My two-cents worth and then some. An online journal by LP Brown.

Browsing Category The Way I See It

No Bra-ha-ha

by on ·General, The Way I See It

Let me put this right out there and say that I hate wearing a bra. Bras might be a sensual turn-on for men, but they are the ultimate torture garment for women. They pinch and poke. They’re uncomfortable and constricting. The first thing you want to do when you take it off is vigorously scratch those girls. And based on conversations had and overheard, I’m not the only female who has a hate-hate relationship with bras.

Whoopi Goldberg would agree with me. I’ve heard her say, countless times, on The View,  that she hasn’t worn a bra in over 40 years. I don’t understand why she feels the need to disclose that personal information to a national television audience, but I can relate to why she ditched the darned thing.

Some of my girlfriends and I have shared bra horror stories. One thing we all agree on is that there is nothing more disappointing than investing $40 or more for a bra that rides up, curls over, shifts around, and advertises the back fat.

Buying a bra can be as stressful as wearing one. Women who dislike wasting money with the trial and error process can get assistant from a bra fitter. Tape measure in hand, she is often available to measure you in stores like Victoria’s Secret or Norstrom. Or you can measure yourself at home. There are Internet sites that provide instructions on how to determine your bra size. But be forewarned, doing it yourself and getting the right measurement is not always as easy as A, B, C or double D.

Continue Reading →
0 Comments

Slave Babies as Gator Bait

by on ·Opinion, Race Matters, The Way I See It

Black BabyHow many times have you hear it said that finding a solution to the ongoing racial strife in this country would be much easier if people talked about it more? That statement has been made many times over the years by people yearning for racial harmony. Following the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, and others too numerous to list here, amicable people – black and white – keep reiterating “Let’s talk.”

Is race relations an issue that people really want to discuss or is it simply that some  individuals merely pay lip service to the idea of dialoguing, because they think that’s what blacks want to hear?

I’m pondering this question because recently there was an interesting discussion on a genealogy website concerning whether – in addition to other atrocities — some black infants born to slaves were used by whites as alligator bait. The conversation began after one of the members of the gen group posted a post card and video relevant to the subject. (You can see it when you click on the link.) Several of the group members commented on the topic. Some said that it could have happened, others said it was a myth.

Curiosity about this subject led me to check the Library of Congress online newspapers. My search revealed that in newspapers published from 1836-1922 alligator bait was mentioned in 119 papers. I reviewed 24 of those 119 before abandoning the task. At least nine of the 24 made direct reference to black children (and in some cases black adults) as alligator bait, including the February 5, 1899 edition of The Richmond Times.

Continue Reading →
0 Comments

To Be Determined

by on ·Opinion, The Way I See It

Check boxesA friend who is a police officer, I’ll call him Jim, also works part-time doing security in an office building. Jim is required to check visitor’s IDs and have them sign in. He told me that recently, a very tall, professionally-dressed woman came into the building and when Jim asked her (we’ll call her Casey) for ID, Casey presented a driver’s license. The photo on the permit revealed a man with a five o’clock shadow, and the gender identification showed M.

“This ID indicates that you are a male,” Jim said politely to Casey. Casey replied cheerfully, “Actually, I was born a male, but I am in the process of transitioning to female.” Although there was some resemblance in facial features, Jim felt that the person pictured on the ID and the one standing before him might — or might not — be the same person. So, what’s a person to do when that happens? The issue is not only a quandary for people like Jim, but others are also concerned about how to handle this kind of situation, now and in the future.

When we are born, our gender is recorded on our birth certificate. Do transgenders receive an altered birth certificate to reflect their sex change? Will birth certificates eventually be revised to include a blank line following the word sex or gender with a check-box “To be determined.” Or will sex be presented as a multiple choice option? Please check one:  __male, __female, __ both, __ other.

I am not trying to be funny or mean-spirited. It’s a fact that things are changing in this world at warp speed and many changes are beyond the scope of imagination, or to put another way — stranger than fiction.

