Tag: peaceful-protests

SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD

Special Thanks

Thank You so very much, darellphilip, for nominating me for this award. I appreciate your support of my blog posts. It means much to work in a mutually supportive environment with like minds. I believe that is what this award is about. By supporting each other we create a light that shines on those involved in this mutually supportive effort. The resulting “Sunshine” warms our hearts and soothes the soul. It is a blessing from God. Again, Thank You, darellphilip !

To those reading, if you have not visited his blog, you should go to https://darellphilip.wordpress.com/ and see what he has posted. He supports the work of others and consistently searches for more to include in this circle of ‘Sunshine.’ Check it out!

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Sunshine Blogger Award Rules:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog.
  2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
  3. Nominate 11 people and ask them 11 new questions.
  4. Notify the nominees by commenting on one of their posts.
  5. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your post.

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darellphilip’s Questions:

  1. What are you thankful for right now and why?
    • I am thankful for God’s love — the strength, clarity, love for others He instills in me; for my family — my children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins; for each person with whom I come into contact — face-to-face, in social media, and on this and other blog posts, I am truly blessed by each; for my ability to express myself in written form — both prose and poetry, for this blog page — it has helped me to expand my horizons with regard to who I am and the purposes for my writing ability, and I am thankful for the necessities of life which are provided in abundance.
  2. Who inspires you?
    • my fellow bloggers, other authors, other poets, journalists, academics, family, friends, the news. I often am inspired to pursue a new line of research or thought by the written or verbal expression of others.
  3. Where is your favourite vacation spot?
    • It varies, but typically the Ozarks in the heartland of the United States. It is where I grew up and I am enthralled with the lay of the land. I feel very close to nature and to God when I am there.
  4. When did you first realize your love for blogging?
    • About a year ago, I realized that I truly had the ability to write poetry and prose worthy of sharing with others here on my wordpress.com pages rather than saving all of it for future publication. It has actually helped me with my projects planned for traditional publication too.
  5. Why does Black Lives Matter?
    • For me, saying specifically–Black lives Matter–excludes all other races as negligible and unworthy of mattering. I believe one race is as important–and matters as much–as any other. I believe singling out one race is much more racist than most other racist statements because it excludes ALL other races. I believe God sees the color of our hearts, not the color of our skins, when He determines who is important and that persons of all races matter to Him. Thus, persons of all races must matter to me, not just one race; I believe my responsibility is determining what one projects from his / her heart and then promote those whose projections are aligned with those of Jesus Christ. The riots that are being presented as peaceful protests are harmful to others and to the property of others, as well as to the cause they are purported to support. Thus they are against God’s will, and–as such–I cannot condone them in any form. Peaceful Protests are never violent or demeaning to others. I appreciate you asking this question, because it allows me to say these things with purpose. They have been weighing heavily on my heart.
  6. How many pets do you have?
    • none — I have had pets in the past, right now it would cost more to properly care for a pet than I can manage.
  7. What new skills have you acquired during lockdown?
    • I have been able to take the time needed to improve on my health through nutrition research and finding new and better recipes to utilize in this endeavor. I have also been able to better visualize the end product in my poetry book(s), my novels, and my non-fiction endeavors.
  8. Where does your inspiration to blog come from?
    • It comes from many sources: from reading–the blogs of others, news articles online, journal articles, poetry, and even during sleep. Inspiration comes from all about me, from within me, and from a spiritual connection with God and His Son.
  9. Who is most important to you in your life right now and why?
    • God, my children, and my grandchildren because they are God given gifts. I will never receive a better gift than my children and my grandchildren.
  10. Why should bloggers follow your blog?
    • I try to reflect on events happening in our world as I write. I try to always write with honesty and integrity in a way which allows others to take what they like and leave the rest. I am honored to know others see enough value in my posts to want more people to see and read them too. These award nominations have humbled me much. All praise, I believe, goes to God and His Son, Jesus. I strive to live my life in a manner pleasing to them. Hopefully, the value of that will continue to be seen by others. Thank You for asking this question too. It has given me the opportunity to reflect upon what I do and why. Thank You for nominating me!
  11. When will racism end?
    • I fear–because evil roams the world seeking ways to destroy all efforts for peaceful existence–I fear it will not end until the Lord comes to call us home.

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My Nominees:

  1. Tangie @ https://www.tangietwoods.blog
  2. Blanca @ https://journeyinfindinggod414907732.wordpress.com/
  3. ChallEngEr @ https://ministryin.wordpress.com/
  4. Nomison @ https://artnomison.wordpress.com/
  5. Sarah @ https://studywys.wordpress.com/about-myself/
  6. Anju @ https://thinkbigcom529246297.wordpress.com/about/
  7. Maurice @ https://soulrenewed.wordpress.com/
  8. parneetsachdev @ https://timelessmind.org/
  9. Maxine @ https://heavensreef.wordpress.com/
  10. Terese @ https://teresebelme.com/
  11. Saania @ https://saania2806.wordpress.com/

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My Questions for My Nominees:

  1. What is your favorite color and why?
  2. Who is your favorite author and why?
  3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
  4. What is your favorite quote? Why?
  5. In your education, what has had the most impact on you? Why?
  6. What is your favorite course of study? Why?
  7. Who influenced you to begin your blog? Why?
  8. Do you implement your own writing style on your blog, or do you follow that of someone else? Why?
  9. If you could correct one aspect of the world right now, what would it be and why?
  10. Who do you look up to and why?
  11. What, or who, is your greatest source of strength? Why?

