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I am the author of Born In The Wrong Country, and I’ve come a long way, personally, spiritually and in my writing. I used to ask myself is what I have to say is important enough for others to read, then I came to a conclusion that what I have to say is important, very important. If you feel that you have something to say, then you must feel that you are important enough to say it, and you’re absolutely right, so tell the world and tell your story.

One does not have to be a celebrity, nor do they have to have any kind of celebrity status to say something important that others will read; after all our celebrities weren’t celebrities all the time; something made them who they are, their personality, their ability as a singer, dancer, actor or writer; something they did gave them their celebrity status. Before becoming celebrities most of them were just like you and me, so everyone has that ability to say things of importance and have them read; we’re all that important.

The reason that I speak of this is because some of us need some kind of reassurance before saying what needs to be said and stepping out into a formidable world, from behind our forbidden self.

I was reading an article the other day on the Root website [www.theroot.com] about a Gospel Singer who is an African-American Woman of Color, who is 45 and who comes from a family of ten children; she is the seventh child of nine girls and one boy. [http://www.theroot.com/views/gospel-s ... -slims-down-and-comes-out] She did something which I guess shocked some people; she came out, yes that’s right, this Black Gospel Singer came out of the closet and announced that she was gay, a lesbian. At the time she was taping Addicted to Food on the Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN. [http://www.oprah.com/own-addicted-to- ... ed-to-food-about-the-show] I think that what she did is wonderful because she finally acknowledged God in a most crucial way. You see we African-American People of Color have a lot of hang-ups about the lifestyle of gay people; there are many homophobic Black people. The more religious many Blacks become the more unlikely that they are to accept a gay person as God created them. We hang on to the cross in so many ways that many Blacks refuse to accept this as one of God’s blessings. God created her as he created you and me, and when he created us he knew who we would be; do you really don’t think that our being gay is a surprise to the Master? Besides being male and female God knew that some of us would be straight, that is heterosexual, that some of us would be gay and that some of us would be mixed up. Now for those religious leaders and believers that say they don’t believe that God mistakes, well then believe this, he doesn’t; he knew what he was doing when he made you and me. When you don’t acknowledge who you are, as in trying to hide the real you; then I believe that you are really ashamed of God and his blessing; he made us the way we are for a reason. I talk about who I am in my book; I guess some would say that I came out; I don’t look at it as coming out; perhaps it was to my family who have read my book and those who haven’t read it. I’m sure my father knew but he never uttered the word to me; my mother knew because she understood me. I’m sure that my aunts and uncles had their suspicions too but they never uttered the word and I never uttered the word to them, but in book “Born In The Wrong Country,” which I published in 2009, I acknowledge who I am. I acknowledge that I am an African-American Person of Color, an epileptic and a gay man.

When I began to read about this African-American Gospel singer, this wonderful woman, I was thrilled. She had hid who she was for years and covered it up by hiding her pain and true self with food. She ate herself into becoming extremely overweight, perhaps not as big as some others, but she didn’t need to cover up God’s blessing. She felt ashamed of who she was because she knew how adverse the Black Community and the Black Church was; who would really understand? I believe that we need to continue telling people all over the world who we are, and say yes we’re gay and that we love the way that God created us because there’s nothing wrong with us; in doing so we are not only caressing each other but we’re also showing God that we’re embracing his blessing. When you talk about something, you’re showing God that you are grateful for his blessing, when you hide something then you’re telling God that you’re ashamed of who he created you to be. Everything in life is a blessing; sicknesses are blessings; most of the time they grab us and shack us in order to show us that there’s someone who’s worse off than we are. I think in my case in being an epileptic, the seizures grabbed me and made me more human, more humane, able to cry and sympathize with what I see happening in the world because I believe that I became more passionate to many things and I see how afraid some people are to coming out. I along with many others are just telling them that it’s okay; it’s alright; be you. It seem like when you’re gay you must tell yourself that it doesn’t matter if you mother, your father, your sisters or your brothers like you or not; sure we all would like to know that they do, but guess what, it’s not according to our plan, our mother’s or father’s plan, our brother’s or our sister’s plan or anyone’s plan except the one who created all of us and put us together in this melting pot of a world. So I say bravo to DeJuaii, this wonderful African-American Woman of Color and Gospel Singer, and bravo to anyone else who can look at their life as a blessing. The real crime and what I call shameful is that we gay people seem to need a support group to be who we are. The Catholic Church doesn’t seem to need a support group and look at what many of the Priests have been caught doing with younger boys behind their long gowns, and the Pope and other Catholic Priests backing them up, moving them from one parish or diocese to another. But then let’s face it, the Churches have our parent’s support; they continue funding them with their money, which keeps the Churches strong and against gay people. We must continue telling our stories and who we are; we need to support ourselves as being this wonderful blessing.

