Why I Wore My Hoodie

Video streaming by Ustream
During my broadcast of my weekly radio show The Reading Circle with Marc Medley heard live on WP88.7 FM and www.gobrave.org, I wore my hoodie for the entire three hours of the program. This was different for me because I normally do not wear the hood on my hoodie unless I am outside and it is a cold winter day. In fact the children in the school that I am principal of are prohibited from wearing their hoods on their heads while in the building during school hours. However, this morning I wore my hoodie for the entire three hours in the hot radio studio as a symbol and as a part of a protest regarding the murder of 17 year old Trayvon Martin. This was my miniscule contribution to a protest effort that has been taking place all across the country now known as “hoodie” marches, designed to raise awareness of the murder of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, a volunteer community neighborhood watch person in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.

Some would say why did you wear your hoodie during your radio show? I wore my hoodie because the same fate that Trayvon met could have been me last August as I vacationed in Monarch Lakes  visiting with my sister-in-law in a gated community in Miramar, Florida outside of Miami. If I were to play the same scenario out, the same tragedy could have occurred. Monarch Lakes could've had a maniac volunteer community neighborhood watch person that would not have known me from Adam's housecat and might have taken the same action as I am an African-American male not known to the members who live in the community. I wore my hoodie this morning because Trayvon’s face reminds me of my 17-year-old daughter Niara. I wore my hoodie this morning because George Zimmerman has yet to be charged with anything even after being told to stand down by police and not follow Trayvon Martin. Regardless of the police officer's order, Mr. Zimmerman proceeded to follow Trayvon anyway and we all know the result of this action.

If you listen to the 911 tapes, you can hear the mindset of Mr. Zimmerman as he says “These assholes always get away.” He had already determined in his mind that this one would not get away. A clear illustration of the mindset of Mr. Zimmerman can be read in Malcolm Gladwell's book BLINK in Chapter Six where he describes the mindset of the police officers in the murder of Amadou Diallo, another unarmed black man. While this may not necessarily be about race in and of itself, certainly race played a part. In Mr. Zimmerman's mind he saw a black teen wearing a hoodie and automatically assumed that this child was a troublemaker. It was this assumption that caused him to react in the manner that he did leaving Trayvon Martin dead. Not only was my radio show web streamed around the world on http://www.gobrave.org/, it was also broadcasted live on my ustream channel The Critical Thinker for everyone to see that I was indeed wearing my hoodie as I was broadcasting from the radio booth at WP 88.7 FM.

We must continue to do everything in our power to ensure that another child regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or religion is not made a victim because of it. How many more Trayvon Martin’s are we going to have to suffer through? Lastly, I wore my hoodie because I am Trayvon Martin. May God bless Trayvon’s family through this difficult time and may Trayvon Martin rest in peace.

Why Everyone Ought To Have An Obsession With Their Books

The other day I was watching an episode of Seinfeld and in the episode (The Ex) there is a scene where George is explaining to Jerry that he has just broken up with his girlfriend and he has one small problem. He has left some books at his now ex-girlfriend’s house. George asks Jerry to go to his ex- girlfriend’s house to pick up his books because he doesn’t want to see her again. Jerry says, “So forget about the books.” Jerry proceeds to ask George “Did you read them?” George says “Yes” and Jerry goes on to ask, “What do you need them for?” George says “They’re books, they’re my books.” Jerry goes on to say “What is this obsession everyone has with books? They put them in their houses like they’re trophies; what do you need them for after you have read them?” George finishes the scene by saying “They’re my books!”

