Educational Excellence

It’s Friday again, and I’ve been waiting to do a “TGIF” with youse – TGIF! 

So, how does it feel to live in a “world” or have a lifestyle with alternate universes, perhaps alternate realities?!? Can you imagine how it feels to be considered a “suspect” because of the color or your skin … and be followed in stores, women clutching their handbags or locking the doors of their cars when “one” walks by while crossing the street?!?  Naw, you don’t want to know ’bout that!!  Now, if this goes on from the time one is four or five and continues through say … 25 years of age … like what happened in August of 2019 to Elijah McClain who was surrounded and choked, given “ketamine” to calm him down … and then died in the custody of the Aurora, CO PD …  This is not acceptable!  Then I hear a police union representative from Minneapolis complain about the police being “vilified” … “SHUT YO’ MOUTH”!!!  The treatment of this 160lb. massage therapist was despicable!!  #bodycamerasremoved

One has to understand the history of “white supremacy” to see how it serves to demean people of color while providing a “cushion” in a “race-conscious” society dominated by people of no color – white!  Those of you who know me also know that I don’t consider myself to be prejudice or racist (can I really be?), but KNOW that one can FEEL the difference that one’s skin color makes in how one is perceived and treated.  Thusly, it is important for a “brother” to be over-prepared and perform exponentially better than “expected”.  Then, for the less confident, low self-esteemers of non-color, the door opens for acceptance …. or hostility based on the race of the overperformer!  WT@?!?  THIS is why the youth of ALL colors are marching in peaceful protest of the omnipresent racism world-wide.  One needs to be intelligent and feeling to understand this dichotomy.

Norm Stamper, former police chief of Seattle says: “Police bureaucracy is toxic!”  He continued in a recent interview stating that it was painful to see “an act of murder” committed in plain view in the day time … by a person with a police uniform.  This is information for those who don’t know the history of policing in the States … it was ALWAYS like this for people of color!  Professor of Social Psychology Clifford Stott at Keele University says that the police must be professionalized … they need to be taught to understand crowds and the use of appropriate tactics especially “de-escalation”.  Imagine an officer grabbing you from behind as you walk from the store at night with your purchased items … because someone called “911” and said there is a person acting suspiciously … and the officer tells YOU not to tense up!!!  It is at this moment that “de-escalation” is required.  If the police are to remain intact, they need to be trained “longer” and given professional techniques (NOT CHOKING!!) to utilize if and when things go awry.  I’ve been there, the officers often like to escalate … and that’s when I whole-heartedly try to DE-ESCALATE any situation.

In closing, mainly because I’ve seen some of the pain caused to “good people” trying to explain the evils of racism, everybody is not going to agree, here’s my take on things.  There are some people who enjoy their “fictitious white privilege” and would be pret’ near distraught without it!  Some people will never admit that they are wrong while others will never change …  Stay focused on YOUR goals and continue moving forward in your quest for equality under the law …

Peace,

John I. Cook. Director

Happy Friday, Y’all!

So, I’m going out on a limb today and “TGIF” for e’rybody!! TGIF!!!  May we acknowledge “Juneteenth” for what it was …  But don’t forget what happened 100 years ago in Greenwood’s” Black Wall Street” there near Tulsa, Oklahoma!!  All “black-owned businesses” and property were burned to the ground by “hostile whites” based on the typical lie … “a white woman’s claim of attack by a black MAN” … Please STOP this madness!

Have you seen enough of the “muck and grime” in some law enforcement agents?!  So, we need an excuse now … to stand on a man that we just shot in the back as he ran away from “injustice” … after taking his taser?!  Y’all might want to check your “human rating” before justifying such incompetence and cowardice!!  Have you ever been incarcerated … and lost EVERYTHING?  THAT’s why Mr. Brooks ran … been there, done that … thank GOD I’m still here … and NOT in the States!!

Redditt Hudson, former St. Louis Police Officer says: “15% of the officers do what is expected of them or better.  15% of the police officers take advantage of their power and look for every opportunity to be selfish.  The remaining 70% will follow whichever mode of behavior that they find themselves surrounded by …”  Meanwhile, the “stable genius” says:  “Yes, there are a few bad cops.  But it’s a tiny number of them.”  Choose wisely.  Mr. Hudson is the board chair for The Ethics Project as he encountered horrific abuse of police power while he worked as an officer in St. Louis.  The other guy is a multiple failed business nightmare … but 24 hours a day!!  “Tweetle lee tweet- tweetle – dee – DUMB!”

It’s time for “the next generation” to claim the Planet!  I personally think that they may be able to save the Planet, themselves … if the greedy, power-corrupted failed leadership will get out of the way.  We need a “world” based on humans with character who want to “know” the mysteries of life on this Planet – NOT control them.  We need a world-wide social order based on “life-sustaining values” and not those values based on skin color, religion, sexual orientation … or “place of birth” . . . EARTH.  I am a strong believer in “spirituality”, which in my opinion, is the way to maintain one’s connection with “the higher-order” … call it what you will!

