The Bullshit of the Cyntoia Brown Conviction

Cyntoia Brown had been granted clemency. She has been let out on supervisory parole. I am in no way negating the awesomeness of her getting out nor the effort of the people people who fought tooth and nail to get her out I think they should be commended and applauded for their valor and hard work. However, am I the only one who smells the shit in the air or have we had our noses feed so much shit by the media and by America in genetal, that we have become immune or no longer recognize it. Remeber she is a woman of colour and in the context of the world and that especially in America, if you want to get away with something do it to a woman of colour. I speak not from my own perspective or personal opinion but rather objectively and based on the facts at hand and boring from my psychological knowledge.
She should not have been granted clemency because she should not have been convicted at all.
Facts of the case.
1. She was a minor but she was tried as an adult and convicted as an adult. According to US law she was not old enough to vote let alone even buy alcohol and yet when it came to trying her for a crime they saw fit to try her as an adult.
2. She was raped. Repeatadly. She was a victim of sexual assault and violence under the law. What she did is a direct correlation of her trauma from this. Yet Lil Jimmy can shoot up a school and they will say how he was depressed or bullied and its why he did what he do so lets stop bullying in schools. Lets go as far as making episodes in our TV shows to show the dangers so we stop such tragedies from happening again.
3. The victim blaming and shaming of her was so bad that she was apologizing for what she did. She was apologizing for killing her attacker. For trying to get control of her life in some way. That is how psychologically damaged the trauma she exeprinced.

When it comes to people of colour (basically all none white people especially those with darker complexions and people of African descent) they are treated less than in America. From the academic literature and research done to this day to the narrative in media even in the way individuals and groups are handled by the general public and judicial systems, this is an undeniable fact. Anyone who thinks otherwise is either dumb as a rock or benefits from this bias treatment and systemic, institutional oppression. We live in an age where the defence of ignorance is no longer applicable. People need to be held accountable. Every single one of us.

She did not desrve to be imprisoned. What should have happen is she should have been taken to a psychiatric facility and given help to heal her from the trauma she experienced. Helped to get in her feet and reintegrated into society. She had her childhood stolen, her freedom (which is a basic human right) taken from her and when she did what she thought was her only option at the time to get free from the chains that had binded her, she way made to pay for it by yet again having her freedom taken. And I have seen the arguments that she was tried in a court of law and found guilty by a jury of her peers. That Jury, the judge, the prosecution none of the were technically her peers. None of them were her age, had been victims of sexual assault and consisted of people from her socio-economic background. But she was found guilty in the court if law. What she did was illegal she broke the law. Well simpy because something is Legal does not make it Morally right or just and simply because something is illegal does not make morally wrong. Slavery was legal. Stoning a woman to death for adultery was legal. Women owning property and voting was illegal at some point and time and still is to an extent in some parts of the world. This young woman was treated unfairly and unjustly and is still being treated so considering that she is not acquitted but out on parole. One can only hope she will be able to live life now to the fullest. We need to do better. There are many women who have and are going to go through this. May they not habe to endure what Cyntoia had to.

THE TRUTH BEHIND BLACK PANTHER

Dear Black People (and everyone else who is anti-prejudice),

Yesterday (16th October 2017) I got the chance to watch the new trailer for Black Panther. I must admit it was freaking spectacular and if it flops it will be all our fault. Yes, I said it will be OUR fault. We will no longer be able to blame main stream Hollywood or the system or “the man”. It will be wholly on our heads. Those of us who say Hollywood is not black enough or we as black people are depicted only in specific ways and stereotypes. There are many reasons given as to way main stream does not have black characters from comics to movies. The biggest one is that they do not sell. There is no market for them, the characters are not accepted blah blah blah. Now I will not get into the spending habits of black people and all that. I must say that BLACK PANTHER IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR CULTURE AND PEOPLE. Now there are many things going on in the world that are messed up. I am not negating them this article is focusing on a specific issue and problem so do not bring in other aspects when you read this. I understand that there have been critics about the language used when Black Panther was introduced and geographical location but you do know that it is a work of fiction right? and as such it is allowed all levels of imagination and artistic freedom.

I am an avid reader of manga’s and watcher of anime (some think of me as an OTAKU) but I simply have a passion for them. I also know which superheroes are under Marvel, DC and unaffiliated heroes and the none mainstream ones. There are very few positive black characters in the manga’s and comics and not that much representation on the screen (I mean video games characters are evil the darker they are e.g. evil Ken and Ryu from street fighter yeah, we are represented badly). I have also been lucky enough to go to a few cosplay events (In Finland). What I noticed was that there are not that many black superheroes and people do not generally cosplay as black characters. Even with Black Panther coming out no one dressed like him in the last cosplay I went to (which was a few weeks ago where no one cosplayed a black character). I mean coplayers even gender bend but not many go as black superheroes (even the main stream ones and popular ones such as Black Panther, Luke Cage, Blade, Storm, Green Lantern aka John Stewart, Cyborg). But black people do cosplay as other characters regardless of gender or ethnicity.

