dagblog - Comments for "I Bear Witness"

Well put Wattree.I guess you

Richard Day — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:32:13 +0000

In reply to Hi Richard, I typical GOP

Well put Wattree.

I guess you can even have epiphanies in prison!

Maybe you have found a new Malory!

Wow! Flowerchild, I wish I

Wattree — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:39:12 +0000

In reply to Eric, this very much echoes

Wow!

Flowerchild, I wish I had said that, and I just may at some point in the futrue - but I'll be sure to give credit for it.

I completely agree, Oleeb,

Wattree — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:33:16 +0000

In reply to Well done Eric... as

I completely agree, Oleeb, and your eloquence is not lost on me.

I'm going to take your comment and send it to my son, who's in prison, that I spoke of above. He gets one of the papers that I write for delivered to him in prison. In our last discussion he said, "I hear where you're coming from, Pops, but how are we gonna get through to the people?" I intend to send him your eloquent response.

And you're absolutely right about Martin and Malcolm. Actually, I used their names as a metaphor to represent voices of like mind. As I'm sure you are aware, in poetry, unlike prowes, you shoot for the heart, rather than simply appealing to the intellect. So the use of Malcolm and Martin was merely a poetic device. I agree with you. We don't need one voice speaking for millions; we need millions speaking with one voice.

So do I, Ramona. Although

Wattree — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:13:16 +0000

In reply to Beautiful, Eric. Not to

So do I, Ramona.

Although we'd never know it to listen to Beck and Limbaugh, the racial conflict was the last war. We're currently knee deep in a class war that we simply must win. If the corporatists and GOP win, America will no longer be America.

But maybe there's a silver lining here. When the people begin to feel what's happening to them, chances are it bring us all together to once again appreciate the importance of freedom and justice to our way of life,

Thank you, Emma. It's very

Wattree — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:04:19 +0000

In reply to BRAVO!Excellent!Otherwise

Thank you, Emma.

It's very gratifying to be heard and appreciated.

Hi Richard, I typical GOP

Wattree — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:01:08 +0000

In reply to Great piece of poetry.But I

Hi Richard,

I typical GOP fashion, Mr. McInnish has taken a kernel of truth and prepared a banquet of lies. History has clearly shown that Black people, like any other group of people, excel in any endeavor that they are rewarded to pursue. They used to say that Blacks were incapable of playing major league baseball. And prior to Johnnie Cochran stepping onto the world stage, they used to say that due to the impact of affirmative action, Black professionals were professional in name only, and they were not as competant as their White counterparts.

Even in my own case, when I revealed to a high school counselor that I wanted to become a writer, I was given a lecture on the importance of setting realistic goals. So I immediately dropped out of school as a direct result of that discussion. After all, if my dreams were limited to becoming a mechanic, why was I wasting my time in school? I would probably still be adrift if three years later an insightful judge hadn't given me the option of going into the Marine corps instead of prison.

So while there are undoubtedly problems within the Black community, a tremendous amount of creativity and brain power also resides there. As any cognitive scientist can attest, the very same creative intellect that went into the development of a Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Ray Charles, or Langston Hughes, can also be applied to Biology, physics, or any other endeavor.

As an aside relative to this discussion, I've just recently found out that I have another son. My name is Eric Lamont Wattree, and his is Byron Lamont Wattree. His mother and I came together as teenagers, then shortly thereafter I went in the service, so I knew absolutely nothing about him. His mother, who contacted me several months ago, told me that she didn't tell me about him because almost immediately after getting out of the service I got married, so she didn't want to "disrupt my life."

Byron is currently doing 25 years to life in prison on the three strikes law. But while he's been in prison he's obtained five AA degrees (he can't obtain a BA in prison), and six Certificates of completion in everything from mathematics to Biology, and he's currently running a program in prison to help other inmates to obtain degrees. He's also a very powerful writer.

So I have an intimate appreciation of the negative impact that environment can have on Black youth. You see, my other son, Eric Lamont Wattree, Jr, who my late wife and I raised, is currently a federal agent. And prior to becoming a special agent, when he was in the air force he was Airman of the year for two years row, and was requsted, by name, to accompany President Clinton all over the world. He was given a commendation by the Air Force for his service. He was recommended for officer candidate school, but when the agency that he currently works for requested him, he was discharged on the spot after six years of service.

So the key to igniting the brain power in the Black community is to reassess our priorities and begin to reward excellence. We've got to get young Black men to pursue knowledge with the same passion that they pursue going into the NBA or NFL. And therein, lies my mission.

You know Oleeb, there is a

Richard Day — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 06:40:34 +0000

In reply to Well done Eric... as

You know Oleeb, there is a reason I like you!!! ha

Well done Eric... as

oleeb — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:27:10 +0000

In reply to I Bear Witness

Well done Eric... as usual!

My only comment is that we cannot be satisfied to wait for another great leader like Martin or Malcom to come along. Each person must take action, not necessarily dramatic, earth shattering action but action nonetheless. Each act of conscience has the power of inspiration. Each act of courage has that power too. Each act of witness opens eyes and thus attracts the gaze of others who might otherwise never have seen a thing. Martin and Malcom did what they could do. All of us are responsible for doing similarly by doing what we can do. We cannot expect everyone to do the things they did or possess the same abilities. Recognizing the wide range of contributions that can be made, it is never too much to ask people to do what they can. The only failure is in doing nothing. When we do this, eventually, the cumulative effect of a million acts of conscience, courage and witness has unlimited power. Though we may feel as though we wander alone or very nearly so doesn't mean we are. Millions all around us feel the very same way. In order to eliminate that feeling of isolation we must join together all those of like mind. The fact that we do not forget who we are and how we should be living means we have reason to look forward to tomorrow with a measure of hope at least equal to the amount of seemingly intractable despair we see around us.

Keep the faith Eric. Your witness does not go unnoticed, your voice unheard, or your sorrow unfelt. You are not alone.

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall.

Think of it - always." ---Mohandas K. Gandhi

Beautiful, Eric. Not to

Ramona — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 18:43:54 +0000

In reply to I Bear Witness

Beautiful, Eric. Not to diminish in any way what you've written here, but I feel much the same way about American labor:

"I once stood with a crowd. Now seemingly alone, I'm forced to bear witness -
horrific witness . . .
to the imminent demise of our people,

And my heart bleeds."

Eric, this very much echoes

wabby — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 18:42:29 +0000

In reply to I Bear Witness

Eric, this very much echoes the sentiments of the Native American Elders I know. They say it is like watching the children and grandchildren being stolen all over again, only this time instead of the young being forcefully assimilated into white culture, they are being coaxed by dreams empty of honor.