Sour Lemons
Sometimes you just need to vent! We will explore topics that piss us off or drive us to distraction.
News “Worthy” News
Written By: Shirley Lemon
5/20/24
I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but I am so tired of hearing about “The Trial.” Is there nothing else in the universe to report about? Reporters and journalists that I have respected over the years are now turning my stomach.
How exciting do you think it is to have you describe how someone is sleeping in the courtroom? Every day. As if that is really newsworthy. And there are sketches of it no less!
While it is true that some of the other stuff that is going on in the world is disheartening, disturbing, and distressing at least it is a sum of factual happenings in the world that will affect our everyday lives. Some things we can work on to make it better.
A trial that is pure theater and likely to lead to nothing is a waste of the precious time I have left on this earth. You talk as if you think your opinions count and your words will make a difference or actually mean something. Neither is true.
I can imagine that you have to push yourself to get on camera everyday regurgitating nonsensical riffraff. I sympathize to a slight degree, understanding that this is how you make your living. But I will not engage in this circus show.
There was a time not so long ago when you could ask me what was going on in the news and I would give you a full report of the world situation. (To the dismay of some I am sure.) Today if you ask me my response is “You tell me because I don’t know.”
Many of the things in our lives here in the U.S. have been orchestrated by the government and other entities that control the power in this country. We all felt it in our bones every day for years. Now with the emergence of information on the internet we see it all too clearly.
The threat of losing control of our lives is so unnerving to these individuals that they do everything they can to hold on. Not in secret or in disguise like the olden days but blatant and open in broad daylight.
Destroy the public school system making sure that inner city children don’t learn how to read and write and calculate for themselves. Replace it with charter schools where they can control the curriculums. They claim they want to teach them about God. But what God? There is nothing Godly or righteous in the schemes they execute.
Remove any books that may give your children ridiculous ideas that they should be able to think and speak for themselves. Take away any and all aid for marginalized groups who may not be able to thrive without it. Take away women’s rights to control their own bodies and recruit nitwit women who proselytize the benefits of having a man control your life. History has proven that women do perfectly fine making their own decisions but that my friends is the problem.
And make sure that hatred of anything and anyone not like them is proclaimed as righteous. Pass as many laws as possible to bring back archaic practices that gave them full control of our lives.
Take away the right for students to protest against things they consider to be wrong. It doesn’t’ matter that the very people who are trying to stop this were probably involved in campus protests themselves many years ago. But that was then, and this is now.
While all of this is going on we are presented with an onslaught of the trial of a dried up, washed out, has been politician/tv game show host who is clearly guilty of many things but will probably get away with most of them because our system of (un) justice caters to the wealthy and powerful.
I don’t expect the news to always be good news. I don’t expect the news casters to have solutions to the news they present. I don’t expect to agree with every story they present. But I do expect some real relevant news.
When “the trial” is over, maybe I will be back. But with nine hundred charges to go it might take a while.
Not This Auntie Ish Again
Written By: Nakema Lemon
4/14/2024
I am reposting an article that I wrote in 2022, because this topic has resurfaced again. In fact, it seems to come up every “fifty-eleven days and umpteenth hours.”
In this newest iteration of this ridiculous debate, a popular social media influencer, who isn’t even forty yet, asked her followers to stop calling her “Auntie.” She stated that people who continued to call her Auntie would be blocked. Someone made a comment on one of her posts, and then referred to her as Auntie, so she blocked them. The blocked person then came to the internet, seemingly confused about why they were blocked. This caused a whole uproar, because how dare this influencer block people just because they want to call her Auntie. And even worse, every time I go on TikTok to watch cute baby videos, this nonsense keeps popping up.
The influencer made a video trying to explain why she does not want to be called Auntie. But I’ll be honest, the explanation did not resonate with me (it didn’t make any sense). However, that is not the point. She did not owe anyone an explanation. She set a boundary. Point, blank, period.
Since all younger people do is talk about setting boundaries (and I mean ad nauseum), you would think they would not only understand how they work, but they would support this influencer for enforcing her boundaries when people cross them. Because that is indeed the point of setting a boundary. A boundary is pretty useless if there is no consequence or counter action once the boundary is crossed.
The two main arguments that people seem to be making is that 1) If men don’t mind being called “Unc” or “Uncle”, then women shouldn’t mind being called “Auntie”, and 2) “Auntie” is a term of endearment and respect. These arguments are mostly disingenuous, and we all know it.