Overtime we are noticing a shift in black representation and other minorities in the film and graphic novel world. Just recently Spiderman Homecoming introduces us to a new MJ, before that we had Johnny Storm a.k.a Human Torch and even one Nick Fury was originally white in the comics. I also think that we can sway the academy awards if we sell. Halle Berry and Denzel Washington have awards but she got it when she got naked in Monster’s Ball and he when he played a bad guy in Training Day. I do know for a fact that those were not their best performances. They have both made me cry in other performances. Then there is Lupita Nyong’o a brilliant actress since her days in SHUGA (suggested watch) who also won an award for a supporting role in a movie about slavery. See a theme there. This is not to say that African American thespians (Sidney Poitier, Whoopi Goldberg to mention a couple) have not won awards whilst playing incredible characters but we get short changed by being supporting roles (winning some and nominated for many) when in truth the black thespian literally carried the movie. This covers everything in the movies from the screenplay, script, music, wardrobe, acting etc. Keep this in mind as I go on to Black Panther.

Black Panther is a celebration of Blackness. It is centred around an African kingdom that has advanced more than the west. It pays homage to blackness in the form of nature, dressing, body markings, hair (natural, kinky, dreaded, bald). It has a part in there that resembles the Lion King where Simba is told by his father to remember who he is. It has an all-black cast and even some crew that oversee important aspects of the movie. It is celebrating a black superhero not as part of something but as a whole. The character Black Panther as the hero. It is celebrating black women, our mother, daughters, sisters and wives. It is a celebration of US. So why would you bootleg and torrent that and lessen the sales. When it represents us. Why not go to the movies with your black pride, hair out, wearing the most culturally comfortable (this part is crucial cause some of our outfits are for show and not for sitting in a theatre for 2 hours) outfit you have. Make it a success. Help it thrive because when it does then there will be more representation in main stream Hollywood of us. If they see there is money to be made in the positive representation of black people in movies that would even enable the characters in some comics and graphic novels (for instance those from NUBIAMANCY check it out please) will get screen time. And authors may start making more black characters in their comic, graphic novels and manga’s. This is the start of the movement so that when our kids or grandkids want to dress up they will no longer have the same options of being either one of the Avengers or Justice League (Cyborg is black so his fine to dress up as) but they have black characters to be and even to get to a point that the other ethnicities want to dress up as the cool black character. 

If I manage to get 2 people to do this and they get two people and so on then we will reach many more. So, talk to your mates about it, share the article if you think it is worth a read but most importantly spread the word, FEBRUARY 16^th (or whichever date it shows in a theatre near you) let the lines be longer than the ones for Star Wars or for getting the new iPhone. Let it be soooo packed and demanded that they must add extra weeks for the movie to show at the cinemas. And just for the record if you pirate it, WE ARE SNITCHING and NO SPOILERS if your mates have yet to watch. This is also a way for us to fight, to change the perspective, to regain our SELF.

Jah Bless

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You remind me of a firefly. Thinking it´s ordinary, small and inconsequential. When the skies are full of stars, the street lights are blazing and the moon is in full bloom. The thing it doesn't realize is on the nights went all is dark it´s the one that gives you light and even on days when the lights are blazing, we still look for the firefly for it is special A small feisty thing that can bring light through the tinniest of cracks and light the darkness.

Jah Bless

To my fellow Tanzanians (anyone can read it)

It has been sometime since I wrote something from the vaults of my mind. I can now say it wasn’t writers block or lack of passion but it was the fact that the more I learnt, the more confused I got and the more questions I had. Sounds weird I know but at some point during what we call “tertiary” education, my mind hit a deadlock that seemed at the time to be the boundaries of my capacity to create or to be honest, I thought I had saturated my mind. For those who know me also know I am not one to talk about certain things mostly politics and such since I had believed my lack of knowledge on the matter made me ill equip to do so. Over time however I have started to notice that it isn’t I am ill equip but I look at things differently (consistent discussion with my peers has shed light on this). As such a small crack formed in the wall in my head and not until today and this moment has an idea been able to flow through.

I warn those who are faint of heart or a bit touchy to either not read this or get their tissues ready and if you don’t like what I say then by all means discuss it with me like a learned adult and not some drunk belligerent monkey.

I commend my fellow TANZANIANS (kwa uzalendo wenu, upendo na ubinaadamu) for the huge and I mean HUGE movement in regards to Albinism initiative that has been take. I am not in any way trying to diminish those efforts and leaps made but sadly I also see how it is being used as the shiny object to distract us. How our gaze is being made to look in one direction so we are “blinded” from seeing things as a whole.

Ask yourself, why is it that the cases of these killings rise during election time? Why is it the campaigns, talks and all these things being done by our government when they will soon be asking for your votes? They play with our emotions and our minds so that we may pick them. They distract us from all the failings, lies, thievery, killings and deaths (due to lack of basic facilities). I ask as well as this campaign is being spear headed, has anyone bothered to notice a few articles pop up here and there saying that the president has gone back on his word and that Maasai land has been sold and they are being moved? Substantiated or not, why isn’t it being discussed and talked about? Newspapers put full page articles about so called “celebrities” and something important, gets put in some obscure section with a few words and it ends there.

WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? 

I heard once on the news how a man who stole a chicken so as he could eat and live was imprisoned for life and yet someone in our government shot and killed an unarmed dala dala (bus) driver and nothing happen to him. We were covered with news of the miracle cure in Loliondo it was plastered everywhere I then ask you this, what else was going on in the country. Can anyone remember anything about Tanzania (within or outside the country) during that time? All our focus was on that as other things were happening just in our peripheral.

It is easy to feel empathy for another human being that has been hurt (especially in gruesome ways) and been discriminated against. When a survivor of such atrocities speaks to others it touches our souls. We imagine if that was our kin, our child, sibling or parent and it is these same emotions that is used against us. We are also swayed by our media, musicians, poets, writers, socialites and so on and one can only ask that they do not fall under the spell as well but try not to be blinded.

One small good thing can be taken and used against us to hide the darker things. At times it is difficult to separate our emotions from our decision, but if we only follow these feelings then our mind dwindles and we can no longer objectively look at something. And this is what we need to do. As an individual and as a people. To think more, to question more and oppossed to feeling awe from the "rabbit out of the hat" we need to start looking where we are being distracted from.

Jah Bless

Equality is a Myth

I have committed a great atrocity upon myself. I noticed that in my writing I had started to lean towards being “politically correct”. I avoid using certain words or addressing certain things in the way I normally would. The reason I started to putting my thoughts down was so that I had a platform to be raw an uncensored. As such I will not apologize for the wording or topics of whatever it I will write about. And if you don’t like it well then you can simply not read. This is my blog anyway. Lol! Now down to business.

I recently posted a picture on Facebook that sparked an interesting discussion a few of my friends (and I actually mean friends) that also got me thinking of a few things that I had been discussing with other people. It made me reevaluate and take a step back and look at things with a bit more realism and practicality.

In the discussion on the picture I had posted, a female friend of mine mentioned that the aspect of “Equality” between men and women is a myth. And now that I think about it she is right. There can never and will never be “equality” of the genders not even in an ideal world. Just get that silly, stupid, irrational and idealistic thought out of your heads. It will NEVER happen.

Now if you are done huffing and puffing and cursing me out and all that (as some of you may be doing so) you can either continue reading or let yourself simply take what I just said and run with it and form some idea of me that isn’t all that pleasant. 

We cannot be equal because we are different. Our biological make up is not the same as such we cannot be treated equally or expect to be even then there are situational differences that can dictate who gets treated how. Small example, twins, a man and woman walk into a train/bus or whatever form of public transportation there is. Everything about them is identical except the woman in pregnant and its showing and the guy well he isn’t. The place is packed and they are standing next to you. Who do you give your seat to? I mean if we were to be equal then the woman should stand just as much as the guy.

Same scenario but this time the woman isn’t pregnant and the man has a disability with his leg or maybe it’s just broken. And maybe just maybe in another scenario where she is pregnant and the guy has a broken leg. Who then will the seat be given to? Ponder that a moment as we continue dismissing the concept of equality.

An altercation occurs between two guys. One guy says things that are mean, obscene, vulgar and derogatory this obviously leads the second guy to retaliate by throwing a punch or two. I mean even in court or by peer standards the first guy had it coming. But let us switch it up. What if the first guy was actually a woman and she is the one who instigated the fight and used such words and got slapped or hit because of it. If we were to be honest how many people would say she had it coming and how many would say that the guy was wrong in doing so? Again where is the equality there? It should be that guy number two shouldn’t have hit another person regardless of gender or situation and if a woman was to aggravate a man then she should be prepared for the repercussions and play or be seen as a victim.

I haven’t seen many female construction workers or like bus drivers, neither have I seen many men who are housekeepers (I have seen some and yes it was in Africa) and when other women are asked why they wouldn’t do so well they say that those aren’t women’s jobs or those aren’t jobs for men. So some women ask for equality and yet you won’t do certain jobs because you think they aren’t for you merely due to your gender and will look down on a man for doing a job that you deem to be unmanly? Yeah that makes a lot of sense (sarcasm). And funny enough I just saw a 77 year old woman deadlift 102.058 ( 225 pounds) so yeah the physical aspects really don’t stand and shouldn’t stand in the way.

So with that said no I don’t think equality is possible it is a lie. But and I mean but FAIRNESS well that is a real thing and closer to the truth. By this I mean give a job to a person according to the qualifications and capabilities regardless of gender, age, race and be kind to another person and treat them well simply because they are human and so are you. 

Equality is a myth because it is high time we admit (and some of you ladies need to own up to it) that what is really being asked for is fairness in jobs, school, opportunities and so on however there are situations and instances that a lady is to be treated like a lady. And this is the truth and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s just better to admit it opposed to sugar quoting and hiding behind things.

Jah Bless