The Essence of Politics

Sunday, June 28, 2009

My Perspective: The Importance of Detroit’s Charter Commission & Who Should Be on It

Detroit’s Charter Commission is pivotal to the future of Detroit because it will re-write Detroit’s charter so that language is clearly understood as to how to remove a mayor or city council member who has pleaded guilty to a crime or has broke the law or used their political office for their own personal gain. So with Monica Conyers headed for the federal slammer, it's worth pondering how many cities must contend with a culture of corruption as robust as Detroit's. First former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick went down for lying and then firing cops and pilfering public funds to cover his lies. Now the president pro tem of the City Council -- and the wife of a powerful Detroit congressman -- admits to conspiring to take bribes. And the Synagro scandal in which Conyers was entangled may yield even more convictions.

This is crookedness at a level you might expect in the capital of some Third World country, not in one of America's largest cities. It's the kind of sorry distinction that Detroit and Michigan, already fighting a battered national image, just don't need. That said, the process of ferreting out the rogues in city government is important, overdue and ultimately cathartic. In a city whose voters have too long been indifferent to breaches of public trust, it may be the only way to shock the public conscience enough to inspire change. Maybe now Detroiters will demand a charter that contains ironclad ethical guidelines and powerful mechanisms to enforce them. The city has got to elect charter commission members who have a keen sense of appropriate governmental conduct.

Maybe now Detroiters will also demand more of the officials they elect to represent them. Conyers, remember, was elected four years ago on sheer name recognition -- the wife of Congressman John Conyers, chair of the House Judiciary Committee. But that proved a shallow judgment of her character. She was bar brawling in northwest Detroit before she even took her seat. She was foul-mouthing and disrupting council meetings within months. And four years later, you'd have to strain to point out a single significant contribution she has made while on the council. Meanwhile, we now know she was taking money illegally. Detroiters have 167 choices on the fall council ballot to choose from. Hopefully we will choose more wisely, based on achievement, work ethic and character.

If there's a glimmer of hope on this dark day in Detroit, it's in the understanding that should now be prevalent in the city. Crooks don't belong in public office. And if Motown doesn't want to be known as Roguetown, it will need to avoid electing bad actors like Monica Conyers in the first place. Therefore the importance of the City Charter is all the more important in these pivatol political times of the city. The charter, for those unaware, is the blueprint, the foundation, for Detroit's government. It's what the Constitution is to the United States. It's what steel beams are to a skyscraper. It's what ground round is to a cheeseburger. You get the point.

But reformers say the charter right now is vague, among other things. That's why certain mayors couldn't be removed by City Council. That's why certain mayors took the city to the courts and spent $6 million dollars of taxpayers' money in litigation. And that's why City Council seemed like a toothless 90-year-old man trying to chew up a three-day old rump roast when it came to said removal attempts. The vagueness of the charter is, again, just one point of potential change. But it would be the first step in a number of steps in shaping Detroit for the future. Charter reform, when it's all said and done, has the potential to illuminate residents' power in city government and quite possibly mold Detroit into a manageable, resident-oriented community.

But it starts with cleaning up the language. The charter's vague language isn't necessarily a mistake of the past, though. It became vague because things change and, unfortunately, there is not crystal ball that tells the future. "The charter was rewritten in the '70s" -- from its original 1918 version -- "and amended in '97, so the language right now is extremely vague. As the city encounters more problems and new challenges, the older language just doesn't work," says Andrew Thomas Linn, charter commission candidate and co-owner, along with his sister Emily, of the Detroit design company City Bird. "This is a different time, a different place. It's hard to anticipate change. And of course hindsight is 20/20, but we really do need to clean up the language and think about the future generations of Detroit." Only 15 percent of little more than 600,000 registered voters made it out for the May vote, but many viewed the overwhelming success of the proposal's win as a testament for change.