Perhaps many of us haven’t achieved what we wanted to because they didn’t look at being gay as a blessing; sometimes we can be our worse enemy and stumbling block. When you hide things from other people and try hiding who you are from yourself, then you’re not being true to you. We need to bless each other so that we can bless others, but before we can do that we’ve got to like who we are, and if not then we can’t bless anyone else.

Those of you that have studied religion or any books that are based on the goodness of our creation should understand that anything that is love does not hate anything else; that which is love cannot hate what was created. So when people look at you in questionable way and then say that those people over there are a little funny, ask them what they’re talking about? When people start talking about others and then say, well you know they’re a little different, not like us, ask them exactly what they mean? Force people to tell you what they mean and tell them about what you think, and don’t say well I have a gay friend or a gay sister or brother, no, tell them that you’re gay just like those others are and let them know that you’re proud of who you are because God created you just as he created them. And if they don’t know what to say, leave it alone because they might have a seed within them that needs to blossom, which needs to come out. You see my philosophy is this; we have too many people in our world that are afraid to be themselves, afraid to be what God created them to be, gay, happy and proud. Many of these people end up in marriages that they don’t really believe that they should be in; they want a child maybe but they entered into this relationship for the wrong reasons, and they still want that feeling from a same sex partner, which they’ve always been attracted to, and there's nothing wrong with that. The thing to me that is wrong is that they enter into a relationship, and I don’t care how much they say that they love this person, that’s a denial of who they are. If one really loves someone then you shouldn’t want to hurt them. You have many same sex partners, many, men with men who adopt children, women with women that are adopting children and the children are growing up just fine. But to enter into a relationship, a man with a woman when he knows that he is gay or a woman with a man, when she knows that she is a lesbian can harm the children if there are any and destroy that relationship. Being dishonest and selfish is what God doesn’t like. See the Bible is about truth, honesty and love, and if you’re about truth, honesty and love and want to be 100% about that, then be true to yourself just like this young Black Gospel Singer who showed her integrity by coming out of the closet and letting everyone know that she is a gay woman and a lesbian.  Sometimes it’s harder being Black and in the Black community because so many in the Black community frown on the gay lifestyle, yet some of them need to shed a skin, which is not them and stop living on the down-low and be that gay person that they were born as. I say bravo to this Black woman; she took a step that many are waiting to take and that many will never take. Yet many will continue to call themselves Christians as they deny God about being what and who God made them to be; be what God made you, love yourself and love others. There’s nothing to be ashamed of; denial of who you really are is the only shame.

 













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President Obama took the I out of Tuesday’s news conference, and told everyone who and what this tax deal was all about. In no uncertain terms he told everyone that he was fighting for the American people, especially the middle class and lower income people, who depend on their politicians to look out for them, and not hang them out to dry as a former administration had done.

For anyone who thought that our President had an ego problem or was arrogant; this news conference told who the arrogant and who the egotistical people were. Basically he told everyone including the Republican Party, the Democratic Party and the Press that there is no I in politics; there is no I in being a public servant; it is all about serving the American people, and if that meant that he would have to compromise, then he would.

