Sunday Worship - Looking back at Dr. King’s dream
This past Sunday, I visited a racially diverse Church in the Upstate of South Carolina. The praise and worship was phenomenal. As we joined hands to sing I am free, I couldn’t help but to notice the tears that were streaming down the faces of members of the congregation. In my experience, Sundays tend to be quite segregated in the South. In most of our Churches, people of different races don’t worship together. Thus, it was a blessing to see the members of Restoration
Organizations helping Haiti
Our prayers go to the natives and residents of
· Action Against Hunger, 877-777-1420
· Agape Flights, 941-584-8078
· American Red Cross, 800-733-2767
· American Refugee Committee, 800-875-7060
· American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, 212-687-6200
· American Jewish World Service, 212-792-2900
· AmeriCares, 800-486-4357
· Beyond Borders, 866-424-8403
· B'nai B'rith International, 202-857-6600
· CARE, 800-521-2273
· Catholic Relief Services, 800-736-3467
· Childcare Worldwide, 800-553-2328
· Church World Services, 800-297-1516
· Clinton Foundation, 501-748-0471
Text "
· Concern Worldwide, 212-557-8000
· Convoy of Hope, 417-823-8998
· Cross International, 800-391-8545
· CRUDEM Foundation, 413-642-0450
· CRWRC, 800-55-CRWRC
· Direct Relief International, 805-964-4767
· Doctors Without Borders, 888-392-0392
· Episcopal Relief and Development, 800-334-7626
· Feed My Starving Children, 763-504-2919
· Food for the Poor, 800-427-9104
· Friends of WFP, 866-929-1694
· Friends of the Orphans, 312-386-7499
· Habitat for Humanity, 1-800-422-4828
· Haiti Children, 877-424-8454
· Haiti Foundation Against Poverty
· Haiti Marycare, 203-675-4770
· Haitian Health Foundation, 860-886-4357
· Healing Hands for Haiti, 651-769-5846
· Hope for Haiti, 239-434-7183
· International Child Care, 800-722-4453
· International Medical Corps, 800-481-4462
· International Rescue Committee, 877-733-8433
· International Relief Teams, 619-284-7979
· Islamic Relief USA, 888-479-4968
· Lions Club International Foundation, 630-203-3836
· Lutheran World Relief, 800-597-5972
· Medical Benevolence Foundation, 800-547-7627
· Medical Teams International, 800-959-4325
· Meds and Food for Kids, 314-420-1634
· Mennonite Central Committee, 888-563-4676
· Mercy Corps, 888-256-1900
· Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, 800-306-9950
· New Life for Haiti, 815-436-7633
· Operation Blessing, 800-730-2537
· Operation USA, 800-678-7255
· Oxfam, 800-776-9326
· Partners in Health, 617-432-5298
· RHEMA International, 248-652-9894
· Rural Haiti Project, 347-405-5552
· The Salvation Army, 800-725-2769
· Samaritan's Purse, 828-262-1980
· Save the Children, 800-728-3843
· UN Central Emergency Response Fund
· UNICEF, 800-367-5437
· United Methodist Committee on Relief, 800-554-8583
· World Concern, 800-755-5022
· World Hope International, 888-466-4673
· World Relief, 800-535-5433
· World Vision, 888-511-6548
· Yele Haiti, 212-352-0552
Wyclef Jean's grassroots org
Text Yele to 501501 to donate $5 via cellphone
What about Harry Reid
Mr. Reid’s choice of words regarding POTUS’ accent (dialect) and complexion were in poor taste. However, truth be told, how many of us have commented on POTUS’ African American traits? Is POTUS your average African American? I was just wondering.
Our Legacy
Happy New Year to you my friends. Thank you for the personal get-well messages during my bout with the flu. As I considered my New Year’s resolutions, I couldn’t help but to wonder about my legacy. Am I doing anything that will have a positive impact on my family, friends’ community or country’s life? Last year, my friend Maame shared a testimony with me after attending her mother-in-law’s life celebration. Maame was impressed and touched by the good deeds and commitment espoused by her dearly departed. Shortly after Maame shared her story, I read about the gruesome killing of Major Mefful, a UN staff, Light House Chapel Pastor and Learned Fellow in
Well, my friends, it’s about time that I resolve to give more of myself to my loved ones. I may not be able to have as huge of an impact as our celebrities, but I should be able to shine in my corner. Therefore, please join with me, in my quest to be a better person. Happy New Year to us all.
