Millange's Blog

I recently caught the tail end of a news story about a woman in Texas(?) who took in a family after Katrina.  The gist of the story was this young mother of four or five was taken in by this woman for shelter.  Apparently they made some arrangements for the young mother to leave her children there for a while - I suppose so she could get on her feet.  Now the mother cannot get her kids back?  The woman has gone on the run with these kids, claiming that the mother has a drug history?

Who made her judge and jury? 

I applaud her for helping the family out, but if the mother didn't abandon her children, shouldn't she get them back?

Anyone out there know the whole story?  I could have this wrong.  I hope so.

I was just thinking about what this country would be like if we all just snapped under the pressure of it all.  I mean, we are all dealing with something.  Personal frustrations with health, finances, marital, parental issues are relative.  Then to add to it all are the things that most of us deal with on a daily basis...overworked and underpaid, nosey or noisy neighbors, road rage, poorly skilled drivers on the road, poor or no customer service, the list goes on and on.  Thank GOD that most of us have the mental fortitude to keep it together.  I recently received a gift certificate in the mail from an establishment that I had a serious complaint with.  Over a month ago, the manager had restored my purchase money and promised that he would send me out a coupon.  After so long, I figured it wouldn't happen.  But it  did!  That simple act restored my faith in humanity.  Now I know that is small, but, it's the little things that we have to grabbed onto and refer back to when the weight of this world is crashing down on us.  These are the things that will keep us from slapping the she-I T out of someone who really deserves it.  So to all of my equally frustrated brothers and sisters out there, I wish you peace and wellness.  To Starman, keep the jokes coming - you, Sir, are an equal opportunity offender and that is good.  One love.

Thought that would get your attention.  Alright, “hear” me out.   I chose to entitle this blog like that because I see we have some new “haters” on the site.  When I speak of pride, I’m speaking of MY pride, which does not embody the entire Black race.  When I say, I’m proud, it is to say that I am not ashamed of the color of my skin.  When I was a little girl in the sixties, there weren’t too many black “idols.”  There were very few black dolls so many of us longed for straight long flowing hair.  Few magazines used black models and only a handful of blacks on the television.   For years, we couldn’t even find music from black artists on the radio.   I lived in a predominately white community.  Most of the black families had migrated there from the south.  The men found work in factories while the women usually cleaned homes and offices of the affluent white families.  My parents came from a place and time where Blacks or Negroes as they were called back then, were taught to respect the white man.  I was an observant child and it puzzled me why my parents and the other black adults changed their walk and talk whenever they came in contact with a white adult.  I was thinking, why?  Aren’t they people just like you and me?  Yes, many of them had more money than us and larger, nicer homes, but I saw them as no different.  So, I guess I was the militant of the family.  Yet, I had loads of white friends.  I went to their parties, sleepovers, etc.  I never had a problem with the “us and thems” even though it was all around me; much prejudice on both sides.  I have a cousin who still refers to white people as honky and cracker.  But I’ve digressed.  I told you my background because I understand that we all come from different places and our experiences can and does form how we think today.  I could’ve been a hater, but I chose not to be.  Instead, I chose to like my brown skin, my course hair, my wide hips and my large lips.  In a class room of one of two blacks,  I saw us all as kids, I just looked different.  And that is the bottom line people, we are all just different human beings trying to survive in the same space.  What I do, say, eat, drink, etc. does not represent the entire black race.  Why so many cannot see that and chose to lump every black person into a box, escapes me.  I know for a fact that all white people aren’t rednecks nor trailer trash(there’s stereotypes on either side).  So give it a rest!  I understand that we will always have a certain degree of prejudice amongst us.  But, this out right hatred toward one another needs to stop.  Can I get an Amen?

 

Fellow Bloggers,

I understand that I am fairly new to this site so many of you may find this an imposition on my part.  Still, I would hope you would read this with an open mind and examine yourself before you respond(if you care to do so).  I joined because I like people.  I love to hear what others think on different topics, and, I believe in healthy debates.  Before I go any further, I'd like to thank you.  You have brought up issues that I haven't thought of, news that I haven't heard of, and I have learned a lot from many of you.  Thank you for that.  Here comes the however...However, I find that many of you(and I have been guilty of this myself), cannot discuss an issue without fighting.  Debating is one thing, attacking the blogger because you disagree with his/her comment(s) is another.  One "wrong" statement and suddenly we are off the original subject and we are criticizing the person's writing skills, political views become political party attacks, any mention of race escalates into racism and racists remarks.  It's very disturbing.  I believe that most of us are adults.  One might be thinking the old addage(sp) "If you can't stand the heat.."  that is not my problem.  I have a thick skin.  But why should I have to?  We all have opinions.  Can we agree to disagree and cease with the cruelty?  And for those who are still awake after reading this, thanking for obliging me.  One love.  Peace.

I read the article in today's Washington Post Magazine about the lesbian couple who are in the midst of a custody battle. The gist of the story is the couple, once in love, decided to have a child. They moved from VA to Vermont where their liaison is recognized by the state. Some time after the child was born, the couple split. The birth mother moved back to VA with the child. Eventually she filed for "divorce" and later filed for full custody of the child. The other mother counter filed. After years of court dates, VA finally upheld Vermont's law that the other mother had rights. The birth mother has appealed. Court date set for April. Forgot to add that the birth mother has turned her life over to GOD and is no longer gay. She says homosexuallity is a sin - now. So what do you think? About the custody issue, I mean? My thoughts: I am neither for or against homosexuality. People live however they chose to live and that is between them and God. However, there is a child involved here. It's been two years since the other mother has seen the child. Yes, they could probably go on and the child may,if not all ready have, forget the woman. But is that really fair to the other mother who helped pay for all the medical expenses and loves that child as her own?

I know that I am taking a huge risk by asking that question. I expect to be attacked on all sides. I am obviously a large person. I find myself under public scrutiny(sp?) I think I have a healthy self-esteem, I know that I am a very nice and likeable person, yet I often feel "hated" by society. My unhealthy living has little or no affect on anyone else. I know I will hear things like the impact on the health care system, etc. But how many people really think about that when hey look at a fat person with disgust? I am simply looking for understanding. And before you go there, no, I am not the one who sits around eating twinkies all day. I know that there are some that do, but even in defense of them...why should you care? Alright, I'm ready, fire away!

Am I alone with my resentment of having to press 1 for English? Yes, I understand that there is a large number of Hispanics that have limited skills in understanding and/or speaking English - but who's problem is that? Is there another country that adjusts they're way of life for the Americans? In France, do you press one for French? I doubt it. Why are we making it easy? Why aren't these people forced to become fluent in our language? How many orders at the drive-thru have you had to repeat several times and still the order isn't right?