The Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters is a global institution founded in Niagara Falls, NY that promotes educational programs, creative arts, cultural initiatives, audiovisual projects and commerce that supports Knowledge of Self and the positive growth and development of youth and families. This space features bi-monthly articles that highlight the social commentary, current events, and creative insights of its Founder, Saladin Allah [S. Quanaah]. #AtlantisBuild #FivePercenter
In Episode 31 of Atlantis Build Talk Radio I feature Musicology Vol 5.; the music enthusiast segment of my show that features/discusses various artists, music genres and their cultural impact. In this episode entitled "Seen & Heard" I feature the majority of my unheard music and tracks from my four albums; Brothers from Another Planet, The Emerald Tablet, Kontact and Tapestry of Love. Any of these albums are available on the rights sidebar of this site, via my website Quanaah Publishing,Amazon and can be ordered globally through any music outlet.
For those of you who've been keeping up with Lauryn Hill's career, over the last couple of years she's resurfaced and has begun to perform again. Sometime after dropping her critically acclaimed solo album the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill she virtually disappeared from public life and became a recluse; not performing, recording or conducting any interviews. In a Tumblr post around 2012 L-Boogie stated that she had withdrawn from society to protect her family’s safety amid a “climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism.” Although her catalog and accomplishments are not many, she is peerless when it comes to the impact of her presence and the quality of her creative contributions. One of the concerns she has publicly voiced on various occasions, that many of us have seen voiced by others such as Nina Simone, is the cultural contradiction that has come along with her making those contributions within the context of this society and Capitalistic economy. As she's done in the past when her eccentric behavior had people speculating mental health issues, Lauryn Hill has recently demonstrated some consistent challenges making her performances on time. In regards to one of her most recent performances in Atlanta Georgia where she was over two hours late, she has this to say, in part, about the great deal of criticism she's received, "I don't show up late to shows because I don't care. And I have nothing but Love and respect for my fans. The challenge is aligning my energy with the time, taking something that isn't easily classified or contained, and trying to make it available for others. I don't have an on/off switch. I am at my best when I am open, rested, sensitive and liberated to express myself as truthfully as possible." To read her full explanation go HERE.
Hazrat Inayat Khan
In any creative artist's defense, I think it's important to understand that in parts of the East, what Lauryn Hill is striving to communicate about aligning her "energy with the time, taking something that isn't easily classified or contained, and trying to make it available for others" and "accommodate the vitality, spontaneity, and spirit that make the performances" is commonly understood. In parts of the East artists play when and if they feel like it, for however long they desire, and their listeners understand the essence of that creativity. If an artist is scheduled to play, say at sundown, and they decide not to play or come hours later, the people aren't upset or critical of them. One such artist was Hazrat Inayat Khan; a renown veena player, author and founder of the Sufi Order in the West. Even within an orchestra, conductors in the East are musicians that play along with the other musicians in the orchestra. In the West, conductors are separate from their orchestra. Again, this exists in parts of the East, particularly among those who have held fast to traditions prior to colonialism and their influence from the western world. Here in the West we also see this Eastern influence prevalent within post 1945 improvisation Jazz music and the freestyle/creative dance, fashion, graffiti, deejay and rap elements within Hip Hop culture.
Now, if you are an actual performing artist such as Lauryn Hill, doing business within this or any country, signing contracts and making money from those performances, publishing rights and intellectual property, you are legally obligated. You are obligated to meet deadlines and be punctual because it's part of your financial lifeline. You're working on yours and others time. You, and those who you are doing business with, are required to contractually keep their word as bond because this economy is not based upon an honor system. There is no way around that in regards to business. Just as I am sure Lauryn Hill has some financial expectations from those whom she does business with for her family, those who do business with her have expectations too -like the record contract she did in 2013 with Sony that helped cover her tax debt. The closest one in modern times to what Lauryn Hill is striving to articulate about one's ability to "accommodate the vitality, spontaneity, and spirit that make the performances" was ODB [Ol Dirty Bastard]. He pretty much did whatever he wanted; showed up when he wanted, came late, left early, didn't do photo shoots or interviews that were scheduled, broke out of rehab and showed up at concerts to perform, didn't finish songs, interrupted the Grammy's, took MTV to the county office in a limo to pick up his welfare check, wore one shoe on an Arsenio Hall show performance, used his benefit card for his album cover and a host of other things. L-Boogie is not ODB.
