Don't Laugh, People

Washington Wizards should think about John Wall’s ink before signing him to a max deal - The Washington Post

The above link is a post written by Jason Reid of the Washington Post. Before I begin, I want to make it clear that the content, the visibility, and the meaning of John Walls tattoos are not at all debated by Jason Reid, as he clearly stated in response to someone on Twitter. Nevermind that Jason Reid does talk about the location of said tattoos.

Jason Reid argues that John Wall getting tattoos after publicly speaking about not having tattoos in order to protect "his image for marketing reasons." Specifically, Reid had this to say: Posing shirtless recently for an Instagram photo, Wall revealed several tattoos. Wall’s interest in body art is surprising, considering he previously said he did not have tattoos because of concerns over his image for marketing reasons. Many NBA players do have tattoos, and Wall isn’t breaking new ground in sharing his ink with fans through…

I was reading this article, Leonard Pitts Jr.: No justifying ‘Redskins’ as mascot | Wichita Eagle, and was honestly intrigued by the language Mr. Pitts used in his opposition to "Redskins."

Mr. Pitts uses some sorely developed points, many of which I have already offered rebuttal for when presented with them from other parties. But for the sake of honest counter-argument, here we go.

Does that seem logical? If so, then perhaps you can understand my impatience with people who insist on defending the Washington, D.C., football team whose nickname is a racial slur. The latest is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. He recently responded to a letter from members of the House Congressional Native American Caucus questioning the appropriateness of the name “Redskins.” That name, wrote Goodell, “is a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect.” The team took the name in 1933, he noted, to honor then-coach William “Lone Star” Dietz, who was reputedly (it is a ma…

Before I begin, I know there will be a lot of people who read this post and feel like they just wasted their time. I know there will be others who read it and maybe it stirs some emotion, but they then will ultimately revert. But some, maybe one or two, hopefully as many of you who do read this, will take up the challenge to change.

For as long as I can remember interacting with @AllanGraye, we have talked about changing this planet. Of course, our focus is to start small with a community online, or at home in our immediate location, or with family and friends, and eventually on a county-wide to state-wide to nation-wide level. Ultimately, we want to change the globe as a whole.

Freedom is the goal. Apathy is the enemy.

And to be free is to be free of coercion. Is this coercion I speak of an illusion? In a sense, yes - there is no gun to our heads forcing us to act in a certain way. But we are certainly conditioned to behave a certain way by unwritten social norms, laws, schooling and…