...Errh Hemmme Helpe is onde way

It is true they were warned but Dayum! How can you see your own country men and women going through this and not lend out your help? ...Oh come to think of it, they really didn't care!

These people took initiative and started walking. Can you imagine how much walking they probably did, before getting out of New Orleans?

Oh yeah! The top story! Black people looting grocery stores, while the white poeple are finding bread and soda! Tell me if you see bread in the picture below! Please!

...One Year has gone by,

but the pain is still being felt. KATRINA, the hurricaine, left an indelible mark on the state of Louisiana, and parts of Mississippi. The storm, the Leveés, the pretensious response from FEMA and the Federal Government, the flooding, the many people stranded(mostly black in skin color), the allegations,the looting stories, the Mayor cursing on TV, the Astrodome, the many promises for assistance, etc. The list is long and I am sure we could talk about this for days.

Now, that the hurricaine hit and our poeple have been ignored by the Dub-Ya Administration, what do we do? We need to pull together and remind everyone that Katrina's aftermath is being felt even as I write.

Although I personally don't know anyone who was affected, I had the chance to talk to someone who owned a gas station in New Orleans, had taken pictures of the water coming up to untellable heights, and was rescued by the Coast Guard... of course he was white!

The people that felt it most were those that had no way out of town. Press conference after press conference, the re-elected President of the USA, His Excellency, Dub-Ya repeated the words: "I thhink, ..eh..hurh.. F FEMA is doing a darhnn goode jabb! We halve tacken ...hurh..ehhh..m ehh hurh measzhores to make szure ...ehurrhn.. that help gets to the victims."

And so the victims waited.

As they waited, they got hungry! They went to the vacated grocery stores and the media said the black people were looting while the white poeple were looking for food. PLEASE!

Yeah, help did come! ehh... ehurh,...emm... almost two weeks after the hurricaine hit. And the help wasn't intended for everyone!

Then there were those who were stranded on their roof tops. It is reported some actually died there waiting the errh...hurh....ehemm... help that Dub-Ya and his FEMA partners promised.

So brothas and sistas, pray with me that the issues plaguing the black community in the US are erradicated for good. Pray that when the storm comes again, we be ready to face it. We already know who our tax dollars go to help, so we cannot actually count on the Feds or FEMA. Blank promises never come with blank checks. Let's stop the black on black violence. Stop having fatherless children. Stop dropping out of high school. Stop dealing drugs to our own. Stop all the mess and get a grip of your lives. Don't throw it away cause the hurricaine is anxious to ferry them away!

Sorry for the haphazard nature of this post. My mind is just flailing right now! God Bless!

...O Father Where At Thou?!?!

August 15th is celebrated by Catholics worldwide as the Solemnity of the Ascension of Mary into heaven. As I sat in church last Tuesday, I noticed the mass servants were young girls. In the traditional Catholic Church, it is unheard of. Heck there are still parts of Cameroon that adhere to the rule. Forget the chauvinistic observation here, but Jesus was a man and women really never were mentioned in the Bible as parable-tellers, teachers in the synagogues, etc.

So my psyche started asking these questions about whether ten years from now, we will hear the young ladies come forward that they too were molested by Priests. Nah! That’s not possible, I thought to myself hinging on the fact that Priests were usually more interested in young boys anyways! My seriousness at examining the issue I was preoccupied with drew to a close as it took a humorous turn as my mind started going feral with presumptuous foretelling.

But this issue of priests molesting little boys is noteworthy: pertinent enough to have caused the Papacy to call a meeting in 2003 in the Vatican to discuss the issue. Between January 2002 and September 2003, about 230 people reported abuse in Boston alone. The Boston Archdiocese paid out 98 million dollars in lawsuit settlements causing it to close the Catholic charities foundation and bringing the archdiocese within a hair of bankruptcy.

The Catholic Church has been plagued with a number of issues lately including but not limited to priests involved in illegal activities, priests molesting children(boys especially), priests fathering children, and worst of all, priests covering up these atrocities. Until now, priests were sent to retreats and then reassigned to different parishes when an an allegation of molestation came up. And it is believed that the church would then intimidate the victims into silence. But because so many people started coming forward recently, and even sued the Catholic Church in the US, everyone involved straightened their neckties.