ODB at the county office on MTV
Lauryn Hill, regardless if you'd like to call her a creative, performing artist or musician, is working within the context of a western society based upon Capitalism and governed by the business rules & regulations she enters into via contractual agreements. As for Lauryn Hill, if she is being paid by people to do something then she needs to do it. If there's a legitimate reason why she's not able to fulfill that obligation, like Beyonce had to reschedule her Nashville concert due to stadium construction, then Lauryn Hill needs to professionally address that. It's not that sophisticated, complicated or philosophical. It's fickle, temperamental and perhaps arrogant or Narcissistic to expect people to unquestionably do things for us yet expect them to "be understandable" if/when we consistently don't do things to reciprocate that. In any arena of life with relationships, whether its business, platonic, romantic or etc., it's important to have a sense of equality. It's unfair to expect otherwise. If Lauryn Hill chooses to continue performing and make music to financially support her family she has two options which should also include more speaking engagements to educate her audience. I emphasize the educational component because many Westerners, and even Easterners influenced by the West, have no clue what she often talks about in regards to cultural creative freedom. Many of us creative artists do. So her two options are: 1.) Figure out an effective way to equally honor her creativity and her contractual agreements. 2.) Disconnect from the entertainment industry and strive to make a living by further exploring some of the Eastern approaches towards artistic expression that I spoke of. Willfully she gets it together because the world needs more of what she has offered. Peace, Saladin
In today’s technological age of
text messaging, social media and smart phones we have instantaneous access to
information, people, places and things unlike ever before. I can literally go
online right now and order an item rush delivery from China that will arrive at
my doorstep within the week. I talk to my God brother in Ghana like he's next door using a free app and I have successfully hosted a Hip Hop album [Unique Heat Vol 3: Clearer Understanding] produced overseas
without having set foot in the UK. That is convenience. The downside to all of this
is the minimization and lost of the human touch. With this lost of a human
touch has come chronic and temporary emotional unavailability. People may often text instead of talk and tag each other on Facebook/Instagram instead of touch. This growing departure from human contact has also spawned a fear of commitment that manifests itself in the form of 'situationships': per diem relationships. Per diem meaning "per day" or "for each day" because these freelance arrangements have no long term commitment or stability. When it comes to emotional
unavailability, there are various reasons why people have issues with closeness
and intimacy. As elaborated on in my book GAMES, some people have emotional
unavailability issues going all the way back to their childhood. These
issues, sometimes defined as R.A.D. [Reactive Attachment Disorder],
classifies children who have a problem forming meaningful attachments/bonds with
others. Scientists examined how the lack of attachment (stroking) that babies
received over a period of time made them either not respond or react negatively
to social attachments with others. In addition to the emotional, social and
cognitive components, this lack of response and/or negative reactions towards
attachments was also measured in the low or stabilized levels of Oxytocin these
children had during pleasurable inter-activities. Children like this, without
the proper counseling, tend to carry this into adulthood. Other reasons some
people are emotionally unavailable include, but are not limited to, failed
relationships, divorce, [sexual, emotional, physical or financial] abuse, trauma,
mental illness, parental alienation, addiction, being workaholics and etc.
Whatever the cause may be, the effect is the same; a person’s unwillingness or inability
to be close to and share space with others. One of the other things that's worth mentioning here in regards to emotional unavailability is the trans-generational trauma First World [Original] People have suffered at the hands of western colonialism, global white supremacy, institutionalization racism and sexism. As a coping mechanism, many of us have learned to not put our thoughts or feelings out there and have been emotionally unavailable to America, so-called Americans and American ideals for generations; our livelihood and survival has depended upon that. According to Dr. Judith Orloff, psychiatrist/author of Emotional Freedomand other books, the ten key signs that someone is emotionally unavailable are: 1. They are married or in a relationship with someone else. 2. They have one foot on the gas pedal, one foot on the brake. 3. They are emotionally distant, shut down, or can’t deal with conflict. 4. They’re mainly interested in sex, not relating emotionally or spiritually. 5. They are practicing alcoholics, sex addicts, or substance abusers. 6. They prefer long distance relationships, emails, texting, or don’t introduce you to their friends and family. 7. They are elusive, sneaky, frequently working or tired, and may disappear for periods. 8. They are seductive with you but make empty promises — their behavior and words don’t match. 9. They’re narcissistic, only consider themselves, not your needs. 10. They throw you emotional crumbs or enticing hints of their potential to be loving, then withdraw. While some of these signs are obvious, others aren't so obvious because sometimes people send mixed messages. An example of this dilemma is a person who may be separated, still legally married or still in a quasi-relationship with their Ex while simultaneously presenting themselves as single. They may share themselves with you on various levels yet still be unavailable emotionally when it comes down to true transparency, closeness and intimacy. As a narcissist who is emotionally unavailable, they're comfortable dealing with people at a distance while simultaneously expecting them to be close to them; they desire a commitment from others that they're unwilling or sometimes unable to reciprocate. Sometimes this intimacy dilemma can become a tumultuous relationship similar to fighting Mike Tyson in a phone booth; where every time you get close, you get hurt.
