Henry Lee Faulkner USN Ret. retired in 1983 as a Chief Navy Counselor, born Henry Lee Faulkner July 22nd, 1944. The youngest of three sons, to parents who migrated from the south in the late 1930s. At an early age, he established a tenacity for work, spearheaded by a labor-intensive father. He developed an inquisitive personality, nurtured by his maternal grandfather. He became an avid reader, way before his teenage years, under the persistent coaching from his mother.
The ethos, the characteristic, the spirit of a culture, the era of a community is manifested in its beliefs and aspirations. In the 1960s Dr. King energized the aspirations of the Black culture, “We Shall Over Come,” became the marching song. Being called colored was rejected, while James Brown’s song “Say it loud” — I’m Black and I’m proud” became unpretentious.
Muhammad Ali’s stance against the Vietnam War transcended not only the boxing ring but also the realms of faith and politics. Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who are mostly forgotten, raised a Black Power salute at the 1968 summer Olympics. A half-century later Colin Kaepernick kneeled, and the systematic leveling down continued. Wrath and tweets by the leader of the most influential nation on earth, legitimized the mindset of the underbelly, brining the waters, bringing to the surface the ugliness within our society.
I have a tiny voice, heard mostly only by me, but I shall not be silent as I continue to encourage our youth to read. Six months ago I recommended “A Colony in a Nation.” My new recommendation is “We Matter: Athletes and Activism” by Etan Thomas, if read simultaneously, the domino effect, the causalities and what’s needed for change can be more realized. Our hope is now in the hands of our youth. Keep Hope alive… by Reading!
We carry this thing inside us, some more than others, that no one else can see. Sometimes released through provocation by the use of words. Do you wonder what it is?
Delaney Tarr, along with many high school students from Parkland, Florida, spoke from the heart more eloquently than the president of the United States, the Speaker of the House, and even the White House Chief of Staff. When a person speaks from a caring heart, they tell you how they feel without demeaning another human being. When a person shoots from the hip, they are quick on the draw to point a finger with disparaging remarks. Movements don’t start with a strategy; they begin with a moment. -A TRAGIC MOMENT- If America is going to make a change, it will take a generation in real time for it to happen. “Black Lives Matter,” “The Women’s March,” “Me Too,” and the “Dreamers”; these movements have been trivialized by big money, politics, fear, and hate. And now, these students are being attacked in the media as being fake for standing up. All children of the Millennial generation must stand as one. For it’s your future and generations who will follow you. Maybe it is destiny that real gun control will start in a state shaped like a gun.
Here we go again. It was the weekend, and it was déjà vu. The Soul of America remains in a constant decline as #45 tweets, continuing with a plastic-Teflon personality, even after the shooting in Parkland, Florida. Although a silver lining came from the voices of some young adults who survived a tragedy. But unfortunately, every silver lining has a cloud.
When wisdom entereth into thine heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, and understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Proverbs 2:10-12 (KJV)
Mr. Speaker, in February of last year, I blogged to the President of the United States with no expectations that it would cross his eyes. It was mostly an attempt to get a conversation started with the American people. This blog is different, Mr. Speaker. It’s called “Man Overboard,” attempting a conversation with you. To make an emphasis, I like to draw parallels . First and foremost, the words a person uses and how they are presented, written, or spoken can depict a person’s character. Sometimes, it’s not what you say but how you say it. Unless you are a good actor, empathy is not something you can fake, and the president is no actor. In 1963, I was serving as a Fly Talker on the Flight deck of the USS Forrestal (CVA59). I communicated with Flight Deck Control and other Fly Talkers in real time about the physical positions of planes, personnel, and equipment. In that job, I learned the valuable lesson of human/social cohesiveness. A fellow shipmate fell overboard on a typical day of flight operations in the Mediterranean Sea. I immediately radioed to flight deck control, to flight deck control, “Man overboard!” “Man overboard,” port side! As I watched him hit the water, the ship began to turn. I was later told by my Division Officer the tone of my voice gave no hesitation in him notifying the Officer of the Day. His words were true, for it was in seconds the Boatswain of the Watch repeated my words……”Man Overboard” “Man Overboard, port side!” The 81-thousand-ton USS Forrestal began an immediate turn to avoid him being sucked under. Mr. Speaker, you are third in line for the presidency. As Commander in Chief, words can make or break the cohesiveness of a nation. As the saying goes, “Loose lips sink ships.” When will someone in this administration yell “Man overboard” to a one-man wrecking crew? My actions were instinctive to save a life.