The recent uproar on child molestation accusations by the clergy has led many people to question the church’s devotion to celibacy in the priesthood even citing it as the direct cause for the abusive tendencies most priests have. For fear of sounding blasphemous, I will level my discourse on illustrations drawn from commentaries on the subject presented by more informed people.

Biblical Context
1 Corinthians 7:32-35

Indeed, I want YOU to be free from anxiety. The unmarried man is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he may gain the Lord’s approval. 33 But the married man is anxious for the things of the world, how he may gain the approval of his wife, 34 and he is divided. Further, the unmarried woman, and the virgin, is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in her body and in her spirit. However, the married woman is anxious for the things of the world, how she may gain the approval of her husband. 35 But this I am saying for YOUR personal advantage, not that I may cast a noose upon YOU, but to move YOU to that which is becoming and that which means constant attendance upon the Lord without distraction.

Need I say more about these verses? Although there are other verses in the Bible that infer the direct opposite of these verses, it is rather clear here why the Catholic Church chooses to have its priests in ‘constant attendance upon the Lord without distraction.’

Celibacy isn’t the Problem
by Cardinal John O’Connor. (Taken from Friday Aug 18th, 1995 Edition of “The Irish family.”)

The article by Cardinal John O’Connor ends with the vibrant three words that stirred me to shudder. “GOD WILL WAIT!” Cardinal John O’Connor didn’t mean that God will wait for you to believe in Him before the last day. He certainly didn’t mean that God will wait for you if you are late in showing up to heaven. He simply meant, God will wait for the persons devoted enough to take the vow of celibacy and join the priesthood.

…God's time – [we] will be bursting our seams once again with joy-filled healthy celibate priests willing to make the sacrifice. God will wait.

In responding to the unremitting media attacks on the Catholic church’s stance on celibacy for priests, the Cardinal points out that priests are just like other men, who are trained to be less sensitive to bodily desires (amid other things) and be able to defy the temptations of diversion to their vocation. He recognizes that it is not easy for the choice to be made and that most priests seem to be happy with the choice they have made to be celibate and become agents of the Word. He also reckons with the fact that some priests that regret their vow of celibacy, are usually readily dispensed from priesthood. And these are things he far-too-well knows and has dealt with, and also recognizes as part of human nature.

The picture of the ideal priests' marriage is vividly painted in this stern retort bringing dust to settle on the issue of the idyllic marriage. People cheat, the Cardinal points out, so what makes us think that a priest getting married means he will not succumb to the temptations and consequently eliminate promiscuity in the ‘sexed’ up society we live in today. This readily goes to dismiss the faulty assertion that if priests were allowed to marry, paedophilia will automatically be a thing of the past, he argues. “Priests are no better than millions of married and single people in the world,” he purports.

Commentary

The idea of celibacy in the priesthood has often been argued to be the individual exertion of the last pontiff, John Paul II. But the idea actually dates back to the early church that formed after Peter. If you consider that the Pope was Peter’s direct successor, then you must expect for him to marry since the Bible clearly states in the gospels of Mark (1:30), Luke (4:38), and Matthew (8:14), that Peter had a mother-in-law. Yes you heard it right! Peter was married. So why do his followers not marry?

Nonetheless, our world today is not the same as it was then. So, arguing that priests should be able to handle temptation isn’t an easy undertaking. The truth is that, if priests were allowed to marry, they will suffer lots of meltdowns primarily due to stress that by and large are not good for any congregation. Imagine having to watch over your family’s affairs and then handle your God’s work in your church. Seriously it is just too much! Reverend Camden in the WB’s famed TV Show, Seventh Heaven is a clear depiction. But then again, this is open to individual interpretation. Seventh Heaven is just a show, and usually Rev Camden handles himself well enough to withstand the pressure of crumbling. Also consider though that he has undergone heart surgery as a direct result of the stress he suffers.