First, unless the woman in question is one of your parents’ siblings, if you call someone “Auntie” you’re essentially saying they are “old/older” or they act “old/older.” It is the same for “Uncle” with men. However, we all know that the stigma of aging is not the same for men and women. There are literal podcasts where all they talk about is how women over thirty-five are low value women. They are really trying to put women in their thirties out to pasture. I’m in my fifties, so I must be the dust in the pasture according to these people. But nobody says anything like that to men in their thirties. Men in their thirties, forties and even fifties are just hitting their prime, according to the internet. So, the “Unc” and “Auntie” comparison is not the same. So, stop trying to peddle that nonsense of a talking point.
Secondly, if you really feel that the term “Auntie” is one of endearment and respect, is it not un-endearing and disrespectful to cross the boundary of the person whom you endear and respect by calling them something they do not want to be called?
Anyways, read on to understand why I love being called “Auntie.”
Call Me Auntie
Written by: Nakema Lemon
7/1/2022
Women like Oprah (60’s), Mary J. Blige (50’s) and Nikole Hannah-Jones (40’s) have stated that they do not want you to call them “Auntie” unless you have their permission to do so. I am a huge fan of all three of these ladies. I respect their points of view. However, social media for the most point does not. There seems to be a lot of pushback whenever a woman pushes back. The prevailing sentiment is that women should not only accept the title but embrace it because it’s a term of endearment and respect. I saw someone comment “We just trying to show you old Bit@$es some respect!” Irony is lost on the internet.
While I believe the term is meant to show deference, it is being used to indicate that the woman is of a certain age or acting like one. I mean no one is calling 21-year old’s “Auntie” unless they are indeed someone’s Aunt. With all the stigma surrounding aging especially for women, you can understand why some women might find the term to be less endearing and more patronizing or condescending.
This wasn’t a thing when I was younger. We didn’t go around calling random women whom we did not have that familial relation, “Auntie.” If you wanted to show respect, you would address an older woman with an honorific such as “Ma’am,” “Ms.” or “Miss.” But you still had to be careful how you addressed certain women.
“Ma’am?! Did you just call me Ma’am?! Just how old do you think I am?”
I remember when Snoop Dogg started calling everyone nephew and it resulted in the word “Unc” being bandied about. But for men, it’s not quite the same. Being an “Unc” is cool.
I have also seen this new “Rich Auntie” trend. The upwardly mobile single woman with no kids, who is surrounded by peers who are married with 2.5 children. But instead of feeling sorry for herself, she flips the whole “old maid” narrative on its head. The single, childless Auntie has the freedom and finances to jet set around the world, have spa and selfcare days unlimited, and buy whatever she wants including expensive gifts for your kids, securing her spot as the “favorite.” I am not mad at this at all. I am actually thrilled women now realize they can find happiness and contentment whether they choose to marry or not. Besides, the statistics indicate the happiest demographic, is indeed single women with no children.
My daughter calls me “Auntie” because, biologically, she is my niece. However, in every other way that matters she is my child. My mother and I raised her from the age of two, and she will forever be my daughter.
She was the first grand. Y’all know how we act about those firsts. We were all so excited about her pending birth we started thinking about what we wanted her to call us. My mother went with the tried and true “Gramma.” It took me a little time to decide. You see, I have a lot of aunts. In my family we typically address the aunts as “Aunt (insert first name). But since this was my first niece, I didn’t want to be just one of her aunts, I wanted to be Thee aunt. So, I landed on “Auntie.” She could call all her other aunts, Aunt (insert first name), but she would call me “Auntie.” I know it doesn’t seem very original now, but back then I thought I was doing something.
After circumstances changed and my aunt duties morphed into parent responsibilities, there was some brief consideration about whether or not she should call me mom. People would ask all the time, if she were my daughter, and I would say no she is my niece. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was actually hurting her feelings. When she was around 3 or 4, she asked, “Why do you keep telling people that I am not your daughter? Don’t you want me to be your daughter?” This broke my heart of course. So, I tried to explain why, and she seemed to be fine with the answer. Since that conversation, though, I have always claimed her as my daughter.
When her little sister was born, and we became the four amigos, sometimes the girls would ask if they could call me mom. I turned into a game. If they asked me on a Tuesday, I would say they could call me mom on Mon, Wed and Fri. If they asked on a Wednesday, I would say the alternate days. They would giggle because they always knew what I was going to say. It wasn’t that I didn’t want them to call me that, I actually wanted nothing more. I just didn’t want to put the girls in the middle of any conflicts if there were any sensitivities around the subject with their biological mothers. For the record, I love both of my nieces’ mothers, whom I lovingly call my baby mamas.
