WTF America

Tuesday November 8, 2016 is by far one of the worst days in American History.  I know that statement holds a lot of weight but these feelings of disappointment that I am trying my best to sift through are extremely heavy! The question that continues to ring loudly in my head is... WTF America.... What in the ENTIRE F#<+ America?!?

How? How in the world did we manage to elect Donald Trump as our next president.... a bigoted, racist, misogynistic, homophobic reality star...that spews hatred towards Black people, Mexican people, the LGBTQ community and women?

I've been reevaluating a lot: the division separating our country, what will happen next and my safety are on the forefront of my thoughts. Perhaps one of the mostly heartbreaking aspects about this scenario, are the relationships that I'm losing.  I know it may sound silly to some, but social media is largely responsible. Social media has revealed A LOT about people!  I'm realizing that I don't know a lot of the people that I thought I knew, and I can no longer respect some people that I formerly respected.  After reading comments like; "Get over it", "This is My America" and "That's how we felt with Obama in office" from so-called friends... I'm at a loss for words! After reading these comments, I was left asking myself questions like; Did you ever really like me? Are you really my friend.... Have you ever been my friend? The answers I'm left with for all of these questions are NO! No, Nope, Not at all... How could they be?

Let's say there's a man named Tom. Tom is an asshole. Tom know he's an asshole and everyone who knows Tom knows he's an asshole. Tom thrives off of being an asshole, but some people find Tom's asshole antics amusing.  Let's say now that Tom is on a tv show... a tv show that requires a voting system for a cash prize and a prominent position.  Tom is an underdog that goes against the grain and everything that this reality show normally represents. Tom is new to the world that this reality show brings and is in unfamiliar territory.  He has very little experience and has no idea what he's doing. Now let's say Tom starts feeling himself. Tom, week after week, is gaining popularity...and is gaining support from the masses. Now let's say Tom wants to up the ante, so he takes his asshole behavior up a notch. Let's say Tom starts spouting things like "Let's block the phone lines for all the people that didn't watch the show from the first season so they can't vote". Tom also thinks that anyone that doesn't appeal to him aesthetically in both color and gender should have their rights stripped away.  Tom spouts hate, Tom incites confusion and violence. Tom encourages others to participate in perpetuating hate. If people still vote for Tom despite his deplorable behavior... what does that say about the people that vote for Tom? It says that they support Tom's deplorable behavior and they support hate. Are y'all forgetting American history? Or is this a major case of selective amnesia? I think it's the latter. Racism is here America, and for all the people that thought it wasn't as prevalent as it is, you woke up on Wednesday, the day after the election knowing without a doubt that you were wrong! Not only has racism NOT gone anywhere, but now because of Donald Trump's platform, folks are coming out in droves because they feel justified and supported in their hate by the person now in charge of running our country. That is devastating!

For anybody out there still swimming up denial creek, have you seen the Trump Day 1 hashtag online? It's beyond disturbing!

Middle School students were filmed shouting "Build the Wall" in the cafeteria in Michigan. There was a swastikas painted on a store front in South Philadelphia. There was woman in Philadelphia that had "Trump Black Bitch" spray painted on her car in South Philadelphia. There are countless Muslim women who were threatened and physically assaulted... This is Trump's America. My mom said to me "I never thought you would have to deal with what I had to deal with... I wish I could have given you a better world." That broke my heart! The only thing this election has done well is expose the people we hoped didn't exist in the numbers that we now know without a doubt do in fact exist! All the racists and homophobes, those who are intolerant of any religion other than Christianity all while doing the bidding of Satan, those who claim sole ownership of this country at the expense of black and brown people,  a country that was stolen from its natives... those people are here in record numbers and they voted for Donald Trump...

I get it (to a degree). There was a hope that a vote for Trump was a vote against politicians... A vote for anti-establishment, a vote for a non-main streamer, a vote against the grain.  But the TRUTH is... despite your ethnicity, sex, class, or religious affiliation, if you voted for Donald Trump your vote supported hatred, bigotry, racism, sexism, and religious intolerance.

