Category: Politics

Current Events, Personal, Politics, Real Talk With Nancy

The Trump Aftermath and Why I Wish a Mother F*cker Would

It’s been a little over a week since Trump was elected President and since then, cities all over the country have been reporting increases in hate crimes. Whether it’s in a Miami Starbucks, a Baltimore classroom, or the streets of NY Trump supporters seem to think that a Trump win is a green light to talk out their neck and spew all types of hateful, racist rhetoric. It’s as if Trump winning the Presidency has suddenly given these disgraceful cowards the balls to let out all the hate and bigotry they’ve been forced to hide all these years. It’s as if they’ve suddenly removed the waist trainer that has been holding in their fat piggish views and can finally breathe. Continue reading The Trump Aftermath and Why I Wish a Mother F*cker Would

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Current Events, Politics

Coming to Terms With a Trump Presidency: Trump IS Your President, Now What?

His ego centered narcissism is a direct contradiction of his ideology of wanting to make this country great again for all. He has never done anything for the greater good. His history proves that. His elitist mentality that has spanned over his 70 years doesn’t simply go away because he now finds himself elected President. Continue reading Coming to Terms With a Trump Presidency: Trump IS Your President, Now What?

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culture, Current Events, Events, Politics

Habla Y Vota: The HBO Documentary On the Power Of Voting in the Latino Community

What I appreciated most about this documentary and the way it was presented is its willingness to showcase how one vote does indeed matter. By allowing us to look at the challenges others in our community face, albeit coming from celebrities, it revealed that when it comes to things like immigration, healthcare, and employment we are all equally impacted by the decisions and policies put in place by our government officials and lawmakers. There are 27 million registered Hispanic voters in this country. Could you imagine if you put 27 million people in one room how loud we would be? That’s what your vote does. It allows you to be heard. So the more of us who vote, the louder we are, and the more they cannot ignore us. Continue reading Habla Y Vota: The HBO Documentary On the Power Of Voting in the Latino Community

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Current Events, Politics

Why Police Officers Need to Be Held to Higher Standards

I have been a staunch advocate against police brutality. Not because I am anti police, but because I am anti injustice. I have written quite extensively about my views whether be it here on my blog or via my social media pages. It is my duty as a writer to use my voice as a change agent. Watching videos of Brown and Black people get murdered by the very individuals entrusted with keeping us safe are becoming as common as an internet meme being shared and re-posted millions of times. Watching the killing of our people is becoming normalized and watching someone get murdered before our eyes should never feel normal. So when people say to me “Well, how about the number of cops who get killed every day in the line of duty? I never see you say anything about them” I get angry. Not because I don’t value the lives of the officers, but because unlike unarmed civilians, cops have made a conscious decision to risk their lives by choosing to be police officers. Moreover, every time I turn on the evening news or every time I log onto Facebook or Twitter I am not being bombarded by images and videos of cops being murdered. Why not? Because it is understood that death is a possible consequence of choosing to be a cop. Therefore, if a cop is killed in the line of duty we know they have made the ultimate sacrifice in performing their job function. This is not an expectation we have for the average American. Continue reading Why Police Officers Need to Be Held to Higher Standards

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Current Events, Politics, Writing

Policing the Police: Who Do You Call When Cops Murder?

As I watch the news and read the first eye witness accounts and see the images on the internet, I am horrified and I am afraid of the direction this country is headed. This is all too familiar and very reminiscent to the Civil Rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s. I can sit here and discuss the countless ways our constitutional rights are being violated. I can argue about the lack of accountability in holding these police departments legally responsible for many of these senseless deaths, but the reality is that none of those things matter, at least not when it comes to the targeting and shooting of people of color. If it did there would not be such a brazen abuse of power amongst police officers not only in large cities like New York and Los Angeles, but all over the country. The fact is these officers hide behind their badge and use their shield as an excuse to be above the law. Continue reading Policing the Police: Who Do You Call When Cops Murder?

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Current Events, Politics, Real Talk With Nancy, Writing

My Take on the Dallas Shootings, the Media, & Why Black Lives Matter Too

While we mourn and acknowledge the Dallas shootings please let us not forget about #AltonSterling #PhilandoCastile and the many others who have been gunned down by law enforcement who have abused their power. What happened in Dallas speaks volumes about the state of this country. Civilians are getting killed. Cops are getting killed and the solution is not more killing. Killing doesn’t change a thing. All it does is leave an aftermath of grief, sorrow, frustration and anger. Stop killing. Start listening. We must all be a part of the solution. Continue reading My Take on the Dallas Shootings, the Media, & Why Black Lives Matter Too

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Current Events, Politics, Real Talk With Nancy

In Cold Blood: Why The Killing of Alton Sterling Requires Us To Stay Woke and Take Action

I am not here criticizing the officers who get it right, the ones who do their job, the ones who serve their communities they way they’re supposed to; with respect and value for human life, for all lives. This is not about them. This is about the blatant disregard of our lives and the lack of accountability of those who get it wrong, the ones who abuse their power, and the ones who have documented patterns of abuse, yet are still allowed to patrol our streets. This is about the Scott Aldridges (Cleveland PD) the Daniel Willises, (Bastrop County PD, Texas), the Phil Atkinses (NYPD), the Daniel Pantaleos (NYPD), the Darren Wilsons (Ferguson PD) and the many others who get it wrong. Continue reading In Cold Blood: Why The Killing of Alton Sterling Requires Us To Stay Woke and Take Action

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Current Events, Events, Personal, Politics, Writing

On Race, Injustice, and Literary Movements

Literary and cultural movements are often borne as a response to what is occurring in the world around us. Literature and the arts in general are constantly evolving as new movements emerge and speak to the concerns of different groups of people and time periods. Often, our political and social landscape influences art, but most specifically it influences the artist. For the artist the art … Continue reading On Race, Injustice, and Literary Movements

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Current Events, Poems, Politics

Poem: Public Service Announcement

Life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness can only be found in books our youth cannot access. It is not our fault that you cannot read. War is expensive, education, the price. Single mothers start saving up bail money. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. We are not responsible for what happens to you behind interrogation walls. Please sit quietly as we coerce you into a false confession. You are innocent, until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, except if you are Troy Davis. If we mistakenly execute you, please accept our sincerest apologies. Continue reading Poem: Public Service Announcement

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Current Events, Poems, Politics

When the Earth Trembles

On days like today, I remember you. Tragedy does not remain localized. It manifests outward, from the epicenter, heart and guts exposed; Exploding out of chests, like limbs decapitated by land mines, Earthquakes ravage, hurricanes savage and if you’re at the wrong place at the wrong time Fall victim to anger that shoots first and asks questions last. Pressurized water bursts through rotten aluminum pipes … Continue reading When the Earth Trembles

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