As the girls grew up, we had many conversations about our unique little family, and the love we have for each other. Even though they call me “Auntie,” they are my daughters in every way that matters, and I am their parent in every way that matters. In truth whenever, they call me “Auntie,” I hear the word “Mom.”
In conclusion, if you really want to show deference to a woman, respect her wishes. If she does not want to be called “Auntie,” don’t call her “Auntie.”
Brother Moore
Written By: Shirley Lemon
12/10/2023
In an article written by Amy Lewis it states, “Russell Moore, a prominent figure in Christian circles has encountered an alarming mindset. The Sermon on the Mount, a scriptural pillar that discusses Christian ethical conduct, is being set aside by some who view it as incompatible with the perceived realities of contemporary life. They argue that its precepts of non-violence and meekness no longer hold the power they once did. He states that he fears that the Christian community is straying from its foundational beliefs and is too entangled in the political landscape. He fears this issue threatens to redefine the identity of what it has historically meant to be a follower of Christ. He believes that some people interpret Jesus’ message of love and peace as a form of weakness.”
Really? Brother Moore, you are just now figuring this out?
From the day that your bizarre, fearless leader came down the “golden escalator,” certain Christian communities have been all in. With great gusto, and the raising of hands, the shouting and singing his praise, the raving prayers that he was sent to you by God and the curses spewed at anyone who did not agree with you. The unheard of amounts of money thrown at him, with the full knowledge that he knows nothing about Jesus Christ to the point that he could not quote one bible verse and he could not even hold the bible straight for a photo op (he held it upside down), you didn’t see this coming until now?
Now you want to raise the alarm, Brother Moore?
Some of us have from the beginning of this hellish nightmare, distanced ourselves from these Christians. We saw the handwriting on the wall. Although they purport to “spread the good news of the gospel”, my question is “what gospel?” and what do you define as “good news”?
I am not one of these Christians I am a child of the King. A follower of Jesus Christ.
I am so appalled at what has been going on that I search myself every day in preparation for the Rapture that I am certain will be coming soon.
Sadly, this is a glimpse into the heart of many in churches across America and it has been eye opening. Brother Moore, it is in all denominations. Those who have been silent during this grievous time in our religious history are just as guilty as those who have roared the loudest.
I do commend you Brother Moore for your attempt to repair the damage that has been done to the church. But sometimes once the sharks get the smell of blood… well.
But take heart! Understand that there is a difference between those that follow Jesus Christ and those that follow Jesus Jones. Jesus Christ is love. I can’t speak for Jesus Jones. I hope that that will make your burden lighter.
And finally, Brother Moore, in spite of all the ugliness that has raised its head with vigor in recent years, the “real good news” is that the Body of Christ will prevail. No matter how loud the rhetoric becomes, how delusional the Jesus Jones zealots become, nothing will stop the real message of Jesus Christ from spreading around the world.
And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14
This is the message of Jesus Christ:
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
SAD
Written By: Nakema Lemon
12/10/23
Ever since I can remember I have suffered from the Winter Blues, clinically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Winter onset SAD can be caused by the reduced sunlight that comes with the change in seasons and daylight savings time. This decrease in sunlight can disrupt our body’s internal clock and impact the levels of serotonin and/or melatonin which can trigger feelings of depression.
I didn’t know what it was when I was younger but every year around Thanksgiving, I would start to feel melancholic. All I would want to do was listen to sad love songs in the dark or sleep all day and my chocolate cravings would go through the roof. My mother would recognize it immediately every year and say, “I see you’re starting to get the winter blues.”
As I got older, I would start to recognize it in myself. Then I would try to do things to make myself feel better. Getting caught up in the “gift giving” part of the season would usually lift my spirits as well as planning and cooking big meals for the holidays. The anticipation of waking up with the girls on Christmas morning was the perfect distraction, and that buoyant feeling would carry me through New Year’s Day. But it wouldn’t be until we could push our clocks forward for daylight savings time that I would start to feel like myself again.
Lately, the winter blues have taken on a whole new meaning. It’s not just about the lack of sunlight. Now every year I hold my breath wondering if we are going to make it into the new year without losing another loved one. By the time we get to the winter holiday months my anxiety is at an all-time high because 1) I’m fearful that we might lose someone, and 2) I am dreading the thought of celebrating the holidays without the ones we’ve already lost.
Our family, immediate and extended, have lost so many people. While having such a large family can be a blessing, it can also feel like a curse. There is that blessing that every time I turn around a new baby is being born and our lineage is being extended. However, while babies bring joy, each life that begins has to at some point end. That then brings the curse. The older we get, the more loss we see.
