Monday, March 27, 2017

Late March Information about Society


As we know more about American cities, we see the beauty and the diversity of American culture. The city of Seattle has a powerful history of technology, social activism, and other aspects of human civilization. We recognize many people from Seattle for their great work in advancing human tolerance, environmental justice, racial justice, gender justice, and equality in general. This fight for human liberation continues in our generation. In our time, I have learned much more about Seattle than ever before. Seattle is a West Coast city with almost 700,000 people who live in it. So, it is the largest city in Washington State and the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Some call it the fastest growing major city in America. It is growing rapidly. It is found in the isthmus between Puget Sound (which is an inlet of the Pacific Ocean) and Lake Washington. It is also about 100 miles south of the Canada/United States border. It is the fourth largest port in North America in terms of container handling as of 2015. Seattle is very well known for its musical history. For example, from the duration of time from 1918 to 1951, there were almost two dozen jazz nightclubs along Jackson Street (from the current Chinatown/International District to the Central District). The jazz scene in Seattle influenced the early careers of Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Ernestine Anderson, and other musicians. Seattle is the birthplace of rock musician Jimi Hendrix and the alternative rock subgenre grunge. Seattle's gorgeous architecture has been iconic in its imagery for a long time. For over 100 years, Seattle has inspired our thinking, our creativity, and our activism as human beings. Therefore, we honor the great people of Seattle, who represent the greatness found in us as members of the human family. The history of Seattle of course begins with Native Americans. Today, Seattle is diverse ethnically and culturally and we appreciate that diversity too.

For thousands of years, sports have inspired human excellence, improved society, promoted togetherness, and extended human longevity. People of every creed and background have expressed sports to express creativity and the love of constructive competition. Track and field is one of the greatest sports in human history. It can improve human endurance, strength, and athleticism. It is very diverse. It deals with running, jumping, and throwing. Track and field is an international sport. It is found in America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, etc. Many oval shaped stadiums have track and field sports being performed. Adults, college students, high school students, middle school students, and other youth perform track and field. There are so many activities involving track and field as well. There is sprinting. There are the actions of road running, cross country running, and race walking. Marathon running is very famous. Many athletes run in hurdles. Jumping events include the long jump, the triple jump, the high jump, and the pole vault. People throw in activities of the shot put, javelin, discus, and hammer. Combined events are common in track and field. An activity including 5 events is called the pentathlon. Those that deal with 7 events is called the heptathlon and those including 10 events is called the decathlon.   In these siutations, athletes participate in a combination of track and field events. Most track and field events are individual sports with a single victor; the most prominent team events are relay races, which typically feature teams of four. Events are almost exclusively divided by gender, although both the men's and women's competitions are usually held at the same venue. Back then, there were track races in the ancient Olympic Games from ca. 776 B.C. Today, there is track and field in the Olympic Summer Games. Also, there is the IAAF World Championships in Athletics that deals with track and field. The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body. Records are readily kept involving track and field in our modern age. Women, men, and children love track and field as they express all of the time. There are many legendary track and field athletes too. They include: Jesse Owens, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Usain Bolt (who is the greatest sprinter in human history), Carl Lewis, Carmelita Jeter, Flo Jo, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Paula Radcliffe, Dennis Kimetto, Patrick Makau, Catherine Ndereba, Joan Benoit, Sohn Kee-chung, Mike Powell, Michael Johnson, etc. Track and field is an awe inspiring sport and we love it wholeheartedly.  


The time from 1776 to 1865 included some of the most powerful historical events involving the American West. That time definitely caused monumental changes in the North American continent for real. There were many battles of the Revolutionary War to the west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the Midwest too. Soon, the British forces were defeated by the American forces by the end the Revolutionary War in 1783. During that era, the settlers and pioneers readily lived in one room log cabins in the frontier. Many of them ate deer, turkeys, and other animals. Many of them used horses to travel into farther distances. Native American tribes were constant victims of attack and murder by many settlers and their lands were increasingly stolen. As the 19th century progressed, changes existed. American settlers traveled into the Northwest Territory as found in Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, etc. Daniel Boone was a famous frontiersperson as well. He came from Virginia into central Kentucky. Back then, Kentucky was part of Virginia. The Wilderness Road in Kentucky by the 1700’s and 1800’s were home to many attacks. During the 19th century, the fur trade expanded. The federal postal system grew in the frontier West. Scientists, artists, and explorers existed too. The evil, bigoted doctrine of Manifest Destiny was embraced by many. Manifest Destiny is the myth that settlers (especially those of European descent) have the destiny to control all of the lands of the North American continent from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean (plus beyond). The Santa Fe Trail in the Southwest carried goods and services. Mexico became independent via the Mexican Revolution and Texas became independent in a controversial fashion via the Texas Revolution. The Oregon Trail allowed people to travel in the Northwest of the Pacific. Religions developed like Mormonism in the west. Joseph Smith was the founder of Mormonism. This era ends with the conclusion of the Civil War. Battles in the West during the Civil War existed. By 1865, railroads grew, technology became more advanced, and immigrants from China, Germany, and Scandinavia came into America. A new era was born and the continued oppression against Native Americans by imperialists unfortunately persisted. The American West has a complex historical story that must be told.



I'm not surprised. Like one saying goes, we are all we got. Black people have every right to stand up for the mission to save the lives of missing Black girls in Washington, D.C.. Latina girls who are missing should be found as well. This is an important issue of our generation. Black families have every right to use their voices to express outrage at how missing black people have been ignored heavily by the mainstream media and by many in society at large. This is why is is imperative to support organizations that fight to save the lives of missing children. This is personal for us for when one girl is missing, then it effects everyone in our community. We are in solidarity with the Brothers and the Sisters in Washington, D.C. who are making a difference. Certainly, the major point is that missing Black and Latina girls in the D.C. is a total tragedy and they should be found. White attendance in a meeting should never be used as a prerequisite on the importance of issues relevant to us, who are black people. Regardless if white people are there or not, the primary goal in our time is the total liberation of our black people. Historically, black people have shown massively empathy to diverse ethnicities and many from those ethncities haven't shown equivalent reciprocity to us. That is why many people in Chicago now are boycotting a business which allowed a coward to assault a black woman. The rise of the demagogue of Trump has made it clear that self-determination and promoting our interests are important actions to enact.

Likewise, I believe in caring for the environment, fighting poverty, improving health care, etc. Just because I believe in black liberation doesn't mean that we don't care for the environment (The Flint water disaster proves that environmental issues matter). Without a clean environment, people will die. No one will prevent me from speaking up for clean water and clear air. Our mind must expand and discuss about diverse issues along with showing concern unconditionally for black people too. Our cultural communities can be enhanced in many ways (from using unique programs and working in real groups that help people). One of those ways is to not worship non-blacks and that's true. Yet, we shouldn't scapegoat the poor collectively in our communities as many faux nationalists (i.e. Hoteps) have done or the past years. There is no revolutionary change without helping the poor. Great revolutionaries from Malcolm X, Dr. King, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Fred Hampton, etc. opposed the current economic system of oppression and desired a radical redistribution of the wealth to help our people. I believe in egalitarianism and I reject xenophobia. Yes, tons of black people showed up in the D.C. townhall, because tons of black people care for black youth and are sincere in desiring missing girls to come home. We are always showing great empathy. The lack of non-blacks in the meeting in Washington, D.C. shouldn't be the primary issue. The issue is about the safe return of the girls.

By Timothy

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