Continue Reading →
0 Comments

Putting an Old Spin on the New Norm

by on ·General, Lifestyle and Culture, Opinion, The Way I See It

Banana 2Contemplating the state of  things boggles my mind. I can’t speak to other countries, but in America, the land of the free, the home of the crazed, er, I mean brave, in the land of opportunity, you can be anything you want to be. If you are male, you can transform to female or vice versa. Just ask Caitlyn or Chaz. If you are white, you can go black without transforming anything, except your skin tone and hair texture. Ask Rachael. And if the King of Pop were alive, you could ask him about making an ethnic transformation from black to white. Plainly stated, with courage and enough money, you can have it your way. And I’m not talking about a burger.

Rational dictates that just because you consider yourself to be something doesn’t make it so. Perhaps in Fantasyland. But in the real world no matter how you try to color it, reconstruct it, snip it, implant it, legislate it or rename it – it is what it is. Remove the thorns, trim the stem, and pick the petals off, a rose will still be a rose. Calling a dog a cat doesn’t make it a feline any more than calling a tomato stuffed into a cucumber stuffed inside a banana skin makes it a new fruit. Or does it?

Political Correctness or fear of reprisal prevents numerous people from publicly expressing their feelings about controversial issues, especially if their opinion goes against the grain of what some call “the new norm.” But there are some brave hearts who are not afraid to speak out.

Continue Reading →
0 Comments

Free to be: You and Me

by on ·Opinion, The Way I See It

Freedom Of SpeechWarning:  This is an expression of freedom of speech. If you have a problem with the First Amendment, do not read beyond this point.

“I am sorry to have to say this, but … . ” That’s the way some people preface a statement that they expect will be unfavorably received. Or they might say “I regret what I am about to say … ” and then proceed to express their true feelings. A conscientious person making an unpopular statement might apologize beforehand because he or she wants it understood that being mean-spirited is not necessarily the intention.That person just wants to express genuine feelings. My thinking is why apologize in advance for what you are about to say if you are being honest? No matter what any of us says — at any time or on any subject — there will be someone who disagrees with it.

In our anything goes, politically correct obsessed society, truthfully expressing our own personal beliefs is often discouraged and sometimes considered to be downright rude. Accepting reasonable restrictions — like slander, libel, and death threats — people should be free to speak their mind.

I’ve used the preceding 189 words to explain why I am going to say exactly what I want to say here, and if anyone disagrees with me that’s your prerogative. You – just like I – have a God given and First Amendment right to think what you want and express how you feel. As long as I respect your right to exercise that action, then I expect to be shown the same consideration.

Personally, I try hard to avoid saying anything to intentionally hurt someone’s feelings, but if speaking what others perceive as harsh and unkind words is you being you and expressing your truth — then that is your right. If your words are perceived to be racist, sexist, or homophobic and saying them publicly — or in what you thought was privacy — results in a backlash against you, then your right has been infringed. It is as much your right to speak your piece as it is for anyone else to speak theirs.

Time and again a public figure steps in deep s*#t for making comments deemed by a vocal majority be inappropriate. Just ask Don Imus, Paula Deen, Phil Robinson, and Donald Sterling. Some notable persons are even criticized for posting unacceptable comments on social media, e.g., Derrick Ward. And you don’t have to be famous to be in the foot-in-the-mouth club. Any number of persons from unknown John Does to shifty CEO’s, have been heard making so-called unacceptable statements; but because they are low on the societal totem pole, we rarely hear about their gaffes. And I won’t even discuss offensive hip-hop lyrics right now.

Hurtful remarks have been made against people in various groups since the beginning of time, but until society produces an Orwellian force of thought police — fining offenders, firing them from their job, or making other feeble attempts to stop them will be fruitless. People are entitled to their personal beliefs and freedom of speech.

Remember the rhyme “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” I’ll be the first to tell you that sometimes words do hurt. During my lifetime, I have been hurt by being called the N word and other negatives. I hated it, but it was that person’s right to say it, just as it was my right to retort as I saw fit.

It is apparent and unfortunate that many people — especially public figures — feel free to self-censor themselves, to speak or write only those things that conform to groupthink. What is even more obvious and sad is that the U.S. Constitutional guaranteed First Amendment liberties – unalienable rights – including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – are rapidly being disassembled under a morally bankrupt and crumbling society.

*     *     *

The preceding page is from my forthcoming book, A Whistling Tea Kettle and other Sounds of Life. If you would like to be notified when the book is available, please provide your email by clicking this button

4 Comments