I know millions of people experience SAD, and I wish I had some words of wisdom to share or some tips on how to get through it, but I don’t. You literally just have to get through it. And for each of us that might feel different and each year it may be different.
This year I experienced something new. Last week we received some horrible news, and I was triggered. I found myself crying through a training course at work. I kept telling myself that I was just a week and a half away from my two-week vacation, so I just had to make it through. But as the day went on, the worse it got. I was crying at the drop of a hat. So, I reached out to my manager and explained what was going on. Something that my pride would have never let me do in the past. I didn’t give any details, just said that I was struggling. I told her that I could still work, but that I wouldn’t be able to lead any meetings or be on camera. She responded in the most caring way. She didn’t ask any questions, just offered her sympathies, provided me information and links to multiple mental health resources, and gave me the option that I really needed, which was to take some time. So that is what I’m doing, I am taking a couple of days off to deal with my mental health. Then I am going to take my two-week vacation to get some rest and relaxation.
So, no words of wisdom here but I will always tell anyone and everyone to start with prayer. I know that might sound trite, and folks sometimes get tired of hearing it. But it works. It might not magically make all the depression and fear disappear, but talking to my heavenly Father, whether it’s crying out on my knees, participating in group prayer, or just having a 1-on-1 with Jesus at my desk, I always feel better. A sense of peace and calmness comes over me just knowing He is there.
I would also tell people it is ok to talk to other people and admit when you are struggling. There is nothing wrong with saying “I need help.” If you don’t have a network of friends and family or a good support system, there is access to mental health resources all over the internet (even though the internet is still the devil). Ultimately you should focus on what you need to get through the winter.
In the meantime, try to get some sunlight and hold on until Spring when you’ll start to feel like yourself again.
To Have Children Or Not
Written By: Shirley Lemon
6/3/2023
Recently I saw an article that appeared to discuss reasons why it was selfish if people decided that they don’t want to have children. I didn’t get any farther than the title. I am weary of that age old discussion. I could just end this article right here by stating the obvious. It is nobody’s business except the people who make that choice.
However, I will say a few words to the judges and juries out there who feel the need to pontificate about these people’s choices.
First of all, shut up.
All people have the right to make determinations about their lives just like you do about yours. They are not listening to your two cents worth of ignorance.
Not all people who have children are parents.
Some people have children and then lose interest in them when they move into a relationship with a different partner. They don’t look back and they find those children to be a nuisance and a burden.
There are some parents out there who leave their children in the care of the baby sitter or the nannie. Sometimes out of necessity, sometimes not. Whatever the reason is, they have little to do with the raising of their children.
Not all parents are loving or nurturing or protective of their children. Not all parents put their children before they put themselves. Not all parents listen to their children or spend quality time with their children.
Not every person who has children should have them.
There are some parents out there who have children that somebody needs to come right now, today and take them away to preserve their precious lives.
There are some parents who are so messed up mentally, physically, psychologically, that they are having difficulty taking care of themselves. They have nothing to give to their children.
There are many parents who leave little children to raise themselves. There are parents who abuse their children. There are parents who kill their children.
There are parents who teach their babies to hate and stifle any chance that they will grow up to be productive human beings.
This is not a judgement against people who want children. You have the right to make that choice. I sympathize with those who want to be good parents but struggle with circumstances out of their control.
But my heart breaks every time I hear about a child who suffers or dies at the hands of a parent.
I applaud those who know who they are, who do not let our broken dictatorial societal rules define who you are. If you don’t want children, don’t have them.
And secondly, to the peanut gallery, Shut up.
TikTok Madness
Written By: Nakema Lemon
6/3/23
As I have mentioned before, I am addicted to TikTok. I spend way too much time scrolling through my FYP (for you page), when I should be concentrating on working or writing an article for Two Lemon Women. I can literally spend hours watching videos of babies and toddlers being cute and stressing their parents out.
However, as much as I love TikTok there are a few topics/debates I wish I never have to hear about again.
1. Who should be served first, the husband or the kids?
This is a dumb topic to debate. If there is enough food for everyone does the order really matter? This also seems like it could vary from family to family with no one right or wrong answer. If the kids are young and can't serve themselves, it might make sense to feed them first to get them out of the way so that the wife and husband can eat together. If the husband gets home late it might make sense to feed the kids first, so they can get to bed at a decent hour. Now, if the kids are older and can serve themselves the wife might decide to serve the husband first to make sure he gets the choice piece of meat or before the teenagers swarm in and eat everything in sight. Each household is different. What works for one family may not work for another, there is no law that dictates who should eat first. If it is a matter of lack, and there is not enough food to go around, I would question any man, husband or father that would eat first and leave the children hungry. Barring that who cares. Most of the people who argue about this don’t even have a husband, and I can’t think of any scenario where the boyfriend should ever be served first. Even if he bought the food. My opinion.