Aside from recognizing these obvious signs and mixed signals, the biggest challenge for us is accepting what we see and not rationalizing these signs and signals away. Our willingness and ability to see things for what they are, not what they appear to be or what we want them to be, is the key factor in not losing time waiting for unrequited love. Not only do we suffer but our families and communities do as well. How? Because other important areas of our lives get neglected when we prioritize people who only view us as an option. One of the biggest complaints I've had and have heard from others about relationships that didn't work out is the time wasted. Whether a person is dealing with emotional unavailability temporarily, it's chronic or they've been diagnosed with the anxiety disorder Gamophobia [a fear of commitment], as partner or prospective partner it's still time we're investing that we have no way of knowing if it will ever be reciprocated. Some people are simply unwilling or unable to give of themselves in a relationship and need help to get to that place to do so. We may be one of those people and it requires an honest self assessment, willingness and ability to seek that help. Again, and even with that help, there's no way of knowing if this person, or we, will ever be emotionally available. This commitment to self development is the first true commitment they, or we, must make in regards to addressing these issues with commitment and intimacy. And it is through this commitment to self that we learn to develop the trust, honesty, courage and other qualities that are necessary to commit to others who are deserving of us. It's a risk. It's vulnerable. It's frightening at times to depend upon someone to do the right thing with our heart, but it's ultimately worth it when we've found the right person. As people of color in America, the socioeconomic landscape and cultural backdrop has historically created an environment that breeds unrequited love. There are numerous daily challenges we face and open attacks on our self identity that the dominant society doesn't have to consider such as western colonialism, global white supremacy, institutionalization racism and sexism that has distorted our ability to love ourselves and each other. Finding healthy ways to address and define ourselves outside of these conditions is also paramount to our commitment towards self development. Again, it's a risk. It's vulnerable. It's frightening at times to depend upon ourselves and each other to do the right thing outside of these conditions, but it's ultimately worth it when we've found the right alternatives.
If you take a moment to look over at my right side bar and scroll down past my literature you'll some my album covers. My most recent release is called Tapestry of Love; a musical journey that highlights the sensual side of my life. As a creative artist I've been writing poetry, doing Rap performances, producing music and Spoken Word for years now. I've talked/written about it on many occasions, I have a creative arts playlist on A.S.I.A. TV sharing some of my art and I've dedicated a Musicology enthusiast segment of my Atlantis Build Talk Radio Show to feature/discuss various artists, music genres and their cultural impact on the world. In addition to many of the things I do, music is indeed one of my loves. Because of this, I'm always in my studio listening to or creating something.
Part of my company Quanaah Publishing includes Quahadi Music and it is through Quahadi Music that I've successfully released my music projects. My first release, Brothers from Another Planet, highlights music from my physical brother Golden Sun and I. It's a self described soundtrack to a "mind expansive musical journey" that chronicles our "creative concepts, poetical insights & living experiences" weaving tales of rich Atlantean folklore. As you may tell from the title, it's based upon the classic 1984 film The Brother from Another Planet. My second release, The Emerald Tablet, highlights a lot of my music production. It's called the emerald tablet because it's musically similar to the cryptic piece of Hermetica reputed to contain alchemical secrets of transmutation. In this case, those secrets are sound and it's definitely for the listeners. My third release, Kontact, is based upon the 1997 film Contact about a scientist's race to interpret a possible message originating from the Vega star system. In Kontact, you are the album's lead character; a scientist listening to coded radio transmissions seeking evidence of Hip Hop's Extra Celestial life. You learn that each song contains lyrics of technical drawings that reveal a complex world of advanced civilizations, subterranean folklore and self exploration. Through this sequence of sound sent from a star light years away, you've been chosen to make first contact. All of these albums are unique and share different dimensions of who I am, lyrically and production wise.