Racism – Don’t shake it off
It’s been a month since my last post. I trust that you’ve been keeping well. I know that Christmas is near and that I should be spreading cheer but I can’t seem to shake off the effect of the racist remarks that I have heard in recent days. This morning as my little one clung to me, I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of not being able to protect him from the racial uncertainties that I have begun to fear. Growing up in a predominantly Black Nation, I did not experience the woes of racial discrimination during my formative years. However, in these past months, I continue to marvel at the extent of hatred, based on the color of one’s skin. It breaks my heart, when people that I know continue to utter unwarranted racially biased statements. I want my child to grow up knowing the fear of the Lord and to love his neighbor. Fortunately, he attends a great school, where discrimination has not been a factor. Nevertheless, I am so afraid of the unknown.
As I write, I have tears streaming down my face. Thanks to the social media, I have been reading the venom that some of our ‘colleagues’ have been spewing about people of color. I know that life is not a fairy tale, but I am repulsed that individuals who proclaim to be God-fearing and people-loving are constantly uttering derogatory statements about people of my race. I am sorry, but I cannot shake the disgust at the pit of my stomach. My friends don’t be fooled into thinking that racism and discrimination is from the non-enlightened. No, the culprit could easily be your college friend, that pious person in your Church group, your friendly muffin-baking neighbor... The list goes on.
In the land of the brave and the free, I wish for great opportunities for my child. I know there are several successful Blacks in the
Living a full life - In memory of Eugene
Today would have been my friend Eugene’s birthday. Happy birthday Goza.
Therefore my friends, let’s not forget to make that phone call that we have been procrastinating about. Go ahead enroll in that dancing class. Go and see that football game. Play with your children. Let your friends and families know how much you love and appreciate them. Forgive your enemies (I know, that is a hard one). Don’t sweat the small stuff! Kick back and enjoy life. Now, if you are like me, who believes in heaven and hell, you had better make peace with your God. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Tie the ‘nuts and bolts’. Live your life to the fullest.
Do you question going green?
Often times I have wondered about the validity of climate change. Thus, I am open to reading materials that advocate for or dispute climate change. My most recent ‘green read’ was Al Gore’s book, ‘Our Choice’ (in favor of climate change). Mr. Gore’s book illustrates where our energy comes from, where it goes, what is happening to our living systems, how we use energy and the obstacles that we need to overcome. I was thrilled about the contents of Mr. Gore’s book and thought I would share it with some friends. However, my friends were not so impressed with Mr. Gore’s assertions. They are of the view that global warming is not real, and that Mr. Gore cooked up the theory of global warming. This was not the first time that I was hearing about the fallacy of global warming.
In the past, I have heard stories that indicate that warmer winters would give farmers a longer harvest season, and might end the droughts in the Sahara Dessert
References
RT @Loudobbsnews
destroyed for every so-called "green job" created by govt. mandate.
Stossel, J. (2007). The global warming myth. Retrieved November 09, 2009 from
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3061015&page=1
Thank you to our Vets
For the bravery that our veterans show, we are forever grateful. Today, we speak about the heroic deeds of our Veterans. We thank our Veterans and their families for their selfless services. However, I wonder how many times we think about the well-being of our Veterans or Veteran families during the year. Until tragedy hits close to home, we are often in oblivion about the war and suffering that goes on around us. Not only are our Veterans sacrificing their lives for us, but also their families embark on their arduous journey with them. Therefore, to our Vets I say: For the selfless service of an honorable profession, we are eternally grateful to you and your families.
How guilty is Keith Bardwell, the Louisiana Justice of Peace?
Justice Quits after Interracial Flap is the title of a November 4, 2009 article, written by Melinda Deslatte of the Associated Press. From the responses and reactions to the article, it seems that several people do not agree with Mr. Bardwell’s position on interracial marriage. It’s unfortunate that Mr. Bardwell refused to marry an interracial couple, based on his belief system rather than his professional ethic. Although, Mr. Bardwell is entitled to his beliefs about interracial marriages and offspring thereafter, he should have done his job by marrying the couple. In my experience, just like inter-religious, inter-cultural or any marriage between two individuals from different backgrounds, interracial marriages have a 50/50 chance of success. Let’s face it, no marriage is bulletproof.