There are many “moral lessons” in these days and times … and we’ve got to let the “young leadership” take charge to implement a “better” mode of living on the Earth.  The “expiring” generation’s obsession with “power and division” seems to have caused the current “state of affairs”!  It’s about that time again … for a “love revolution”!  See what you can do to make things better for ALL LIVES!!  “Silence is complicity!”  Don’t stand around and “watch” as “we” have been conditioned to do … and witness our own demise!

Peace, Love, and Blessing!

John I. Cook, Director

Good day and a Happy Friday.  Yeah, “change” is good if you’re “clear” on what you’re changing into!!  I’m going to do it!  “T.G.I.F.”!

Values are lacking in our “acceptable” behavior.  Lies are okay nowadays, we don’t expect any more from others.  Some folks seem like they’re stuck at a childhood level of behavior.  Other folks want to “look all over the place” for an answer instead of straight ahead!  No one knows how to admit they are mistaken and have the decency to apologize and do what is necessary to make amends! #generalmilley  I mean, if “we” keep sweeping the “trash” under the rug, the trash eventually will start to come out one way or another.  For example, racism in America … even worldwide!!

Haven’t African Americans “proven” themselves (me included!) over and over?!  Have you any idea how such “hostile vibrations” cause a person to feel … over and over … day after day?  Maybe other activities like drinking or drugs … (or later “yoga”) may be necessary or helpful to “get through some nights”?!  Maybe, fight back … like I used to by filing internal affairs complaints against “unprofessional” police officers!  The Minneapolis Police had more than 2,000 complaints since 2013 and there were only 30 punishments!  Not only had Chauvin murdered another citizen in Minneapolis (no charges, no discipline #powerfulpoliceunion) but, Thao the other veteran of 5 years who watched as the lyncher took Mr. Floyd’s life, had one complaint about “excessive use of force” that resulted in the City paying the victim $25,000.00 and NO punishment for Thao either.

Then, if that’s not enough corruption and disrespect to all people of color, the rhetorical question has become:  “Is there systemic racism in America (USA)?”  Let’s examine the facts right quick …  “Is a country that was established by force on land confiscated from the “Natives”, populated by Western Europeans from various walks of life, and then built by slave labor (free labor) of African people under punishment of death …. considered to be a racist country”?  Now, if you were fortunate enough to have played with colored crayons in pre-school and learned a bit about “pie charts”, you should be able to figure out the answer to that question.

It’s pretty elementary to see that “Black Lives Matter” doesn’t mean “ONLY Black Lives Matter” but maybe better paraphrased as “Black Lives Matter, Too!”  Now, if we could all join hands and sing together … just kidding though I wish it were so simple a task!  It was said after the “Rodney King Attack” … ” Can’t we all just get along?”  Perhaps that is a bit more straight forward.  Let’s have some serious (not ridiculous nor accusatory) conversations and get humanity back on track …

Peace,

John I. Cook, Director

Yeah, y’all … we’ve got to go “deep” inside to find the Happy Friday today … so, digging “deep”, I’m able to come up with a smooth “TGIF”!  And you?!?

Something’s going on, Y’all!  You know, when a generation of “young people” realize the injustices of many forms of government, they are able to take a closer look at “how we’re living” in the “land of the free, home of the brave”.  When young “intelligent” and caring minds see a cause worth believing in, they embrace it!  They haven’t been corrupted “yet” with systemic racism and the advantages of “white privilege”.  Over my years facilitating learning in different settings, I have found that if their minds become interested AND they “understand”, they are ready to take action.  I recall the experiences I’ve had in community organizing with A.C.O.R.N. in Florida to get President Obama elected, as well as those experiences in the classrooms I’ve worked in!

How can it be a practice to “allow” (or ignore) a gun, taser/pepper spray toting police officer with EIGHTEEN COMPLAINTS including one that resulted in the death of a citizen … to keep its job?!?!  Can you “keep YOUR job” with 18 complaints!?  But then to permit THAT officer to commit murder (homicide) and go almost a week before being arrested is despicable!  Chief Craig of the Chicago Police Department said it best:  “That officer should immediately have been placed in cuffs and the case turned over to a prosecutor.”  You see, as Mr. Crump, Esq. explained, “There are two systems of justice in the United States . . .”  Without the videotaped incidents that occurred most recently, we would never “see” that.

I have been meditating for a few years now.  I’ve always tried to meditate in the past but there were so many distractions, I could only get a few minutes in while in yoga.  For me, “prayer” involves talking to “your God” and meditation is when you “listen” to your God.  This requires a quiet ambiance for me with no distractions, if possible.  Nowadays, I can feel the “positive energy” inside of me as it radiates to protect me from “hostile forces” usually encountered in what I’d like to call “spiritual warfare”!!  It too is omnipresent and we must acknowledge it’s existence … the good and the bad!  Usually, I can recognize a creature with low energy levels; consequently “not-so-positive” vibrations.  In Minneapolis, as well as Houston where Mr. Floyd lived before moving, the word was that he was a “gentle giant”!  Why couldn’t the officers who illegally arrested and killed him recognize this “gentle giant”?!?

I conclude that racism is a mental illness!  Feel free to write back or post any comments you deem “worthy” for others to read on the website of Educational Excellence.  I will approve it for all to see.  “Be the best that you can be!”

Blessings,

John I. Cook, Director