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Whoever you are and wherever you live, we all have a joy and or pain on this Thanksgiving Day. Yet are commonality are our breaths which are the gift of life.......breathe & give thanks for life for as long as you breathe life produces hope & for an absence or loss the memories will hold us lovingly for the memories of our loved ones will create that bridge straight to our hearts. - Blessings Joan 
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Every human being has their own reality of the world which is based on their worldview. Just as the framework of our society can be distorted by our experiences and upbringing, we each have the power to change our life for the better. For example, the lyrics "a child is born with no state of mind" is the reality of each baby born. We can shape our children to succeed in life by religion, parenting, parenting by example, and education. Additionally, we can show our children that when they reach success it is a continuing paradigm. We are all equal according to God and no other human being can define us! People can attempt to stop your success but again it is only attempt. Failures are those who have the desire to destroy human kind because of their own flaws and weaknesses. Survivors are those who are existing within their own perception of reality (just because you may live in a poor circumstance does not mean you will stay in it). We can live beyond our full potential by our actions and beliefs that success is in our hand! The media and entertainment industry consistently portrays stereotypes and generalizations of various races and genders but it does not display reality. Law enforcement in some geographical areas are a death sentence for people of color, but it does not reflect all police officers as killers. There are police officers who use community policing and a multistep approach of police, community members/residents and government officials unilaterally improving society. Again, reality is formed on our worldview and we each have the power to succeed!  Last month, the world and I was shaken at the poignant news that Robin Williams was dead. As the tributes aired on television while I lay in the hospital bed I thought of his life. When I found out the cause of his death I was automatically heartbroken for his suffering. The existence of depression has the same effects as the existence of cancer. Those of us who know depression understand the darkness and the constraints it places on our life. My beautiful cousin from Kosciusko was mentioning how depression is a place that we can stay there and have a pity party but we can’t stay there in that state. Another expression my cousin from Pensacola stated of how people can be cold and add to your negative mood but fortunately ice melts! If we realize as human beings that everything is temporary, maybe we can accept that our depression is temporary. We can experience joy if we allow it to enter our lives and maybe we can become happy in just knowing that our state of darkness is temporary. Life will improve and we have to stay alive to feel and accept that happiness!
May Michael Brown's parents be given justice and peace and that God will always be their anchor as the storms of injustice continue to block the "whys" and "why my child" questions. Obtaining those answers require truth and justice; however, through the courts. Michael Brown was on his way to college and his life is forever changed as a homicide victim! There is a Latin phrase “Veritas et Justitia,” it is defined as truth and justice. Our scars of injustice runs deep from the Jim Crow practices of our recent pass, the lynching’s of our Black sons and fathers, the race riots and water hosing, and slavery. Slavery robbed our ancestors of equality, humanity, family and dignity. All of these deep scars are never going to leave our community until we repair the scars that we are doing to each other right now, day by day. Healing requires finding our truth. Finding our truth will help us to we repair our communities. Repairing our communities and the immediate scars will help to develop trust within our community. These repairs will eventually improve our communities for the long term if we commit to proactive and positive healing and repairing. Repairing first begins at home, church, and community. Thus the phrase "Veritas et Justitia,” our community can begin to live in a just society and believing in justice once the truth and the trust are actively taking place. Rioting and looting will always end in further violence and destruction to the community. 
There is a deeper evaluation and resolution that parents of children who live in poverty and violence need to modify as they raise their children. Some of us have become complacent with our daily lives. We continue to have an outrage for police officers who kill our children, what about the killings originating from youth on youth crime? Where is the outrage in communities that are losing Black and Hispanic youth every ten minutes to gun violence and gang violence? Keep in mind that there is a difference between outrage and rioting. Where is the outrage for looting and rioting? Where is the outrage for children raising themselves? Where is the outrage for children seeking criminal means to gain wealth, cars, clothes and shoes? Where is the outrage for children having children? Where is the outrage for fatherless children? Again, it is time to change the outrage to significant proactive changes by repairing our communities to live in "Veritas et Justitia,” our truth and justice.
