African Americans are focusing on the wrong end. The boycotting needs to begin long before the Oscar/Academy Awards.  The type of boycotting that I am writing/talking about is not of the type that one might think given the current debate. The type of boycotting I am referring to is the lessening of our (African Americans) focus on so much entertainment.

It is astounding as to the lengths we will go in order to be entertained, yet will not place this same energy or focus on something that really matters such as economics and education. As I ride down the streets of my city, I see dish upon dish affixed on the same roof, (that's right, multiple dishes on the same house) in a city full of children who cannot read. The same holds true for cable boxes. Seriously, how much television is there? Having grown up in the era of analog television broadcasts, it is still ludicrous to me that we actually have to pay to watch television channels. The price of a movie ticket or sporting event is no better. At what point do we say enough of the madness? If you really want to impact the Academy, stop watching so much television and going to so many movies. Stop putting your money in these things. That's where the boycotting begins; not at the awards show.

I've always had an issue with the Oscars/Academy because it is indeed what it is called, an "Academy," aka "Establishment."  The "Establishment" does what the "Establishment" wants to do, hence the current debacle. Think back a few years when Halle Berry and Denzel Washington were awarded the coveted "Oscar." Think back to the roles they won the award for....... Halle Berry for her role in Monster's Ball and Denzel Washington for his role in Training Day.  If you recall an African American had not won the award for decades and in this particular year, we had not only one African American win the award, but two and not only two, but a male and a female. That was done by "Establishment" design. The "Establishment" decided to award two African Americans for roles that it saw then and still views African Americans as now.........loose, promiscuous, lascivious, whores and wild untrustworthy thugs. Both Mr. Washington and Ms. Berry had played much more powerful roles that were worthy of an Oscar, yet they received the award for the stereotypical roles of being a slut and thief. In my opinion, Training Day was one of Mr. Washington's less than stellar performances and I refused to waste my time watching Monster's Ball.  The Academy made it very clear that yes we will award you [African Americans] an Oscar, but it will be for what we [Academy/Establishment] want it to be awarded for. Truth be told, Mr. Washington and Ms. Berry ought to have not accepted the award (boycotted) on the realization of what roles they were being awarded for, but as usual we go with the flow. Even the selection of Chris Rock to host the ceremony is an "Establishment" decision.  "What do you mean we don't recognize African Americans?, we have one hosting the show." Give me a break!!

What perplexes me is that not enough of us really see the game that is going on. For those of us who do, we are told that we "think too deep," or "see things that are not there." African Americans spend far too much money on entertainment that could be better invested in much more meaningful activities and ventures. Who cares who is nominated for an Oscar or not? Would not we be better served to pool our [African American] money and start our own production companies?  Would we not be better off to define our roles in television and movies rather than have the "Establishment" define our roles for us? Why do we need to watch so much television, go to so many movies, buy so many sneakers, go to so many sporting events to begin with?

We keep supporting the very things that are keeping us [African Americans] in poverty and then want to waste even more time boycotting something such as the Oscar Awards that make absolutely no difference in our lives. Seriously, will it make a difference in the life of the average African American if an African American wins an Oscar or not? Is winning an Oscar helping our economic situation? Is winning an Oscar building African American businesses? Is it helping us own more corporations? What is winning or being nominated for an Oscar doing for us?

The following was posted in Black Enterprise in November of 2013

African-American’s Buying Power Projected to be $1.1 Trillion By 2015

Group is the second largest racial minority in the country

There are 43 million African Americans in the United States, 13.7 percent of the total population, the second largest racial minority in the country. The median age is 32 and 47 percent are under 35 years of age. 

Even with these impressive numbers and buying power most mainstream advertisers are not inclusive, do not include African Americans in media and marketing plans and have underestimated the market size.
The Nielsen Company study entitled “African-American Consumers: Still Vital, Still Growing,” which was commissioned by the National Newspaper Publishers Association, shows the underrepresented potential and spending power of the African American community. 

The report’s findings, which will be presented at the June conference of the National Association of Black Accountants Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, found that the African American population is an economic force to be reckoned with, with a projected buying power of $1.1 trillion by 2015.

Also worth noting, the population of African-American consumers growth outpaces the rest of the population by 30 percent. Additionally, the demographic is younger, more educated and has higher incomes than commonly believed.