As the scene unfolded, I thought about how Jerry compared books to trophies and it occurred to me that Seinfeld’s comparison was not that far off. As an avid and voracious reader, I have a library of books that I have owned for more than thirty years (I’ve now begun downloading on Kindle too). So I looked up the word trophy at dictionary.com and the second definition actually supported Seinfeld’s comparison. The number two definition read as follows: anything serving as a token or evidence of victory, valor, skill, etc. As my critically thinking mind thought about that definition, it became clear to me that Seinfeld’s comedic view of people keeping books in their houses like they are trophies is indeed correct. For each book that is read from prologue to epilogue or beginning to end or table of contents to glossary is indeed a victory won with the skill of reading and every facet of it (comprehension, decoding, critically thinking, paraphrasing, predicting, accessing prior knowledge, etc. etc. etc.). The completed book on one’s shelf is truly a token of victory and is indeed a trophy.

I truly hope people view their books as trophies because just as athletic trophies are valued and worshipped, so ought the number of books that one has read over the course of time be valued, acknowledged and shown off as well. We are oh so proud when we have earned a trophy for being the best (I still have my little league baseball trophy from 1975), so why should we not be proud to show our trophies of knowledge? Seinfeld gave me something to critically think about and I hope he has given you something to think about to.  Get your number of trophies up. Oh and while I have you here, one way to get your number of trophies (books) up is to listen to me every Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. EST on http://www.gobrave.org/. and WP88.7 FM during my show The Reading Circle with Marc Medley (shameless plug.....hey it's my blog). I host a radio show where I interview authors from around the world giving them the opportunity to showcase their work and bring to you some extremely interesting reading. I have many listeners who ultimately purchased and read the books by the authors they have heard on my show. As always, I welcome your commentary in the comment section of the blog and remember that old adage "Readers are Leaders."

What Matters Most Is How You See Yourself - The Dangers of Low Self-Esteem

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; one in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke, equal to 2,200 deaths per day. While there is no doubt that I respect and agree with the findings of the CDC, for the sake of this Critical Thinker Blog Post I would like to look a little deeper and suggest a possible root cause for so much cardiovascular and many other life threatening and life taking diseases; and that is low self-esteem.

So what is this thing or concept called “self-esteem?” According to Merriam-Webster.com the definition of self-esteem is a confidence and satisfaction in oneself, in other words it’s being happy with who and what you are. There are far too many of us who suffer from what I believe is the leading cause of not just physical death but death in so many other important areas of life such as our marriages, careers, relationships, education, etc. It is my hypothesis that it is this disease of low self esteem that contributes greatly to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, addiction, and so many other "isms" and diseases that cause premature death. 

I shared with many of my friends at the death of superstar Whitney Houston that it is not my belief that Whitney died from drugs but that she as fine as she was suffered from low self-esteem which lead to many of her decisions.  You may agree or disagree with my assessment but Kevin Costner’s remarks at Ms.Houston’s funeral really gave us a bird’s eye view in my opinion of Whitney’s true cause of death when he said “The Whitney I knew, despite her success and worldwide fame still wondered am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me? He went on to say that “It was the burden that made her great, and the part that caused her to stumble in the end.”

Whitney Houston was not by herself. I have seen far too many people who have all of the trappings of what the world would call having it "all" (attractive faces and bodies, money, houses, cars, travel, talent, etc. etc.) and still not have as the Merriam-Webster definition describes the confidence and satisfaction in oneself. It is mind boggling and perplexing that someone who has what appears to be it “all” could still not be happy with who they are. As that old adage goes, "looks can be deceiving." The same questions that Mr. Costner shared that tormented Whitney on a continuous basis go through the minds of countless individuals on a minutely basis (Am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me?) causing too many to lead self destructive lives ultimately leading to the death of careers, marriages, relationships, and even life itself.

While the CDC may have its research on the leading cause of death in the United States, I believe we have overlooked a root cause of so many of our diseases. There is no doubt that diet, and heredity and many other factors play a part in the diseases that we contract, but I also believe that our self-esteem is just as large a factor as our diets and our heredity. We must find a way to be satisfied with what and who God made us to be. We ought to always seek ways to improve ourselves knowing that this is different from the little voice in our heads constantly telling us that we are not good enough. We ought to always be seeking to make what is good even better but not from the standpoint of putting ourselves down or looking down upon ourselves. We must always see ourselves as already good enough. We must also be mindful that having a good or high self-esteem is not the same thing as being cocky, arrogant, or stuck up. It truly is about having that confidence and satisfaction with who and what you are and not worrying about anyone else's opinion of  who you know you are. In the Bible in Psalm 139:14 it says ^“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”  I would encourage all of us to meditate on that verse daily to combat the ills of low self-esteem for we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. Something to critically think about and I welcome your commentary in the comment section of the blog.

