I is for "i" (#AtoZBlogging Challenge)

A couple of post back, I talked about change somewhat. I didn't get to go too deep into it because I kept touching on other things. Well, after rereading this post today, I realized there was one more thing that I had neglected to mention about change. Us.


We must change.

You see, the world isn't right the way it is now. Want proof the world ain't right? Here in Chicago alone last week 11 people were killed and 18 others were shot and wounded. We got rappers and other people who made it into the music biz, like Jerome 'Lil Boo' Anderson and Uchenna Agina, who may have been on the cusp of stardom or, at the very least by most of our standards, seemingly were in position to make it out of this war zone city we call home, only to get gunned down before they can even fully enjoy the fruits of their labor.

I'm not just thinking about African Americans killing each other. Have you heard about Terrence Rankins and Eric Glover? No? Well, read this and tell me that our problem is JUST black on black crime. And I'm not just thinking about Chicago either here. Think Trayvon Martin. You've heard of him, right?

OK, now tell me how you think more officers maybe the answer. Then think about Ferguson. Think Oscar Grant. Think Eric Garner. Think John Crawford. Think about this ongoing trial regarding this couple in Cleveland who was killed by an officer. Yes, even women aren't safe these days. Remember there's this trial going on right now here in Chicago with an officer being charged for the 2012 murder of Rekia Boyd, the first time in 15 years a cop has been on trial for murder here even though it hasn't been 15 years since any officers have killed any people, yet none of those officers have been charged with murder.



I know I done went back a bit. You don't want to think back that far? Then think about this man. 

This was this week.

Once again, it's not just a Chicago thing. This is going on all throughout the United States. But it's not just the USA I'm referring to either. In fact, as bad as it is here, it's worse in some areas of the world. Think Baga, where an estimated 2000 people were believed to have been murdered back in January. 2000. At the pace people in Chicago are being murdered, which has one of the highest murder counts in the USA, it would take us 5 years to reach that total. Based on what I read, those 2000 people were murdered in a span of three to four days.

Think about that.

Now if you're a religious person, you probably think that maybe the problem is that more people need God in there lives. Now think about how many people died because of the Crusades, the Thirty Years' war, etc. Hell, think about 9/11 and after you think about that, think about how long the Israelis and the Palestinians been going at it?  There are people out here killing other people not because they don't believe in a god but because they DO. I don't know any religious people personally here in the USA who'll die for a cause they believe their God wants them to die for. I'm not saying their faith is less stronger than the faiths of non-Americans but none of them would actually kill themselves and other people over their faith. Not one person.

I'm digressing. It's not just violence that's a problem these days. Think about Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act for example. Or the attitude of some Americans towards Muslims, which has worsened since 9/11. The vice versa is also true; if this isn't the case, 9/11 probably would've never happened.

The problem to me is intolerance in general. The less you know, the more you're inclined to defend what you know since it's all you know. Also, how one views other people is a deep reflection of how one really views themselves. The happier you are with yourself, the more tolerant of others you become. In some cases the more one learns about other people, the easier it'll become for that person to be more tolerant of people who differ in some manner from themselves. I think prejudice people are prejudice partially because he or she has no clue how not to be. I feel if one was forced to have friends of other races or of other whatever, that person would more than likely not be as prejudice after their interactions and if they chose to remain prejudice, they didn't learn much or they're unwilling to open their minds. The more closed minded a person is, the more likely they are to not take anybody else's opinions, life, whatever, into any type of consideration.

Now think about that. Or don't think about that. That's just my opinion.
Just THINK. That's all I ask.

That's all for now world. Just remember, change doesn't start with c. It starts with an "i".

Smokkee Singleton