this has got to be one of the most inspirational songs i've ever heard...

Believer - Christina Millian

Has Slavery Really Ended and Has the Three-Fifths Clause Truly Been Amended?

AMENDMENT XIII

(Proposed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865.)

"Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

As I sat in class and read this, it was no wonder to me how the new form of slavery has become the modern prison system. The institution of slavery originated as indentured servitude where people indebted to their creditors would become "servants" of said creditor until their debt has been paid off. Actual slavery, in regards to people of Africa began as the stealing or kidnapping of humans to be used as slaves with no debts being owed and as a better solution to using Native Americans who knew how to navigate the land and reclaim their freedom. Although the thirteenth amendment is the ONLY document to emancipate slavery it left room to create a system that would allows for "criminals" to engage in free labor. So it is no wonder why people of color, especially Blacks and Latinos, have the highest percentage of imprisonment. When the constitution was written, it was written for white males who owned land, and if you owned land it meant you had some type of monetary power. With that being said, people of color were not included into the constitution until 1865. The only mention of people of color was in respect to the three-fifths clause of slaves and the non-citizenship of Native Americans.

My initial reason for writing this was to state how the three-fifths clause was supposedly amended with the fourteenth amendment, which I am going to speak on in a moment. Thirteenth amendment happened to catch my eye and I was moved to give my opinion on how there is no coincidence that people of color occupy the majority of prison systems.

AMENDMENT XIV

(Proposed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9, 1868)

Section 1. "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."



This is section one of the fourteenth amendment. I am assuming the part which amends the three-fifths clause begins with giving citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US. All this really says is that they have been granted citizenship. The second sentence says that their privileges shall not be taken away and blacks are guaranteed full rights. This says nothing about amending the three-fifths clause. It does not change the way blacks in America are counted in regards to the voting system in respect to how representatives are chosen. So in cities and states where white supremacy still operate the political system, the black vote still may only count as 60% of a full vote. And another to think about is if in fact this three-fifths clause is still in operation, how does that affect the census? Blacks currently make up approximately 12.4% of America's population which is equivalent to 37.1 million people. Meaning that if this clause is still being implemented...there are more black people in America that are not being counted.


**This is just something to think about. Its not necessarily fact but with the way blacks are treated...the idea may not be far-fetched.**

I swear...

THIS HEFFA IS GETTING ON MY LAST NERVE!!!

If there is one thing I can't stand, it's inconsiderate people. How the hell are you gon take a shower and leave DIRT in the tub? And then you wanna use up all the hot water?!?!? OH EM GEE...I swear...I just might lose it!! Someone pray for me...

How to not be a bitch 101: Eliminating Hateration

Lesson 1: Do not give salty stares to another female just because she kicks it with a bunch of guys.
Don't be mad cuz another female is kickin it with a guy you have been dating in your mind for the last 3 weeks. He prolly would kick it with you if you weren't a seasoned hater.

Lesson 2: Do not hate on another female cuz she has a man and you don't.
You would have a man but you too caught up on some dude who doesn't want you. So instead of finding someone else, you choose to hate on his girl. LET HIM GO...HE DOESN'T WANT YOU.

Lesson 3: SHOWER DAILY!!!
This has nothing to do with being a bitch or hating. I just thought it was necessary to emphasize personal hygiene. Its just gross when people, especially females, don't shower regularly.

Lesson 4: PRE-JUDGEMENTS
This is an absolute No-No!! How can you talk about someone who's name you don't even know?
EXAMPLE:
girl 1: "She acts all bourgie and stuck up."
girl 2: "What's her name?"
girl 1: "I don't know, but I know I don't like her."
At this point all conversation is over. You can't like somebody you don't know...PERIOD!!! *sidenote* Feeling impartial is allowed.

Lesson 5: Rumors
This is the ULTIMATE sign of a hater. If you don't have concrete proof of something, DO NOT spread rumors. Its tacky and you look tacky doing it. Hell...even if you have proof, just shut up!! No one likes being caught up in rumors. You will look stupid when that shit comes back and bitch slaps you in the face and drags you across the floor.

Lesson 6: Reciprocated hating.
Ladies...do not stoop down to the level of your haters. That puts you into the bitch group...and no one wants to be in the bitch group. Instead, appreciate your haters. Thank them, in fact. You know they wanna be like you, otherwise they wouldn't be spending their time thinking about you...DUH!!!