Tapestry of Love is a very different album than my first three. In the midst of choosing tracks for my album Kontact, an entirely separate body of work began to emerge. Some of the tracks I produced/recorded didn't fit with the story line so I put them aside. Over time I began to produce/record other tracks and this became a tapestry of uncensored pieces about love; my personal experiences, observations and aspirations. This album is a side of me I wanted to share because many of you are only used to seeing my journalistic, youth advocate, public speaking, community outreach side. Here's the official 17 track list as shown on the back cover of the album:
-In Her Eyes
-Incantations of the Earth
-Karamel Sutra
-Love Child
-Yemaya
-Immersion interlude
-Soul Caliber feat. Beerlahai-roi
-Tapestry of Love
-Woman of All Seasons
-World’s Apart interlude
-Forgotten Palaces of the Opal Queen
-Filtered Dreams
-Inspiration interlude
-Hours
-Heaven’s Gate
-Karamel Sutra *Remix
-Tapestry of Love *Willow Remix
So if you're a music enthusiast like myself, take a moment to check out Tapestry of Love and any of my albums. Thank You in advance and Peace!
People often don't realize how much of an impact the economy really has on us psychologically and socially. If you let the tell-lie-vision tell it we're not in an Economic Recession right now and everything is good on main street in America. How? Because measuring economic decline is accompanied by a visible stock market drop, a decline in the housing market and increase in unemployment. Those factors, along with a decline in the gross domestic product (GDP) for a couple of consecutive quarters, are the standards of measurement used by the dominant mainstream society. Those standards can fool a person into believing that everything is alright. Where many of us live around the world, whenever we've been in proximity to global white supremacy and institutionalized racism/sexism, our communities have been in more than a Recession, it's an Economic Suppression. Historically speaking and with very few exceptions, whenever main street America has a cold, the back streets and country roads will have the bird flu. Today I'm not going to just talk about the economy's impact on us, I'm going to talk about how our psychology and sociology, via mythology, shapes the economy. I'm also going to talk about the vital role of fathers in leading our families and communities.
The image above of Cronus is Greek and the Greeks are considered the hallmark and standard of so-called Western Civilization. When you study their mythos, two of the most common themes you'll find is a preoccupation with time [Chronophobia] and Infanticide [life and death]. Cronus was the son of Uranus, no pun intended. Uranus had sex with his wife Gaia [Earth] every night but hated the children she bore him; the Titans. So what did Uranus do? He imprisoned them in a place called Tartarus which is equivalent to Hell. This caused Gaia great pain so she did what any scorned woman would do: she shaped a great flint-bladed sickle and asked her children to cut Uranus' penis off. The only one brave enough to do it was their youngest child, Cronus, so when he caught his Father out there he castrated him. The blood that spilled from Uranus onto Gaia gave birth to the Hekatonkheires [the three 100 handed giants], the one-eyed giants called the Cyclopes, Erinyes [female punisher deities], Meliae [tree 'nymphs'; where nymphomaniac is derived] and the deity Aphrodite was born from Uranus' severed balls [testicles] that Cronus threw in the sea. After all of this Cronus re-imprisoned his brothers the Hekatonkheires and Cyclopes in Tartarus, and he too faced the same fate of being overthrown by his future son Zeus. Because Cronus was aware of this self-fulfilled prophesy he tried to defy fate by eating his own children. The above image is of Cronus eating one of his children. Eventually his wife Rhea tricked him by wrapping a stone in a blanket and hiding their child Zeus who was raised away from his Father Cronus and grew up to one day over take him. When Zeus came of age he first caused his Father to throw up his siblings whom he ate. Then Zeus freed his uncles the Hekatonkheires and Cyclopes from Tartarus and they along with his siblings defeated Cronus in the battle know as the Titanomachy. Oh yeah, to thank Zeus for releasing them his uncles the Cyclopes gave him thunder and lightening.