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Again, Thank You, darellphilp, for nominating me for this award! To those whom I nominated, I look forward to reading your responses. Please remember to link back to my site when you complete your post. Thank You!

My 2-Cents Worth

ALL LIVES MATTER!!!!

By: tkbrown

As a citizen of this great nation, I have sat quietly watching as racism has tugged from this side, then tugged from that side, then another . . . and another! I watched the Watts Riots of California being televised across the nation. I watched the peaceful protests led by Dr. Martin Luther King. I watched as civil unrest divided the nation between those supporting the violence and rioting and those who did not — which is happening again as I write! I watched as segregation was addressed and desegregation was enacted. I watched decades pass when black Americans and white Americans were mostly united against the onslaught of other nations and the wars — both hot and cold — were fought. I watched and listened to both sides. Having parents, one of whom was a Democrat and the other who was a Republican, whose differing viewpoints taught me that we do not have to agree to get along — we can sometimes agree to disagree!

I watched all of the above, then I experienced my writing — a poem — as it was accepted and lauded by classmates and faculty to the extent that it was published in my High School Newsletter my senior year. Then I experienced the disappointment of silence after I presented another of my poems, entitled “They’re People Too.” I had seen firsthand the difference in the way even young black children were treated versus young white children. I hoped my poem could make a difference. It was silently rejected, and I was never asked about my writing again.

I have watched as ‘drive-by shootings’ killed many black Americans due to poverty, violence, gangs, drugs, etc. Drugs were infiltrating the American scene, and where drugs go–violence follows. I watched as immigrants from other countries flooded our great land to escape tyranny and persecution. Then, I watched as that persecution began being quietly turned on white Americans as a means of expressing disgust regarding past treatment.

Ironically, by the time this happened, most white Americans had accepted people of color and of other nationalities. Yes, those remained who fought integration, but most accepted and embraced it. Silently, I hoped and prayed the acceptance would overcome, and I did as much as I could to encourage that acceptance in all areas of my life.

Then, I watched as the racist attitudes infiltrated those toward whom it had been directed. Now, the shootings were enacted or instigated by black Americans against white Americans. I watched in horror, as that reverse racism was directed–even at me who had fought for black Americans all my life. Reverse discrimination against me became the norm as the national turmoil steadily increased.

Now, the riots have begun again. Mostly black people attempting to destroy white America. One even said outright, he looks forward to the day when intermarriage and interracial relationships do away with truly white people and interracial becomes the norm. How much more racist can one be? Yet, in the news, most of what we see and hear discusses only the racism of white against black. Few have the courage to discuss the reverse, the black against white that is destroying our nation–and reporters seem to thrive on making that destruction happen.

When are we going to realize: It is not JUST ‘Black Lives Matter’, ALL LIVES MATTER, but black Americans are being allowed to say only people of color matter. By phrasing it as such, they make it appear that they support the Latinos, the Asians, the Native Americans, etc. who are also people of color. Then we hear again, repeatedly, “BLACK LIVES MATTER!” This excludes all others, but nobody pays attention to tht fact. There is racism in America, but this time, it is the black against the white — and all others — that is creating the unrest in America. I have sat quietly watching as it has chipped away at the fiber of our interdependence, weakening even the strength of this country against foes who are other countries on the planet called Earth. When white Americans who ARE white supremacists began responding in kind, black America cried wolf every time until the situation became what it is today — even though black America had instigated that response.

When are we going to stop destroying America and begin stressing that ALL LIVES MATTER — not just BLACK LIVES? That is reverse racism to the hilt. When will reporters begin to call a spade a spade, and expose it for what it is? No one will say what is really happening, because any white person who speaks out about — and black people too — will be persecuted into oblivion. Well, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? I am speaking out about it. In the Holy Bible, the book of Philippians is about racism and the fact that it is not supposed to be allowed among those who profess to be Christians. Well, I have to ask Black America — where is your justification for the reverse racism that is destroying America today? You profess to believe Christ is the Son of God, You profess to accept persons of other colors — then why do you persecute white people and persons of other origin — even those who support you? I am sorry, but according to the book of Philippians, your behavior is not Christ-like! Get down off your pedestals! If those statues you are destroying were of Black People, the whole nation would have been razed by now!

It is time that ALL RACISM STOPS, and America begins to heal. It is time that all colors — including white — and black — accept each other. I, and all white people, have the right to Freedom of Speech too, but you and your reporter friends try to deprive us of that right. Well, I am reclaiming my right to Freedom of Speech! BLACK people, it is time to STOP! Dr. Martin Luther King would NOT approve of what you are doing today, and his daughter recently said as much publicly. Peaceful protests are protected by the United States Constitution, but violence which destroys both life and property is NOT protected by the United States Constitution because it tears America down! The Constitution DOES NOT protect YOU when you riot!!!! So, stop it or accept the consequences!!!!

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I believe this song, “A Beautiful Life,” written by William M Golden, posted from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt-v5D2Ozko best expresses my feelings about what needs to happen now. Please follow the link and listen, “Like” my post (if you do like it), and Comment below to tell me what you think. I look forward to hearing from you!

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