Rise Above It…You Can Do It!

The holiday season is upon us once again and it always, always seems to make me think and critically analyze this life we are currently living. All the wonderful sentiments, ideas, and passion that seem to follow these times truly gives me signs of hope for a better future; a future in which people can communicate ideas of change and revolution without fear.

These times seemingly force me to reflect on the past year of 2005, and looking back, it has been a combination of the most amazing/tragic year of life that I have ever known. It was a year that the world saw more destruction and tragedy than I can ever remember in my lifetime. And “As if these disasters were not bad enough, I have sometimes thought that humanity seemed to have turned on itself - with wars, civil disturbances and acts of brutal terrorism,” said Queen Elizabeth. It was yet another ugly year in which the downward spiral created by the media phased out major problems like overdone fashion trends:

• Dec. 26 2004 Tsunami, which left 231,000 people dead or missing, that hit on the coast of India, Indonesia and demolished the tiny nation of Sri Lanka.
• Hurricane Katrina, as well as the ones in Caribbean, which destroyed the city of New Orleans, leaving thousands of our co-citizens homeless and without food or water for days.
• October 8 earthquakes in Pakistan and India that killed at least 73,320 and left over 300,000 homeless.
• London bus bombings.
• The death of Pope John Paul II - really shook people.
• Never-ending US War on Terrorism in the Middle East.
• The constant battles of food and disease crisis on the continent of Africa and so many other tragedies that are too many to list here in an email.
• Even though it was four years ago, let us not forget 9/11 (my friends recently disclosed to me info about the Pentagon not being hit by a plane…I have done a little research and I agree - thanks for the info boys) and how it was analogous to Pearl Harbor. One attack justifying the destruction of an entire nation. People, open your eyes, ears and your hearts and listen up here…PLEASE!!!

Check these photos and news clips out and make your own decision:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/images/sozen.pentagon.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/020910.Sozen.Pentagon.html&h=1277&w=1980&sz=1291&tbnid=dn9-BOQnrXoJ:&tbnh=96&tbnw=149&prev=/images%3Fq%3D9-11%2Bpentagon%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D&oi=imagesr&start=3

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://pentagon.batcave.net/pohrv.JPG&imgrefurl=http://pentagon.batcave.net/hole.html&h=335&w=428&sz=28&tbnid=hc0LNOWFqN0J:&tbnh=95&tbnw=122&hl=en&start=4&prev=/images%3Fq%3D9/11%2Bpentagon%2Bphotos%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/images/sozen.pentagon.jpeg

http://www.maebrussell.com/9-11/Dear%20World%20Watcher.html

Satisfied?

The bottom line here is that our media makes it easy for Americans to “move on” from the past. They keep the plot line short and sweet, really hitting you hard for the brief “grieving period.” Then somehow, they manage to find a way to help the American public forget by moving the news forward as though the tragedy or problem never even existed.

This is where our major problem is created. It is our duty to create a strong, tightly-knit community (network) of American citizens to put a stop to the mindless and merciless leadership of the American general-public media. I understand that we are unable to put a stop to the news being read daily, but we CAN keep the conversations alive. As human beings, it is impossible (other than unavoidable reactions due to mental illnesses) for us to forget any event that occurs in our daily lives. Yet, we somehow do, and this is where we need to change.

This life is about reaching for the sky. Sometimes buildings will fall…but with strength, confidence, and determination, anything can be built up stronger and better from previous experience. We just have to go one brick at a time. We are amidst a technological renaissance the likes of which the world has never seen.

We need to use this to our advantage to make the necessary changes for a better future for our children. We need better education in this nation; we need stronger, more genuine leadership (someone who will be bagging bodies with his/her nation’s people in a time of crisis, providing them some form of comfort and security. We do not need more untruthful and incompetent public figures who choose to ignore disasters and create negative reflections of Americans upon the rest of the world); and most of all…we NEED YOU and YOUR INDIVIDUALIZED GIFTS to MAKE THESE CHANGES HAPPEN.

What happened to us as a nation? Remember when we chose to impeach Bill Clinton because he lied about personal, sexual affairs (he still remains only the second U.S. president to be impeached)? Bill’s actions did not affect, nor destroy an entire nation (Iraq, Afghanistan). His actions did not cost the United States of America a half a trillion dollars (projected budget by the end of 2006), forcing us to cut spending on things like our nation’s education system…by and large the single, most important agenda that continues to shape our future everyday; leaving poverty-stricken, inner-city children with fewer educational opportunities such as before and after-school programs that reduce major issues like teen-pregnancy, drug and alcohol use, and gang-activity.

These are problems and WE HAVE NO CHOICE than to see it for what it is!!! WE MUST ALSO ALWAYS BE QUESTIONING HOW WE ARE AFFECTED AND FIT INTO ALL OF THIS CHAOS. ALWAYS!!! It just makes me wonder if we have we gone soft, or if we have become so immune that we have just learned to accept imperfection from our nation’s top leaders.

WE MUST CHANGE, AND WE MUST USE THESE NEGATIVES IN A POSITIVE MANNER. As my old high school coach used to say, “It’s fuel for the fire!” It’s fuel for the FIRE OF A REVOLUTION!! We must stay positive and we MUST spread the MESSAGE!! Please, I urge you and implore you, take ACTION and JOIN US!!! Send and forward this message, and many others like it, to all the people you know. When you are out, don’t just chit-chat about mindless BS the entire time to fill the space…speak of CHANGE and REVOLUTION…and DO IT TO SOMEONE YOU DO NOT KNOW!! WE NEED EVERYONE TO DO THIER PART!!! YOU MUST COMMUNICATE WITH EVERYONE FOR WE NEED YOU and WE NEED BELIEVERS!!!

Keep your heads up high and keep going strong. We are on the verge…the world, and we as US citizens, are getting uneasy with our current reputation. I WANT TO CHANGE THE WAY THE WORLD VIEWS OUR NATION!! We are all wonderful, unique, talented, and good-hearted people. WE CAN DO THIS!! WE REALLY CAN…WE ALL JUST NEED TO BELIEVE and ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

And to close, I would like to say thank you to all of you for helping make this ugly and horrific year one of growth and love. It is all of you who create the positive energy and motivation for every aspect in this life. This is everyone!!! Thank you for always changing life with wonderful words of inspiration and friendship.

This is what life is truly about…and out of the ashes we can always rise. We all have to “rise above it.” Blessings, prayers, peace and love to all of you. I wish all of you both the best holiday season filled with joy, family, and friends, and a glorious and triumphant start to the New Year of 2006. I KNOW WE ARE GOING PLACES…there is no doubt about that!! Lets keep up the positive energy and keep working together. Keep spreading the good word…OUR WORK IS NEVER DONE!!! We are a TEAM, we are a COMMUNITY, we are a FAMILY!!!