President Obama entered this ring fed up and perhaps a little angry, but it was a controlled anger, for he was able to answer each and every question unequivocally. He put on his boxing gloves and gave a few knock out punches; he also said what he would be fighting for in the next two years. He told the American people and everyone that listened, that this is not the deal that he wanted, but it wasn’t about what he wanted, or about keeping his word just to make a point. This tax deal was made because at this time this was what is best deal for the American people, who are suffering with higher prices and bringing home less in their paychecks; it is also for those of us who are unemployed and on unemployment, so that we will be able to continue to pay rent, put food on our table, and possibly pay some other bills. The reason that President Obama compromised is because the Republican Party made it clear that without the tax break for the very wealthy, that they weren’t budging. President Obama refused to let the American people be pawned off for the sake of having his way; it wasn’t about what he wanted, it never has been about what he wanted; it’s always been about what is best for the American people. He is name is not Bush; it is Obama, President Obama, and he is telling the American people the truth.

I don’t want to be hung out to dry as our former President did; it would seem that the American people should be tired of being hung out to dry by any political party. I am tired of being hung out to dry, but evidently some Americans, who I call stupid, are not. November 2010 did not have the turnout of the 2008 election, and why, because the American people didn’t get what they wanted as fast as they would have liked to; unemployment continued to climb, so many gave up on supporting President Obama and the Democratic Party. Many people didn’t listen to what he had told them before and during his inaugural address; he told all of us that he needed our help, but what did the American voters do in 2010, they voted back in the same politicians that they had voted out, the same politicians that supported the Bush agenda, and now they wonder why there has to be any compromise. Meanwhile many of those who voted for Obama and the Democratic Party in 2010 didn’t vote at all. When people don’t vote, we all suffer the consequences.

You see the American people must learn ‘how to’ listen to what President Obama is talking about, and to what he says, because he gave it to us straight when he told us in his acceptance speech, …. “The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America--I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you--we as a people will get there.” People must understand that with their excitement and revelry, commitments must be followed through; getting things done is not magical, and there is no genie in American politics.

<http://www.culturekitchen.com/liza/bl ... _speech_of_president_elec>

He gave it to us straight again at his inauguration address when he reiterated, “….. the challenges we face are real.  They are serious and they are many.  They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.  But know this America:  They will be met.”  <http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/>
The American people and politicians must know and realize too that less than 2 years is a short span of time, and for those who can’t count, President Obama took office in January 2009, not in October or November of 2008. I mention this simply because so many people have been saying even before October 2010, that President Obama has been in office for two years.

You see arrogance is about what you want for yourself, and putting yourself first; when the self tries to outdo the others at all costs, then that’s not only arrogant but it’s also egotistical; it’s your ego talking to you. President Obama said that he would have loved to have fought before for what he wanted, and that he still intends to fight, but now is not that time; the American people need to be taken care of now, and he is working to help the American people, something that he pledged to do before being elected and continues doing against all adversity. He told everyone that if they think that there’s a problem now, with the Republican Party fighting against the Democratic Party and him, just wait until more Republicans are sworn in next year.

What the American people and the Democratic Party must realize is that the Republican Party has been fighting tooth and nail on every single thing that President Obama has been trying to do, from Health Plan, Wall Street, the Gulf Oil Spill and they’ve stalled keeping the Unemployment Extensions from going through many times before; they just stopped it again last month. <http://politicmo.com/2010/11/20/unemp ... tension-blocked-in-house/>

One question that the Republican Party continues to ask is how are things going to be paid for? Strangely they didn’t ask that question when the Bush administration was invading Iraq and began killing thousands of people; perhaps when you’re killing people and spending multi-billions of dollars the money doesn’t have to be accounted for. After all there is still 9 billion dollars of the American people's tax money that was lost and unaccounted for in the Iraq War. <http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm>

What the American people must realize is that some of their own Democratic politicians within the Democratic Party have sided with the Republican Party, and others weren’t too gung ho about what President Obama has been working hard to accomplish. Their inactions allowed the Tea Party to take root in politics, and why because the two parties both Republican and Democratic, in the House and the Senate couldn’t come to terms with each other. These two parties are to blame because there are some politicians who refuse to give our President, this Black man the credit that he so deserves, and they’d rather see this country crumble because of their own arrogance and egos.