Stress is not the only reason, if priests were to marry, soon, the Parish will start noticing the parish credit card statements having charges from Saks Fifth Ave, or Tiffany’s and this will cause derision because although most men can stand to their wives faces and say: “No! I am not getting you that $3000 dress!” there are also some men that will get anything for their wives even if she wanted the Statue of Liberty in their bedroom. You know where I am going with this… No smart comments! I know of the church of Jesus the Messiah Nebuchadnezzar Bethel House of the Lord Christ the King Worship Kingdom that crumbled cause the pastor embezzled church funds for his mortgage payments, bought a Cadillac and opened a bar. There are many small churches that are evidence enough for this.

Finally, I would like to say that all I am expressing here is pretty close to speculative discourse which leaves room for variant reaction and results. Each person is designed with free will and if the Catholic church’s tradition is that Priests don’t marry, then we must accept that we will not marry if we choose to become Priests. Tradition does not change with time, hence the reason for tradition being a custom i.e. doing something the way it has always been done. We cannot choose to go into priesthood knowing fully well that we are not allowed to marry, and then start lobbying for the sacred calling of the priesthood to be changed to something more soothing to our desires. Humanity is built on tradition and I will stand for tradition always! Change comes at a price and priesthood is not ready to handle celibacy yet!

...Public Enemy Number One!

So as I sat in front of the TV relaxing, I let my mind drift into temporary castle building mode; I picked up the remote and stumbled upon the show called the Flavor of Love 2. Not only do I detest the concept of the show, the idea of that many more or less ladies or shemales throwing themselves at some 50+ year old man who wears a gigantic clock as his necklace is far less fathomable than Hugh Heffner and his three inflattable dolls

That aside, the number of girls that come on the show to provide more evidence of the white man's backyard notion of "black people are crazy animals" is just appallingly unforgivable. How do you comprehend someone with an MBA in Education (I am sure she probably meant Master's degree in Education-don't hold them to it), would come out and debase themselves on national TV the way they do? There are the girls that drank so much they couldn't stand and slurred every syllable they afforded to utter; there was the girl that beat an innocent white girl up over a bed in a room with twenty-something beds; there was the typical loud black chick who shat on herself...not on a turtle, on herself!

While I understand that generalisations in cases like these are a very touchy subject, I would like to offer in my defence that a cross section of the African American Community is guilty of this kind of behavior. We carry ourselves in a way that denotes ghettoism to its best and the few of us that seem to carry a good head on their shoulders get shunned for adhering to the white man's standards of proper manners.

When are young men going to understand that there is more to success than becoming a ball player or rapper? When do you make the teenage girls understand that being a video girl is not a career goal but the fastest way to the grave? How do you cultivate the idealogy of not limiting yourself in your children? What do you do to make sure your daughter doesn't end up in a street corner, scuffing the earth for what dirtbags are willing to pass on some infectious miscreant virus for a couple of bottle of 'gnac? How do you make sure that your son doesn't think of passing out little bags of Colombian produce on 14th and K St and calling it an enterprise? How do you ensure your community stays in a positive guise rather than take giant leaps to its doom with each new birth on your street?

Things of the sort happen right in front of our eyes and we chose to look the other way. Why? I ask. Some reading this today would be tempted to classify my thinking in the likes of Bill Cosby and offer menial arguments like you just don't understand. Well, there is no reason good enough for any human being to limit themselves. While it is true that there are external reasons, call them whitemanish forces working to keep the black man in the barn, we must also realise we are not doing anything to target the internal devils we have. The devil that will make Tyrone shoot down a fellow nigga brotha because of a scuffle over who drank his apple juice. The devil that will tell Lil Ray Rae that pawning off his sista, Shenika to unknown miscreants for hourly wage is good and healthy for her three fatherless children. Oh yeah and 10 year old girls saying that they are gay! Lawd...You can complete the list.

I point an accusing finger to athletes and rapstars that young African American men and women idolise. They come from these types of communities and the majority of them leave it for the NBA, NFL, MLB and never look back. Those that make it in entertainment even go on to tease you with their success. They taunt you with songs about thier million-dollar homes, their thirty car garages, sea of private jets, the ice they have that didn't come from refrigerator, etc. I have never been able to grasp the concept of someone pouring the contents of an $800 bottle of champagne on a troupe of scantily clad ladies in a song that tells of you needing a girl to love. Do you really need a car for each day of the month? But this seems to be the consistent themes of music videos nowadays and we accept it. So the next finger I have is for you, yeah you and me! We actually make our children aspire to be like these people.