N.C. Martin was my shipmate from the state of Ohio. I watched him hit the water belly first. He did not survive. Although his death was an accident, I learned something about human nature. I was 18 years old. For the record, Mr. Speaker, I am now 73, and my accounts of life and how I believe it should be is definitely not fake. Let’s not allow Charlottesville to be trivialized to a good people on both sides scenario with the death of Heather Heyer. Call it for what it is — “Man Overboard” when we have children dying from lack of gun control. There is a big difference between lying and what the president calls fake news. Now, we have top-level people working in the White House without proper security clearance. When are you going to yell Man Overboard? Our nation is drowning.
Mr. President, this is real. I pray that you receive this blog at least via proxy ….. enough already. In the name of Myeshia Johnson, the Gold Star Families, the thousands of people you’ve defamed, the women you’ve disrespected, and now the statement about S….. Hole countries. For common decency and honor, please stop. In my youth, during Jim Crow, I learned how to swallow the bitter pill of racism to physically survive. At the age of seventeen, I joined the U.S. Navy. The oath I took was as follows:
“I, Henry L Faulkner, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me, God.”
What the beautiful children of this great nation deserve is a conscientious leader and a presenter of moral fortitude and not a presenter of hate and division. Every dedicated service member must promise and adhere to the Oath of Enlistment for his/her enlistment or commission. From the Oath, we are defending the Constitution and not a person. You…….as well …….. took an oath.
Immigration and the institution of slavery were the mechanisms that built this nation. Your words and actions suggest that the Constitution and the Oath of office mean nothing, or you do not understand the principle. Recognizing inequities, amendments to the constitution were necessary, guaranteeing all, regardless of race, creed, color, or sexual orientation, the freedom of speech and religion; the very reason I can write this blog as a private citizen. Serving my country gave me the opportunity to travel the world and attend church services for many different denominations. Regardless of ethnicity, there was a commonality in dealing with ordinary everyday people; it was the presence of love and respect for thy fellow man.
Whatever your motives …………………on the surface, it appears that you are exploiting and dividing people for selfish gain, with racial overtones. It creates fear, thereby causing neighbors to distrust neighbors and communities to lock down. So much so that I feel this blog will be censored. A calamity I refer to as “people rustling,” like cattle. The virtual corralling of people creates division and discord. A modern-day form of mental slavery, which you seem to relish. The abolishment of slavery for a cause happened during the presidency of a man who put the country first. Racism is a virus, surviving through the attempted exploitation of one’s ideology over the masses. Words of bigotry and hate are out of place as the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s greatest military. What makes you think your words will galvanize our nation’s youth to serve behind a vindictive mindset?
As human beings, one unto another, respect can only be earned through the ability of the soul to show empathy and shame. Running a business requires investing money for a return. You do not run the United States of America; you are supposed to lead by example by investing in people. Human beings, by human nature, would respond positively only if it is seen that you have all America’s interests at heart, not just a select group. Furthermore, America’s children are watching. You may be a role model for some, but not for safer and greater America. Don’t call me a loser; expect me to serve you breakfast in bed. America is not an Empire, and you are not an Emperor.
In the search for veracity in the idiom “country before party,” this blog is addressed to the current Chief of Staff serving at the President’s pleasure. There are no creative words in the mind’s eye that will assist the process of this blog reaching, let alone penetrate the addressee’s mindset. As was true with “A Tweet to the Speaker of the House” Aug 16, 2017, and “A Tweet for the President of the United States” Feb 6, 2017. Therefore this blog is strictly for going on the record. Mr. John Kelly, sir, and with all due respect for your service to our country. As the occupancies of a free society, we are free to say whatever choices of words we want. But we are not free from the penalties of those words. Despite best intentions, there are times in which one can become careless in their choice of expressions, e.g., empty barrel. But in politics, words can lead to dire consequences, and personality clashes have become the hallmark of divisiveness. It has now been a few months since stating you would not apologize for the false attacks you leveled against Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.) as you sought to defend the President for his handling of a condolence call. However, in your case, your silence has been golden, with the incident fading into oblivion, but I can not accept the nostalgia of letting it die a quiet death.
