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Racism, A Plague

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What an insane last few months we’ve just had. I want to start this newsletter by saying RIP to George Floyd and that my love and prayers go out to him and his family. Never should a “supposed” forged check end in death. The treatment of people of color in this country from systemic abuses and police brutality has been out of control, and has been for ages. It’s a damn shame it’s taking people this long and this many deaths to see it. We should never have any place for racism in our country, or in the world, period.

I grew up as an ARMY brat. While I was born in North Carolina, I lived my entire live in Germany on a military airbase until it was time for me to go to college. I love my parents to death and they taught me so many lessons in life, not with their words but with their actions and how they treated everyone they came into contact with. Every time my parents would throw parties(which was often), white people were always the outnumbered folks as far as numbers went. Not because they chose to limit white people but because they chose to love and invite everyone. We had Black People, Hispanics, Asians, Germans, Arabic folks etc at our house. My parents broke bread with everyone. Anyone that had a good heart and was kind to my parents, we would invite them into our home. Thats how they are wired and that’s how my brother and I are wired having watched our parents growing up.

I think 20% of my friends growing up and 20% of my friends today, are white people. The rest of my friends are a true melting from people all over the world. I knew of horrific racism from my history books in middle school and high school but I never witnessed racism until I came to North Carolina for college. I believe most people turn out the way they are from their upbringing. People need to do a way better job raising their children and raising awareness for those that are oppressed. One of our best friends said she tells her husband not to wear hoodies when he goes out for runs. Imagine having to check your cardio wardrobe in the fear that whatever you’re wearing could cause your death. White people and people of color, most especially black people, live two different lives in this country. To argue that would make you look like an idiot, and an asshole. This has to stop, and stop now. I hear people say, “I hate what happened to George Floyd but at least it’s leading to progress.” Why should progress to receive fair and basic human rights take hundreds of years?! Thats bullshit, we need to make sure this stops right now. We don’t need to wait another 50 years or 100 years for more deaths to finally reach equality.

A good majority of my best friends are black. I love black people. When I did stand up comedy and I played black rooms, no body ever showed me more love than them. We’re all the sameā€¦..it’s a damn shame some people don’t get that. We’re all the same! We all have eyes, ears, mouths, arms, legs, hearts, lungs, etc. The only thing different from myself and people who have suffered like George Floyd is the color of our skin. How sad is that. I could NEVER imagine hating someone to the point where I wanted them dead, all because of the color of their skin. How sick is that!? I stand with black people. I stand with all people of color that are being killed and mistreated all around our globe. But just as I laid everything out in this post, I still learn every day and will continue to learn. I am listening. I don’t have all the answers as to what it will take to get everyone to share this mindset. Action is most important though. I will continue to educate where I can if I witness open racism. If theres anything I can do with my photography skills to help the cause or to help give back, I would love to do that, and if you know of any opportunities please reach out to me.

If there is anything I can do, reach out to me via my contact page. You can also reach me via my social media pages, Instagram or Facebook.

God Bless,
Scott

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