Life in the World of Inequalities

Poverty is injustice

Fighting poverty is up to you, no matter what you do.

Hey! I think it's time I talked about class status, wealth, and poverty. In my short life, I’ve come across thousands of people, yes, thousands, though not enough to say I’ve met millions. Many of these people come from deprived homes, and their hope is always to get the best they can, to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

A lot of them complain bitterly about the massive wealth disparity in the world; the gap between the rich and the poor. But the truth is, they’ll never get things to go their way by just complaining, so why waste their breath? 

I understand their frustration with the state of the world, where some people work hard to get where they are, while others inherit their wealth through fortune. And then, there are those who work hard all their lives and still have nothing to show for it especially in countries like my home continent, Africa.

Either way, it’s all down to luck. Luck is a factor. Some people win or inherit wealth, and every human being is entitled to their share of luck. 

While I sympathize with their concerns, I’ve come to accept that inequality is part of life—just call it life. As long as humanity exists, there will always be this disparity. We will never be equal. Think of it like the parallel lines we learned about in geometry; they’ll never meet. We will always have the smart and the not-so-smart, the rich and the poor, the tall and the short, developed and developing countries (think of the West and Africa), leaders and followers, just to name a few.

Social Darwinism will always be at play. Classes will continue to exist as long as capitalism and other measures of wealth are in place. People will fight and protest against the idea of class warfare, but will we ever find a solution? For instance, in the U.S., the wealth of the top 1% is equivalent to that of the bottom 99%. It’s unbelievable, but real. As Cornel West would say, it’s a moral absurdity.

If you were born rich, thank God every day for the rest of your life. If not, still thank God and hope you can pull yourself out of poverty one day. To many, poverty feels like a curse, an illness. Nobody wants to be poor or to associate with the have-nots. Why else would people do all kinds of dubious things in the name of money or conquering poverty?

How long?

God help mankind. We can’t all be rich otherwise, who would be the janitor, the security guard, the bus driver, the cook, the mail carrier, or the messenger? These are the people we sometimes look down on or even disrespect. Think about it.

Happy first day of December.

~Pal Ron

Hello December 1,2012

Glad to be here on the first day of December 2012. I have a wedding to attend in about 8 hours, so I better get some sleep now. I’ve been trying to babysit this paper on this Friday night, but it seems impossible with my mind all over the place.

Last Day of November 2012

Glad today is Friday, though sad that it's the last day of November 2012. This day will never come again in the history of the world. Yet, each month comes with its own successes and challenges. As a young and hopeful man, I try to keep track of the happenings in each month, whether good or bad.

Today was also the last day of my Chemistry lab class. I’m relieved I no longer have to rack my brain over those frustrating practicals.

November has been eventful around the world: the U.S. re-elected Obama, but that’s old news. We saw a chronic territorial conflict between Gaza and Israel, with hundreds of lives lost. Palestine finally gained recognition at the UN as an observer. The civil war in Goma, DRC continues. These are just a few highlights.

On a more personal note, I’ve experienced a lot of growth. My sister, Emelia also graduated from college, which is exciting and something to be proud of in our family.

In less than two hours, December will arrive. I’m looking forward to the blessings of the Christmas season.

Hurray! Be happy that there is life in you, and therefore, hope remains alive. Everything will be alright. 

Stay blessed!

Ronald

Late Arafat’s recalled to our Troublesome World

The Late Yasser Arafat

The Late Yasser Arafat

Something in the news caught my attention today, and I couldn’t help but discuss it with friends and colleagues. It’s about the exhumation of the late Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat. Mr. Arafat passed away in 2004 after a short illness in a French military hospital. Shockingly, no autopsy was performed on him—imagine, a whole Head of State—and his body was flown back to Ramallah for burial. Soon after, rumors began circulating that he had been poisoned, as traces of radioactive polonium were found in preliminary samples taken from his personal belongings, like his toothbrush, hair, and urine stains.

What’s even more intriguing is the belief that Israel was responsible for poisoning him. I can’t help but wonder why this case was allowed to rest for eight years until now, when Arafat’s remains have been exhumed to conduct further studies to confirm whether polonium was indeed the cause of his death. According to Al Jazeera, a team of international scientists from France, Switzerland, and Russia arrived in Palestine to collect these samples. The fact that they’ve gathered experts from multiple countries shows how serious this case is. An exhumation like this would never happen if the matter wasn’t significant.

