Category: MUSINGS BY JESS

FORGIVENESS 101

As more and more knowledge is being revealed and accepted as true concerning the brutality and inhumane conditions meted out during America’s Peculiar Institution Of Chattel Slavery, there seems to be a growing expressed desire for FORGIVENESS.

It is understandable that people of conscience would desire to atone for their country’s actions but, FORGIVENESS is not where the process begins. FORGIVENESS begins with honest and truthful CONFESSION…followed by the acceptance of the confession by the victim. Then, and only then, is FORGIVENESS manifest and RECONCILIATION possible.

CONFESSION BEGINS THE PROCESS AND FORGIVENESS IS NEAR THE END!

HOPEFULLY FOLLOWED BY PEACE

ACCOUNTABILITY

If his … untruthful utterances, his actions, and his inactions are found to have resulted in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of US citizens and the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of persons globally … don’t meet the definition of … CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY … then, according to Little Milton in the 1940’s … “Grits Ain’t Groceries, Eggs Ain’t Poultry and Mona Lisa was a Man.”

Jess A. 2020

MUSINGS BY JESS

THE OSTRICH AND THE DODO

Once upon a time about a million years ago, a verbal confrontation took place between an ostrich and a dodo bird. The dodo was lambasting the ostrich for the latter’s refusal to be aggressive when faced with adverse circumstances.

Said the dodo to the ostrich: “Ostrich, you big, foolish bird, don’t you know that sticking your head in the sand and being apathetic is no way to survive in this Dog-Eat-Dog world? You can’t go through life being a non-combatant.”

The ostrich looked at the dodo, smiled wryly, then poetically replied: “My dodo friend it may well be that what you say is true, let’s talk again in a million years or will that be too late for you?”

Jess A., 1980

OF DANDELIONS AND SPARROWS

The concept of “The Survival of the Fittest” suggests that those species and varieties that are strongest and are most adaptive will endure and flourish.

Is it not interesting that after having demonstrated evolutionary superiority, these species and varieties are despised and maligned, while those that are fragile and rare are cherished and prized?

Jess A., 1980

CULTURE GAP

You see

3 M’s

and

think of

Minnesota, Mining and Manufacturing

I see

3 M’s

and

think of

Medgar, Malcolm and Martin

Jess A., 1981

IRONY

Late one night, strange noises were heard coming from the basement. I got up to investigate. Cautiously I opened the basement door. The sounds appeared to be raucous laughter and merriment. I tipped down the stairs, one at a time. In a distant corner there was a small, faint light. Quietly approaching the activity I was able to distinguish roaches, crickets, grasshoppers, ants, flies, spiders and other insects laughing and guffawing, many seemingly close to delirium.

I looked closer and there I saw a newspaper clipping whose headline read:

“HUMANS FALL VICTIM TO KEPONE POISONING.”

(for the young, Kepone was the most popular insecticide in its day)

Jess A., 1981

PERCEPTIONS

SOME

HEAR

I – C – B – M

AND

THINK OF

LONG RANGE MISSILES;

OTHERS

HEAR

I – C – B – M

AND

THINK OF

FRIGID FECES.

Jess A., 1981

EXODUS

How come most of the

Cubans

leaving Cuba

that I see

look MORE like

Desi

and

not like me?

Jess A., 1981

DEPRESSION

More and More

I care

Less and Less

About

More and More

Jess A., 1981

DIMINISHED PASSION

I saw her ankle

and I longed to see more;

I saw her calf

and I longed to see more;

I saw her knee

and I longed to see more;

I saw her thigh

and I longed to see more;

I saw more

and I yawned.

Jess A., 2017

THE WITNESS

I DIDN’T DO IT;

IT WASN’T ME;

MAYBE HE DID IT,

BUT, I DIDN’T I SEE .

Jess A., 1989

POINT OF VIEW

The other day I noticed,

As I walked out of the door,

A lady of the evening

We usually call a WHORE.

At her side, glancing

Now this way, then the other,

There pranced a joyful toddler

Who lovingly called her MOTHER.

Jess A., 1976

DESIRE

They act as though they don’t want me to

Have It

So I guess I really ought to

Want It

Jess A.,2019

REQUIEM

The last man died last night.

He was Dependable, Trustworthy, Honest,

Loyal, Peace-loving, and Helpful.

The last Man died last night.

He was Friendly, Courteous, Empathetic,

Thoughtful, Questioning and Creative.

He was Brave, Courageous and Just.

The last MAN died last night.