This is just a small glimpse of the dysfunction found throughout Greek Mythology; the psychological and sociological backdrop to Roman Mythology, a segment of Europe and the good ole U.S. of A. I focused on the Father-Son relationships of Uranus, Cronus and Zeus because it highlights some the trans-generational daddy issues we see prevalent throughout American society. Uranus didn't want to yield to Chronus and Chronus didn't want to yield to Zeus. Living in a society where we often see this resentment that the old heads sometimes carry for the young bucks, and the young bucks likewise carry for old heads, has created a generational gap that mirrors the same conditions that perpetuated the dysfunction throughout Greek Mythology. When the Baby Boomers and Generation X are not preparing a place of leadership for the Millennials, our families, communities and society suffers. When the Millennials are not seeking guidance from the Baby Boomers and Generation X, our families, communities and society suffers too. It's a lose-lose situation and this has become an issue on main street, the back streets and the country roads in America.
When there's an Economic Recession and Economic Suppression, this further compounds these issues. When this is not taken into consideration sometimes people believe the old suppress the young; older people stay in positions stopping the children from having opportunities because they're jealous, haters or simply set in their ways. That's not always the case where there's an Economic Recession and Economic Suppression going on. Sometimes it's just good old fashioned fear. Fear of not having enough money to live on or to pay for medical bills that come with waning health/vitality. Fear of social security, pensions, 401K and etc. drying up or being taken away. This whole idea of a vanishing middle class and an expanding American landscape of haves and havenots is real. Many of the people you see working every day who are over 65 are not doing it as a hobby or for pocket money; they're supplementing a fixed income.Consider this the next time you hear people say career politicians, doorstop pastors and Adamantium labor/trade unions are just hating on the youth. Yes, some absolutely are and don't care about what happens to our youth or the future of this society. Some are just striving to hold on to a financial lifeline Congress is slowly cutting away. On the flip size, all of our youth aren't just rebels without a cause, unruly or anti-elders. Many of them are dissatisfied with the present conditions and want to change things yet may not know what to do or where to even start. They're in an Economic Recession and Economic Suppression too. Many of the people you see not working every day who are young are not doing it because they're lazy or would rather beg for pocket money; they don't know how, where, when or what to do to supplement their family's fixed income. There's a terrible disparity between fathers and suns in our communities that must be reconciled. Some fathers simply don't desire to have a relationship with their suns. Like Uranus, he may have enjoyed the sex with a female [Gaia] every night but hate the sun(s) she bore him. Sometimes there are females standing between a father and sun who are not striving to or even qualified to help them reconcile that relationship. Like Gaia, she may have experienced great pain from her relationship with the father and eventually created an environment for their sun(s) to cut him off [castrate him]. These Grecian narratives have become a common psychology and social backdrop within our communities that continues to erode our family units and local living economies. If fathers aren't passing on the insight, guidance and skillsets to their suns it arrests their child's development and limits their ability to make a living for themselves and contribute to this society. As a youth advocate there have been many young males I've mentored who were in this position. I've done and continue to do my part by providing them with the resources to successfully make that transition into manhood. As this Greek Mythology of Chronophobia and Infanticide was passed on through its generations it requires a paradigm shift on our part to redefine our family units and communities. This requires more than research on alternatives, it requires application. In the most simplistic terms we as men need to father our suns. If we don't have a sun we need to be father figures. How? By being a link to their future by nurturing, respecting, loving, protecting and educating them. The women who our suns were born through, or who are mother figures, must help reconcile that father-sun relationship and not stand in the way. Peace, Saladin
Once the customization was complete we held a global drawing for people to win it! People had until 11:59pm EST on March 8th {International Women's Day} to register and the drawing was held the following day. To register people simply had to:
In closing, I want to thank Queen Dollylama for doing such an amazing job with this collectors edition doll! I also want to thank everyone who participated in our raffle! Finally, we are pleased to announce the winner of our Queen Dollylama #Formation Doll Giveaway is: click here Peace, Saladin
Filibuster: an action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically violating the required procedures. To act in an obstructive manner in a legislature, especially by speaking at inordinate length. On Wednesday a couple colleagues {Akeem Rashad Allah/DJ Wise and Salim Adofo} and I had the privilege to be on a conference call directly from the White House with other key African American and Civil Rights Leaders around the country about the Supreme Court nomination process that was moderated by Stephanie Young and Valerie Jarrett. Stephanie Young is the Director of African American Outreach for The White House and Valerie Jarrett is the Senior Adviser to President Barack Obama and Assistant for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs in his Administration. If you're unfamiliar with these women I encourage you to Google them.