I wonder what will unfold after the studies are completed. God help us as we navigate this troubled world. Arafat was a good man, dedicated to bringing peace between Palestine and other countries in the region, including Israel.

I find this particularly fascinating, having studied nuclear radiation and given a presentation on the topic not too long ago. I’m curious about how the concept of nuclear half-life comes into play here, considering that polonium’s lifespan isn’t particularly long. Eight years is quite a stretch, and Arafat should have been left to rest in peace. But now, suddenly, there’s all this international attention. That’s why I chose the headline, “The Late Arafat’s Recall back to Our Troublesome World.”

Arafat’s wife has also been a strong supporter of this investigation. It’s true what they say—when you find a strong-willed woman, she’ll always have your back, even when you’re long gone.

Peace to the world.

Yours humble Pal,  

Ronnie

Cease-fire for Hamas and Israel

Some where in Gaza, God have mercy

 The other day, the news reported about the head of Hamas and Mr. Jabari in the Middle East was killed in an Israeli attack. Guess what? It was like all hell broke loose, with bombing and ballistic missiles traded back and forth between Gaza and Israel. In less than 24 hours, mass casualties were reported on both sides of the conflict. Israel declared it was doing what was necessary to protect its people, while Gaza also said they were defending themselves and expressed frustration over the blockade. By the way, Gaza is considered one of the most densely populated regions in the world. A rocket from Israel landing in Gaza almost always causes significant damage, while Gaza's rockets often don't reach Israel because of Israel's missile defense system, the Iron Dome, which prevents missiles from hitting their targets in southern Israel.

In the end, the conflict caught the attention of the international community, especially as more people in Gaza were getting killed than in Israel. This is partly because Hamas in Gaza doesn’t have a standing army like Israel, which concerned many observers. Some people even accused Israel of committing atrocities by killing helpless civilians in Gaza.

Why does this conflict exist in the first place, you ask? It's simply because of their chronic territorial dispute, which, for some reason, has existed since the beginning of time in the Middle East. Israel has always had difficulty staying safe in a region where it struggles to find allies. Of course, the international community had to intervene, with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visiting the region for ceasefire talks, followed by the outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who went to Egypt to meet with President Morsi. In the end, they were able to broker a ceasefire deal.

I was glad to catch a glimpse of people on TV in Gaza celebrating the ceasefire. These poor folks were happy to finally be free from the troubles of this brief conflict. Nobody wants war; everyone just wants to live in peace and do the things that make them happy. 

Peace should stand still, with no fighting or fussing, because war comes with a huge price, often paid in blood. Let there be peace in the world, not just in the Middle East. As I speak, there is a 20-month-old war still raging in Syria, and a civil war is also ongoing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in my own continent of Africa. I don't really know what is wrong with some people in Africa. They are living and dying of hunger, yet they find the means to fight? Something doesn't add up.

God have mercy on us, and don't forget to pray for the world we live in.

Yours humble Pal,  

Ronnie

Thanksgiving 2012

College was on recess on Tuesday the 20th, and everyone was required to vacate campus by 9 PM, as the college wanted to save on security costs. I had a class that day, and afterward, I arranged to leave with a friend. It felt really good to be home by 10 PM, and to my amazement, everything looked so different. I understood why—it's been a long time since I last came home. When I left for school, everything around here was still green, but now all the leaves were gone.

After settling in and getting everything in order, I went to the mall with family and ran into Amanda and her friend Marwan. It was great to see them again; I always enjoy reconnecting with people I was once close to.

Anyway, today was the reason we came home in the first place—Thanksgiving Day. This holiday is as old as the Republic, or even the nation itself. When the colonists came to America in the early 17th century and survived their first year or so, they decided to set aside a day to thank God for their lives and survival in the New World. They were joined by the Native Americans, who hunted deer for the celebration, and together, they marked the day. Later, Thanksgiving became an official holiday across the nation, with turkey and other foods symbolizing gratitude for blessings. I think turkey is a fitting choice for the holiday, though it can be expensive, and not everyone can easily afford it outside of America.

Personally, we had a wonderful day with family and friends, including a young lady from Ghana who celebrated her first Thanksgiving with us. To her, it was a completely new experience.