2. Who should sit in the front seat, the wife, or the mother-in-law?
I’m not married, nor have I ever been, so this debate means nothing to me. I am just simply tired of hearing the back and forth on this. It seems to me that if the mother-in-law is elderly or has some physical limitation that makes it difficult for her to ride comfortably in the back seat, then she should sit in the front. Likewise, if the wife is pregnant or has some physical limitation then let her sit in the front. If I were a wife, I would always offer the front to the older person. Whether it be my mother or his mother. If I were a mother-in-law, I would by default head to the back seat. I would rather the married couple sit next to each other to bicker about directions and leave me be, until we arrive at the final destination. Now I realize, there is often contention between wives and mothers-in-law, so if there really is a dispute about the front seat then we know it ain't really about the front seat. If that is the case, if I were a husband, I would never put my wife and mother in the same car.
3. Wearing Bonnets in public.
I hate this debate the most. I wish Mo’Nique had never gotten on her soapbox about the girl wearing the bonnet at the airport, because you people will not stop talking about it. I don't know why we get so passionate about how other people (strangers) present themselves in the world. I used to fly a lot for work. I was on a plane practically every week, and I can tell you I never paid attention to what someone else was wearing. And yes, we see all kinds of interesting ensembles at the airport, but since none of these people were traveling with me, it did not bother me one way or the other. For the record, I do not wear bonnets. I have a big head, so the elastic in bonnets is always too tight. I feel no kind of way when I see women wearing bonnets in public. Now obviously, when it comes to places of business or houses of worship, where there might be a dress code, I might be taken aback if someone showed up at the corporate meeting in a bonnet. But not the airport.
A female doctor told the story about how she worked a 16-hour shift, came home took a shower, and got ready for bed before she realized she was out of diapers or milk or something for her baby. For whatever reason she had to be the one to go to the store to get the item. She was so tired she wanted to cry. But she had no choice, so she threw her jacket over her pajamas and kept her bonnet on her head and went to Walmart. She was exhausted and did not have it in her to care about what other people thought. How many people would have judged her based on her attire?
When we tie things like wearing bonnets to the airport or wearing pajamas to Wal-Mart to this concept of “self-respect,” it makes us seem judgmental and in some instances elitist. When we see people dressed in ways that makes us “tsk, tsk” in many cases we have no clue as to why they are presenting themselves the way they are and nor should we (the strangers) care. If you don’t want to wear a bonnet out in public, then don’t. But please get off the soapbox, they ain’t listening no way.
Debating
Written By: Shirley Lemon
10/18/2022
It is political debate season again. With the midterm elections upon us, there will certainly be the façade of debates. I say façade because… what are those people really doing?
A debate is defined as: A formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward.
A façade is defined as: An outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.
When I was in high school many, many years ago, my school had an excellent debate team. My brother was a debater. He was very articulate and confident in his presentations. Both sides presented strong arguments on the subject they were debating. And though I already knew which team I would vote for (always my brother’s) I really learned a lot from the opposing team.
Over the years I have watched the political debates with growing disdain.
I have been bored, confused and downright insulted to the point that I have pondered the question, “Why are they still doing debates?”
Whereas debates were entertaining and informative to me in my youth, as an adult my time is valuable and I don’t want to waste it on stupid stuff. Today’s debates have disintegrated into stupid stuff.
Firstly, I already know who I will vote for before the debate happens. The debate should be to clarify and confirm any issues or lingering questions I might have about candidate of my choice. I do not listen to debates for fun. I just want to find out if the candidate can at least speak to the subjects that are important to me and if they can stand up to the pressure of someone else’s opinions. If my candidate is eliminated then I will still go with the last person standing in my party. Not because they are so good, but because I have already determined that the other team is worse.
Secondly, the talking points are dry, uninspiring, and repetitive. There is little truth in what comes out of the mouths the candidates. Polls are taken, town halls and think tanks are attended in advance to find out what the people want and then the debate is tailored to tell you what you want to hear. They have no intention of actually doing any of the things they promise. The few who really want to do good know that the powers that be will fight them tooth and nail to make sure that the pledges made are empty.
It’s like when I was in junior high school. The kid running for class president promised that there would be pizza every day and no more homework. We knew it was nonsense but it sounded good. However, in junior high school we didn’t have to worry about putting food on the table, keeping the utility bills paid and having good health care for our family.