Following the death of Supreme Court Justice and ultra-conservative Antonin Scalia, this left a vacancy in the highest court of our country. According to our Constitution, in order to fill that vacancy the current President, in our case President Barack Obama, chooses a nominee who is then confirmed by the Senate and then appointed to that position. This is a process that requires several steps, which on average has taken 67 days since 1975, roughly two months, and every U.S. Supreme Court nominee in history has received a vote within four months. President Obama has over 300 days left to serve his second term as our commander and chief so there shouldn't be a problem nominating another Supreme Court Justice, unless of course the Senate doesn't cooperate. After our President makes his nomination it's then sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee who conducts hearings to question his nomination to determine if they'll make a suitable Supreme Court Justice. When these hearings conclude, the Judiciary Committee votes on whether the President's nomination should go to the full Senate with a good, bad or neutral report. Republicans in the Judiciary Committee, led by their chairman Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, have already made it publicly known that they are not going to vote for whoever our President nominates. The last time a Supreme Court nominee was denied a hearing was in 1875. To give you some context, this was 141 years ago during the Reconstruction Era when the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was passed to guarantee African Americans access to equal housing, transportation and jury duty inclusion. By delaying this nomination process and dragging their feet, these Republicans and their special-interest group supporters, could very well get their way and there are no formal repercussions by doing this. The only repercussions they face are from their constituents. So instead of upholding the Constitution and doing the job they were elected to do, they have chosen to be filibusters. The bottom line is "they" want "their people" in that position and will do whatever they can to block, obstruct and go against the Constitution and what President Obama was elected to do in serving his final term as our commander and chief. These tactics aren't new and reflect the continuous uphill battle our President and First Lady have dealt with the entire two terms they've been in office. A battle with elected officials being uncooperative, unhelpful, unsupportive and outright disrespectful.
Members of the Republican controlled Senate and Judiciary Committee have tried to argue that the 2016 President-Elect, not our current President, should nominate a Supreme Court Justice because it's an election year. Mind you, the Senate has confirmed 6 Justices in presidential election years since 1900 including the Republican President Ronald Reagan who appointed Justice Kennedy. If the Senate fails to act, the Supreme Court could have a vacancy for the better part of two Terms. This means that without a 9th Justice, the Supreme Court's 4-4 decisions can't legally establish uniform, nationwide rules. Many have been outraged at the sense of defiance, recklessness and disrespect on the part of the Senate Judiciary Committee and according to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights & The Leadership Conference Education Fund, "a broad coalition of 82 civil rights, voting rights, public interest, environmental, labor, religious, and education groups sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and the 10 other Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, condemning their recent announcement that they will refuse to hold a hearing on—or even meet with—any potential Supreme Court nominee." You can read and share this letter here. Because there are no formal repercussions the Senate Judiciary Committee will face, except from their constituents, what can we do? First I would encourage you to share this article via your social networks including the hash tags #SCOTUS and #DoYourJob.
Post/Share media interviews, memes, articles and statements via your social networks that talk about the importance of the President’s constitutional duty to ensure we have a full supreme court.
Post/Share media interviews, memes, articles and statements via your social networks that talk about the role of the court, the role of the President and/or the role of Congress when a seat on the Court needs filling.
Share media interviews, memes, articles and statements in the comment section of media interviews, memes, articles and statements via your social networks.
Here are a series of graphics you can Post/Share via your social networks.
Be sure to include the hash tags #SCOTUS and #DoYourJob in all of your postings and commentary.
Find out the position of your regional and local public officials on this Supreme Court nomination where you live. Require them to state this position publicly and hold them to it as a matter of their policy record -regardless if they're running for reelection this year or in the future.
Keep in mind that this filibuster scenario that's playing out on the national stage is also happening on a regional and local level throughout America. The reason you may not see certain things getting done in your municipality, your neighborhood or in your workplace is because of the same kind of people striving to block, obstruct and go against progress. Letting our voice be heard about the Supreme Court nomination informs the Senate Judiciary Committee that we will individually/collectively use our position, finances and vote to ensure that people like them, who are not doing their job, will not be in these positions to obstruct justice. We are also informing their constituents that we will not support them, especially in business. How can you trust a business person to do the right thing for their patrons [citizens] when they're deliberately supporting public servants who are not willing to do the right thing for their tax paying citizenry? All of us as citizens are expected to do our job and the citizens we've elected as public servants need to do their jobs too. It's just that simple.