As a military veteran of more than twenty years, my allegiance has always been country before a party with a belief in the “no soldier left behind the motto.” In my heart of heart’s feelings, I do not believe things in our great nation will ever get better when divisive politics is the status quo. This blog is not a political stance, just a public avowal of principles with a cause-and-effect statement. You may not see it, but because of your principles, you have dismissed Representative Wilson to the status of irrelevancy. She is a soldier in her own right, a public servant, and slighted into a virtual left-behindness. It takes tremendous courage to say I was wrong. You have seemingly brought stability to the White House. However, either there is a tarmac of infallibility in your acquired politics with your short tenor, or you have the “I am a General syndrome,” i.e., admitting wrong carries the indignation of weakness. Regardless, retiring as a General or, like me, as a senior enlisted, there comes the inevitable culture shock. Civilians don’t respond as military subordinates do, with ideologies and stigmas becoming barricades within mindsets. With that said, and knowing the chances of you seeing this blog are slim to none, I apologize for you to her. Representative Wilson not only deserves it, but I am sure she desires it as a human being.
The expectations of the book “Guidance Against the Odds” and the webpage http://www.bookmystory.net/About-Us.html, is entirely motivational. With the core focus on inspiring young minds to read, to study history and to reach out to other youths across the nation, while learning the art of communicating by listening with empathy rather than immediate discord. With a world measured by speed, data delight, sound bites of negativity, and while politicians with social discourse increasingly becoming common core, there is a need for stability of reasoning. In short, first and foremost, a provocation for those who know and understand the cause and effect from the demagoguery of the pass and a brainwave for the millions who are turned off by the bully mindset that prevails in America today. “The Audacity of the Millennia’s,” a rhetorical statement, meant as a stimulus, to and for a generation (for the most part) who within a decade or so will be moving into the eldership of the most powerful nation on earth. A mental make-up of divisiveness, a non-demonstrative direction of leadership growing deeper in a country which purposively stands for “Liberty and Justice for All,” must be changed, before divisiveness takes us to the point of no return. The adjective “United” and the noun “States” contrasts’ to the infinity with the present leadership of these United States.
“Tear down this wall!” is a line from a speech made by President Reagan on June 12, 1987, calling for the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to open up the barrier which had divided West and East Berlin. In 1961, a wall was built. For those who know history, it does not matter the political reasons of the time, just that it divided people; feeding on fear and hate as it’s motivation. It took 28 years with America’s involvement before the wall was torn down. In 2017, 28 years later narcissism and the conversation about building walls, feeding ounce again on fears and prejudices as a means for political dominance plagues the freest country in the world.
The Audacity of the Millennia’s, I would hope, is not to follow in the footsteps of generation “X.” Generation X, parents of Millennia’s, population approximately 41 million are known as the generation having the lowest voting participation rate of any generation. Generation Xers have been quoted by Newsweek as “the generation that dropped out without ever turning on the news or tuning into the social issues around them,” giving suspect to the missing links with constructive communications today.
It would be a misnomer to say that Millennia’s are the same, with the “I” and “Smart” phones at their fingertips breakfast lunch and dinner. The question is, will Millennia’s smell the bacon and seal the yoke or wakeup and change the menu?
Mr. President, enough already. Please stop in the name of Myeshia Johnson and all the Gold Star Families for common decency and honor. I’m repeating this blog for the 4th time since 2016. Unfortunately, look where we are now; I fear you will not change. But nothing beats a try.
Super Bowl Sunday is one of America’s most united days, all because of the bliss of football. All through the season, we support our specific teams and then come together one day of the year to cheer on one of two outstanding teams. But the polarization of our society with demagoguery of a violent nature has overtly slithered into America’s most celebrated pass time. On Sunday, October 2, 2016, Joseph Bauer, a former U.S. Marine and Raven fan, was struck intentionally in the head by one of two football fans of an opposing team. The fact he had served our country in the military hit home for me. During the 2016 presidential primaries, it didn’t help that statements of a violent nature were blatantly boosted by a candidate for president of the United States. “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose voters.” The violence induced by your divisive language and disrespect directed at Gold Star families is despicable.