MALES remain in abundance

But

The last MAN died last night.

Jess A.,2019

ENLIGHTENMENT

Knowledge is the precursor to Understanding

and

Understanding makes Wisdom possible

Jess A.,2009

WASTE

Every Body comes with a brain

but

Everybody doesn’t choose to use theirs

Jess A.,2018

MORNING NEWS

CHIT CHAT

WEATHER

SPORTS

TRAFFIC

CHIT CHAT

COMMERCIAL

NEWS

COMMERCIAL

WEATHER

TRAFFIC

CHIT CHAT

WEATHER

SPORTS

NEWS

HAVE YOUR SMART SPEAKER TUNE IN FOR MORE NEWS AT NOON

Jess A.,2019

TRUMPING

WHEN CONSIDERING THE ISSUES OF

RIGHT AND WRONG

OR

WAR AND PEACE

WORLD VIEW AND IDEOLOGY

TRUMPS

GENDER AND PIGMENTATION

Jess A.,2016

QUERY

WHEN DID SPEECH MOVE FROM THE

DIAPHRAGM

TO THE

NOSE ?

Jess A.,2019

DANGEROUS COMBINATIONS

DRINKING AND DRIVING

GASOLINE AND OPEN FLAMES

WHITE SUPREMACY AND THE PROFIT MOTIVE

Jess A.,2018

Wasted Effort ?

You Can Lead A Man To Knowledge But You Can’t Make Him Think

Jess A.,2009

LETTER POWER

WHAT IF “L” HAD BEEN CHOSEN RATHER THAN “A”

AND THE NAME HAD BEEN

NALCP RATHER THAN NAACP

AND THE GOAL HAD BEEN

LIBERATION RATHER THAN ADVANCEMENT ?

(JUST A THOUGHT)

Jess A.,2017

WHERE’S THE LOGIC ?

BUYING WHAT YOU DON’T NEED WITH MONEY THAT YOU DON’T HAVE

Jess A.,2016

AMERICA

Why You Get Angry

When I Take a Knee

Don’t You Remember

You Took Me?

Jess A.,2017

AND WHEN YOU GET ANGRY AT MY TAKING A KNEE,

REMEMBER MY EXCEPTIONAL AMERICAN HISTORY.

I AM THE ORIGINAL

STOCK

THAT WAS

EXCHANGED

ON WALL STREET

AND THE WOUNDS FROM THE SHACKLES ARE STILL RAW AND PAINFUL.

Jess A.,2019

IMPOTENCE

How did it happen that the world’s population is being held hostage to the irrational behavior of one individual?

JESS A.,2017

GOD, THE TERRORIST?

Terror: Extreme fear

Terrorist: A person who uses or favors violent and intimidating methods of coercion.

According to THE BOOK, God employed famines, swarms of locusts, pillars of salt, floods, plagues, the murder of first-borns, etc….

…to persuade His CHOSEN PEOPLE to behave themselves.

If that ain’t terror ….

Jess A.,2019

THE ENLIGHTENED SLAVE

A MASTER, THREATENED BY WAR, SUMMONED HIS TRUSTED SLAVE AND SAID “TAKE THIS RIFLE AND KILL THE ENEMY.”

THE SLAVE SMILED, TOOK THE RIFLE AIMED AND FIRED .

Jess A,,2019


THE OTHER WAY AROUND

SH_ _ AIN’T NOTHING BUT

PROCESSED FOOD

AND

VICE VERSA

Jess A.,2017

LEAVING WELL-ENOUGH ALONE

RELIGION WAS FINE

UNTIL IT WAS ORGANIZED

Jess A.,2019

NEWSPAPERS

A LOT LESS NEWS,

A LOT MORE PAPER.

Jess A.,2019

WHATS IN A NAME ?

LOVE

HOPE

JUSTICE

C. LOVE

JESS HOPE

N. JUSTICE

CLARENCE LOVE

JESSE HOPE

NORMAN JUSTICE

GOOD MEN…ONE AND ALL

Jess A.,2019

THE DONALD

He GAVE YOU:

TAX CUTS

YOU GAVE HIM:

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

Jess A.,2019

PATRIOTISM

PATRIOTISM IS THE LAST REFUGE OF SCOUNDRELS.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS:

WAVE THE FLAG and PLAY THAT SONG,

AND MOST NON-THINKERS WILL GO ALONG.

JESS A., 2019

De-ja-vu, All Over Again

FUN AND GAMES

SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THAT’S HOW EMPIRES END

Jess A., 2019

WHY?