I honestly don't even know what else to say... That's it for me guys... Love and light xoxo

D Day aka Election Day

The campaign leading up to this election has been one of the most tumultuous in history! For the first time in my lifetime...  I am not looking forward to an election, instead I'm scared. Donald J Trump aka the kitty grabber is the Republican nominee for President of the United States of America.

I keep trying to figure out how we, 'MERICA, The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave got here... But alas! D day is this Tuesday November 8th and it's time for decisions. It's down to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Although many of us are not thrilled about our choices, here are a few reasons why we should vote despite that fact.

1.) We weren't always allowed to vote.

We Women folk and Black and Brown people weren't always allowed to vote. Although the 15th Amendment passed in 1870 said that ALL men were allowed to vote... they were fibbers.

What they meant to say was, All white men could vote. Women weren't afforded that right until August 18, 1920 with the 19th Amendment. Black people had to wait much longer.  Poll taxes, grandfather clauses and a series of other outlandish but legal barriers were finally outlawed with the Voting Rights Act passed on August 6, 1965. In 1965, black people were finally given the right to vote. 1965 was 51 years ago y'all... Only 51. Let's put that in perspective shall we:

Viola Davis, Martin Lawrence, and Chris Rock were all born in 1965. I say that to say... it really wasn't that long ago.

People marched, people were beaten, and people died for the right to vote... It's important that their efforts were not in vain.

2.) Choice is a beautiful thing!

No matter what happens on Tuesday... This election is going to shape the next 4 years in our country in a MAJOR way! We have a say in what happens there.  We can choose whatever candidate suits our fancy. While it's true that shenanigans and Tom Foolery during this campaign have partnered up for insurmountable levels of pettiness, we can't let that stop us from making a choice! Not voting because you're disappointed with our options is a cop out... don't cop out!

3.) I couldn't possibly live with myself knowing I didn't do everything I could do to ensure that Donald Trump is NOT our next president.

I've lost a few facebook friends over the election already so this should weed out any other folks that are lower case or upper case MAD about what I'm going to say below... #IDONTEVENCARE!

I took a trip with my family to Morocco during the spring of this year. Some of the conversations that stood out most in my mind were the ones surrounding this election... The biggest questions were "What is America doing? How is Trump even a candidate?" This is still something I struggle with... daily. My face hurts from all of the face palms!

How can anyone in our country support such blatant bigotry and hate-mongering?!? Donald Trump has respect for NO ONE! Not for women, not for any person of color (*Insert "There's my African American quote" and his comments that Mexicans are rapists), and you know... let's build a wall. I am unable to CAN! He mocks the disabled, war veterans, and anyone else who disagrees with him.... and yet some folks are still saying they will vote for him. Party Blindness has stripped some people of Ev-Er-Y ounce of common sense!

Oh, and for all of you folks that profess to be Christians and you Right to Lifers... you sound ridiculous! What's so Christian about multiple marriages, unscrupulous business practices, tax evasion, and sexual assault? You can't say that because Hillary supports a woman's right to choose and Trump is against abortion that he is somehow the moral compass. You can't say that you support life in the womb, but once that life is here, if it's either a woman or a person of color, you don't care what happens to them.  Some of the same folks saying that they are Pro-Life are Anti-Black Lives Matter... Please Explain!

No really... I seriously DO NOT GET IT!!!

For the record, I think it's really sad when anyone is faced with making the decision of whether or not to have an abortion. That being said, I do think it's a very personal decision to make and I don't think the government has any right to tell someone what they can and can't do with their bodies. Also, with minimum wage at $7.25, who can afford to feed themselves let alone a child/children?!? Oh and with Trump in office, and his proposed idea to bring back Stop and Frisk in all its unconstitutional bliss, I'm fairly certain that the number of #hashtags of black men dying for just existing will increase, and with it the number of single mothers. Trump has no idea what life is like for the average American, and if you're not rich, white, and male he doesn't care to know! This is what you sound like defending him:

I really feel like for A LOT of Trump supporters are beside themselves, because First a Black man in The White House and NOW we could have a Woman.... *GASP*...  What's our country coming to?!? And to all of you stuck with this kind of small minded thinking... Go BACK TO YOUR CAVES!!!