At the age of seventeen, Mr. President, after being systematically trained to swallow the bitter pill of racism, a purposeful act of knowing my place, I joined the U.S. Navy. The oath I took was as follows:
The key phrase is and was at the time for me, “So help me, God.” As a child, I was taught never to use the Lord’s name in vain, and that lying was a sin displeasing to God. If you make a promise, especially to God, with any sense of morality, there’s no compromise. Faith is not just a Sabbath day ritual. What the beautiful children of this great nation deserve is a conscientious presenter of moral scruples, not a presenter of hate and division.
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me, God.”
Every service member must promise and adhere to the Oath of Enlistment for his/her entire military career. From the Oath, you can see that you will be defending the Constitution and not a person.
Mr. President, immigration and the institution of slavery were the mechanisms that built this nation. Recognizing inequities, amendments to the constitution were necessary, guaranteeing all, regardless of race, creed, color, or sexual orientation, the freedom of speech and religion. Mr. President, this means Christians, non-Christians – Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and other world religions, including Atheist and Agnostic or no religion at all. Serving my country gave me the opportunity to attend church service for many different denominations. Although there are various versions of the Bible used, i.e., KJV, NKJV, NIV, ESV, there was a commonality: the presence of love and respect residing in the soul. When people are exploited and divided as you do, it creates fear, causing neighbors to distrust neighbors and communities to lock down. A calamity I refer to as “virtual people rustling.” A modern-day form of slavery, which one seems to relish. Slavery was an institution abolished due to military necessity, a growing anti-slavery sentiment in the North, and the self-emancipation of many who fled enslavement, the loss of the South’s enforced workforce. But racism, the fundamental element, a virus of ideological discourse, has been uplifted through your manipulation of facts, always with a finger-pointing dogma. There is “The Man in the Mirror.”
Through the wisdom of my elders, I learned to never judge a book by its’ cover or use name-calling with a degrading pretense to achieve an objective. Demeaning someone with expletives was the same as pointing. Words can be a reflection of one’s self, and three of your fingers will always be pointing back at you.
A little of African American history, Mr. President, must be stated. Back in the day, to frame a mindset of resistance and overcome the never-ending rain of indignation, some blacks played the “Dozen,” upon each other, a game of spoken words between two contestants, usually in front of a small audience. The participants in the game focused on the opposing player’s competency, appearance, intelligence, etc. As time elapsed, comments in the game ventured into sexuality or “yo mama jokes.” it then became the “Dirty Dozen.” Nowadays, it’s no game; it’s offensive. Anything in life you practice, you become good at, even “Fake News” and “Alternative Facts.” The art of Rapping, another African American creation, was born in Harlem, New York, requiring coordination of the mind and the tongue, the linguistics of black communication, which now grosses billions of dollars. Rapping in its’ lyrics was initially a cry for help from the inner-city youth. The words soon turned to Gangsta rap, a subgenre of hip-hop music in the mid-1980s, as society continued to ignore their cries. From the introduction of drugs, the failure of “Trickle Down Economics,” and the siphoning of jobs to overseas markets, the prisons began to fill as black lives didn’t seem to matter. Then, there came the unadulterated unequal treatment in the court system, a subject for another executive enlightenment.
In reality, Mr. President, you played the dozen in the primaries, and your opponents couldn’t hang. And you have continued in your presidency as if it is a game. Sparked in large part by your election, millions of women demonstrated around the world on the 21st of January to send a bold message that women’s rights are human rights. One week later, thousands protested at airports nationwide against new immigration orders. Movements Don’t Start with a Strategy; They Start with a Moment. The March on Washington, which resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1965, was a movement created by a moment on Blooded Sunday. The world saw Alabama State Troopers shooting tear gas and wading into a crowd of nonviolent protesters with billy clubs on the Edmund Pettis Bridge, ultimately hospitalizing over fifty people, of which Congressman John Lewis was one of the injured. He wears the scars to this day. Upon his refusal to attend your inauguration, you played the “Dozens” again with a statement of alternative facts. Be advised, Mr. President. History has a way of repeating itself.