Thirdly, in todays “debates” the moderator will ask a question and candidates proceed to completely ignore it. They babble on and on about irrelevant issues just to take up time and to keep their opponent frustrated.
Do I sound pessimistic? About today’s politics I am. Political debates are stupid. They are not real debates. They are unnecessary.
The 2020 presidential debate was so bad that I felt like I was in the twilight zone or the outer limits. Maybe both. I will not subject myself to a nightmare like that again. I will do the research to get information about my candidates of choice. There will be news stories, sound bites, and interviews that will give me all the information I will need to make a well informed decision.
Although I think there are dark days ahead, all is not loss. My hope is that younger, less tarnished people will gain control of our political system and bring back merit to the art of debate. I hope they will speak the truth and deliver what they promise.
They Want to Spank Your Children
Written By: Shirley Lemon
9/6/2022
A school district in Missouri is going to allow their administrators to spank the children. When I read the article written by Rich Mckay, I immediately felt my blood pressure rise. That’s a really bad idea.
It brought back a memory of my childhood. I was in the fourth grade. I was sitting at my desk near the window, minding my own business, staring out at the sky, daydreaming about life when the middle-aged white woman teacher walked up to me and slapped me. I was shocked. And then I was angry. Mostly I was embarrassed. She didn’t say a word to me, she just went back to her desk and sat down as if nothing had happened. She must have asked me a question and because I was in my own world, I didn’t hear her. But is that a reason to slap me? I think not. But since she could do it with no repercussions on her part, why not. Physical abuse by the teachers was allowed in the 1950’s and 60’s. I don’t remember anybody in the class laughing or teasing me. They were all scared. They could have been next.
I didn’t tell my parents about it because in my mind either way it ended would not be good. First, my parents might have sided with the teacher and said I should have been paying attention. Then it would have been an open field for that teacher to hit me whenever she wanted. Secondly, my father might have gone up to the school and raised the roof off the building. Instead, I didn’t cower or cry. I sat up as straight as I could and gave her the meanest look I could conjure up. I gave her the evil eye for the rest of the hour. I was thinking to myself that if she hit me again, I was going to hit her back. And after that whatever happened, happened. She never hit me again.
It was a bad idea years ago when it was allowed all over the country and it’s an even worse idea now. Let me just throw this question out there: Which children are going to suffer the most from this practice?
The plan is presented all nice and neat and tied up with a big red bow. They are only going to spank the children whose parents sign an agreement to do so. The only person who will do the spanking is the principle and he/she must have another person present when they do it. They are going to spank the child with a paddle “only when all other alternative means of discipline have failed.” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Listen people of color, you can go ahead and let the school beat on your child if you want to. But don’t go complaining about it when your child is the only one getting the beatings. Because it is beating. Who did they use to beat unabashedly down through history? Now you want to give them the opportunity to do it again?
Apparently, some of the parents think it’s a good idea. But like most people they are probably looking at other kids as the ones with disciplinary problems bad enough to warrant a beating. Not their kids, their kids are good kids.
Children do need to be disciplined. Parents need to do it themselves. It’s not easy but, you knew raising children wouldn’t be easy when you had them, right?
In this upside-down world, we call the U.S.A., do not feed your children to the wolves. Between the religious bigots and the political crazies that are ingrained in our society today it is a dangerous time to give the rights of your children to anybody.
The children today will not be silent. They are not just going to allow school administrators to hit them. You cannot use disciplinary methods of the 60’s on these children. Many of the children have no respect for authority because they see them for what they are. The authority figures of today are weak self-serving hypocrites. “Do as I say not as I do”, is not going to work with them.
Are you beginning to see what they mean when they say, “Make America Great Again?”
Don’t let them make it “great again” on the back of our grand, and great grandchildren.
Who Asked You?
Written By: Nakema Lemon
8/16/2022
If social media is the devil, then Twitter is the den of iniquity. I have forty-seven followers on Twitter, and I don’t even know why. I’ve literally never posted anything. I’m too scared. Twitter reminds me of an underground fight club. It can be entertaining to watch, especially when the person talking all the trash gets that beat down. But I’m too grown and too pretty to fight, so I never engage, I just read the tweets.
A few weeks ago, I noted something interesting that happened on Twitter.
The New York Post posted a picture of the SI Swimsuit cover featuring the plus size model Yumi Nu.
Dr. Jordan Peterson quote tweeted the picture with the caption. “Sorry. Not Beautiful. And no amount of authoritarian tolerance is going to change that.”
