The Essence of Politics

Friday, October 02, 2009

Detroit Vote No on Proposal S

According to the Detroit News, Robert Bobb may be staying on as emergency financial manager of Detroit Public Schools for longer than planned. Bobb's one-year term is set to expire in March, but Gov. Jennifer Granholm wants to extend his appointment. "The governor is very supportive of the work Robert Bobb is doing and, yes, she would like Robert to continue his work beyond the original contract period," Granholm's spokeswoman Liz Boyd said.

The possible extension comes as Bobb is set to ask voters in November to approve a $500 million bond measure for school construction and renovation. Bobb has said he's implementing strong oversight measures that will outlast him. Reached by e-mail Thursday night about the possible extension, Bobb didn't say whether he'd stay beyond March. "I had an excellent conversation with the governor on the challenges and opportunities confronting DPS," Bobb said. "(I) look forward to continuing our conversation."

Come on Detroit, this is yet another political ploy to trick all Detroiters into voting for Proposal S, the DPS bond millage that will cost Detroiters a little bit over a half of billion dollars. Detroit, we can’t afford another bond millage when the last one we passed in 1995 which was a 15 year bond millage is set to expire in 2011. Therefore Detroit this talk about keeping Bobb on for longer than his one year term is just a political ploy for us as Detroiters to pass this terrible bond millage that has language that is unclear and shady in the sense of how much Detroiters will pay and how long will the bond millage be for this go round.

Now if you don’t believe me than here is a copy of Proposal “S” Language:
Shall the School District of the City of Detroit, County of Wayne, Michigan, borrow the principal sum of not to exceed Five Hundred Million Five Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($500,540,000) and issue its unlimited tax general obligation bonds for the purpose of defraying the cost of:

· --Constructing new replacement buildings and/or additions to existing buildings;

· --Remodeling existing buildings, including energy conservation, safety and security improvements;

· Acquiring, improving and developing sites, including playgrounds, playfields and outdoor athletic facilities in the School District;

· Furnishing, refurnishing, equipping and reequipping School District buildings; and

· Acquiring and installing, instructional technology equipment in and connecting School District buildings?

YES [ ]

NO [ ]

The estimated millage to be levied in 2010 to service this issue of bonds is 3.82 mills ($3.82 per $1,000 of taxable value) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate required to retire the bonds of this issue is 2.56 mills ($2.56 per $1,000 of taxable value). The debt millage levy required to retire all bonds of the School District currently outstanding and proposed by this ballot is currently estimated to remain at or below 13.0 mills. The bonds may be issued in multiple series, payable in the case of each series in not to exceed thirty (30) years from the date of issue of each series. If the School District borrows from the State to pay debt service on the bonds of this issue, the School District may be required to continue to levy mills beyond the term of the bonds to repay the State.

(Under State law, bond proceeds may not be used to pay teacher or administrative salaries, routine maintenance or repair costs or other School District operating expenses.)

Now from looking at the language it might be hard for some people to understand it especially if you read below the Yes or No portion of it. However simply put, currently Detroiters pay $13 on the current bond millage which is set to expire in 2011 which would drop those homeowners who pay taxes now back down to $10 in paying taxes on their property in 2011. However if Detroiters pass the extension on the current bond millage, it would mean that Detroiters would be paying no more $13 in taxes for at least 30 years unless the School District borrows from the State which means the bond millage for the city of Detroit could last for as long as the state decides.

Yes Detroit, once again, the state of Michigan will play a pivotal role in this matter and it could be a lifelong tax burden on the backs of us as Detroiters to pay for repairs to DPS that didn’t go so well last time plus there are too many unknowns currently in the city of Detroit. Now while a lot has changed for the better and for the worst since 1995 when the last bond proposal was passed, it is clear that one thing that can’t be denied this go round is that Detroit’s tax base is smaller due to the fact of the residency rule that was changed in the late 1990s and as a result many employees who worked for the City of Detroit and DPS were allowed to move out of the city thus decreasing the tax base of the city. Secondly, another factor that needs to be taken into consideration is the fact that many Detroiters don’t own homes as it was in 1995 but most Detroiters rent. Lastly, many Detroiters have already lost their homes and jobs thus resulting in the city to have more foreclosures than any other city in the state of Michigan.