The No-No's to friendship

1. Never sleep with your friend's boyfriend/ex-boyfriend (girl/ex-girlfriend).

This is bad idea not only for your ego but also for the friendship. This is bad for the the ego because the last thing you want to hear is that your friend is better than you in bed. This is bad for the friendship because the last thing you want to hear is that your friend is better than you in bed...lol. But seriously, if your friend broke up with him, something had to have gone wrong in the relationship. And if your friend didn't stand for it...chances are you won't either.

2. Don't live with your friends.

So as a girl this rule may or may not apply to guys. But one thing I have noticed is that females should not live with their female friends. Our attitudes are constantly fluctuating. And once you move in together you will realize that you may be living with a complete stranger. One day you're going to clubs and hanging out until 7:00 in the morning and the next day she may stop speaking to you and blame it on things that EVERYONE deals with. Whether it be school, family, or work we all go through things but it is no reason to cut someone off for no VALID reason. But if you do happen to find yourself in this situation, my Joshy-Poo said it best, "Don't allow someone's change to change you". So even though I find myself in this situation, I think it'll be good for me to remain cordial. But I must admit...it really is a sad situation to find yourself in, especially when there was so much hope and promise before the move in.

3. Do not kiss your friends.

This is only if your friend is of the opposite sex or of the same sex (I do not discriminate based on sexual orientations). So if you are feeling one of your friends and hoping it becomes something more, do not kiss the person then tell them you would like to be more than friends. One, the person may see you only as a friend and you will have this awkwardness in your relationship. Two, if the person you plan on kissing is of the same sex, make sure they know that you are homosexual then make sure they are a homosexual. There is nothing more weird than a gay guy kissing a homosexual guy then they have to fight because someone was violated. This is exempt when your friend displays the affection that you are feeling. At that point, feel free to let the headboards start knocking ;-).

I put on my happy face...

And I wonder...why is it that we as humans don't take the time to realize our blessings in life. The words of Destiny's Child currently come to mind "I woke up this morning/The sunshine was shining/I put on my happy face/I'm living I'm able/I'm breathing/I'm grateful/I put on my happy face". I realize that life is an ongoing lesson. I firmly believe there should be no regrets in life...just lessons. Be it good or bad...everything is a lesson. I realized this a while ago. Initially...I regretted losing my virginity. But as time went on (and I broke up with my first) I realized there was a reason I did it, and that I shouldn't regret it but be more cautious of the people I have sex with. Had I known that he was a jerk, I prolly wouldn't have slept with him. But it just goes to show that it's better to get to know someone before having sex with them...hence, my lesson learned.
I say this just let all of you know a little bit about my outlook on life. I have no regrets, and I believe no one else should. And everyday you wake up, take it as an opportunity to learn from all experiences because "this world's not so bad after all".

"When you smile...the whole world smiles with you"

Time

How come you don't make time for me anymore
Thats the last thing I said to you
and now when you call I don't answer anymore
or the line is busy and you can't get through

In the time it will take you to learn from your mistake
In the time it will take to dial the phone
In the time it will take you to realize my greatness
I'll be gone, I've moved on
to someone who takes the time

My love wasn't a priority to you
You had other things on your mind
And now that it's much too little and too far too late
The busy signals all thats left behind
You're all alone

In the time it will take you to learn from your mistake
In the time it will take to dial the phone
In the time it will take you to realize my greatness
I'll be gone, I've moved on
to someone who takes the time

Hey no one knows what they have until they don't
and by then it doesn't matter anymore
You're all alone

In the time it will take you to learn from your mistake
In the time it will take to dial the phone
In the time it would take you to realize my greatness
I'll be gone
In the time it will take you to realize my greatness
I'll be gone, I've moved on
hang up the phone...

Loving You

When I think of you
My heart skips a beat
And
When I see you
You send quivers to my feet
But
It's not the kind of quivers you may think
You see
What we had
Was true love
What I have now

Is complete fear
Of you.
I loved you
I was dedicated to you
You loved me
Too hard
You loved me with
Your fists
You loved me
With your kicks
With your promise to change
But you didn't.
So that night you walked in
And I saw your face
And
I saw your fists
And
I said I loved you
And you said
I love you too as you tried to
Rape me
In the kitchen
Next to the knife
And I screamed
NO!
But you continued
As I grabbed the knife
And said
Your heart will be mine
And
I took the knife
To your heart.
So I guess it is true
To death did you part.