Sunday, January 15, 2012

Ain't I still a Negro? My birth certificate is the same as it was the week I was born



National News
Article 2, Volume 2                            January 15, 2012

                                                 Ain't I Still a Negro?                                                      


Just who am I? I mean, I know I am a child of God, but they keep changing or crossing me up about what I should be called.  Tell me, just who am I?

I was born a Negro. That is what they put on my birth certificate. I can show it to you. When I started elementary school. I was informed that Negro is a slave name, therefore, I should refer to myself as Colored. I told the teacher that everybody was colored. She told me I was being smart, so just shut up Colored boy and have a seat.

My first year in high school the teacher informed me that I was now Black and I should not use the words Colored or Negro because they were demeaning. She said I should use the word black, with a capital B. I told her that last year I was suspended 2 days because I called a boy Black, after he called me red. The teacher said that was last year, and now this is this year.

My freshman year in college they told me I was out of touch. I should use Afro/American for race. I told them I have never been to Africa so how can I be Afro/American?  My White friend from Africa can be Afro/American but not me.

But wait. If I am Afro/American, is the White man classified as European/American or the Asian as Asian/American? Oh, no, they say, just call them Americans or Asians.

Through all of the changes with my classification, America has been steadfast with the overall classification for white folks for hundreds of years. Just write White, and that is all right.  However, for us Black folks, there has been a constant change.  Tell me, how come?

I asked a lady from South America what classification did she use for her family. She said that her family use the category, Other.

Other is interesting. That means that you are other than all the others. In a sense, all of us are Other.

Somebody tell me the truth, ain't I still a Negro? Because through all the changes, my birth certificate, in block eight, still list me as a Negro.

So, just call me a Negro.  I won't complain, because all them other names are just nicknames, subject to change.

Copyright 2012 Grady E. Bryant  All Rights Reserved

Friday, January 13, 2012

Natural Death: Nine habits or practices that may be good to you, but may not be good for you, because they can lead to early death. But is it really natural?

National News

Article 1 Vol 2

Natural death is a common occurrence and classification. Whenever a person dies and it is determined that he/she was not killed in some manner, the death is generally classified as due to natural causes. Often there is  no explanation given. Although the death is natural, further examination will often disclosed that it could have been prevented or delayed for many years.

The body is made to last a long time if it is taken care of properly.  We can exercise and eat properly, but those practices do not guarantee a long life if we are not sound in many other areas of our lives.

I will list and discuss eight habits and practices that contribute to natural death:

1. Water. a. Lack of enough on a regular basis can cause our system to dry up and lead to kidney failure, improper body development and many diseases. b.  Too much water. Water is good, but too much of it can wash nutrients out of our system, thus leading to many of the sicknesses that we encounter for not drinking enough water.

2. Food. a. Eating too much of foods that we enjoy - knowing or unknowlngly - disregarding the facts that they are bad for our bodies.  For example, eating raw or poorly cooked meat, too much fried and processed food, consuming too much food cooked in improper oil. Also the intake of too much salt and sugar contribute to poor health and early death. b. Failure to eat enough of proper foods.Often, just a dab will do, but that dab may not be enough to keep the body functioning for a long period of time.

3. Stress. Worrying constantly about things that are completely out of your control or influence. For example, constantly in distress about money, work, children, family, friends and the economy. These worries causes our immune system to go bad and leads to early death.

4. Preventable diseases. a,Refusing to get vaccinations that can prevent sickness or diseases from destroying your body. b. Avoiding regular check-ups that can detect symptons of diseases that can lead to early death.

5. Excessive Time in Traffic. Spending three to four hours in traffic for 5 days a week can be very stressful. Also, the sitting down for a long period of time and be constantly in an anxiety mood, and the stress that goes through your body can lead to long term body damage.

6. Smoking. There is no upside, in my opinion, to smoking tobacco products. You can do all the things necessary to keep the body fit, but if you don't avoid the habit of smoking it may all go for nay, when it comes to living a long healthy life. I had a relative who was in excellent health, except for the lungs which was eaten away by tobacco. A lot of people are fooled by smoking mild ciggarettes. They believe that will help them avoid cancer. But, in my opinion, it just mean they will kill the person softly in a matter of time.

7. Drinking.  Excessive consumption of alcohol does not have an upside.  The alcohol will gradually destroy the liver and many other parts of the body.  Although, it may not cause death, it can lead to many sickness that will make a person unable to function mentally and physically.

8. Lack of Exercise. When you are able, but yet fail to get a minimum amount of exercise, the body will decay gradually, though you are still able to walk around. You can develop shortness of breath, overweigh, bones deficiencies, and worsen the effects of diabetes.

9. Fumes from household products.  Bleach is used to clean bathrooms and kitchen floors, cabinets, tables and many other household items. This product generally leaves a specific odor. We often just ignore it, and proceed with whatever we are doing.  Often, we ignore the odor and continue working in it, and even sat down to relax while the odor is still still strong in the house. Inhaling these fumes can lead to cancer, respitory problems,  and internal body damage.  The consequence can potentially contribute to early death. In  days of old, some families would spray DDT just before meal time. and wait about 15 minutes and start serving dinner while the odor was still in the house.  This practice, I believe, lead to many early deaths. They call them natural deaths. But were they?

There is one more that can be good to you but an over consumption can be very bad for you. So, you have to determine, in a logical manner how to deal with it. I can not go in detail because I promised to only write about nine habits and practices.

Nevertheless, be aware that natural death is often caused by habits and practices that we enjoy and we  refuse to make corrective adjustments even when we know the potential consequences.

Be safe, develop good habits and remember, the body, like fruit on the vine, if treated properly, can survive a long time.