7/15/13
We've Come So Far to be in the Same Place
This case has touched me on so many levels. Why is it OK for one person to "defend themselves" but not another? Why is it that someone is dead and nothing has come from that? Since when is it just OK to kill another human? Why didn't anyone why was it that Trayvon's phone was found by his body but everyone's focus was on a flashlight keychain? Why were there so many WTF moments from the prosecution team? Why is it that even though we all hate to admit it, most people knew that the "not guilty" verdict was coming?
Sad reality is that it is still a crime to walk while black, even in your own neighborhood. I honestly don't think that anytime soon will there be a time when people won't ask "what are 'they' doing around here?" This is so heartbreaking because it could've been me or anyone that I know and love. The way I see it, this is another case of being in the right place and someone not liking it. This brings further concern for me for my future children and for all of the current children in my life.
What is it going to take to get real change in this world? When will we as HUMANS value HUMAN life, regardless of race, creed, color, age, religion or any other separating factor? This case is just sad all the way around, so are all of the other cases that don't get the spotlight. EVERY LIFE IS SPECIAL AND IMPORTANT. Until we get that understanding, the big picture will never be seen.
I can say I had a proud moment in my generation, not just my race, this morning when I realized that there weren't any big stories of unruly riots, and only about the many PEACEFUL protests across the country. This is definitely a great step and showing for our generation. Everyone expected the worst, and as usual we have proved that we are bigger and more dignified than the little minds of negative assumptions. I just hope that in two months when it's not the big story anymore people are still making the injustices a relevant issue and not just a fading fad.
The way I see it, if we don't continue to take real life action, nothing will change. Yes our president is black, but remember they don't call him "Mr. President", they call him Obama. There is still real work that needs to be done to get change in America. It's all well and good to give support on social media, but if you don't go out to vote, it doesn't matter. Laws aren't made on twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. You have to go out to vote, you have to go to community meetings. You have to be actively involved in the world around you. The opportunity for change is there, but remember as the Do Better Movement has proclaimed "The revolution will NOT be tweeted."
6/14/13
Money Can't Buy Happiness BUT It Can Buy Chocolate...Tomato..ToMaTo
Life has been a crazy whirlwind of craziness. It'll get better. I'll wait. The way I see it....that's what they made Snickers for.
3/22/12
You Fit the Description....Even if You Have On the Wrong Color
I remember being 16 years old walking to the store with my baby brother. I always have to use the term baby brother because he's been at least 6 feet tall since he was about 12, mind you he's 5 years younger than I am, but that's neither here nor there. Well that night my mom sent me to the store, it has to be around 7:30-8:00 and I dragged my brother with me. I didn't feel like going, and since I had no choice, he was going to walk with me, lets just say it's one of the perks of being the oldest.
We were on our way back to home, had just cross through the parking lot and two cops stopped us. I had never had an encounter with the police like this before. It was two guys, one black and one white. They asked us were we were coming from. I looked down at the Giant bags at my hand, and being the sarcastic person I am I said something like we were coming from the library. Although both me and my brother both started laughing, neither of the cops laughed. One of the cops asked my brother to take his hood off his head. We had both just thrown on hoodies to run to the store. I noticed that one of them had his hand on his gun while they were talking to us, so I kinda quick elbowed my brother and we both stopped laughing. I asked the officers if everything was ok or were in in some type of trouble. He said he had to check our bags. I didn't understand but we gave them the bags and they went through them. Then I remember them saying they had to pat down my brother to make sure he wasn't trying to hide anything. By this time, I start getting angry and ask the cop "why are you patting down a 11 year old, that is carrying grocery bags?" He told me that he "fit the description" of someone that had just robbed a lady by the Mt. Vernon Sq, UDC Metro. So many thoughts started running through my mind, I had heard of situations like that before, but never did I think it would happen to me or my brother. After the cop finishes patting down my brother, and of course finds nothing, they tell us to go straight home. No apology, nothing, just "ok, make sure you go straight home." As we walk away, you hear the dispatch over the radio talking about the "suspect with a red hoodie being apprehended by at Shaw Howard Metro".
When we got home and told my mom what happened, she said "I'm sorry that happened to ya'll. But understand, that you will always fit the description for some people. It's not right, but it's the way it is. You just have to make sure that you are always doing the right thing, just like you were tonight, so that their accusations will have no ground to stand on."
My response to her...'But Ma, my brother's hoodie was light grey."
We were on our way back to home, had just cross through the parking lot and two cops stopped us. I had never had an encounter with the police like this before. It was two guys, one black and one white. They asked us were we were coming from. I looked down at the Giant bags at my hand, and being the sarcastic person I am I said something like we were coming from the library. Although both me and my brother both started laughing, neither of the cops laughed. One of the cops asked my brother to take his hood off his head. We had both just thrown on hoodies to run to the store. I noticed that one of them had his hand on his gun while they were talking to us, so I kinda quick elbowed my brother and we both stopped laughing. I asked the officers if everything was ok or were in in some type of trouble. He said he had to check our bags. I didn't understand but we gave them the bags and they went through them. Then I remember them saying they had to pat down my brother to make sure he wasn't trying to hide anything. By this time, I start getting angry and ask the cop "why are you patting down a 11 year old, that is carrying grocery bags?" He told me that he "fit the description" of someone that had just robbed a lady by the Mt. Vernon Sq, UDC Metro. So many thoughts started running through my mind, I had heard of situations like that before, but never did I think it would happen to me or my brother. After the cop finishes patting down my brother, and of course finds nothing, they tell us to go straight home. No apology, nothing, just "ok, make sure you go straight home." As we walk away, you hear the dispatch over the radio talking about the "suspect with a red hoodie being apprehended by at Shaw Howard Metro".
