“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.”

An opinion is like a “belly button.” Everybody has one.

As evidenced by recent news media coverage, the “Court Of Public Opinion” has spoken in regards to the “over the top” offensive, sexist, and insulting words Don Imus aired publicly. MSNBC and CBS have decided to fire Imus. It gives me no pleasure to watch Imus fall from grace, nor do I view the potential loss of this shock jock’s employment as an occasion to celebrate.

As a sign of respect, I do, however, need to tip my hat to all the self-respecting women of the Rutgers basketball team, sororities, and women’s organizations, who weathered this emotionally charged season of heated debates with dignity and class.

I also want to applaud each of the major corporate sponsors who empathized with all the women Imus insulted with his racial slur, shared the collective pain of all women, and decided to withdraw their financial support from the Imus In The Morning Show.

Before closing out this chapter of humanity’s history book, I would be remiss if I failed to address the continued use of offensive, sexist language that has given me cause for concern. The culturally diverse women who have joined my community need to know that they have a safe place to come when they need to be edified, encouraged, and inspired.

All the women who don’t feel appreciated, loved, or respected for all that they’ve done to make the world a better place need to know that real men do indeed exist. We love you. We need you. We will not hesitate to stand up and protect you. We will not rest until all women feel safe and secure in our presence.

Since our actions still speak louder than our words, I need to confront a male member of the MyBlogLog Community for offending a lot more women than just my wife, KWiz, with his posts, “Racism; Who Cares” and “Racism; Who Cares Part 2.”

I am posting “Court Of Public Opinion” in the spirit of love, not hate to let the men who still don’t get it know that any type of offensive behavior will be challenged and dealt with swiftly. It is no longer socially acceptable to disrespect any woman for any reason at any time. In response to the message, “Racism, Who Cares!!,” I submitted the following comment:

Manchild on April 10, 2007 8:45 am

Hello [*],Your comments disappoint and deeply sadden me. No man’s daughter deserves to be called a nappy headed ho.” The music executives who paid the “rappers” to produce nothing by misogynistic “commercial” songs are just as guilty as the corporations who paid Imus to be a “shock jock.”

Hatred and bigotry are ugly. I speak from personal experience. I grew up during the time in our country’s history when I wasn’t “good enough” to be treated as a human being, when the police didn’t protect our families from the KKK, when angry mobs of people hung Black men from trees like pieces of strange fruit.

Do you have any children? I do. As the father of a “pearl of a girl,” I will give up my life to protect her from what I saw Black people endure. I understand the public outrage that has erupted by a lot more people than just Rev. Al Sharpton.

My wife, Kwiz, and I have posted a poem by a young Black girl who was so hurt by the insensitive racist remarks that emotionally devastate Black women that she cried while reading it. I hope what you read will change the way you feel about Imus’ egregious behavior.

As far as the gangsta rappers and hip hoppers are concerned, we have privately and publicly chastised and criticized them from the very beginning. But right now, Imus must be held accountable for his inexcusable behavior.

Enough is enough! I hope we can agree that’s it’s okay to disagree. Peace.

All’s well that ends well, right? Not.

Since old habits die hard, “Racism; Who Cares Part 2″ was posted in response to my comment. In response, my wife, KWiz submitted the following comment.

KWiz on April 10, 2007 12:02 pm

[*], you and everyone else is certainly entitled to their opinion about a subject, and racism is no different. However, your lack of compassion is astounding. Yes, disagreement is allowed, even encouraged sometimes in order to have meaningful dialogue. However, you have never walked in the shoes of a Black man or woman at all, nor would you want to. And unfortunately, whether words spoken by Imus or rappers (who are not excused by any stretch of the imagination), or anyone else, the damage they cause for young people can be tremendous. I’m so sorry that you can’t empathize with that. But then again, not everybody can.

A real man will not tolerate racist, sexist, misogynistic, verbally abusive rhetoric directed towards any woman for any reason whatsoever is a lifetime mission of mine. Hence, my “intellectualized” response to any man who demeans, disrespects, diminishes, demoralizes, denigrates and harms the psyche of any woman, especially my wife are the words the In Living Color character Homey The Clown immortalized.

“Oh No! I Don’t Think So! Homey Don’t Play That!”

My antagonist’s subsequent decision to publicly post, “My New Ho,” for all the women of the MyBlogLog community and humanity’s global village to see speaks for itself. It is my heartfelt sincere prayer that the day will come when all the men we confront in the spirit of love will care enough about the women God has gifted to us to love, honor and respect “man’s most valuable resource.”