Those "Blah" People Again

This ridiculous story about former East St. Louis police chief Michael Baxton below is why Senator Rick "The Blah People" Santorum, Governor Mitt "In Quiet Rooms" Romney  and Former Speaker of the House Newt "Food Stamp President" Gingrich feel that they can speak so brazenly about "Black People."

Rick "The Blah People" Santorum

Mitt "In Quiet Rooms" Romney

Newt "Food Stamp President" Gingrich

The idiocy of the police chief in this story speaks for itself.

While most cops protect and serve, former East St. Louis police chief Michael Baxton apparently likes to play.

Michael Baxton pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing four Xbox 360 consoles from the FBI, reports St. Louis news station KSDK.

To be clear, the 360 is not standard issue equipment for the Feds these days. Officials had them in the car as part of a sting operation after suspicions arose about the chief's conduct.
Baxton, who faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, came under suspicion of offering preferential treatment to some suspects and stealing/selling items from the evidence locker. That's when the FBI decided to test him.

Agents bought five Xbox 360s, put them in the trunk of a car, then reported the car as being stolen. Baxton and another officer responded to the call -- and sure enough, when they saw the Xboxes, the chief ordered the officer to put four in his car and keep one for himself.
"Unbeknownst to Baxton, the unnamed officer voluntarily came forward to report other acts of misconduct occurring in Alorton and had been assisting the federal investigation from its inception. The unnamed officer was equipped with covert surveillance devices at the time of the theft -- and he audio and video recorded the entire incident," reads the court record.
Officials tracked one of the Xboxes and found it being used in Baxton's basement. But the U.S. Attorney overseeing the case said Baxton lied and tried to frame another officer when confronted

Baxton's attorney calls the incident a "monumental lapse of judgment."
Ironically, this isn't the former chief's first brush with the other side of the law. It turns out Baxton had two felony convictions from 1982 before he was appointed: one for theft and another for burglary. Those convictions were expunged in 1989. The town really can't catch a break when it comes to law enforcement officials. Baxton, after all, got the job of chief when the former chief was convicted of federal tax crimes.

ENOUGH SAID!!!! In the words of Bill Cosby, "COME ON PEOPLE!!!"

Tim Tebow Can't Lose with What He Uses

Tim Tebow: Everything in Between Interview & Production Outtakes from FCTN on Vimeo.

It has been interesting to see how everyone has reacted to twenty-four year old Tim Tebow, the former University of Florida Gator quarterback and now NFL Denver Bronco quarterback who touts Romans 8:37-39 and John 3:16 on his website. Truth be told, the world and “the world” in religious vernacular don’t quite know how to handle Tim Tebow.  I say that because I really don't think folks are truly that interested in Tim Tebow the quarterback, as they are Tim Tebow the boldly professed Christian. All of the hype and talk about Tim Tebow, while it may appear to be about his quarterbacking skills, really is about the fact that he boldly proclaims his faith in Jesus Christ.