Why did they begin making cars out of thinner and thinner steel

and then remove FUNCTIONAL front and rear bumpers ?

Jess A., 2019

SPEAKING OF HEROES

Un-Sung

and

Un-Hung

Jess A.,2019

Heavenly Cuisine

THE STANDARD FARE IS MILK AND HONEY

BUT, PERSONALLY, I PREFER

WELL-SEASONED COLLARD GREENS AND CORNBREAD.

I GUESS IT’S JUST A CULTURAL THING.

Jess A.,2019

How Much?

HOW MUCH ENERGY IS CONSUMED IN THE PRODUCTION OF

TRASH ?

Jess A., 2019

I SOMETIMES WONDER

HAD I HAD SOMEONE TO STEADY THE LADDER, HOW HIGH WOULD I HAVE DARED TO CLIMB?

Jess A.,2019

MAKE ROOM

DON’T SCHEDULE YOUR LIFE SO TIGHTLY THAT YOU LEAVE NO SPACE FOR THE JOY OF SPONTANEITY.

Jess A.,2019

YOU KNOW IT,WHEN YOU HEAR IT

MALE BOVINE FECAL MATERIAL

a.k.a BULL SH_T

Jess A. ,2019

A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION

In Recognition Of All You’ve Done For Us Over The Centuries

THANKS

F rom U s C olored K ids to Y ou

(NO OFFENSE INTENDED)

Jess A. ,2020

ESTABLISHING A NEW MENTALITY

THE NEED TO ESTABLISH A NEW MENTALITY IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE EVIDENT.

THE CURRENTLY ESTABLISHED MENTALITY:

“THE ESTABLISHMENT”

WHICH WAS BIRTHED BY COLONIALISM AND THE “DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY” AND WHOSE PRIMARY PRINCIPLES WERE WHITE SUPREMACY AND THE PROFIT MOTIVE NEEDS TO BE JETTISONED,

AND A NEW MENTALITY BASED ON :

MUTUAL RESPECT and COOPERATION

NEEDS TO BE ESTABLISHED!

JESS, 2019

CHANGE…A JESS RANT

Beware of the “Status Quo-ers”, who will try to deflate the movement for change. They are of both parties. They are not bad people and pigmentation and gender are not determinants. They are just persons who are comfortable with “What is” and are suspicious of change. They have adjusted to the present conditions, even those that they suspect are wrong. They have developed relationships and alliances that they are reluctant to sever.

The “Status-Quo-ers” are confronting a movement that is being driven primarily by the young and they have forgotten what it’s like to be young and vibrant and idealistic and impatient with injustice.

Some of the “Status-Quo-ers” agree with the objectives of the movement but are fearful of the disruption that it will cause if the changes are too rapid:

They know that inadequate Health Care is a problem and may agree that Medicare for All makes sense.

They know that Gerrymandered districts are ridiculous.

They know that the burning of Fossil Fuels contribute to Climate Change.

They know that Money is Not Speech and Citizens United must go.

They know that the Electoral College is an abomination whose only reason for being is to obstruct the popular will of the people.

They know that there should be a Standardized Ballot for all National Elections and that Election Day should either be a National Holiday or moved to the weekend.

They know that voting is so crucial to democracy that it should be a felony offense for anyone to impede, obstruct, suppress or in any way hamper a citizen’s right and ability to vote, punishable by incarceration as well as fine.

They also know that since the Airwaves belong to We, the People, All Qualified Candidates should have access to the Airwaves. Corporations should not be allowed to use campaigns and elections as cash cows for exorbitant profits. With our current travel and communications technology, there’s no reason for 2-year campaign seasons.

They know that for a country of 325 millions of people of various identities and historical experiences to have only 2 viable political parties is ludicrous. We need multiple parties and greater representation:

The number of Representatives in Congress has been fixed at 435 since the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929, resulting in a current ratio of one representative/700,000 citizens, contrary to the Constitutional instruction that the ratio be no greater than one/30,000 citizens; this makes us the most under-represented Democracy of the industrialized world.

They know that War is Foolish and that Perpetual War is Insanity.

They also know that it is legitimate and desirable and necessary to question Israel’s occupation and treatment of the Palestinians. And since we give 3.8 billion dollars yearly to the Israeli military, it is our Right, it is our Duty to question its use.

The Status Quo is currently being challenged, and understandably some who are and have been part of the Status Quo are defensive and protective of it.

Change is … and will be!

JESS 2019