It would be arrogant of me to assume that I can speak for any woman other than my wife who’s letting me take the hit for her. So I won’t insult your intelligence by choosing to do so. Since the women of humanity’s global village can speak for themselves, I am, therefore, submitting this matter to the Court Of Public Opinion.

Posting your comments will let the men, who still don’t understand, know that it’s time to crucify an antiquated cultural lifestyle that has historically tolerated and condoned sexist, misogynistic, offensive, insulting, and degrading behavior.

Social injustice anywhere is still a threat to social justice everywhere.

If God’s love inspires you to do so, please let the men who don’t care know the reasons why no woman deserves to be called “nappy headed” or a “ho.” Doing so will challenge our blended, extended family members to engage ourselves in respectful, meaningful conversations so that the healing process to begin.

Thanks to all who choose to participate in the Court Of Public Opinion for sharing your comments and the gift of your time.

© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Personal growth is “painful.” Hearing the truth that makes people free “hurts.” Before the Book of Revelation ends, the Scriptures reveal the fact that humanity’s culturally diverse global village will experience “great tribulation.” Pain will always get our attention when nothing else will. Pain has always been the “Inspiration For Change” because power still concedes nothing without a struggle.

Most of my life, I’ve often asked God to grant all who ask the wisdom and understanding to know the reasons why old habits die hard. Why are we still so afraid confront ourselves, to challenge ourselves, to face our deepest fears and embrace Change? Do we still fear what closely follows and shadows seasons of Change?

Why are we still so afraid to challenge our peers, to confront evil doers, to take a bold and courageous stand, to speak truth to power in love? Why do we go along just to get along? Can it be that we’re afraid we might lose something, or someone, that produces great pleasure, comforts us, or give us a false sense of security?

Instead of just answering my questions during my quiet talks with God while in my secret place on bended knee, God places me smack dab in the middle of controversial scenarios to test my faith in Him. God places me in uncomfortable situations to see if I have the character, confidence, and courage to do what’s right, not what’s popular. It’s extremely difficult to dance to the beat of a different drummer if you need the “attention, approval, acceptance, and affection” of other people.

I’ve discovered that reading books and listening to the pundits, the experts, as they share their personal opinions and intellectualized perspectives only produces theories, philosophies, and ideologies. Their masterful, poetic movements during debates about controversial, emotionally charged issues that are relevant and meaningful to us may indeed be insightful. But mere motivation often falls short of producing everlasting change that results from the type of profound, personal introspection that Adversity inspires.

Have you ever broken a bone in “your” body, not somebody else? I have at least 3 times. Despite your high tolerance for pain, how long could you ignore what needed fixing? Despite the plethora of pain killers you swallowed to numb your body, how long could you avoid the fact that something was terribly wrong inside your skin? Mattered not what you did, you could not pretend that nothing wrong. You could not ignore the truth that you broke something that produced tremendous pain.

More times than not, God uses painful moments to get our attention. But God doesn’t force us to transform these defining moments into meaningful opportunities for tremendous personal growth. God gives us all free will. God doesn’t force us to love Him, to accept the greatest gift of all, to spin from within, to begin something new. God only places in positions where we have to take a stand for something or fall for nothing.

But be forewarned! People verbally vilified and crucified Jesus Christ for speaking truth to power in love. Taking an unpopular stand will always cost more than most people are willing to pay whenever an opportunity for growth appears. When God presents an opportunity for personal growth in your life, will you stand or fall?

© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Today, my wife, KWiz, and I have similar posts and have shared some of the same resources and information. So don’t think that your mind is playing tricks on you if you frequently visit both of our sites.

During last week’s nationally syndicated talk show, “Imus In The Morning,” Don Imus and executive producer Bernard McGuirk (and others), commented on the Rutgers women’s basketball team the following. Click here at MediaMatters.org for a detailed account and video of what Imus said while the Rutgers University Women’s Basketball team played the University of Tennessee in the NCAA championship last Wednesday.

IMUS: That’s some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos and –

McGUIRK: Some hard-core hos.

IMUS: That’s some nappy-headed hos there. I’m gonna tell you that now, man, that’s some — woo. And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so, like — kinda like — I don’t know.

McGUIRK: A Spike Lee thing.