Really what folks are trying to do is negate the existence of God/Christ or the power of prayer in order to mock those who do believe. This has truly been seen by the reaction to whether or not the Denver Broncos would either win or lose. Because Tim Tebow was seen on camera praying or in an interview said he sings praise songs on the sideline, many are watching to see whether not all of this has anything to do with the Denver Broncos winning or losing. What they're really trying to do is reduce God and faith in Him to a football game. It's not really about whether they like Tim Tebow or not. What they're really trying to grapple with is whether or not they believe in God or not and if the winning or losing of the Broncos can substantiate their beliefs or give them a reason to scoff.  When the Broncos lost you could see all the commentary on Facebook and Twitter mimicking the fact that Tim Tebow believes in God. You could see the fun that was poked at the fact that Tebow sings praise songs on the sidelines, believes in God and is still a virgin. You could see the world trying to connect the prayer dots with the victory or defeat of the Broncos.  The truth of matter is, folks really are not that concerned about Tebow, but what Tebow has done is challenged what one says they do or do not believe. This challenge is unsettling to many and they mask their discomfort by pretending as if it's about a football game. If you study the Bible you will see that God used all types of personalities, titles, and characters to get his message across. There was Rahab the Harlot; Moses the murderer; David the adulterer; Noah the drunk and the list can go on. I believe God is using Tim Tebow to once again make an attempt to show the world just who He (God) is. Tim Tebow understands this and he knows it is not about him and the world is struggling with that thereby trying to make it about him, a mere for the most part, rookie NFL quarterback.  Tebow knows it is bigger than him. I applaud him for not being ashamed of the gospel.

One can say we have always seen athletes acknowledging God either through pointing their fingers toward the sky upon scoring a touchdown or kneeling to the ground and putting their head down or even during an interview giving God the credit, but very few athletes have proclaimed their faith as boldly as Tim Tebow has both on and off the field. He has unashamedly shared with everyone that he is a Christian and that he is a virgin and intends to stay that way until he is married, something rarely heard of in athletics. A.C. Green shared the same testimony when he was a professional basketball player in the NBA.

God has always had his people to deliver his message to the many who refused to hear it. In fact we see biblically that some of the same if not all of the characters mentioned above delivered the message to people who did not want to hear it nor believe it, but in time would come to see who God is. We see it time and time again in the Bible with the various kings, pharaohs and even the centurion who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion who according to Luke 23:47 saw what was done, glorified God, saying, certainly this was a righteous man.

Don’t be fooled by all of the Tim Tebow hype, the “Tebowing,” etc. etc.  because other quarterbacks have come into the league and have garnered more or less the same type of attention with the difference being the constant reference to religious faith. I pray that Mr. Tebow continues to stand on his faith and what he believes. I pray that he continues to keep on sharing Christ regardless of the Broncos being in the Super Bowl or in the bowels of their division.  I believe as Mr. Tebow continues to delight himself in the Lord that He shall give Tim the desires of his heart and if that desire is being in the Super Bowl, then one day we will see the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl with Tim Tebow at the helm. Keep in mind, Tim was not supposed to be quarterbacking this season. He was not the original starter.  I believe Tim commits his way unto the LORD and that he trusts in him and because of that God shall bring his desires to pass and even if he doesn't both me and Tim know that God is still God.  My faith is in God and not in Tim Tebow, but I am cheering for Tim as he has professed to be a cheerleader for Christ.  I’ll be pulling for the Broncos as long as they are not playing my Pittsburgh Steelers and even then I have to respect Tim Tebow. It’s bigger than Tim Tebow.  I welcome your thoughts in the comment section and as always something to critically think about. 

She Could Have Said "Kiss My Big Posterior." But She Didn't; And That's The Difference.

For those of you who have been reading The Critical Thinker for any length of time you just had to know that I was not going to let this opportunity pass to write about the comments made about our first lady Michelle Obama by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner. Once again Abraham Lincoln’s Quote of “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt” comes into play. Representative Sensenbrenner is lucky Mrs. Obama did not speak what was probably on her mind (and justifiably so) when she heard about the comments which was probably to kiss her big behind; but unlike him, she had more class than that or at least sense enough to keep her thoughts to herself.