So what all of that said, why should we the citizens of Detroit pass Proposal ”S” when it could result in long term permanent taxes on us. Already overburdened Detroit taxpayers are being asked to tax themselves out of their homes. All school bonds are added to one’s property taxes and Detroiters pay the highest taxes in the State of Michigan as is. Detroiters pay current for City of Detroit Operating Tax, City Income Tax, State Income Tax, State Sales Tax, Federal Income Tax, Wayne County Tax, School Operating Tax, School Bond Tax, City Telephone Tax, City of Electric Utility Tax, City Heating Utility Tax, City Cable Utility Tax, Garbage Pick Up Tax, Special Library Tax, Special Safety Tax, and Special Development Tax to name a few taxes that Detroiters are taxed for. Detroit we get no service for the taxes that we already pay.

Detroit we have already given Detroit Public Schools $1.5 Billion dollars and received little in return and no accountability. We are still paying the $1,500,000,000.00 in additional taxes voted to upgrade our schools in 1995 but instead the money has either been stolen and mismanaged by a heard of incompetents and leaches. Also currently high property taxes are causing some Detroiters to lose their homes. Detroit homeowners are losing their homes at an alarming rate to property tax and mortgage foreclosures. Then to add misery to this matter is that we as a city are being asked to tax ourselves to death when the City of Detroit has one of the highest unemployment rates in the State of Michigan. The official unemployment rate in the City of Detroit is around 20%, one of the highest in the nation. Those no longer counted could push this number to 30% or greater.

Detroit we can barely afford to pay our water bills and nearly 40,000 households received water shut off notices monthly in 2008. Thousands have no water in their house. Plus many Detroiters don’t have lights and gas. Detroiters struggle with extremely high heat and electric cost. In fact Detroiters we cannot continue to approve tax increases on our homes because we simply can’t afford the current taxes we have. Now for some people, they might think this is a tax on just homeowners but renters pay for these taxes too because if the current bond millage is extended than renters will see hikes in their own rent as well as electric and water bills. Plus when renters go grocery shopping in the city, they will many products priced higher due to the increase of taxes on the property owners at the stores they shop at. So both home owners and renters will pay if the Proposal “S” is passed.

Now is not the time for a bond proposal because let’s face it, EFM Robert Bobb hasn’t done a forensic audit for DPS which should have been one of the first things he did when he took office as the emergency financial manager. However it seems as if on a weekly basis, Bobb comes before the media to tell them and us as Detroiters what new things he has uncovered in terms of how the previous bond proposal has been mismanaged. In fact Bobb isn’t telling many of us who have been a part of the grassroots fight to save DPS anything new but what DPS needs now more than ever is a forensic audit that is aimed at uncovering all the financial mismanagement that has taken place for nearly the last decade and beyond. All of what Bobb has uncovered so far is the small change things that make him seem as if he is saving DPS but the reality is that many of us have urged for the state to step in and investigate the than reform board prior to us getting our elected school board back in 2005.

So let’s be real. As Detroiters we taxed ourselves One and a half Billion ($1,500,000,000) Dollars to upgrade our children’s Detroit Public Schools Buildings in 1995. Since that time, we have been diligently paying those additional taxes at great sacrifice. Now is the time for a forensic audit to expose the whereabouts of our money. This money was either stolen or mismanaged from us the taxpayers by then Governor John Engler with the help of the now Governor, Jennifer Granholm who was at that time Attorney General. They had the help of the Michigan Legislature which included Democrats from Detroit to strip the newly elected Board of Education of the City of Detroit of its powers and replaced it with a reform board that was filled with appointed administrators that Engler, State Legislators and Mayor Dennis Archer handpicked. However this reform board were not held accountable for any of the actions they made by State of Michigan. That’s why a fluid of corruption sweep through DPS like never before.

Much of the money from the $1.5 billion bond millage and from DPS’s general fund was given out illegally (no bid contracts) to campaign donors of politicians throughout Michigan, contractors, friends, family, and politicians. Corruption ran rampant with the children of DPS suffering the most while the taxpayers of the City of Detroit sacrificing their homes in the long run. Still those hired by the reform board to do the work often did an inferior job of any value for the monies they received. However one of the biggest outrages made under the reform board’s watch was when Dr. David Adamany sold the old school center building headquarters on Woodward to Wayne State University, a building that the district owned and put the districts offices in 3 different buildings on various floors of the Albert Kahn, New Center One and Fisher buildings in which DPS currently rents out the spaces in all of those buildings. So DPS has gone from owning property to now renting property at a higher rate than it was paying in taxes for owning a building that was more customer friendly for employees, parents and students to figure out.