…ROSENBERG: It was a tough watch. The more I look at Rutgers, they look exactly like the Toronto Raptors.

As the father of a 3-year old pearl of a girl, I got angry because that could have been my daughter Imus was talking about. My wife just happen to be styling our daughter’s hair this morning while listening to Rev. Al Sharpton during his nationally syndicated talk show, “Keepin’ It Real.” This civil rights activist addressed Imus’ racially-charged criticism of women who didn’t deserve to be disrespected.

During the Michael Baisden show (a nationally-syndicated Black radio talk show airing weekday afternoons), a young Black girl called and expressed herself in the form of a powerful poem. She cried as she passionately read her soul stirring poem on air. I want to personally thank Mr. Baisden for posting the following poem on his forum at MingleCity.com.

Violent
By Yvonne Espinoza

We’re violent because this is all we know
You taught us this along time ago
We’re violent because you made us this way
You beat us naked, you hung our people,
Raped our kids and stripped us of our pride
And you now wanna ask why?

Give us a reason not to be

You can’t, it’s impossible

Because to give us a reason, you’d have to right all the wrong you’ve done

But you can’t and if you could then
You’ve only just begun
You’d have to beg for mercy, plead and cry
You’d have to feel the pain we felt

The pain that took lives

You go through the hardships,
The trials and tribulations,
The suffering, the heartache, the dying babies
You sit on a boat full of hundreds of sick,
Old people living to die
How about you dance to make money
Look ignorant on t.v.
Go to jail for nothing
Harassed because others don’t like what they see

Have your people get beat to death
By those who get paid to protect
You eat trash to survive
How about you watch your people and babies die
Get sold for a dime

Kill themselves because they don’t want to live this life

We went through it then and we go through it now
And you know it’s true, and you still ask why?
How dare you have the audacity
Who made you king?

Despite common belief and despite what you think
There is only one king, one God
And he walks with me, with us
The ones who were forced to live in grief
Who were cut, killed, raped and beat
Like animals, brainwashed to think like you

You hacked away, pulled and dragged us down
Until we didn’t want to be Black or Brown
We didn’t want to be Colored or Negroes
We wanted to be High, Suddity, White Folk
We though if we looked, smelled, and act like you
We could live a regular life, and though we tried
You still continued to beat and lay us out
To hang us from our necks, to laugh at our bodies

You could never blame us for being this way
Because you taught us violence
So how dare you think of forming any kind of alliance
Now we know that two wrongs don’t make a right
But since we have none,
Why should we spare your life?

It’s your fault for all of this
And if you didn’t teach us violence
Then who did?
It couldn’t have been us
Because, remember, we’re ignorant!

You should be careful what you say
Because your words have power
Say it enough and it’ll come true…
I know you’ve heard of karma
God have mercy on you.

As the father of a pearl of a girl, I’ve been struggling since last Thursday to “intellectualize my emotions.” But my efforts have been in vain. Hence, I’ve been praying about my public response to the egregious remarks Mr. Don Imus espoused while on the air for millions of people to hear. Once again, this “shock jock” has deeply hurt the feelings of the beautiful women I love. For the women who know me, I will not hesitate to protect them with my life as every man should.

During Rev. Al Sharpton’s talk show, Imus did offer what he referred to as an “apology” for his ugly remarks. Since this is not the first time Imus has put his foot in his mouth, an apology is not enough. As Sharpton emphatically stated today, Imus must be held accountable for the damage he’s done to the image of the women he referred to as “nappy headed hoes.” Unfortunately, the damage has already been done as evidence by the aforementioned poem. Imus could have been talking about your daughter.

Today’s post should get the attention of the real men who love, honor, and respect all women. Matters not the colour of their skin, I honestly believe that every woman should feel safe and secure when in the presence of a real man. I’ll be the first to admit that one too many men have done a lousy job of protecting women.

Nevertheless, the focus of today’s post is Imus, a man who has developed a reputation for making insensitive, racist, remarks about Black women as evidenced by Ms. Terry Howcott’s “Imusinbordinaition” article. This type of inexcusable behavior must stop. Men, our women and daughters deserve better. Don’t you agree?

“Don Imus, how dare you!!”

© Copyright by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Because Jesus still lives, there’s hope for you and me. We can believe by faith that impossible is nothing to God. We can share a supernatural love that’s worth giving and receiving. Together, we can make a difference. With God’s help, we can change the world one person and one day at a time. Imagine all the possibilities.