"The commission (when elected) is about to write a document that will change the city for the next 10 to 20 years," says Cara Blount, a retired deputy police chief for the Detroit Police Department and another one of the 44 candidates seeking a seat on the nine-person charter commission in November. "This could shape the city of Detroit of the future. That's how important this is." Nearly 100 petitions were pulled to run for this commission and 44 candidates will be on the ticket for the Aug. 4 primary. Of those 44, 18 will win spots on the Nov. 3 ballot, where nine will be elected to the commission. Once the commission convenes, they have three years to complete the charter reform. Their revised charter then must go to Lansing for approval before it comes back to Detroit for a public vote. Yeah, it's a lot to put together. Aspirin?

Of course there are other issues for the commission to consider besides hazy language. They may consider ways to downsize the government as population shrinks and to limit mayoral power to appoint individuals. Right now, the mayor appoints about 100 people, including the directors of nearly every city department. Blount, for one, says that's too many. "These appointees work at the pleasure of the mayor," Blount says. "You can build a political machine with so many appointees. We want these positions to be beholden to the citizens of Detroit, not the mayor."

However another hot issue that the charter commission may consider is the movement toward a City Council based on districts or wards, rather than all at-large council members. There are many variations on how this will work and what the districts may look like, but until the charter commission convenes it's all just speculation. So, let's speculate, shall we? The idea is to have even representation among the various "districts" of Detroit. Currently the city's nine-member Council is pretty much concentrated in two neighborhoods: Grandmont Rosedale and the Villages, except Council President Cockrel, who lives in Woodbridge.

"The council, at this time, doesn't represent all of Detroit," Linn says. "What about Southwest Detroit? What about the Northwest side? Different neighborhoods need different things." "A council by districts will have members more entrenched in the community," says Jenice Mitchell-Ford, another candidate, lawyer, and currently a member on the city's ethics board. "It could provide better services for citizens by having the communities represented. Things like trash on the streets or lights being out may be addressed quicker." Somewhat parallel to this point of council by districts is the referendum that is now headed by former state House Speaker Steve Tobocman of Southwest Detroit. That movement is separate from the charter commission. It aims to put a vote on council by districts on the November ballot. The effort bypasses the commission process, but doesn't undermine it, Tobocman says.

"They actually work together with support from all sides," he says. Having a vote would put more of a spotlight on the issue and would get the ball rolling a little more quickly than commission's process would, he says. Tobocman's group, however, needs to collect 30,000 signatures to get the issue on the ballot this fall. Reforming of the charter could be the impetus of change for Detroit, its government and its neighborhoods. Candidates say a new charter could shrink the size of the government, bring more collaboration between the mayor and City Council, and possibly give more representation to the whole of Detroit. But, of course, someone can still screw up a one-car parade, you know?

"The charter is just the framework," says John Mogk, a Wayne State University law professor familiar with the process. "The success of the city still falls on those elected." Mitchell-Ford sees this as an opportunity to educate Detroit's voters, hoping to avoid electing any candidates for any position who may not exactly be qualified. "When I go out and talk to people, I ask them if they know what the charter is. If they say no, I explain it to them. If they say yes, I ask them if they are in favor of charter reform," she says. "We have to get everyone on the same page. If we continue to elect people that are unskilled, no charter will work." None of this is going to happen overnight. The reform process takes time. And it's a heavy process. Detroit needs to keep that in mind.

"We didn't get this way overnight," Blount says. "And we're not gonna get out of it overnight." Change may not be around the corner. But it looks like it is down the block.

That is why electing people to the Charter Commission who are intelligent enough to understand legal and contractual language is a must. Also, members of the charter commission cannot be politically motivated but must be doing this for the goodness of Detroit and its residents. Therefore Detroit’s Charter Commission must consist of people who have the time, the energy and the commitment to bring put into such a vital and pivotal project that will create the future of Detroit and the destiny as well as the fate of the city for generations to come. Charter Commission members must be self serving and motivated by their ability to work with others to put solutions and language in place that will help us the City residents gain political power that previous charters have failed to give us and at the same time force the mayor’s office and council chambers to work more closely together in solving the problems of the city.