According to the study: between 2000 and 2009, the number of African Americans attending some college or earning degrees has grown: 45 percent of men; 54 percent of women. Households earning $75,000 or more grew by more than 60 percent, faster than the rest of the population. African American’s average income nationwide is $47,290.

So what does this all mean in business terms? It means African Americans wield tremendous buying power. The Nielsen study showed numerous shopping trends, mostly for household, health and beauty, travel, smart phones and child related items.

“The Nielsen report is very encouraging because it shows the African American population is a tremendous financial asset to this country’s economic recovery,” says Calvin Harris, Jr. , President & CEO of the National Association of Black Accountants.

As African Americans, we do wield tremendous buying power, but in my opinion, we don't use this power wisely. Yes indeed, we are a force to be reckoned with, but again in my opinion, we don't use our force wisely. All of this quibbling over whether to boycott or not boycott the Academy Awards is a waste of time in my view because the boycotting needed to have started towards the economics of the Academy and that is by our not subscribing to so much satellite or cable television; by our not using our buying power on so many movies or so many pairs of sneakers.  By focusing our purchasing power and force to buy and invest in things that really matter for not only the race, but for the world.

I could care less as to who wins an Oscar or not because at the end of the day, the awarding of that trophy is not doing a thing to change the plight of African Americans or any other Americans for that matter. I challenge us to let's put our energy on something that really matters. Something to critically think about.

You are invited to join me live each Saturday at 6:00 a.m. EST as I web stream around the world on gobrave.org and FM radio WP88.7 FM in northern NJ as the host of The Reading Circle. You are also invited to follow me on Twitter @thinkcritical01 and/or @readingcircle01.

Flint, Michigan's Water Problem is Another Example of Placing Money (Profit) Over People

"Nearly two years ago, the state decided to save money by switching Flint's water supply from Lake Huron (which they were paying the city of Detroit for), to the Flint River, a notorious tributary that runs through town known to locals for its filth." (CNN)

 Once again industries and agencies that are supposed to support and sustain life have shown what really matters and it is not human life. Recently the story broke about the residents of Flint, Michigan who have been subjected to having to drink and use water that is filled with lead, a poison. Water, like food, medicine, medical care, insurance, education, college tuition, rent/mortgage, etc. etc. are all human life sustaining industries that are all vital to one's quality of life. Yet, ironically enough, all place profit over life. All literally extort and hold lives hostage with their focus on profit over humanity. Before we go on, I am not suggesting that these companies/industry do everything that they do for altruistic reasons as that is not what capitalistic societies do; however, when stories such as the Flint, Michigan water scandal emerges, it becomes clearly evident that human lives are not valued much compared with profits. The Flint water debacle cannot even be defended when known corrosives and poisons are in the Flint River. So I guess the authorities and experts thought it just fine that the people in the impacted communities would just ingest this polluted water in order for the state to "save money." Surely these people would be too stupid to figure it all out.

According to a CNN report, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician, began seeing a trend when she began seeing more and more concerned parents reporting rashes and hair loss in their children. After conducting some research, data showed the likely cause to be lead from the water. Her research showed that the lead levels in her patients doubled and even tripled in some cases. Lead poisoning is irreversible.

"If you were to put something in a population to keep them down for generation and generations to come, it would be lead," Hanna-Attisha said. "It's a well-known, potent neurotoxin. There's tons of evidence on what lead does to a child, and it is one of the most damning things that you can do to a population. It drops your IQ, it affects your behavior, it's been linked to criminality, it has multigenerational impacts. There is no safe level of lead in a child."

Can you imagine?  These folks have now been sacrificed for money (savings, profit). As stated earlier, this is just one example of how humans are sacrificed for profit. Within several of The Critical Thinker posts, I've referenced two books in particular that expose the pharmaceutical and food industries (Our Daily Meds and Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us) and how they exploit the general population's naivete and extort based on the needs of this same body. There are other industries with similar practices as well.

Reflectively, Dayne Walling, former mayor of Flint admitted in his own words, "You can't put a dollar amount of the devastation to our community, our kids, and it was completely avoidable." Yes, Mr. Walling, it was completely avoidable. There are so many other things that are completely avoidable as well, such as, consumers paying hundreds of dollars for one pill;completely avoidable. Thousands of dollars for one night in a hospital; completely avoidable. Cancer and other health related causing chemicals in foods and beverages; completely avoidable. The continued making and selling of toy guns; completely avoidable. The selling and buying of so-called magic bullet educational programs/curriculum; completely avoidable. Students coming out of college with more debt from their student loans than they will make in their careers during their first years out of college; completely avoidable. Frivolous and absurd government "pork barrel" projects and studies; completely avoidable. The list of "completely avoidable" activities could go on and on and it does.