I was truly glad to be home, celebrating with loved ones. Every day, we should give thanks and praise to the Most High for our lives and blessings. So that was it—the rest of my days before I go back to college are fully scheduled. I just want to see everyone before I return. Live fully every day, as if tomorrow may never come. Love more today, hate less, and be a blessing to others wherever you are. We never know the day or hour of our redemption.

God bless you.

Your humble friend,  

Ronnie

Obama and His Victory of Election 2012

Prez. Obama's victory night with family at Chicago.

Well, the elections on Tuesday November 6th came nice and easy and at the end of the day, I was privilege to be a first hand witness in watching the results from the various states tallied and sent in. In less than an hour or so, President Obama was pronounced the winner of the 2012 Presidential elections over his contender Mitt Romney.

It was a tough race between the two candidates and a lots of money was spent in the course of the entire campaign period. Many people were surprise the president won re-election because they said he didn't do a good job of bringing down unemployment and handling of the Embassy Benghazi's crisis was and it was a big blow on his part as well. I for one, wasn't surprise he won. Though he didn't have lot to run on, yet he had the best campaign team on his side and some of the key political figures backing him was a factor. regardless, he also came to office at a time the economy of the nation was at the brink of collapse. Former President Clinton was on his side, don't forget he is still extremely popular in the minds of the American people and so as Cocktail investor Warren Buffet. Obama also had a lot of unfinished jobs and kicking him out of the oval office after just a term, could be detrimental to the national growth and interest and many believed another four years could be enough to assess his presidency though he wouldn't have to run for re-election the third time. Everything is always possible, maybe the constitution can be altered to give him yet another chance to run, wait, did I just write that? over the dead body of this empire and its many ambitious politicians.

I was truly glad to be a spectator.

God bless I, the people of the nation, and the nation at last.

Yours humble servant,

Ronald Lawyer,

Shalom! 

Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney for election 2012

Barack Obama

Mitt Romney

   Americans are at polls today to elect the next president of the United States. It was a long expensive and aggressive campaign between President Obama and Former Gov. Romney of Massachusetts. And finally, at the end of today, and early tomorrow, we might be able to know if Obama would be approved for rehiring or he will be fired and have a fresh man from Boston into the White House. This can is a big and important election not only amongst the American people but folks from all walks of life across the glob. Remember my Norwegian friend last night told me there were following the elections closely. This Norway, the other side of the planet. From my point of view, whoever becomes the president would have a lot in his plate to handle. The economy is the top item that people are very much concerned about, second to that climate change which invariably result in storms like the one that came with hurricane sandy. It did a great deal of damage to cities in the East Coast etc.
The two men above have their respective differences and I believe if Obama doesn't win, whatever he did and was about to finished, will be completely wiped out and Mitt will have to start his agenda all over. Things like that doesn't normally bring progress that the nation needs to compete. I respect them as Obama has come from a strange background to where he is now, and Mitt Romney has also work hard and on his way to be one of the wealthiest politician in America. If he wins, it is more than likely that he wouldn't take the presidential salary of $400,00.00 a year. He is said to be worth $250,000,000.00. Sometimes I just wonder how on earth would someone of his wealth and prestige would want to be a president of an Empire like  America. Being a president is not a child play. If you think I'm making this up, look at Obama now and 2008, that is just 4 years ago.
Good luck America, there has never been a lasting democracy on earth than America. A good record of over 200 years is respected beyond any reasonable doubt.
I'm a spectator in this as I have no qualification to go to polls. God bless this country and God bless whoever comes in as an official representative of the nation in the world.

http://georgelakoff.com/2012/11/02/1994/

http://georgelakoff.com/2012/11/02/1994/

All Saints Day Vrs. Halloween

It's first day of November, the 11th month of the year and I can tell you the year is over. I meant 2012. Today is also all Saints day in the Catholic Church. A day to remember all the saints, do who lived good lives die as saint and martyrs but was never recognized or honored, today is the day to remember all of them in prayer. It falls with halloween, believed to be a pagan holiday which does indeed glorify evil and witchcraft. I hope hope you were able to get a brief understanding of what I meant here.
God is love, stay bless and God be with you always.

More than expected.

The damage from Hurricane Sandy has been enormous. You won't believe it. It would take a long time for NY to truly recover from this considering the news footage we are getting on TV. God help man.