After Twitter lit into his a$$, in defiance Dr. Jordan Peterson tweeted, “Rage away, panderers. And tell me you believe that such images are not conscious and cynical manipulation by the oh-so virtuous politically correct.”
Twitter was relentless. The fight club was in full effect, so Dr, Jordan Peterson tweeted the following. “I recently stopped accessing Twitter for three weeks as an experiment. I had some of my staff post video links etc. It was a genuine relief. I started to read & and write more. I started using it again, a few days ago, and I would say that my life got worse again almost instantly.”
Sometime later Roxane Gay (love her) tweeted this. “Jordan Peterson took the time to share he didn’t find a cover model attractive, doubled down, and then threw a tantrum and left Twitter when people pointed out that his glass house is very very glassy?”
For the record, before this incident I had never heard of Yumi Nu or Dr. Jordan Peterson. Yumi Nu is a beautiful model who looked stunning on the magazine cover. But this is not about Yumi Nu or how she looked.
This is about Dr. Jordan Peterson and people like him. According to his profile he is a Clinical Psychologist who joined Twitter in 2009 and now has 2.8M followers. He’s not new to the platform, so I was surprised to see that he was surprised by the response. Roxane Gay’s tweet sums it up. He shared an unsolicited opinion, and he received backlash. Twitter 101. Maybe he thought that if he shrouded his insult in a politically laced statement, he would get a lot of likes and retweets. But it backfired spectacularly. He was trying to sound like an intellectual but came off looking dumb. Then he made it worse because he started whining about it. He jumped into the ring at the fight club, and then cried like a baby because he got molly wopped with that vicious right hook.
Here is this the thing. When you share an unsolicited opinion, you have to be prepared for an unsolicited response. Especially when the opinion is derogatory. Don’t strike out at people if you can’t take a hit. And no matter how profound or deep you think your opinion may be, there is always going to be someone that disagrees, thinks you’re stupid, and doesn’t care.
Because who asked you?
President Joe
Written by: Shirley Lemon
7/19/22
I kinda think I want to say something about Joe Biden. As hard as I try to stay away from politics, I keep getting drawn back into them. Partly because so much of our lives is dependent upon the decisions the politicians, we put in office make, but partly because the party that I align myself with is so disappointing right now.
Over the years while encouraging my children and now grandchildren to vote, I have told them that selecting the right candidate for any office can sometimes seem like a fool’s errand. For Black people it has always been a matter of choosing the lesser of the evils.
We know that nobody’s ever really been completely truthful with us. They tell us what they think we want to hear. It’s been a white man’s world and everything in this country is structured to serve the white man. Even so, we have an obligation to vote. Our ancestors died for our right to vote, and we have to honor their sacrifice.
Having said that, many times, especially lately, I have wondered to myself, “WHAT IS THE POINT???”
Politicians have always expertly sprinkled a tiny bit of truth within the many lies they tell so that we will feel like they are there for us. We feel a flicker of hope and check a name on our ballot.
But this new species of politician has clearly been produced in a petri dish (not a peach tree). They have no soul. They are a strange breed of crazy coming straight from the pits of hell. They are followers of Jesus Jones (see previous article Jesus Jones)
So, about Joe. I voted for him. He was not my first choice. He was sixth or seventh on my list. There were so many democratic candidates for president during the 2020 election season that they couldn’t get them all on the stage at one time. Yet of all those people, Joe Biden was the last man standing.
I am a baby boomer. My generation certainly has a lot to answer for. Joe Biden is from the silent generation (1928 -1945). They taught the boomers how to be racists. It was a time when white privilege was not questioned, and Black people were not really considered to be people. They fought in the wars, worked the fields, cleaned white people’s homes… you know the drill. The overwhelming majority of politicians were white, meaning the house of representatives had four Black men during that period and the senate had none. All of those white men held what we today call conservative views no matter what party they were from. It was just a matter of degree.
Back to Joe. I liked him a lot when he was vice president to my forever President Barack Obama. They seemed to work well together and complemented each other’s strengths. I appreciated him. Then the nightmare of the next administration came and went. Then came President Joe Biden. My only issue in the beginning was I felt we needed somebody with more energy than him. I got tired just looking at him. I wanted to take a nap after every speech. The mess that had to be cleaned up from the previous administration would require supernatural strength. I didn’t get that vibe from Joe. But Joe was the chosen one.
Then he came out with his campaign slogan; “Build Back Better.” It left a bad taste in my mouth. How is that different from “Make America Great Again”? I began to feel a trickle of doubt about Joe.