So without further of due, I am endorsing the following candidates for the Charter Commission:

1. Demond Childers because he is a young and fresh face to Detroit’s politics. As a member of the Young & Powerful Detroit Chapter, he understands just how important it is for young people to be involved in politics and his willingness to serve the residents of the City of Detroit is impeccable. He understands that the charter is the backbone of the city and that it has to work for us the people. Demond knows that the Charter Commission will have to make important decisions regarding the future of the city while at the same time straightening out language that is unclear in the current charter. Therefore Demond’s youth and the fact that he has no political ties make him the ideal candidate for the City of Detroit’s Charter Commission. Demond is not running for this post to serve anyone or any group. He is just looking to serve us the city residents and he sees this as an opportunity to make sure the residents of Detroit are truly involved in the rewriting of the Charter Commission.

2. Tonya Myers-Philips is another great candidate running for charter commission. She has already been working on charter related issues dating back to the Kilpatrick scandal. She is intelligent and is strong in understanding the issues that plague the city and how the charter commission can eradicate some of the issues plaguing the people. That is why she is a perfect candidate for the Charter Commission because she knows where the charter already is leaking and she already has plans on how to deal with the weakness of the charter.

3. Jenice Mitchell Ford is another great candidate for charter commission. She has a great way to solve some of the issues that lies in the Detroit City Charter. Like Demund, she has never run for anything before that is all the more reason why she should be on the charter commission because her loyalty is not to a political candidate or group but to us the residents. She wants to do what’s right for us the people and she knows that the best way to solve the problems plaguing the residents of Detroit is by making sure the city’s charter works for the people like it has never worked before. Jenice is the ideal candidate for the Charter Commission and has a mindset that would definitely solve the problems facing the charter right now.

4. Chiquita McKenzie-Bennett is another sharp woman who fully understands the charter. She knows that the charter commission must be willing to solve the issues plaguing the City of Detroit and believes that intelligence and education is the only way that addressing these issues is possible. Chiquita possesses a savvy sense of policy and a smooth understanding of city government which is needed for someone who will sit on the Charter Commission. You must first understand the beast before you can address it.

Therefore 40 other candidates running for charter commission but these are 4 candidates that I can vouch for in the sense that they want to do what’s best for the city Detroit. They are not running for charter commission to launch their political future but they are running to really fix the problems in city government that our current charter doesn’t. These 4 candidates are knowledgeable of the issues and they are willing to address the issues in a way that we the citizens of Detroit can understand as well as agree with. As I stated before, we can’t put people on the Charter Commission who are politically driven and are looking to spring board their own future political careers by being on the charter commission. We need people who are willing to work hard for us the residents of Detroit and who are willing to use the Charter Commission to give new powers to us the residents of Detroit like we have never had before.

The Charter Commission is about us the people and that is what these individuals will make sure is on the Commission. Us the people have to have a voice at the table of the Charter Commission and these four individuals will give us that.

Political Disclaimer: I am no way affiliated with any candidate that I have endorsed on this list nor have I taken any monetary payment from any candidate on this list or have I volunteered, worked or participated in any political planning meetings for any candidate I have endorsed for the City Charter Commission. These endorsements are based off my vision for the City of Detroit and the candidates that I feel can bring about the change that I want to see for the city charter.

No comments:

Jay-Z - History



(Jay-Z - History)Jay-Z - History with Lyrics

LYRICS : [Chorus: Cee-lo]
Now that all the smoke is gone
(Lighter)
And the battle's finally won
(Gimme a lighter)
Victory (Lighters up) is finally ours
(Lighters up)
History, so long, so long
So long, so long

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
In search of victory, she keeps eluding me
If only we could be together momentarily
We can make love and make history
Why won't you visit me? until she visit me
I'll be stuck with her sister, her name is defeat
She gives me agony, so much agony
She brings me so much pain, so much misery
Like missing your last shot and falling to your knees
As the crowd screams for the other team
I practice so hard for this moment, victory don't leave
I know what this means, I'm stuck in this routine
Whole new different day, same old thing
All I got is dreams, nobody else can see
Nobody else believes, nobody else but me
Where are you victory? I need you desperately
Not just for the moment, to make history

