Usually people go crazy during the holidays at the stores for “great sales” everyone is rushing to buy the new “in” thing so their friends and family. So at that time of year we’ll hear about riots and a fight breaking out at Walmart or some electronic store but this week it is at a mall in Orlando. Police were in riot gear and used their shields to push people back from a shoe store…think about that for a minute…
I could post pictures on here of people from all over the world that live their lives without ever owning a shoe but in Orlando the police had to come to a mall over a pair of shoes. It seems like there was going to be a limited edition of NIKE sneakers going for $220 and people rushed the mall to go get them. There’s a quote from someone that runs a shoe collectors website and he says that most people that buy the shoes go online and sells them for thousands he said it’s ruining the “shoe game.”
We have been able to create a culture around everything else EXCEPT Peace isn’t that sad? I can almost hear someone out there say ‘Peace isn’t cool because it wouldn’t look right to get into a riot over Peace.’ In Hip Hop there’s a lot of references to certain types of “game” and if we take apart what some of these Brothers are talking about it really does come down to that people believe that life itself is just a game. Now, for some of my Hip Hop Brothers and Sisters let me be clear that I’m not saying that this is all Hip Hop but its what is being played on the radio that my reflection is on.
So when we look at whom financially backs this type of “music” that talks about how life is just a game and how it’s all about the clothes and cars it’s usually not someone that lives in the hood or ever from one. The danger we create is making the young Brothers and Sisters believe that their life is nothing but a game. Now I may be sounding like someone towards the right and I’m not headed there what I am saying is that there needs to be some responsibility in people. Just like a parent that doesn’t want their children to pick up bad habits it means that the parent must not exhibit those bad habits in their lives as well.
I grew up with NWA, RUN DMC, WU-TANG, Public Enemy, and many others but it was clear that they had concern in their lives for other things and they were tired of being stepped on so their music was of expression.
Nike and their executives know very well that if they release a limited edition sneaker that these things will happen so the question is are they responsible for the riots that break out? I’ll leave the answer up to you.
So what do we value in our lives? I value my life and the lives of others and that’s why I’m making this cross country trip. I am looking forward to meeting many people from different backgrounds and see where they live and how they view Peace. I look forward to going to churches and meeting with the people there and discuss how Peace is taught in their communities and see what has worked for them. I look forward to going into schools and looking at what programming they have set up to teach the children of other cultures and their arts program. I look forward to meeting with people that might not have ever expected to meet someone like me someone from the inner city that has had their hands out on the street at one time. I want to break bread with everyone and share our memories and dreams of our society. I want to absorb our society to learn from it so that I can be a better Peace maker for our society.
Someone said to me that it’ll be fun to ride around the country for the summer and I looked at them and said “this isn’t a vacation it’s me working on Peace in our society.” I will admit that in my life I have hurt many people emotionally and physically but I’ve never seriously hurt someone or killed anyone but I have my part of creating violence.
When I was in my early twenties I used a horrible term in reference to a Gay man and I didn’t realize who was around me. Quickly I was moved out of the room and told that what I had said was very offensive. I didn’t find it offensive because I grew up hearing that term all the time and I used it often but then it hit me I had used it in a form of bringing someone down. I could feel the rush of blood leave my face then come back and I was stunned unable to get myself out of that apartment but somehow I left. Days later a wonderful woman by the name Abby sat down with me and talked to me about terms used towards the Gay community and she was so loving and patient with me. I talked out why I had used the term and why I thought it was OK and she sat there and corrected me where ever I was wrong. The one thing that stood out in our conversation was the thought of ‘if you want people to accept you for who you are you must first accept people for whom they are’ that is what I base my Peace work on.
I’ll be honest that after that talk I had an incredible crush on her because at that time no one had touched my soul the way she did and we had plenty in common like we both loved women!
I value two people that love each other and want to spend their lives together and support whoever those two people are. I value life and it doesn’t matter what the pigmentation of their skin is or where they live just as long as they are alive there is always opportunity for wonderful things. I value YOU because even though we may not know each other we are sharing a moment with each other that is intimate a conversation of equality, love, and acceptance.
I plan on going to 32 states and 63 cities to share this and many other ideas of Peace that we can practice in our society and I do need YOUR help to achieve this goal. I need YOU to share this blog alongside my website www.walkingtopeace.com and encourage people to not only read and share but to donate as well. This trip is for you and you may ask how this will benefit you. It benefits us all to have a Peaceful society because once we are there then we will have an abundance of opportunities to create a stronger society that can truly share the joys and message of Peace. I humbly ask for your donation. At the top right hand side of this Blog there is a link for donations as well following a link on my website www.walkingtopeace.com
I sincerely thank all of those that have already donated and for those that will donate in the future!
Peace/AMOR
Gerardo
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