I have high regard for the office of the presidency and in keeping with the oath I took, dedicating 22 years of my life. I will never play the dozens on you. I am a member of the Mature and Silent Generation; in my youth, I played the “Dozens” and was pretty good. In the words of Denzel Washington, “Anything you practice, you can get good at, including BS.” But Mr. President, there is a time and place for everything. Words of bigotry and hate are out of place as the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s greatest military. What makes you think in the next three years of your presidency, your words and actions will galvanize our nation’s youth to serve behind a vindictive personality. I’ve learned forgiveness thru the words of God, as did the families of the Charleston Church shooting. It’s something only people in the spirit can understand.
Therefore, I pledge I will never yell, “You Lie.” As long as you are in the office, I will never question your birth, make fun of your hair or hands, call you names, or bring attention to your facial expressions. I won’t talk about your sexual demeaning of women or the marking of the disabled. I won’t even question your tax returns because I want you to succeed. You are the president. If you succeed in creating jobs while keeping America safe, improving the quality of life for all, especially the poor and the declining middle class, and claim the fears and the hatred, then and only then will America succeed. Respecting a position does not necessitate respecting the person. There’s a moral obligation involved. As human beings, one unto another, we earn each other’s respect. There is such a thing as empathy and shame, two small words but powerful when they are embedded in the soul. As a veteran, I was saddened to hear a potential Commander in Chief make a statement considered beyond the pale about a slain Muslim American soldier. Then there was a disparaging comment about a prisoner of war; Senator John McCain, another hero, a man who took the same oath as I. You, Mr. President, are on the far end of the spectrum, falling into the category of not having a clue. Running a business requires investing money for a return. You do not run the United States of America. As Commander-in-Chief, you are supposed to lead by example by investing in people. People, by human nature, will respond positively when you put their best interests at heart. Furthermore, it’s a role model issue for America’s children are watching. Don’t call me a loser; expect me to serve you breakfast in bed. America is not an Empire, and you are not an Emperor.
There’s an old African proverb: “The enemy outside cannot hurt you if there’s no enemy within.” Re-worded so that it can be better understood; “The enemy outside cannot hurt you when there’s unity within.” You have the power to eliminate the atmosphere of frivolity, leadership by threat, and diversionary politics.
On September 13th and 16th of last year, I posted two tweets regarding Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling during the national anthem. I did not take a position on his patriotism. I only asked a (why) question in one post and stated a fact in another. The first was an attempt at setting the basis for a fruitful and meaningful conversation. It was after Bill O’Reilly’s take on history and his new book. With this, l had to write a second post. In my second post, I used a metaphor. Figuratively speaking, stating he had a loud mouth, able to reach a large audience thereby causing a snowballing effect with what he says, with his ideology on life as insight and being the authority (Controversy just like drugs can create a market of its own; of which he has corned.) I also left out the hyphen and used a lower case (r) and put the (i) before the (e) in O’Reilly’s name, a fishing technique. As fishers know, it’s the tide, water temperature and sometimes luck, but mainly it’s the bait. I am not well known on Facebook. Therefore I was fishing in unfamiliar waters. Where you fish and what you’re fishing for, will determine what you catch. I caught me a human grouper. I came under immediate attack, as Groupers feed on other fish. First, stating I was not a historian and also I didn’t know how to spell. I never stated I was. The veracity of it all, I was a high school dropout because of racial bullying. I had said that I had written a book and had read history since leaving school (meaning books) that didn’t coincide with what I was taught to believe. His hunger for a divisive confrontation overshadowed the fact he was being baited.
“Marketers of Discontent” is a chapter out of “The Wrecking Crew” by Thomas Frank. Fake news has been around since before I was a child; The National Enquire and Globe magazines are the prime examples. Negative campaigning, is another amenity for a Grouper, feeding on the unconscious. i.e., The Coffin Handbills 1828, “Willie Horton 1988,” “Harry and Louise 1993,” “Hillary Clinton’s 3 am phone call 2008,” are just a few examples. As a child, I roped learned the Preamble to the Constitution and can say it precisely today. “Anything you practice you can get good at,” Denzel Washington. It has become common in our society to argue as opposed to listening to common sense reasoning because of what we’ve been “rope learned” to believe thru unconscious repetitive listening, exacerbated by hate.
