M&M&M: THE HOLY TRINITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

The triple M’s: money, media and me-ism supply much of the power to “The Under’s” pull. The embrace of money; the chase for profit, and the race for personal advantage are now the predominant cultural values of many of our nation’s people.

Our media trumpets hosannas to the pursuit of happiness through the attainment (no matter how) of significant wealth.

A me first, self-serve, get it before the other guy, have the “life you deserve” mentality, feed on the media’s insipid output, and thrive on dreams of making it big; big as in rich, big as in famous, big as in powerful.

Meantime “The Under”, un-noticed by the majority of us as we respond to the manipulations of the “triple-M” - our holy trinity for the new millennium - grows unchecked. Those mired on “The Under”, sink deeper into the muck of the underworld as many of us hurtle and hustle to the next “make it or break it” opportunity.



 While we question their values, bemoan their actions and debate their cost, they watch us and wait in confused anticipation. To them their values are the same as ours: get the money, follow the media’s lead, and above all do unto others before they do unto you.

Power & Corruption: Same Coin, Different Side



To be corrupt is to be distorted, twisted, amoral, rotten, valueless, depraved. The fact that power over others will corrupt the powerful, and that absolute power will corrupt them for certain has been long verified and well documented.

In “The Under”, a silhouette of our world inhabited by people similar in appearance to us, but with a totally different mind-set, the reverse is true. Absolute corruption has become the route to power and the preferred method to alter or disrupt the lives of those not familiar with this shadow universe.

“The Under”, a seemingly powerless place, has an opposite rotation to our world. Under- educated, under-employed, under-literate, under-valued, undermined, and often under the influence, the residents of “The Under” have managed to propel their world using corruption as their power source; a source which proliferates like maggots in rotten meat.

Scams, scrappers, rip-offs, ID theft, violence, carjacks, drug deals, welfare fraud, robbery, home invasion or homicide, allow the denizens of ”The Under” to “get theirs” or “get over”. The “over” they get to is often over to our world; in most cases the ‘theirs” they get also comes from us.

This underworld, created and nurtured by the actions of those corrupted by absolute power in ours, has now become the power mongers biggest nightmare. Having themselves been misled by power’s seduction, they recognize fully the inevitability of its intoxicating pull.

What is causing their nightmares I think is this: now that “The Under” has significantly reversed the corruption formula, what can stop the occupants of that world from overwhelming the citizens of this?

From Roots to Boys to Men

I spent much of my weekend with Alex Haley and Brother Ramey. You probably know Haley, the author of the mind-searing book, ‘Roots’ who traced his lineage to Kunta Kinte. They made the book into a TV miniseries back in the 1970’s. I came upon it again recently, released as a DVD anthology.

Simply put, ‘Roots’ is a “tour de force”! It is powerful, insightful, riveting, emotional and provocative. If you haven’t seen it in awhile, check it out; it’s guaranteed to move you in all kinds of directions. After viewing the first disc, I wanted to watch it all, non-stop, but I couldn’t cause I had to spend considerable time on Saturday & Sunday with Brother Ramey and the ‘Boys on the Porch’.



"Brothers on the Porch"



You may have never heard of Ed Ramey. He’s not famous; no one ever made his   family tree into a blockbuster entertainment package. Brother Ramey’s work is  obscure but to me he is every bit the hero that Alex Haley is so when he calls I try to be there.  Alex Haley inspired, motivated and influenced generations with his work, tracing roots and opening minds about us, and our past. Brother Ramey’s personal roots may never make it to the movies but what he’s doing with the boys of Detroit should.



Ramey is a mentor who, along with several other Black men of Detroit, formed a group, “Brothers on the Porch” to reach and lift young boys on the verge of failure. He does it without grants or government funds; he does it somehow with miracles, tenacity and the help of people moved by the type of inspirational messages you’ll find in ‘Roots’. Brother Ramey like Alex Haley is about uplift, character development, discipline, self- pride and respect. Unlike Haley, he could use some help from all us brothers.

                 *Rites of Passage Program*

                                                                       

Not sure what to do this weekend? Here’s an idea: watch ‘Roots’ on Saturday then call Ed Ramey on Sunday (313-826-1543).

Tell him you want to help him turn boys into men.

Let him know you’re ready to be a “Brother on the Porch”."

ME & MY SHADOW





   

Been gone for quite awhile but now I’m back. Hard to believe almost eighteen months have passed since our last contact! Time they say flies when you’re having fun, and yes it’s true; a year and a half has flown by at Mach 9 speed, but fun… well that’s another story, unless you consider walking in “the under” fun.

It is about walking the talk you see, putting your actions, money, and time where your mouth is. Our community’s needs are many and varied; our diverse problems discussed non-stop. To meet the multiple needs and solve our complex problems will demand a whole lot of “walkers” and a lot less “talkers”.

So I’ve been gone from here, walking in the under, a place similar to ours but vastly different, like a shadow world rotating the opposite way.

A place of under-dreams, under-hopes and under-expectations. An underworld, if you will, where millions upon millions of people dwell, facing an under-future, and a lifetime of living hell.

So if you can my friends, stick around. I’m back with you here to stay for a time. I’ve got some tales to tell of what I found out walking it in “the under”. Tales that will both blow your mind, and open it. Tall tales but true tales that will have you searching for your own walking shoes when you learn what I found out about the under:

“the under” is a vortex with a strong, relentless downward pull. To reverse the powerful rotation of “the under’s” power, to make sure it doesn’t suck us in too, will take maximum “boots on the ground” in both our world and our shadow’s.