When we got home and told my mom what happened, she said "I'm sorry that happened to ya'll. But understand, that you will always fit the description for some people. It's not right, but it's the way it is. You just have to make sure that you are always doing the right thing, just like you were tonight, so that their accusations will have no ground to stand on."
My response to her...'But Ma, my brother's hoodie was light grey."
A Life is a Life....Until It's Taken
I had been trying to keep my comments to myself about Trayvon Martin case. Am I outraged? Of course I am, as every human on the planet should be. The thing that gets me about this case is that, if this was black guy that felt the same way Zimmerman felt (because there are some black people that just don't like other black people), that had shot another black guy....I don't think it would've caught fire like it did. Does it make it any less tragic because they have a common denominator of skin color? No...it's still tragic. Should you be less outraged if Zimmerman was a teenager also? No...it's still an outrage.
Whenever a life is lost, it's sad, it's tragic and everyone should be outraged, regardless of who did the killing and who was killed. A life is precious. I often wonder will we as people learn that? Especially the people who look like me. This year alone I can think of 2 people, both teens, who were MURDERED, but was it a march about it? No. Does it make it any less tragic? No. Should you be any less outraged? No. At least not in my eyes.
It's easy to say the it's a different case, but when it boils down to it, it's all the same. Person 1 didn't value life enough not to kill Person 2. It's my sincere prayer that one day we as a people, especially black people, will learn that life is precious. And not just get outraged when it seems like a severe injustice was done, but understand that every time a life is lost, it's an injustice. But then again.....that's just the way I see it.
Whenever a life is lost, it's sad, it's tragic and everyone should be outraged, regardless of who did the killing and who was killed. A life is precious. I often wonder will we as people learn that? Especially the people who look like me. This year alone I can think of 2 people, both teens, who were MURDERED, but was it a march about it? No. Does it make it any less tragic? No. Should you be any less outraged? No. At least not in my eyes.
It's easy to say the it's a different case, but when it boils down to it, it's all the same. Person 1 didn't value life enough not to kill Person 2. It's my sincere prayer that one day we as a people, especially black people, will learn that life is precious. And not just get outraged when it seems like a severe injustice was done, but understand that every time a life is lost, it's an injustice. But then again.....that's just the way I see it.
12/30/11
It's almost 2012.....Happy New Year
I can't believe it's almost 2012, it seems that the years go by faster and faster these days. Just wanted to wish everyone that comes to the page a very happy new year. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I appreciate all the comments and feedback I've received since starting this blog. Thanks for taking the time out at reading what I have say. The way I see it, if you didn't read it, then it would just be like I'm talking to myself....and that's fine, but I'm still glad that you come to read what I have to say.
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a very blessed, happy, prosperous, and fun new year.
Dani Fyve
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a very blessed, happy, prosperous, and fun new year.
Dani Fyve
12/15/11
Big Sister Blues
So in 19 days I'm moving. There are so many feeling swarming around in my head. I'm happy because it's been a long time coming, I've been back home now for 6 years, that's a LONG time. But I'm also nervous because I've been back home for 6 years. I'm ready though. I'm ready to stretch out and walk around naked...lol.
I'm going to miss my brother though, we haven't seen eye to eye a lot over the past year or so, but he's still my baby brother and we have a bond. It's going to be weird not coming home to him. For most of his life he's lived in the same house as I have. I remember before he was school age, he would wait for me to get home from school and when I was doing my homework he would jump on my back and want to play and I would tell him to go somewhere, but by the end both of us would be cracking up laughing and my homework would be sitting right there.
I also remember when I left to go to college. He was in the 6th or 7th grade. It was crazy. There was so much going on around that time. I've always been like the mother of the family, and it was like I was I was leaving my children. When I came back he was so big, it was like who is this person. I have moved in and out a couple times since then but even with that the longest I was gone was 2 years and he come over often.
But this move is different. It's a big move, I'm not moving far but this quite possibly and hopefully is the last time we will ever live together. Lord knows I'm ready for this move, but I'm going to miss coming home to that knuckle-head.....a little bit.
I'm going to miss my brother though, we haven't seen eye to eye a lot over the past year or so, but he's still my baby brother and we have a bond. It's going to be weird not coming home to him. For most of his life he's lived in the same house as I have. I remember before he was school age, he would wait for me to get home from school and when I was doing my homework he would jump on my back and want to play and I would tell him to go somewhere, but by the end both of us would be cracking up laughing and my homework would be sitting right there.
I also remember when I left to go to college. He was in the 6th or 7th grade. It was crazy. There was so much going on around that time. I've always been like the mother of the family, and it was like I was I was leaving my children. When I came back he was so big, it was like who is this person. I have moved in and out a couple times since then but even with that the longest I was gone was 2 years and he come over often.
But this move is different. It's a big move, I'm not moving far but this quite possibly and hopefully is the last time we will ever live together. Lord knows I'm ready for this move, but I'm going to miss coming home to that knuckle-head.....a little bit.
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