[Chorus: Cee-lo]
Now that all the smoke is gone
(Lighters)
And the battle's finally won
(Lighters)
Victory is finally ours
(Yeah)
History (yeah), so long, so long
So long, so long

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]
So now I'm flirting with death, hustling like a G
While victory wasn't watching took chances repeatedly
As a teenage boy before acne, before I got proactiv I couldn't face she
I just threw on my hoodie and headed to the street
That's where I met success, we'd live together shortly
Now success is like lust, she's good to the touch
She's good for the moment but she's never enough
Everybody's had her, she's nothing like V
But success is all I got unfortunately
But I'm burning down the block hoppin' in and out of V
But something tells me that there's much more to see
Before I get killed because I can't get robbed
So before me success and death ménage
I gotta get lost, I gotta find V
We gotta be together to make history

[Chorus: Cee-lo]
Now that all the smoke is gone
(Lighters. Up.)
And the battle's finally won
(Lighter. Up.)
Victory is finally ours
(Lighters. Up.)
History, so long, so long
So long, so long

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
Now victory is mine, it tastes so sweet
She's my trophy wife, you're coming with me
We'll have a baby who stutters repeatedly
We'll name him history, he'll repeat after me
He's my legacy, son of my hard work
Future of my past, he'll explain who I be
Rank me amongst the greats, either 1, 2, or 3
If I ain't number one then I failed you victory
Ain't in it for the fame that dies within weeks
Ain't in it for the money, can't take it when you leave
I wanna be remembered long after you grieve
Long after I'm gone, long after I breathe
I leave all I am in the hands of history
That's my last will and testimony
This is much more than a song, it's a baby shower
I've been waiting for this hour, history you ours


[Chorus: Cee-lo (2x)]
Now that all the smoke is gone
And the battle's finally won
Victory is finally ours
History, so long, so long
So long, so long



Man in the Mirror--By Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson - Man in the mirror

I'm gonna make a change,
for once im my life
It's gonna feel real good,
gonna make a diference
Gonna make it right...

As I, turn up the collar on
my favorite winter coat
This wind is blowing my mind
I see the kids in the streets,
with not enought to eat
Who am I to be blind?
Pretending not to see their needs

A summer disregard,a broken bottle top
And a one man soul
They follow each other on the wind ya' know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
(If you wanna make the world a better place)
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
(Take a look at yourself, and then make a change)
(Na na na, na na na, na na, na nah)

I've been a victim of a selfish kind of love
It's time that I realize
That there are some with no home, not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me, pretending that they're not alone?

A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart
And a washed-out dream
(Washed-out dream)
They follow the pattern of the wind ya' see
'Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me
(Starting with me!)

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm asking him to change his ways
(Ooh!)
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
(If you wanna make the world a better place)
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
(Take a look at yourself, and then make a change)

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm asking him to change his ways
(Change his ways - ooh!)
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that..
(Take a look at yourself and then make that..)
CHANGE!

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
(Man in the mirror - Oh yeah!)
I'm asking him to change his ways
(Better change!)
No message could have been any clearer
(If you wanna make the world a better place)


Michael Jackson - Man in the mirror

A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cook






It's been a long time coming but a change is surely going to come in America and the World! I am the Future of America and the World and that is the message that each of us must carry with us each and every day that we wake up on Earth! I am the Future! You are the Future! We are the Future of America and the World! That is way every election is important--primaries, special elections and general! So vote every year and hold our politicians accountable. Hold our political officials accountable by writing them, calling them and making sure they attend meetings that we the people have. "The Time for Change is not Now but Right Now!"

"EmPOWERment By Any Means Necessary" should be our anthem and should be our creed as we make the positive differences in America and the world that so many people beg for and hungry for year after year! A Change is Gonna Come, A Change is Gonna Come, that's what we must say as we say "God grants us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, Courge to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference" each morning before we go about the task of making a positive change in America and the world a reality.



Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen


“When will people realize that we are Americans first and foremost, not Democrats or Liberals, not Republicans or Conservatives, not Independents or moderates. We are Americans. Stop putting a political party above America and stop putting any politican above America. America succeeds because of us the people holding our government responsible no matter the political party because the main two political parties are to blame for the condition America is in."—Hodari P.T. Brown

America with its flaws and all is a country I am proud to have been born in. America is not perfect but my love for it is perfect. That’s why all Americans must realize that we are all Americans. In fact we are Americans first and foremost. We are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans.

We are not Muslims, Christians or Jews. We are Americans. Too many times we recognize our differences with others rather than appreciating our similarities which are, we are Americans. We are Americans first and foremost, no matter if we were born here or moved here legally. We are all Americans, here in this country to make not only our lives better but the lives of other Americans better so future Americans can enjoy the rights and freedoms that make us all Americans.

We are all Americans. We are one party united under God. We are Americans and this is the only political party that matters. We are Americans and this is our country so let’s make sure that we make America better than how we found it so future Americans can live prosperous and joyous lives. We are Americans and must not ever forget that.

America will prosper as long we make sure we are doing our part to make it prosper and that means we can’t put any political party or politician above America. Long live America forever and long live America’s service to the world. Together, America and the world will prosper for future generations to enjoy America and the world we live in.


Lift Every Voice and Sing


This video of the ' Negro National Anthem' was originally screened at the historic African-American Church Inaugural Ball in Washington, DC on January 18th, 2009. Many of the esteemed individuals featured in this video in attendance and we presented with the ' Keepers of the Flame' award for the monumental contributions to social justice.

This version of the song was performed by the Grace Baptist Church Cathedral Choir, conducted by Derrick James. The video was produced and donated by Ascender Communications, LLC (www.ascender-c.com) at the request of The Balm In Gilead, Inc.

If I Was President--Wyclef Jean




If I was President that is the people's anthem. We all have ideas of what we can do as President and through this website, we will fulfill our deam as a people!

Somethings Gotta Give--Big Boi ft Mary J Blige



Somethings Gotta Give people and it begins today for all us to make sure that something is us. We the people are sick and tired of suffering. Where is our piece of the Dream that so many people dead for so that we all could see today. This is our time people to change America and the world so that the Next Generation has a better future than the past we inherited.

This is our call to service. This isn't about one political candidate or one political figure. This is about us as people coming together to finally leave up to our potential and achieving the great feats that those before us have achieved. This is our moment to lead our nation and our world to greater heights.

Somethings gotta give people and it starts with us the people making it happen. We have to improve our education system in America. We have to rid the world of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We have to go to the streets and lift a hand to another in order to decrease poverty in this world. We have to take a stand today and make sure that the future of America and the world is brighter than it has ever been.

Somethings Gotta Give and that is why we must "Remember Each One, Reach One and Teach One so America's future and the World's future continues to prosper."

John Legend - "If You're Out There"


If you're out there than you need to get started in helping to change America and the world. The world and America won't change until you get involved in making the changes you want to see in this world. If you're out there, than you must know that tomorrow started now and today started yesterday so you are behind in helping to the change. If you are tired of hatred, racism, poverty, war, and violence than the time to change it is now. If you want universal health care, world peace, democracy for every nation, equal rights, and happiness for all than you must get involved now to help the save world.

You must believe in the change that you want to see and you must act on making that change a reality. If you're out there than say it aloud and show the rest of America and the world that you're out here to make a real positive change in the communities we stay in. If you're out there than get involved now. I'm calling every women and men to join me as we take back our country right here, right now. If you're out there than the future started yersterday and we are already late so we have lots of work to do but I know we can do it together as one.

YES WE CAN



Yes We Can accomplish anything that we set out to do! We don't need charismatic or inspirational leaders to believe in ourselves and to take responsiblity for our own faith, we just need each other. Yes We Can build a new America and a new world if each of us would take action now to make the changes that we want to see in the world. Yes We Can control government by holding our political officials accountable for their actions by calling them out when they don't pass legislation that supports the common good of all man and by voting in every election to ensure that we have people representing the people locally, state wide, nationally and in the world.