It is unfortunate that we focus on the disparities between Blacks and Whites or Hispanics and Whites when discussing interracial marriages. I believe that the problem is far bigger than a marriage between two different races. Rather, it is about the cultural differences between the two parties. For example, within the African culture, some Nigerians will ‘turn over in the grave’ if their child were to marry a Ghanaian. A couple of years ago, I remember the angry reaction from my Bangladeshi cohort when I tried to ‘hook’ him up with an Indian colleague. And when my Hindu friend got engaged to her Christian boyfriend, all hell broke lose in both families. I remember the Caucasian woman who cut ties with her friend because her daughter supposedly had a crush on her friend's black son. In some households, there is uproar when one decides to marry from a different tribe. Some Yorubas have a problem with Ibos, Some Ewes have a problem with
Despite the cons of interracial, cultural, tribal or religious unions, we must note that, several of these unions and offspring are thriving. Although, I have heard some mixed-race individuals complain about their sense of ‘non-belonging’, there are several mixed individuals, who do not encounter identity problems. In fact, some of the mixed-race individuals that I know have thrived in certain environments just because they are mixed.
A solution to healthcare reform in the United States
Have any of you stayed overnight at a hospital recently? I was shocked at the bill that I received from ‘my’ hospital and its affiliate doctors after my most recent stay. A night at the hospital will pay your five-day ‘best rate’ stay at the Waldorf Astoria! To think that sometimes you end up sharing your hospital room with a total stranger who gets on your nerves. And, woe to you if you dare upgrade to a private room. To me, the health insurance business is one moneymaking venture. When we pay health insurance costs, we do so with the intent to mitigate our future healthcare costs. Why then do we end up having to pay so much in healthcare costs? I only began to understand this healthcare pain when I needed healthcare services that extended beyond my yearly physical. I don’t know about you, but I think we desperately need an overhaul of our healthcare delivery system.
Without healthcare delivery and insurance reform, attempts at healthcare reform will probably not amount to much. The currently proposed “America’s affordable health choices act of 2009” bill seeks to expand healthcare coverage to approximately 40 million Americans and to reduce growth in healthcare spending. This sounds like a great idea. But, wait a minute, what kind of services will be covered? Although I have insurance, I am paying through my teeth for health services. Are we trying to extend these additional costs to approximately 40 million Americans? Some may argue that the uninsured cannot afford the rising cost of healthcare, thus a bill that seeks to extend coverage and reduce costs will be beneficial to us all.
However, the insured cannot also afford the rising cost of healthcare. Therefore, to me, the problem lies with the cost of healthcare and not just the availability. Why am I being charged over $1500 a night to stay in an uncomfortable hospital bed? Well, call me selfish, but the current version of the healthcare reform bill is not going to solve my cost problem.
See, my question is, if we don’t fix our health insurance, pharmaceutical and hospital costs, can we really provide all Americans with quality healthcare? Even when one has private health insurance, healthcare does not come cheap. Not only do you have to meet your deductible and co-pays for most insurance plans, but also, you have to pay the co-pay amounts for your prescription drugs. How then can we make healthcare affordable for all?
In recent weeks, I have heard several comparisons of the
Solution
We need to make a bi-partisan effort to find a solution to our healthcare woes. This is what I was thinking… Just like we have our public and private schools, is it possible to have government-run and private-run hospitals? If we went to the government hospitals, we would get our meds and care for ‘free’ or pay a subsidized amount. However, if we went to the private hospitals, we would have to pay for our care through our insurance or from out of pocket. Maintaining the private hospitals ensures that we don't put the insurance companies and private enterprises out of business. This is because there are several households, who are employed by our private enterprises and we wouldn't want an increase in unemployment. After all, during times, when we may not be able to afford a long wait at our government-run hospitals, we could obtain services from our private hospitals (if we can afford to). I know someone is ranting, raving and wondering about the financial responsibilities tied to the government-run hospitals. Well, unfortunately, we the taxpayers will have to support such an endeavor. Considering that we are paying to sustain our public school systems, we should be able to find a way to pay for healthcare. Remember, we are not obliged to choose a government-run hospital over a private hospital. We are always welcome to choose private care if we can afford the costs. As you know, I'm just sharing my thoughts here and there. Thus, I will appreciate your feedback, thoughts and alternate solutions to our healthcare predicament.
Please note that the above suggested solution is the writer's opinion.