I don't know what it is about these folks who truly think they can say anything and it not go unaddressed. A little over two years ago in 2009 South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson (R) yelled out "You lie!" during President Obama's major health care speech when he said the legislation would not mandate coverage for undocumented immigrants. Even the Associated Press picked up on the fact that it wasn't the only interruption during President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives. Earlier, Republicans laughed when Obama acknowledged that there were still significant details to be worked out before a health overhaul could be passed. Wilson's outburst caused the president to pause briefly before he went on with his speech. In attendance at the speech, First Lady Michelle Obama shook her head from side to side. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner's latest remarks caused me to shake my head as well; as the kids can text and tweet “SMH.” In both instances representatives Wilson and Sensenbrenner sent letters and words of apology, but similar to a judge asking a jury to strike the last comment in a court room, the damage was done as it had been heard. Try as we might to forget what we’ve heard, the bottom line is we don't. While both Representatives Wilson and Sensenbrenner feign that their commentary was a mistake or an emotional outburst, the truth of the matter is their subconscious or their inner thoughts were just making their way outward. Their brains for some reason stop suppressing what they were thinking. You cannot make this critical thinker believe that what was said was not already deep within. Interestingly enough, when these types of comments are made either alcohol or an open microphone is involved, however, in these two instances both men were fully sober and aware of what they were saying.

One could argue that derogatory things are said about every president and first lady and that may be the case, however, it still does not excuse the behavior. When you think about it, it really is a matter of respect or lack thereof. Even if Rep. Wilson thought President Obama was a liar it would have behooved him to keep his thoughts to himself and the same holds true for Rep. Sensenbrenner concerning the size of Mrs. Obama’s posterior. In both of these cases it would have been better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to have opened their mouths and removed all doubt. In this critical thinker’s eyes both Representatives Wilson and Rep. Sensenbrenner have removed ALL doubt and are thought by me to be FOOLS. As the old adage goes, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. I welcome your commentary in the comment section of the blog.

                                                                                                                                                   

This May Be The Last Time

As we come to the close of 2011 is a great time to reflect, particularly about those who were with us and have passed away during the year. Upon this reflection I think back to the beginning of 2011 of the family and friends who were here and are now gone. I can do the roll call. I can remember the faces I saw last Christmas and last New Year's who somewhere along the way in 2011 passed away. I can see them in my mind as clearly as if they were sitting here in front of me right now. Some would say why address such a sad topic during the holiday season and as we are approaching a new year?  To them I say it is a perfect time to address this topic because the truth of the matter is none of us know when it will be our last time. The traditional song of This May Be The Last Time (one of my favorites) was performed by The Staple Singers and it simply says this may be the last time I don't know. The great Pops Staples sings it best on his album Peace To The Neighborhood.

Time is out for family members and friends to be treating each other with hatred and strife. Time is out for family members and friends not to be talking to and with each other. Time is out for being spiteful. Time is out for being bitter rather than becoming better in terms of family and friend relationships. Because as Pops Staples says this may be the last time. Folks who are with you this Christmas may not be with you next Christmas. Folks who sit with you and bring in the New Year with you in 2012 may not be here next year this time. So truly while you still have time, while you are still here, take every opportunity you have to make amends with family and friends. It does not make sense to live less than a mile away from each other and not speak. It does not matter what the situation may have been that caused the rift. Whether it is some silly argument, a divorce or other broken relationship, an addiction, a loan gone bad, a disagreement or whatever it may have been, the time is out for holding grudges. As we go into 2012 seek to mend as many torn relationships as possible. Parents speak to your children. Children speak to your parents. Brothers and sisters talk to your brothers and sisters. Uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, in-laws, etc. etc.; speak to one another.

Once a person is laid out in the coffin it is too late. All of the crying and wishing what could have been said or could have been done will not matter. I don't know about you but I'm learning of more and more people that I know who have died every day. It does not matter the age group, young people are dying just as much as the older people. It would behoove us to show as much love and kindness to everyone as humanly possible, because as Pops Staples says in his song this may be the last time I don't know or this may be the last time we don't know. Have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year. Show some love because this may indeed be the last time.