I will never understand it and the only thing I can think of that will help me cope with where we stand as a country, is to vote against Trump on Tuesday!

4.) For anyone confused about my reasons in #3 I'm just going to leave this here!

Well that's it for this edition of Random with Rizz... Until next time Love and Light! xoxo

Things That Really Burn My Brisket (Metaphorically Speaking Because I Don't Eat Red Meat)

For those of you that know me, you know that I live in the land of smiles and laughs. In my version of Utopia there would be an abundance of baked goods, non stop laughter, rainbows, puppies, politeness, and Peter Pan worthy happy thoughts.

But here on planet Earth 🌎 there are some things that legit drive me up a wall with no means of escape... and because Friday and Random with Rizz, I've chosen to share some of them with you #you'rewelks 😌😎 So in no particular order, here is a list of: Things That Really Burn My Brisket (metaphorically speaking because I don't eat red meat) Cows are cute!

1.) Alleged grown people that feel the need to tell other grown people how old they are when they are being called on or checked for bad behavior. Example: I'm a grown a$$ man/woman. Blah blah blah... Things you're doing...

K so here's the thing if you feel the need to announce your age and growness you might... nope scratch that... you DEFINITELY are not acting your age, and still have some growing up to do! In the wise words of Prince: "Act yo age mama/papa not your shoe size, and maybe we could do the twirl."

The potential of doing the twirl with The Purple One should be incentive enough to display some level of maturity (may he Rest In Peace) but just in case you're weird and it isn't... here's another reason to consider. Childhood is an awesome experience! We should all attempt to bring the light heartedness of it with us to grownupville, but we should do that sans adult temper tantrums spawned from an inability to manage ones emotions.

2.) Loud mouth breathers and chewers. I don't want to hear you breathing through your mouth... that's why you have two nostrils. So unless you have a cold, allergies, or sinusitis... why not opt to use your nose?!? I shouldn't hear you breathing after and/or in between every chew. And also it's not necessary to smack loudly in order to enjoy your food... I promise!

3.) People that use the word MOIST to describe anything other than a succulent meal staring chicken boobies as the entree. There's no rhyme or reason other than the fact that the word makes me slightly uncomfortable.

4.) Styrofoam- The sound is just awful! When I was a kid my brother use to literally chase me, rubbing Styrofoam from new packages together vigorously like he was attempting to start a fire. When rubbed together it sounds like the tears of baby elephants. The sound is Wayyyyy worse than the sound of nails on a chalk board... this is a non debatable fact! When I hear it I have a violent physical reaction in my body. It makes me cringe... it makes me upset. Don't bring it around me if you want us to be friends!

5.) People advertising their products, party, pages, events etc. on my social media pages. Unless you are offering me something in the form of dineros or samples, don't just post up on my page without permission. It's too easy to ask! Phrases that start with "May I" are not just a courtesy, they're a necessity. Disclaimer: Reposting advertisements on my page after I delete the initial one can get you blocked... my index finger is easily stimulated 😎

6.) People that stand too close to me in line. I spend a ridiculous amount of time in the supermarket. I love food and in order to facilitate my desire for constant consumption, I take multiple trips to the supermarket throughout the week.  Whole Foods and Trader Joe's should make me a preferred customer with alllll the coupons and bonuses cuz yeah! After I spend my time perusing the store to select my ingredients, I would love to get to the checkout counter and read magazines I have no intention of purchasing without having someone invading my personal space.

The only thing worse than having to play the inch worm game with people who have no respect for boundaries is an abrupt, unscheduled meeting with their cart. Have you ever had your Achilles tendon rammed by the density of a shopping cart? Ouchhhhh!!! My point is that boundaries are important and personal space is essential! Guideline: You should always imagine there's a stanchion separating you from the person in front of you in line and NEVER EVER EVER cross it... because personal space!

Well that's it for this edition of Random with Rizz.... Until next time Love and Light! xoxo