Businesspeople tend to be conservatives. Therefore conservatism itself becomes a business. Political entrepreneurship, if you will. In its embryonic form, seek out and pedal grievances to the like-minded. (*page 71.)
We have been influenced by Russia through Facebook through rope (negative) learning, paid for with Russian Roubes. The 45th continues to deny, and his base continues to believe. He sounds like Jim Jones with a larger captive audience. Continuously, as if he is still standing in the middle of 5th avenue. Thereby deepening the divide, undercutting the ability for any conversations of substance.
I say to the 45th, even though he cares not to understand. Sports, like the Military, is the fifth element after earth, air, fire, and water. Men and women who listen and support each other as they repel hypothetical and repulsive forces that try to divide them are called comrades. Camaraderie is the embodiment of teamwork, the quintessence of love, the product of an untethered soul. Something you can not destroy.
Super Bowl Sunday is one of America’s most united days. Through the season, we support our specific teams and then come together one day of the year to cheer on one of two teams, even if our home team is not playing for the highest honor. But in some crazy theory, the 45th president of the United States has managed to do it again. One year ago, on Sunday, October 2, 2016, Joseph Bauer, a former U.S. Marine and Ravens fan, was struck in the head at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore by one of two New York football fans. Being a Navy retiree, the fact that he had served our country hit home for me. When it happened, I thought about then-candidate Trump.
“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose voters.” Also, recalling an African American was caught on camera being sucker punched in the head at one of your rallies.
Mr. President, fifty-six years ago, I was seventeen, systematically trained from birth to swallow the bitter pill of racism. In other words, trained to remember my place. Although programmed to feel like a second-class citizen, I joined the U.S. Navy. The oath I took was as follows:
“I, Henry Lee Faulkner, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
You took an oath to support, protect, and defend the Constitution of The United States with your right hand on the Bible, saying, “So help me, God.”
“So help me God” was the keyword for me. As a child, I was taught never to use the Lord’s name in vain and never swear to God unless I meant it. Your latest tirade, calling fellow citizens SOB, demonstrates even more your continued efforts of divisiveness while the nation’s youth take note.
I have high regard for the office of the presidency, in keeping with the oath I took and re-took four times for a total of 22 years. But, in the words of Denzel Washington, “Anything you practice, you can get good at, including BS,” and you are superb, a master at manipulator.
I’ve learned forgiveness through the word of God, as did the families of the Charleston Church shootings. It’s something only people in the spirit can understand. Vindictive personalities stick out like a whale out of the water.
Therefore, I will pledge as long as you are in office, I will never question your birth, make fun of your hair, or call you an SOB. I will not ask about your tax returns because I want you to succeed. You are supposed to be the president of all the people. If you succeed in creating jobs while keeping America safe, improve the quality of life for all, especially the poor and the declining middle class, and claim the fears and the hatred, then and only then will America succeed. But let me be clear, respecting the position does not mean I respect the person. As a veteran, I was saddened to hear a potential Commander in Chief make a statement considered beyond the pale about a slain Muslim American soldier and a disparaging statement about a prisoner of war, Senator John McCain. Men who took the same oath as I. You, Mr. President, are on the far end of the spectrum, falling into the category of not having a clue if you believe what you say. You are making it about the flag. It’s about black lives, and you know it. Running a business requires investing money for a potential return. To keep “America Great,” you’ve got to invest in people. People, then, by human nature, will respond positively. Don’t call me an expletive, criticizing my right to free speech, and then expect me to serve you breakfast in bed. Our country is not an Empire, and you, you are not an Emperor.
I wrote a book, not about being poor, but a self-portrait about navigating the minefields of racism from childhood. I’ve made over two hundred peaceful tweets. Rosa Parks sat down peacefully and got locked up. It took courage for Colin Kaepernick to take a knee. The only opposition claiming it is a problem rather than bringing attention to a serious issue is supremacy. Step out of the clouds, Mr. 45th, and into reality; everyone was not as fortunate as you.
There is An old African proverb: “The enemy outside cannot hurt you if there’s no enemy within.”
The expectations of the book “Guidance Against the Odds” and the webpage 
bookmystorysite 