We chose to remain in these conditions. How else would you explain that a girl that was brought up in baby momma fashion ends up becoming a baby momma herself actually breaking her mother's record? Why I ask?

We need to rise and see what beauty lies in our kind. We need to learn to value each other especially within our community. No matter how busy poeple are, parents should always have time to check if their kids did their homework. Talk about school and see what difference that makes in your kids. ... Please go to Dr. Phil or Oprah for all the advise needed, all I was trying to do is point out a malaise in the community I have come to love and cherish.

"Any transition serious enough to alter your definitaion of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinkgin but a full-on metamorphosis." Martha Beck.

...Nostalgia or just a Momma's boy?!

I don't know if I told anyone this before, but I last saw my mother on a warm humid night in 2001. She had hugged me and cried and told me to be careful. I kissed her and held her tighter than I ever did before. When I finally let go, I smiled uneasily and told her I loved her and turned towards the Airport ticket checking tunnel. It was at Douala International Airport, Cameroon. June 24th.

As I went through the final check point, I could hear her sobbing away. I felt weak and wanted to run back to her and tell her how much more I loved her. How much I will miss her. But I had to make this flight. It was the last one leaving Douala that week. Had no choice but to board and off to the Seattle, WA I went.

I talk to my mother at least twice a week and most times, it is like we were sitting at a table together and reveling in the sweet munificience of Yaounde's warm and humid weather. The nostalgia I feel usually is more than I can handle. Some nights I barely sleep just wondering what she may be doing at the time, since because of the 6-7(depending on Daylight Savings) hour difference it would be day in Yaounde, where she teaches Secondary school kids some French.

Most people talk about the things their moms do and no matter how heroic they may sound, my mother is my rock and foundation. Oh and she cooks better than your mom and can beat her too!

I have been told that early on a Sunday morning in September, about two score and three years ago, my mother was 15, lying in a hospital bed at Hopitale De La Caisse, sweating profusely and screaming at the top of her voice, while listening to instructions from some Morrocan lady in a white overall to push me out. And after about four hours, emerged my large head, immediately followed by a skinny body covered in what many English adjectives fall short to aptly depict. 11lbs 19inches were my measurements. Little Fatso!

Amidst this, my mom had to return to school to finish up her education. It wasn't until I was in High School and after four more trips to the hospital delivery ward that my mom was finally able to go to the University, where she earned advanced degrees in the Queen's and Molliere's languages and then shipped off to Advanced Teacher training School.

My mom had been bethrothed to my dad at a very tender age-true African traditional style. When she had me, I doubt she knew how to enjoy the process of making babies yet. Nonetheless, my mom stood tall at a very young age and took care of us like no other.

A month after my 16th bday, and 4 days after my mom's 31st bday, my dad died. Her world was shattered to pieces and I knew my world had come to a screechingly abhorrent halt. I grew even closer to my mom. We were all heartbroken and I knew I had to take over the batton and be the family man, just like my dad had done or at least my mom told me to. Not long after that, my mom lost her own dad and her elder brother, leaving her alone to fend for not only her own children, but for her siblings.

Life had dealt her a rough hand, she had attempted to bluff but the flop didn't bring good news either. She was already all in and was hoping that the turn or river would fix her up a little. NO! it didn't! She has since then been struggling with all of us and me coming over to the US was great relief. Like in most African homes, having a child abroad means that at least, some of your problems were readily taken care of. Through my mom's endless fight, my sister earned a visa to go study in London, one of the two or maybe three good things that had happened to her in half a decade.

I write this story for a reason. Although I cannot get into details of what exactly my mom has gone through, I thought this was a pretty good implication of the tribulations she underwent when she lost her husband, the only man she had grown to love and count on. I respect my mother and above all trust her with every ounce of my existence.

For what she has been through for my siblings and myself and for lots more. Call me a momma's boy but my world revolves around my mother. LOVE MOMMY and LOVE HER LOTS!