So as we celebrate the eighty-seventh birthday of one who would have been appalled by and most likely still fighting the many atrocities against humanity that fit into the "completely avoidable" category (even at eighty seven), it is incumbent upon us to shake the consciousness by any means necessary of those who are making the decisions to place profits over human life. Let us not be silent. Let us write about it, speak about it, act on it, withdraw our dollars because of it and anything else that we need to do to stop the overall injustice to human life when profits are placed over life.  In the words of the one whose birthday we commemorate on this Day On of Service, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The Flint, Michigan water scandal is an injustice. Placing profits over people is an injustice.  As always, this issue is something to critically think about...........

I invite you to listen to me live each Saturday at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) around the world via webcast on www.gobrave.org and locally in the NJ/NY area on FM radio WP88.7 FM as I host The Reading Circle book talk radio show. You are also invited to follow me on Twitter @thinkcritical01 and @readingcircle01.

Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last

When I woke up this Christmas Eve morning, I shared with my wife that I was going to write a blog post today concerning how quickly time is passing and the need for us to appreciate every holiday that comes along because the truth of the matter is, none of us know when it will be the last time that we will be celebrating any particular holiday. This holds especially true for traditional family holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, New Year's, Fourth of July and of course birthdays. Life is short even if you are blessed enough to live one hundred years, so enjoy as much of it as you can. When I say "last time," I am speaking specifically about death. Even I as the author of the post don't know if tomorrow will be my last Christmas alive or not.

Each Christmas or any of the other days that we pause from our every day mundane routines must be appreciated and celebrated with family and friends as if it were the last time that you or I will have the opportunity to share on that particular day. Truth be told, none of us know if tomorrow (12/25/15) will be our last Christmas or not or if January 1, 2016 will be our last celebration of entering a new year. I don't write this post to be morbid, morose or a "Debbie Downer," but I do write it to challenge us to be more grateful and appreciative of our time spent with our loved ones, may it be family or friends. I don't know about you, but when I hear of someone that I know of passing or transitioning, my mind immediately goes back to the last time I saw him or her and in many instances the last holiday function that we were together.

The time is out for holding grudges, being mean, staying stuck in the past, not speaking to each other, and every other negative action that one could regret when a family member or friend is gone. As I said, I had already intended to write this post today, but what really confirmed it for me was when I ran into an eighth grade classmate in what we both considered an obscure place. It was in a corner supermarket that we happened to run into each other. It just happened so that his son was getting his hair cut in a barber shop in the same little strip mall where the supermarket is located and he had stopped in to pick up something while his son was waiting his turn. My wife and I stopped there to pick up a few last minute Christmas Eve food items and lo and behold as I turned around, my classmate was standing right in front of me.  We both exclaimed, "What are the chances of seeing each other here?," yet obviously they were pretty good because there we stood. We had not seen each other in five years since our thirtieth high school class reunion. We laughed and reminisced and shared with each other just how good it was to be alive and to be able to see each other. We were genuinely happy and grateful to have crossed paths today, in fact, I told my wife that seeing Wayne, made my day.

It also brought me back to my original intent to write this post concerning our appreciating people and life. As each year passes, we are losing more and more of our loved ones and at some point we will be gone too. So I say all of this to say, truly and deeply enjoy this pause over the next week or so with family and friends. If there is someone out there who you are estranged, do everything you can to make amends. Live, Love, Laugh and be appreciative of the lives around you. Your parents, your siblings, your spouses, your cousins, your grandparents, your aunts, your uncles and so on and so on and so on. Show some love this holiday season even to someone who may be angry or holding a grudge against you. It does not cost a thing to be a decent human being.

With all of that said, have a Merry Christmas and if I do not post again before the new year, have a Happy New Year. You are invited to listen to me live each Saturday at 6:00 a.m. as host of The Reading Circle with Marc Medley. The show is web streamed around the world on gobrave.org and heard locally in northern NJ on FM radio WP88.7 FM. You are also invited to follow me on Twitter @thinkcritical01 & @readingcircle01 and to visit my website on www.thereadingcircle01.com. May you live as long as you want and not want as long as you live. Live each day as if it were your last, because one day it will be. Something to critically think about.