Yes We Can be great! Yes We Can be what we want to be! Yes We Can be glorious in not only America but the world! Yes We can put action behind our worlds and change the world starting right here, right now! Yes We Can as Republicans, Democrats and Independents become one as we freely think about our fellow men and women and make decisions that will be in the best interest of all people and not one single group.

Yes We Can be the change that we want to see in the world! Yes We Can show the world that the youth are ready to lead! Yes We Can put our egos, our social economic statuses, our religions, our educational statuses and our skin color to the side for the better good of the world! Yes We Can be Greater than we have ever been and help others be Greater than they have ever be!

YES WE CAN and YES WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS IN ALL THAT WE DO! YES WE CAN, no matter what others may say, we will be glorious! YES WE WILL and YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN!

YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN is what will be sung from every mountaintop, every riverbank, every household, every school yard, every factory, every sporting event, every college campus and even every place you can imagine in the world is where YES WE CAN, will be said and heard!

YES WE CAN!

Keep On Pushing - Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions


Wake Up People! No matter who is elected to any public office, we have to “Keep On Pushing” as a people to make sure they don’t leave us in a worst state than what they inherited. We as a people have to “Keep On Pushing” to make a difference in the lives of others. We have to have an “EmPOWERment By Any Means Necessary” attitude as we continue to push our agenda that we the people deserve and want better. We have to “Keep On Pushing” to bring about change in a positive way that will benefit all Americans no matter their age, their religion or skin color. We have to “Keep On Pushing” to bring about change that will improve our education system, improve our military, improve our national security, improve our healthcare system and improve our economy. We have to “Keep On Pushing” to bring about change that will leave America’s future in a better than how we found it and that will leave the world’s future in a better state than we imagined we could live it. We have to “Keep On Pushing” to make life better for our neighborhoods, our families and even our quote on quote enemies. We have to “Keep On Pushing” to inspire, to uplift and to guide those who need help spiritually, physically and mentally. We have to “Keep On Pushing ” so that our lives, our future generation’s lives and the lives of those who came before us does not die in vein.

“Keep on Pushing”

A War For Your Soul

A War For Your Soul-regular version from Erisai Films on Vimeo.


The moment has come for us as a nation of people to finally wake up and realize that our destiny and fate in society has rests on our shoulders. We cannot allow the forces of evil and darkness to drain us out. We have to continue to overcome all odds in order to make the future of our nation better and the future of future generations of Americans better. We have to continue to pray to our Lord and we have to continue to uplift each other in prayer as well as take action against those things that are trying to destroy us. We have to stand up once and for all and be the future that we want to be. Now is our time and we shall do together by any means necessary.

This video was created to inspire young African-Americans not to fall prey to some of the problems they face in society. The use of the voice "Master of Darkness" represents evil, which is where the blame of all problems should be placed, and not on any one group of people. This video should not to be used to divide people (Black & White), there are images of heroes that are white in this video, and there are images of Black & White coming together with the words of Dr. King in the background. Some of the images from the past can be unsettling, but they are used to show all Americans how far we have come, and how far we still have to go. This film is being strategically placed in school systems, churches and youth orgs around the country, in hope of helping a lost generation of kids that we as Americans have forgotten. As fellow Americans we must continue to love each other, and take that love and spread it to the rest of the world. **THIS VIDEO IS NOT FOR SALE & I AM NOT ACCEPTING DONATIONS FOR THE FILM, I ONLY WANT THE MESSAGE TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT ANY HIDDEN POLITICAL OR FINANCIAL AGENDA.

Sitting On the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding



"The time for sitting is over! The time for action is now! The time for hope without action is hopeless! The time for change without a positive attitude is a change that we can't believe in! We need change that is positive of helping all people! Our time for action is now, our time for hope is now, our time for change is now and our time to believe that we can do whatever we set our minds to is not now but right now!"

STAR SPANGLED BANNER


The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming;
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?


On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream;
'Tis the star-spangled banner; O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave,
From the terror of flight and the gloom of the grave;
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!