Still even the renting out of the space has not been investigated by Robert Bobb and as the district closed 29 schools this year; Bobb didn’t mention any talk about possibly moving DPS out of the 3 buildings to perhaps any of the closed school locations which could possibly save the district some money. This is why a forensic audit is needed now more than ever in order to uncover exactly where the money has gone in DPS over the last few years. Simply put Detroit, why would anyone sell a perfectly good income producing property for pennies on the dollar and then take on landlord thus resulting in deficit. Many of the buildings which received shoddy cosmetic repairs required immediate restoration of the same work years after the first repairs. In fact buildings restored with the most recent bond millage funds have been closed, torn down or sold to charter schools. If our restored buildings are good enough for charter school children at this time, then they are good enough for our children. Those buildings housing charter schools have millions of Detroit taxpayer’s dollars sunken into them from what was supposed to be fix ups for buildings that DPS student were going attend.

I previously wrote about Proposal “S” on August 26 which can be read at www.essenceofpolitics.blogspot.com. However at that time Detroit, I wasn’t as adamant as I am now about us as a city voting ‘NO’ on Proposal “S”. There are too many unknowns in regards to Proposal “S” and the timing is just now right. As much as Robert Bobb wants to make people think he is staying around, I suggest for him to bring this to a ballot 4 years from now and let’s see how much DPS improves in its spending habits and in educating our youth. However for us as taxpayers to extend on taxing ourselves past 2011 when the first $1.5 billion has not improved our school buildings or academics is just foolish. DPS had problems before the state takeover however, what happened as a result of the takeover has put DPS in a worst condition than ever in the districts history and I am not excepting our current board from the problems plaguing DPS because many of them helped to continue the mismanage of DPS funds.

Proposal “S” would be too costly to us as Detroiters right now when we haven’t seen the full extinct of accountability from DPS even under Bobb’s watch when he is giving federal stimulus dollars to 4 management companies to manage nearly 90% of DPS high schools that are not even qualified to manage DPS. Plus according to my sources, it is unclear how much Robert Bobb is getting paid and how much many of the top heavy executives he has hired for the district are getting paid. Those contracts have not been indulged to the public in a time when Bobb was hired to balance the budget in which he hasn’t done. Then one last variable that needs to be discussed as we consider voting for Proposal “S” is the fact that Bobb has said he will put DPS into bankruptcy.

Therefore if DPS is bankrupt than why should we as the citizens of Detroit pass a bond millage for a district that hasn’t shown it can manage funds and why should we pass a proposal when the city of Detroit has withheld previous money from the last bond proposal passed in order to fix the city’s own financial shortcomings. So Detroit can’t afford proposal “S” when the city can’t fix its own budget problems and DPS needs to get on solvent grounds again before another bond millage is passed. No matter what Robert Bobb says and no matter what others may think, now is not the time for another bond proposal to be passed when much of the last bond proposal was stolen, mismanaged or wasted.

So I urge you the residents of Detroit to vote ‘NO’ on Proposal “S” along with me on Tuesday, November 3 because we can’t afford it and we deserve better than this proposal right now. Detroit we need more accountability to be put in place before we vote on any new extension of the original bond millage passed in 1995 plus Detroit we don’t know who will be over DPS come March 2010. Therefore there are too many unknowns regarding how the original bond millage was spent which is why we as a city and as the residents of our beloved city cannot pass another bond millage. No to proposal “S” because we can’t afford to have a bond millage the backs of us and our children for 30 plus years or more. We simply can’t afford it and we simply don’t have enough accountability in place to trust anything that anyone tells us after being on the job for less than one year. Detroit please vote ‘No’ to any new tax extension of the school bond millage.

If Granholm wants to keep Bobb here longer than a year than make sure he stays here for at least 4 years and restore the school boards power to have a check and balance system of Bobb’s powers because currently he has unchecked powers which is not what I as a resident of Detroit likes in a democratic nation. Still even if Bobb stays longer than a year, Detroit we simply can’t afford for the school bond millage to continue during a time when so many homes are being lost by Detroiters and Detroiters are being taxed to death enough already. So in concluding, no matter what anyone tells us, there is no such thing as a free bond millage, all Detroiters will pay in the end on any millage that is passed and as we look around our city, Detroit we must ask ourselves what good would new school buildings do to our school children when only 18 of the already 100 plus schools will get the $500,540,000 million dollars. That is not the type of bond millage I am willing to pass for DPS, a school district that I love dearly and I am proud to say I graduated from. Detroit simply say ‘NO’ to Proposal “S”.

VOTE NO to Proposal ‘S’

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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