The American people, Congress and the Senate, Republicans or Democrats have never seen the likes of this man; he’s only begun to fight and he displays a little anger along with common sense in his knock out punches.

I feel that President Obama is trying to change this country by relating to people in a more direct and personal way; he reminds me of one of the ways that I described my book, “Born In The Wrong Country,” when I said that, ….. “Born In The Wrong Country” is about what the United States of America has neglected to do, things that this government have ignored when it comes to its own people. It deals with the White and the Black situation in America, the poor and other minorities, and of the hunger that faces the people of the United States. Mental hunger and physical hunger of what people want, and what people need are discussed.” President Obama is championing just that, what the people need, yes the middle class, poor people and the minorities that are suffering; he is championing what this country has neglected to do.

Today something very unfortunate occurred; President Obama’s own Democratic Party went against everything that he told them on Tuesday; they defied him and refused to bring this tax deal to a vote.

There are certain Democratic politicians like Congressman Anthony Weiner who spoke against President Obama on Good Morning America, with George Stephanopoulos. In essence he said that he didn’t think that President Obama has worked hard enough on his tax cut bill, he said, … “Well, it was a closed-door caucus but, apparently, some information has leaked out. Look, what it basically came down to is I urged the vice president and the president to fight a little harder. ...” <http://www.fednews.com/transcript.htm ... 6d0c9f99b912ad8bfefbd06e9>

I watched his talk with George Stephanopoulos, and he went on to say that he thought that President Obama could have worked harder to persuade those who opposed his Tax Cut Proposal, but said that he and the Democratic Party wanted President Obama to succeed and not fail. Congressman Weiner can’t possibly want to see President Obama succeed, not when he and other politicians continue to have the same condescending attitude that he has; he and other politicians, Democratic, Republican and others, have been airing their condescending remarks and actions long before today, and that is why this country has failed in its support of the American people, middle class, lower income and poor people. If they believe that acting and speaking this way is in support of our President, then they have really taken their arrogance to another level. Some of the American politicians need to grow up and strike down their racist and ambivalent attitudes; they do not foster good will toward the American people.

When the Democratic Party defied our President and refused to accept the Tax Deal on the table; I believe that this was in essence payback for what President Obama told them in his news conference on Tuesday. This kind of behavior will only hurt the American people in need, the same people that President Obama spoke of in his news conference on Tuesday.

George Stephanopoulos of Good Morning America defended President Obama during his conversation with Congressmen Weiner this morning, Thursday, December 09, 2010; this is part of that conversation.

<http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/rep-a ... -12351631&tab=9482930§ion=1206852&playlist=11128087>

“George Stephanopoulos: “But Congressman you know that he’s been fighting for this since September, and back in September he was pushing for the House to vote on extending these tax cuts, and you wouldn’t do it.”

Anthony Weiner: Well I’m not sure that I saw much of the fight that you did; I didn’t see him travel around to the different states and say call your Congressman, call your senators..

George Stephanopoulos: I was in Cleveland when he
          did it with him

Anthony Weiner: I saw the Cleveland speech as well and there was a lot of stuff about hope and change and getting your car out the rut, but not a lot talking about this specific issue……”

Evidently Congressman Weiner has a real problem of hearing what he wants to or chooses to hear; it sounds like he has a kind of convenient amnesia and we certainly don’t need any more Congressmen/Congresswomen or Senators with any kind of amnesia. It sounded like he was a little perturbed at what President Obama told them all on Tuesday; in essence they had been reprimanded for their lack of support in dealing with tough issues; they had become an unwilling party in supporting the President on hard issues. If Congressman Weiner can’t stand the fire, then perhaps he and others like him should get out of the frying pan, so that other Democratic members who can continue supporting our President on these difficult issues in hard times.