“Happy Resurrection Sunday!”

© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday was “Good Friday.” As a child, I often wondered what made Good Friday so good. On Good Friday, Jesus Christ chose the nails that pierced His hands and feet. On Good Friday, the best Friend anyone could ever have was crucified by unbelieving men who knew not what they were doing. The only crime the rugged Carpenter with strong arms, clean hands, and a pure heart committed was choosing to love people who envied, despised, and feared Him for all the wrong reasons.

On Good Friday, the greatest person who ever lived died because He had the courage to speak truth to power in the spirit of love. On Good Friday, a lot of powerful people sitting in lofty positions of influence made some bad decisions. The unbelieving critics, cynics, and skeptics who mocked the prophetic Preacher adorned His head with a crown of thorns. On Good Friday, the sinless Son of God died a violent death.

On Good Friday, the virgin mother of Jesus, Mary, cried during her dark night of the soul at the foot of the cross still bearing the weight of her only son’s dead body. On Good Friday, a non-violent Nazarene was buried in a rocky grave and guarded by spiritually blinded men to prevent His body from being stolen. Upon first glance, Good Friday didn’t appear to be such a good day for Jesus. For a lot of disillusioned people who loved Jesus, who believed in Him, who followed Him, Good Friday didn’t have a happy ending.

As a child, I didn’t understand why Jesus had to die for nothing on Good Friday. Whenever I watched television shows about the greatest story ever told, I cried for a Person I didn’t even know. As a man, I still cry for people I don’t know. I still don’t understand why good people die so young for all the wrong reasons. But God does and that’s all I needed to know as a manchild. At such a critical age and crucial stage of my personal development, somebody loved my hard head and stubborn, strong-willed behind enough to share with me the truth about the eternal reasons why Good Friday was a good day. I sat down and read the Gospel according to John.

According to John 19:30, Jesus Christ said “IT IS FINISHED.” Searching the Scriptures for the answers to the questions my soul so desperately sought revealed to me the truth that makes people free. I discovered the reasons why Jesus Christ, the actually innocent One, chose the nails and died on a cross between two thieves. On Good Friday, the guiltless One said three words that enabled me to understand what makes Good Friday so good.

As a child, I didn’t understand the cryptic words that filled the pages of the Bible I held in my hands. As a child, I often wondered why Judas betrayed Jesus; why Peter denied Him, why Thomas doubted Him, why Satan tempted Him, why religious people hated Him so; why the disciples followed Him.

But I believed by faith in the physical resurrection of Jesus’ body come Sunday morning. By faith, I believed that a miracle occurred 3 days after His crucifixion. When his antagonistic accusers least expected it, Jesus conquered both Death and the grave. Because Jesus still lives, what happened on Good Friday still gives me hope that it ain’t over until God says it’s over even when our big dreams don’t cooperate.

On Good Friday, I’m reminded that a love like none the world has ever known hung on a rugged cross between two thieves. One believed. One didn’t believe. Only God knows why these two thieves, who were also being crucified on crosses while facing the same set of adverse circumstances, reacted so differently when they observed Jesus hanging on a cross. Only God knows the eternal reasons why two people react to the truth that makes people free so differently.

Hence, Good Friday has become a humbling day of introspection for me, a day to search deep inside the seat of my soul; a day to clean up my thoughts and clear out all the emotional mess that’s cluttering the place where all my secrets hide; a day to crucify my flesh and bury what’s not pleasing to God; a day to forgive and to seek forgiveness.

During Good Friday, I will be asking myself some very important questions. What do I believe about Jesus? Why do I believe what I do about my personal Lord and Saviour? I challenge you to do the same. Come Sunday morning, I hope you will know what you believe about Jesus Christ and why. As always, the choice to believe in Jesus Christ by faith and accept the grace of God is yours alone to make. So choose wisely.

© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

As many of you know, I’ve been in the process of birthing my big dream, but it doesn’t want to cooperate. For all the new members to our culturally diverse group of critical thinkers, my big dream is the pending release of my first reality-based novel which bears the same name as this site. It’s no secret that I’ve been carrying around the weight of this ever evolving literary project for over 10 years.

