The 'GOOD' of Bush

The 'Good' of Bush
Virtues: Legacy, record, recollection

I simply want to pose a simple question: In his 7 years in office, what GOOD things/acts have George W Bush done? I don't claim to be a 'left' or a 'right' wing dude at all, but I have to wonder what good (if any) has GWB done in his term? And the only blogs/articles that you see about GWB portray him in a negative light (which at times is really, really warranted). I can only think of complete f*ck-ups: ignoring warnings to 9/11, Iraq invasion, Iraq rebuilding, hunt for Osama (still on-going), stem cell research, the environment, Katrina, and the list goes on.

Growing up as an 80's baby, and living next to the U.S. giant, the only real U.S. president that has affected me was Clinton. And besides getting some brain in the office, I don't really recall Clinton f*cking up so much.

So I really got to ask what good has he done? It seems like every day there is a report that describes a folly, scandal, or blunder. But with winning a successful re-election, and maintaining a high approval rating (for the majority of his term), there must be something that he is doing that is right ... right?

Let me know, because I am baffled.

Peace.

Yes, even the homeless get grimey

Yes, even the homeless get grimey
Virtues: Racism, Discrimination, Economics, Poverty

True Story.

My boy and I are sitting in the student lounge of our University. We notice a homeless person - roughly in his mid 40's, white, scraggily clothes, unshaven, and is asking people @ tables around us for change; he was gradually making his way to each table, and he was about to approach us to ask us for change (or at least we thought). I was anticipating his approach & readying my response of "Nah, I don't have any change", but my boy was reaching into his pocket to grab his wallet to show some human compassion by giving him a few dollars. Now, dude looks straight at us. Looks us dead in our eyes. Walks right by us and asks the white women at the table beside us for money, and then continues down the row of tables asking people for a handout.

I didn't believe what had happened - not much things get to me as I can handle overt & non-overt acts of racism. But this thing here was like a slap in the face.

Ironically enough, we were probably the only people that were willing to give the muthaphucka any help.

A lesson learned.

The Black Type

We all know that stereotypes exist for all races & cultures. In a definitional construct, a stereotype can be defined as a generalized statement regarding behavior or attitude for a group of people. Stereotypes are usually developed from either personal experiences or are absorbed from various media texts. Personally, stereotyping is a part of human functioning - on a cognitive level it is applying a mental framework (set of ideas & concepts) to a situation, problem, or interactions. The problem for the 'art' of stereotyping comes in its application - treating people a certain way because of a stereotype. I'm sure we have all experienced that feeling - some more than others, and I accept this reality. My qualm is not really the 'treatment', but the "limits of potential" that stereotypes can exert.

I get that being a young black male that I am maladapted, aggressive, may have several illegitimate children, very fashionable, do several drugs, and have a lack of respect for authority figures - due primarily to the absence of a father figure in my childhood. Now with that fact(s) I am also an entrepreneur. In regards to entrepreneurs, when I tell others that I have businesses, the primary assumption is that I am either creating a music label or clothing line. Whats alarming is that black, white, asian, brown people like place the same limit: the extent of the 'Black Entrepreneur' is limited to Music & Fashion. So one can imagine the shocking expressions I receive when I tell others that I have a Media & Event Planning Company; worse when I get into rich descriptive detail regarding concepts & terms. The change in behavioral expression (facial, body, verbal) is almost instant - the limits that were disposed on me had been shattered & something significant has happened. I am now no longer a "constant, predictable negro" in their eyes - I now represent a variable that can not easily be defined by existing stereotypes. Making my potential limitless - of course, I knew this all the time, but it brings me a sense of joy to 'school' others from time to time whom try to limit me.

NOTE:
Ironically, when you stereotype others & place limitations on their behavior, you kind of limit your own abilities to think outside the 'box' or paradigm.

Irony is a Bitch isn't it?