Love and blessings, Joan Ellen Gandy 
As I was laying in the hospital inpatient for a few days, I could not believe my eyes as I watched the news coverage in Ferguson, Missouri. I thought of the film coverage and documentaries of the race riots in the 1960s. However, news coverage may have an agenda depending on the network’s affiliation. NPR provides reporting without any bias and when I returned home I read all the reports from NPR on the events of the death of Michael Brown and the events that followed in Ferguson, Missouri.
Michael Brown was a college bound teenager who was black and most importantly unarmed when he was shot several times by a police officer who had been on the force for six years. Why didn’t the police officer use a TASER? Why did the officer shoot Michael Brown several times which ended in a homicide? Did Michael Brown steal from a convenience store? As the investigative process continues in the Michael Brown homicide, these answers and more will hopefully be revealed and justice pursued. It is imperative that the peace continues and that everyone be patient and wait for justice to arrive through the court system. Rioting and looting does not help justice reveal but it only enhances tensions between the community and the police. Police officers are committed to saving lives and maintaining law and order and we should teach our children to be respectful of police officers. I applaud the police officers who take their time to know the communities that they protect and are committed to their communities. Our prayers go out to the Michael Brown family and friends and that they reach their goal for their legal fund. The gofundme.com website has the Michael Brown Family listed to raise funds for their legal fund as they seek justice. http://www.gofundme.com/justiceformikebrown Love and blessings, Joan  May you learn to accept self-love that has no barriers
Attitude is what you can change when the situation can't be changed Yet always understand the power in universal love and beauty in diversity Aspire to know better and you will do good to ease your spirit Allow yourself to forgive others to instill a peaceful mind Never ignore what someone shows you as their true self Giving to others is the greatest gift for when you give you get Evaluation of self will always promote learning and self-growth Look to the stars and walk proudly with your head held up Our life is a light that shines from within that nothing can dim Understand that you are phenomenal and still you rise!!!! Rest in peace as you reunite with family and friends that will celebrate your arrival up in heaven!!! Written by Joan Ellen Gandy 30 May 2014  Monday was a typical MONDAY. Tuesday, I was cussed out twice. Yesterday, I was screamed at, threatened and had racial slurs specifically thrown at me. Needless to say, my past few days haven't been the best and then there was today.....I left work exhausted not wanting to stop at Walmart but knowing I needed conditioner for my huge bush. I stopped by Walgreen (5 minutes away from my house) to buy it. I found exactly what I wanted but there was one problem. Now I wanted the shampoo AND conditioner which cost $22 each. I left my card at home and only had $30. I tried to get money from the ATM "without a card" which was impossible. I called my hubby to see how far away he was...40 minutes and I did not want to wait. My only resort was to buy one, go home and bring more money which would have been a 10% chance of me returning. As I'm standing in this LONG line, the lady in front of me began talking to me about everything. Just your typical moment of shoppers waiting their turn in line, we became engrossed in a conversation between two strangers to ease the time. As she was about to pay for her items, she asked if that's all I had. I said yes thinking she was about to let me go ahead of her but what she did next totally surprised me. She told me she's paying for my item. I said no because of the cost. She insisted and said the Holy Spirit led her to do this. I kissed her on the cheek and walked out. I was midway to the car and just had to go back and let her know my semi dilemma. I explained to her that I only had enough money for one and she said well, now you have enough for both. She insisted the Spirit led her to do it. This all may seem simple to you but she literally made my day and I was thankful. Thankful for her kindness. Thankful for her generosity. Thankful that she was led to me. She renewed my diminishing faith in humanity.
Written by Dede Clark-Kimbrough May 16, 2014 Thank you beautiful Cousin Dede for sharing this story with us! This story reflects the beauty in kind acts and gestures and the important reminder of the blessings from our humanity! Yes, there is beauty in our humanity! Love and blessings to all! Joan Ellen Gandy First, Anderson Cooper of CNN is one of the greatest news correspondence, reporters of my generation! His strength and resilience and coming out are like bricks released from his back, and for Sterling to mention that Cooper is a racist is disconcerting. Anderson Cooper and I are only a few days apart from each other and born within a few miles from each other during a turbulent decade.