Yes, there have been many days when I’ve felt like giving up and quitting. But my faith in God has brought me too far to turn back now and feelings can be deceiving. Besides, meeting the “greatness of God’s faithfulness” has made it impossible for me to lose hope and abandon my vision and forget my big dream. In the meantime, what do we choose to do while we’re waiting on the Lord to open doors and windows no mortal hand can close? If you’re a writer, keep writing. Do some additional research. The faithful remain hopeful.

Use the extra time to see if there’s a better way, a more cost effective way, an unforeseen way to make your big dream come true. But whatever you do, don’t take your eyes off Jesus like Peter did and start looking at the winds of Adversity when they begin to blow. Isn’t it interesting that as long as Peter stayed focused on Jesus, he managed to do the impossible by “walking on the water.” Quick question. Who or what are you still allowing to distract you, to annoy you, to wear you down, to discourage you, to hinder you, just to keep you from doing what God created you to do with excellence?

Can it be that our “fear of failure” is still keeping many of us from getting out of the boat of what’s giving us a false sense of security? Since the first day of this unpredictable “year of firsts,” how many times have I challenged each of you to keep getting up, showing up, and pushing past the pain? How many times have I tried to encourage and inspire you to believe that we can help each other achieve great things with God’s help? Quit? Never. Give up? It’s not going to happen. I’m too close to finishing the task that my skeptical antagonists alleged was impossible for somebody like me to do.

When our big dreams don’t cooperate, what should we do during those “dark days and lonely nights when all seems lost?” Cry if you must but trust God absent any reservations. Quitting is never an option if you honestly believe that you were born to write or do what you’re doing now. Remember, God’s delay does not always mean that your big dream has been denied. I’ve learned not to argue with God when the answer to a prayer is “no.” Sometimes God’s no is an indication that now is not the time. One never knows how close they came to succeeding until after they give up and quit. Matters not what happens after our big dreams refuse to cooperate, trust God anyway.

Besides, not doing so would also make me a “hypocrite” since the main character of Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness, “When Good People Become Great,” is faced with the same adverse circumstances, unforeseen obstacles, and character building challenges I’m struggling to overcome now. If time permits, you can read a brief excerpt from an earlier version of the “revised” chapter, “Sun Dried Bones, Abandoned Visions, And Forgotten Dreams,” to see how the protagonist responds to what he discovers in this modern day “valley of dried bones.” You’ll have to wait a little longer to see what additional editing can do to make a manuscript worthy of your prospective readers’ time, respect, and hard earned money.

Having a quiet talk with God in my secret place usually puts me at peace whenever the invisible fist of Adversity strikes. Reading the Word of God always works for me when I don’t understand the reasons why now is not the time. According to Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 NIV, “There is a time” and a season for everything that happens on either side of the “Great Spiritual Divide.” Do you mind sharing some of your favorite Scriptures that have inspired you to “keep risin’ after every fall?” For those of you who aren’t “Christians” or faithful followers of the Christ, which means “the Anointed One,” what do you do during your darkest night of the soul?

I can still recall all the days God made me experience whatever I was going to teach during my in home Bible studies to see if my actions spoke louder than my words. As you know, “a faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted.” Is my faith in God being tested and strengthened right now? Most definitely. But God has never let me down. Tonight, I’ll have to search for the poem that talks about what happens when we pray for faith but God gives us more challenges to overcome. If you already have a copy of what I’m seeking, let me know where I can find it. When all else fails, all you can you do is “stand.” Just be careful where you choose to stand.

To illustrate what I mean, here’s a verse from the popular hymn, “The Solid Rock.”

“On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.”

© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Today’s post is also from the “Children’s Ten Commandments for Parents,” by Mr. Kevin Lehman as quoted in “Dear Abby,” Independent Press Telegram, January 12, 1981.

Commandment #1: “My hands are small; please don’t expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; slow down so that I can keep up with you.”

Commandment #2: “My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; let me explore it safely; don’t restrict me unnecessarily.”

Today’s post is from the “Children’s Ten Commandments for Parents,” by Mr. Kevin Lehman as quoted in “Dear Abby,” Independent Press Telegram, January 12, 1981.

Commandment #6: “I need your encouragement (but not your empty praise) to grow. Go easy on the criticism; remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.”

Commandment #7: “Give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I’ll be prepared to make the decisions life will require of me.”

Despite the fact many of us consider ourselves to be “grown folk,” don’t we also need the same things from each other that little children need from us on a daily basis?

©Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

“Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. [Eph. 6:4; II Tim. 3:15.]”

Proverbs 22:6 The Amplified Bible