O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land,
Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just.
And this be our motto— "In God is our trust; "
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

Black President



Our Time is not now but Right Now! Our Time has finally come to change the world not now but Right Now! If you don't believe that we can change the world than watch as we do it by changing your mind into believing in us and what we can do! This is OUR TIME RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!

FIGHT THE POWER



We got to FIGHT THE POWER! We can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch injustices take place. We can no longer sit by and allow our right to vote to become unexercised. We must FIGHT THE POWER for our past, present and future! We can no longer allow our rights to be oppressed and our voice to become drained by the powers at be. We must FIGHT THE POWER and show that we have a lot to say that needs to be heard by the mainstream media. We must FIGHT THE POWER and live up to our potential as dynamic, unbelievable and phenomenal people.


We must not believe the hype but we must become the hype. We are not Harriett Tubman, Marcus Garvey, MLK, Malcolm X, Booker T. Washington, Carter G. Woodson, W.E.B. DuBois, the Black Panther Party, SNCC, or any other activists but we are the fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, uncles, aunties, and relatives of those who came before us to pave the way for us to FIGHT THE POWER! We are not next Generation of leaders who will not be honored and praised until they die but that’s the fight we accept. We are not fighting the power for glory or fame but we are fighting the power for just causes that most men and women will not understand until years or decades later.


We are fighting for our sisters and brothers in Darfur, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, China and Mexico. We are speaking for those who are poor and have no food or water. We are fighting for those who are sick and dying. We are fighting for universal healthcare across the world and human rights for all people. We are fighting for rich and poor! We must FIGHT THE POWER no matter how hard and tough the road may be. We must FIGHT THE POWER for a better today and an even greater tomorrow!


FIGHT THE POWER!

PEOPLE GET READY


“People Get Ready” our time is coming! We have come too far to turn back now. Our train is coming and it is coming in waves. “People Get Ready”, we don’t need a ticket but we need faith and the Lord will help guide us as we take back America and the world. “People Get Ready” our moment is now and we are ready to see the change we want in America and the world. All we got to do is have faith, hope and prosperity. “People Get Ready” to face your fears. “People Get Ready” to face your demons and the challenges of yesterday because today and tomorrow we will conquer & be victorious. “People Get Ready” a change is coming and our actions will make sure that change is a real positive change that lasts forever.


“People Get Ready” because we have had enough of just talking but now is our time to show action. “People Get Ready” to take back America and the world. “People Get Ready” to take back our communities and to make our streets safer and schools better. “People Get Ready” to make all our dreams come true. “People Get Ready” to see a better present for everyone and a better future for future generations. “People Get Ready” to live up to your potential and to help others live up to their own potential. “People Get Ready” to move past hatred, bigotry, racism and sexism. “People Get Ready” to fulfill the dreams of those who came before us and those who will come after us.


“People Get Ready” as we make our actions speak louder than our words. “People Get Ready” to make words mean something again as we put action to back up our rhetoric. “People Get Ready” as we embark on a new journey that will re-write America’s history as well as the world’s history. “People Get Ready” as we make the lives of others better and the lives of future generations better. “People Get Ready” because all we need is faith, hope and action to make this world a better place. “People Get Ready” to make a difference. “People Get Ready” to fulfill the American dream. “People Get Ready" to live out the American Dream as our founding fathers wanted us to live it. “People Get Ready” because our time is now, our moment is now and our moment in time to change America & the world is not now but right now. “People Get Ready” because a change is coming!


Alicia]
(Let me tell you now)
People get ready, there's a train comin'
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin'
You don't need no ticket, you just thank the lord

[Lyfe]
People get ready, for a train to Jordan
Picking up passengers coast to coast
Faith is the key, open the doors and board them
There's hope for all among those loved the most

[Alicia]
There ain't no room for the hopeless sinner
Who would hurt all man kind just to save his own (believe me now)
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
For there's no hiding place against the kingdoms throne

[Alicia & Lyfe]
So people get ready there's a train coming
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels humming,
You don't need no ticket, you just thank the lord


“PEOPLE GET READY!”

God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood


Lee Greenwood-god bless the U.S.A