President Biden has been in office for nearly two years now. I can see clearly what his political train of thought is. To build back better means to go back to politics the way they used to be. Throw Black people a bone every now and then because, you do need our vote. Knowing that you are our only choice means you don’t have to have to put much meat on those bones.
Other than that, just have fun bantering and bargaining with your good friends across the aisle. In today’s climate that means give the republicans what they want, with a smile. They are good people, right?
You can go back to sending our children of color and white children too, to fight wars in other countries to die senselessly, not for our freedom but for your financial and political gain. Sit back and watch with a smile on your face while your buddies raise the price of gas so high that mainstream people can’t afford to drive their cars. Wait! Why stop there? Just raise prices higher on everything! Food, clothing, housing, prescription drugs, medical care, leave nothing untouched. Build it back better!
People of color are dying in the streets. There are records being broken for the number of homeless people in America. People can’t afford housing or medical care. We are losing our voting rights. Women have lost their right to choose what to do with their own bodies. Maybe I won’t be able to vote for you in 2024 because I might not have that right any more by then. What do you say to that Joe?
To be fair, I know that becoming President when he did was at a really difficult time. There was so much that needed to be done. I can’t imagine the nightmare his team walked into when they walked into the White House. You have my sympathies and my prayers.
Joe had a dream of what his presidency would look like long before he actually became president. He has been in politics longer than the new generation of politicians have been alive.
He had dreamed his dream for so long. He had it all worked out in his mind how his glory days as president would be. Sadly Joe, it is just your bad luck that the time you dreamed of is long past. You can’t use 1985 political strategy in 2022. It doesn’t work! These are not the same people. Even the old fossils like you have changed their grand design. They once crept around in the shadows like vampires denying that they were predators and tried to paint a picture of integrity and religious superiority. Everything they did was for the good of the country. Now they have dropped the pretense and are openly mean and hateful. They gleefully hurt and destroy the lives of the many to sustain the wealth and power of the few.
I don’t think Joe Biden is a bad person. He has done some good things during his tenure in office so far. I’m sure that many days he has felt like he was swimming in mud. He is not against Black people. He has kept his promise to put more Black women, people of color and people of the LGBT community in office. He is not trying to harm us. But we are not getting much help. We have no security.
I think he is just an old white man who wants to relive his “good old days.”
Those days were not good for us Joe. We want to go forward. We just want to “Build Better.”
Jesus Jones
Written by: Shirley Lemon
7/1/22
I am trying to remember something. I have been searching my mind and I have flipped back through the years of my church going history. For the life of me I just can’t remember the part in the bible that talks about Jesus Christ and guns. Was I sleeping that much in church? How did I miss that?
I remember the parts about Jesus teaching about loving your neighbor. You don’t need a gun for that. I remember the parts about feeding the hungry. You don’t need a gun for that.
There’s a scripture about children being a gift (heritage) from the Lord. I think that means we should love them and protect them from harm. Offer them a chance to have a bright future. No need for guns there either. There’s also one that says it would be better for you to have a millstone hung around your neck and be cast into the sea than for you to offend one of these little ones. I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that to allow people to purchase assault weapons that they can then go into any public place and kill children… just because, we still don’t need a gun. We need a whole lot of millstones.
Jesus Christ walked everywhere. I do not remember reading where he pulled out a gun and shot anybody. Not once did he pull out a bible, a gun, and a baby.
I am truly mystified about this Jesus I keep hearing about lately.
In fact, I do recall reading that the one time one of his disciples got angry and cut off the ear of a Roman soldier with a sword, Jesus Christ put it back on and told his disciple not to do that.
I’m not a scholar but using my brand of deductive reasoning I think I can conclude that he would have done the same thing if the disciple had shot the man with a gun.
The Jesus I read about in the bible is “The Prince of Peace.” There were those who did not appreciate that fact. They wanted war. They thought that he should ride in on a white horse and smite every person that did not agree with everything he taught. Instead, he had this crazy idea that people should be allowed to choose for themselves who they would serve. Or if they would serve anybody. He made it very clear what would happen if you didn’t choose him, but still it was your choice. He didn’t mention anything about a gun. Go figure.
Those ideas about love and forgiveness and peace got Jesus killed. Those in charge felt like if they could promote greed and hatred and utter chaos then they could keep the people repressed, depressed and in despair. They could control everything the people did.
The Jesus I keep hearing about may have been alive and well back in my Jesus’s lifetime. I’m guessing there was more than one man named Jesus. I’m guessing the man I keep hearing about is Jesus Jones.
(I apologize to all the Jesus Jones’ to whom this does not apply)