The Black Lives Matter movement, just like the police force, isn't perfect

Since its inception following the not guilty verdict of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin, I've been a firm supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. Yes, "all lives matter," but it seems that black lives often get tossed to the side like they're of little or no value, to the point where many decided to stand up and say, "Black lives matter (too)!" However, like with all movements, as well as the police force, Black Lives Matter is far from perfect.

I, for one, just from a nationwide perception standpoint, didn't think taking the mic away from Bernie Sanders at a rally was the wisest of moves. Did it create a buzz? Yes. Did it inspire some people to join the cause? Yes again. However, did it sway people who were on the fence about the movement? Unlikely.

Then this past weekend, during a march at the gates of the Minnesota State Fair, for approximately thirty seconds, some Black Lives Matter members were heard chanting, "Pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon." Yes, this was just thirty seconds from a multiple-hour march, and no, the Black Lives Matter marchers shouldn't all be judged based on these few individuals. However, guess which story grabbed the headlines? The majority of peaceful marchers or the few who unloaded the violent anti-police chant? Yes, sadly, it was the latter.

The BLM movement needs to be smarter about these things. Fox News is already jumping the guns to call Black Lives Matter a hate group, falsely claiming that there was a link between the movement and the recent tragic killing of Texas deputy sheriff Darren H. Goforth. Between Fox News and other conservative media outlets, they're waiting for any kind of minor BLM screw-up to tell viewers, "You see? This is what the group is all about!," falsely painting the entire movement on perhaps a few bad eggs (yes, every movement has them, Fox News more than most).

Black Lives Matter needs to strip Fox News' false narrative away from them and truly show the world what it's all about. Some leaders of the movement need to step up and hold fellow members accountable for crossing the line, just as we would police officers, and loudly declare that BLM isn't about violence against the police or violence against anybody; it's about bringing attention to the racial injustices suffered by African-Americans throughout this country's history, and bringing about change so we can finally end the seemingly never-ending cycle of racism and oppression at their expense; for as United States citizens, we're all brothers and sisters, regardless of the color of our skin, and should fight for one another as such.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/08/30/black-lives-matter-chant-called-disgusting-by-police-leader/

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/09/01/vox-exposes-fox-news-groundless-attempt-to-conn/205309

Boycotting jukeboxes because of TouchTunes

I love music and enjoy hitting the bar(s) over the weekend, so naturally, when the mood strikes me, I've never been coy about playing some songs on the jukebox. This past Thursday, a friend of mine turned 50, so several friends of her's, including myself, all met up to celebrate the occasion. At around 9:30, a friend of mine and I both chipped in $5 to play some songs on the jukebox. Four hours and 231 skips later, we gave up on hearing the songs we had selected, and went home knowing we had just wasted $5. This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened to me (and many others), and due to that, I'll be boycotting jukeboxes. Why? The scam known as TouchTunes. You see, here's how the plot typically breaks down. A person (or group of people) downloads the TouchTunes app on his/her phone, consumes one too many adult beverages, and due to this, has less care for spending extra money to hear the songs of their choosing right NOW. That's the thing with TouchTun

The difference between "looking" and "checking out"

I may be way off with these numbers, but it's my approximation that at least 75% of individuals whom are involved in a serious relationship feel it's perfectly acceptable to "check out" members of the opposite sex they're not involved with. Meanwhile, approximately 25% either don't feel this is acceptable or aren't sure about the matter. I hadn't thought about this matter for a while, but since I've been dating a woman for about 8 months, the topic has been pondered about some. When reading or hearing others discuss this very issue, I often times hear comments similar to the following: "It's human nature to look." "There's nothing wrong with checking others out. I'm sure he/she does it too!" "It's fine to do it. Just don't tell your boyfriend/girlfriend about it or do it in front of them!" "It's natural to find people attractive." When observing the array of comments, I i

The verdict is in. To no one's surprise, Jonathan Hoenig has been found guilty of being an idiot.

Just recently, when discussing the Michael Brown shooting and whether or not race had anything to do with it, Fox News contributor Jonathan Hoenig said, "You know who talks about race? Racists." One moment while I provide Mr. Hoenig with the well deserved slow-clap. :: slow-claps for two seconds :: So, that was quite the line by Mr. Hoenig, wasn't it? "You know who talks about race? Racists." Well, wasn't he just talking about race? So, by his own words, I guess that makes him a racist. Also, if he wants to be consistent, does this mean that people whom talk about gender are sexists and people whom talk about sexual orientation are homophobes? With that line of thinking, Hoenig would engage in the following back-and-forths: Hoenig: "So, who are you voting for?" A woman: "The Democratic candidate, because he's been adamant about his support for equal rights for women." Hoenig: "You sexist feminist nazi!"

The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

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