“All of us have a right to be who we are.”

November 20, 2007 | Filed Under Do your research!, Listen, Moment of Truth, Pay attention, Rewritable words 

Lauryn Hill’s Unplugged No. 2.0 is a natural high.  It’s always surprises me how young she was when these songs were created.  [But why?  That's the little box we create for ourselves.  Young people certainly can't be the carriers of such wisdom, the flawed thinking goes.]

Finally, the idea of big business makes no sense to me.  Perhaps it was necessary for the 20th century, for industrialization, but now we’re seeing the negative implications. Now, the sham is no longer in refuting the existence of global warming, it’s in the efforts big business makes and in the solutions presented to address the issue.  It’s a con because all of their actions will be negated with the continued reliance on coal and other dirty energy sources. 

Aside from that, the purpose of life is not to save up enough money to stop working.  That’s stupid.  I’m sick of meeting people that are just trying to make it.  I’m sick of being one of those people.  It’s ridiculous that we participate in such an idiotic, austere, and spiritless system that values nothing but money and things.  Now that the push to eliminate the middle class is becoming more apparent, I hope that people are starting to evaluate the system.  What will they find when they do, though?  All these wars that were waged while we sat idly preoccupied with our new things were fought with a false focus on freedom or democracy, but it was really for capitalism and opening free markets.   The escape, then, isn’t clearly at the end of the tunnel.  Let’s be creative and devise some alternatives.

Wouldn’t it be grand if we could all do the things that made our hearts flutter with excitement? 

 Look this is who I am. 
And I have to be who I am and all of us have a right to be who we really are. 
And whenever we submit our will–because our will is a gift; it’s given to us–
whenever we submit our will to somone else’s opinion,
a part of us dies.
- Lauryn Hill, Unplugged No. 2.0

Where’s the good?
The good, as always, is in the transformative moment.  In the absence of seeing what’s wrong, one could never clearly define what might be better.  While identification is a critical step, even more crucial is taking action.  Are we waiting for fearless Vs to emerge out of the woodwork to lead the revolt?  Just as Malcolm X said in 1963 during his Message to the Grass Roots, revolution involves bloodshed and we’re afraid to shed our blood…unless our fascist government tells us to.  “Remember, Big Brother is watching you.”  Better act right, right?

This life is temporary but the soul is eternal
Separate the real from the lie, let me learn you
Not strong, only aggressive, cause the power ain’t directed
That’s why, we are subjected to the will of the oppressive
Not free, we only licensed
Not live, we just excitin’
Cause the captors.. own the masters.. to what we writin’
Not compassionate, only polite, we well trained
Our sincerity’s rehearsed and staged, its just a game
Not good, but well behaved cause the camera survey
Most of the things that we think, do, or say
We chasin’ after death just to call ourselves brave
But everyday, next man meet with the grave
I give a damn if any fan recall my legacy
I’m tryin to live life in the sight of God’s memory
- Black Star, “Thieves in the Night”

It’s interesting that so many people claim to be religious or spiritual, yet lack faith.  I’m the pot calling the kettle black, yes, but I’m working on being a stainless steel coffee maker; at which time, I’ll still call the kettle black.  Our lives have a purpose.  A career high and an easy, luxurious retirement aren’t it.  Figure it out.  It’s freedom time.  Time to get free.

Comments