The recent interview Anderson Cooper conducted with the silent Donald Sterling is just as astonishing as the tapes. Clearly, Sterling is either suffering from Alzheimer's which is a horrible disease and or living in the past during the Jim Crow days. For him to have the audacity to say that Magic Johnson does not help the black community is absurd! Magic Johnson has brought numerous jobs and companies to partnership within low income neighborhoods. There are thousands and thousands of low income people who are now invested in their community and employed and can live the American dream. It appears that Sterling is envious of Magic Johnson and is spiteful toward his accomplishments. Magic Johnson has HIV and he does not have AIDS; however, according to Sterling the behaviors of Magic Johnson and his AIDS are glorified. Again, Magic does not have AIDS but he has HIV. It is depressing that Sterling refuses to acknowledge his own behaviors and apologize to the NBA family that he continues to disrespect. Furthermore, he believes that the players and fans adore him and the media are damaging his personification. When Sterling speaks of the comparison of rich Jewish people as more dedicated to helping the poor compared to rich blacks helping the poor is a deep seated opinion and a clear generalization. There are many rich Jewish and black people alike that contribute to poor communities within the United States and other countries. In the year 2014, to be born into poverty, does not define a person’s future! Those of us who live in poverty are among all races and ethnicities. Sterling it is time to stop living in the past and live in the now which is a melting pot of the United States. The same fans that attend the Clippers NBA games and the NBA players are the same people who you have demeaned and dishonored. Yes, Sterling’s days as an NBA family member are fading just as his mind a noteworthy juxtaposition. Blessings and love, Joan Source of data of interview: Transcripts from CNN The recent events in regards to Donald Sterling pushed me to write about the right to privacy according to my six years of criminal law college research and classes. Furthermore, my over thirty years of experience as an adult in regards to race relations, has caused me to shake my head in wretchedness. Those who are on different sides of this subject will be shocked from my reason of shaking my head. As we say in the military, “stand-by” for I want to discuss the act of recording a conversation.
Donald Sterling has every right to feel and think the way he does about any person in or out of his life. We may not like his true feelings and his thinking process but Sterling has been telling people his reality for several decades through his actions. Ironically, his confident is Mexican and African/Black American which are the races that he ranted against on the tape. Obviously prejudices, ignorance and stereotypes are learned behavior and with each generation these behaviors within our population will continue to decrease. Regardless, of how we may despise Sterling’s behavior, he has the privilege and justification to his sentiments and views no matter if it is right or wrong. Recording someone without their permission should have legal ramifications. Hopefully, a lawyer will provide us with some insight on these laws. From what I know the conversation was a private conversation between Sterling and his “silly rabbit confident” considered his “right hand armed man”. I am not being comical or disrespectful from utilizing these names, according to an interview with Barbara Walters on ABC’s 20/20, Sterling’s confident described herself to the acclaimed journalist with these depictions. There are several factors in determining the law in regards to recording someone without their permission because obviously we know that Donald Sterling did not know that he was being recorded during his honest conversation. In my four questions of how Sterling’s rights may have been violated, justice is for all no matter if we do not agree with their actions and sentiments! For example, factor one is the location of where both parties are located during the recording. Factor two is there a written or verbal consent between both parties involved or either parties to record? Factor three, who are the parties involved in the recording? Factor four, is the recording related to a conspiracy to commit a crime? As I listened to Sterling’s rant I felt various ways, but my focus remained on the basketball players of the Clippers, NBA players of the past and the fans. My heart was broken especially for the players and fans that have never experienced prejudices, ignorance and stereotypes directly or indirectly. The culture of indirect and direct prejudices, ignorance and stereotypes was daily one generation ago. In every generation forward, our multi-cultural world will have less ignorance. Yes, ignorance will always exist in society but it will not be rampant as the days of the past.  The current events blog by Gandy begins with breakfast, the most important part of the day! If you have time in the morning to sit back and relax with a cup of coffee and breakfast and read my current events blog, you are in for the thrill of the day! If you have requests of current events that are not tackled on any blogs, I might publish a current event if I can locate enough research material on the topic. Be ready for a wonderful day and when we have tragic topics it will be our time to pray just as we do during happy days! We will share every event together and discuss our opinions and thoughts during the morning, afternoon, and evening. Why? Breakfast can be served at any time of the day! Cheers and refrain from fears!
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They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” Isaiah 40:31, NIV.