State of my UNION

Dear Tim Scott,

Great job. Not! Your rebuttal was full of empty words, increased divisiveness between the American people, a disgrace to our black ancestors who blood and sweat built this country lastly I wouldn’t be surprised if you lost the vote and support of every black man and women whom you once inspired; now you’ve been a black sell out for the falsehood of a partisan lie.

Do you know what it’s like to be poor? Do you know what it’s like to be on food stamps, living on disability, and begging for a opportunity to make it out the hood as a black transgender (FTM) man? Do you know my pain? Do you know what it’s like waiting in a state building for your food stamps renewal to go through? or Medicaid? or Medicare? Try waiting for 3 hours on a good day with kids screaming and crying lines out the door. Poverty looks great, huh!

Why hinder President Biden?

Let me tell you and America my story. Raised in foster care. Paid my way through college with loans and scholarships. Hit by a car. Worked years as a barista at Starbucks (are you a vanilla latte-guy?). I have bipolar disorder with anxiety, depression and psychosis. My medication costs more than 3k a month. In yet I studied hard and went to school. With a foster family who loved me on condition. I attempted suicide after the accident and in a mixed episode state my foster parents said they could give me a sleeping bag but I could not come home. I lived on the beach. I showered in the ocean. I was dirty. I stinked. I was poor. To this day without my mentor mommy I would not be able to eat healthy and lose weight if she didn’t give me money for food. I only get 158$ a month for food stamps.My rent is almost 300$ and my disability is 700$. Don’t forget bills! We need the Biden package. People like me! I worked and worked at a restaurant so I could get a free meal. Eventually I joined a program called Continuum of Care, received medicaid, disability, found public housing (still there) and am living with chronic pain from a body that never healed correctly after being hit by a car while riding a bike from work in the rain at night because a white cop gave me an order, threatened me and I obeyed. Because of my obedience I was hit and because of my obedience the cop blamed me for the accident. No parents. Just a mentor who is my mommy. A praying God mother. And Continuum of Care.

Because of Continuum I have a home, treatment, insurance, and income. Continuum exists because of people like President Biden and Vice President Harris.

I am now applying for a msw program so I can start a real life and a family. Hopefully find a wife. I dream of starting a program where youth in foster care can age out go to college out of state and have a home to come to, earn a driver’s license, and mentor high school foster youth and have successful and powerful internships in the state of CT; so I can work on breaking the inner city negative poverty mindset. It’s no fun to make it out alone. I want a team!

President Biden, package yes, is pricey. I know. Work with him. We as America need both parties. Being progressive for me doesn’t mean being democrat it means continually pressing towards a goal for the better good of mankind.

Let’s stop knocking each other down and let’s start building one another up. If Jesus were to see what America has come to be he’d be disappointed. Love one another as you love yourself. Question,have you ever spoken to a transgender person and asked our story? What’s it like coming out? What’s it like going through another puberty? Continually asserting your pronouns and being afraid to use the bathrooms. Afraid to go to church. I came out to my church and there was a prayer circle around me to change. Some people treated me like a disease and pastors who were my aunts never answered my phone calls. My family disowned me twice.

Lastly! I think you should go to Oakland Cali. With sweatpants, hoodie and Jordans. Go to a bodega buy a Pepsi (you guys still boycotting Coke?)and see how the police treat you. They won’t see Senator Tim Scott..They will see a black man! I live in New Haven Connecticut and they will see a black man you will be stopped and asked questions if you’re lucky and harrassed. Not everyone in America is racist. But America was built on racism, genocide, greed, hate and lust. Don’t be blind to the truth for the sake of anyone and/or political party. Open your eyes! America sees you!

Truly,

Domenia Zih

VOTE!

I Vote for Freedom!

Vote like your life depends on it

Vote like your country is counting on it

Vote and demand your voice to be heard

Vote…take a stand for our democracy

Vote for those who can’t

Vote for the children too young to understand.

Get into trouble

Good trouble

Vote for the elderly

Vote for social welfare programs

Vote for public funding and education

Vote for freedom, law, and liberty

During a pandemic

When the very threat of our lives are at risk

Mail-in ballots a questionable

Absentee ballots not available

Long lines, confined spaces, no filter air systems breeding ground for the coronavirus

Scary and dark times we live in

I don’t know the right answer. I have a compromised immune system

However, November 3rd, 2020 call me “crazy” call me “Stupid” I’ll be in the line with you

Risking my health to VOTE!

Can’t trust our current leadership I have a chance to make a change with a pen

Vote with me

Vote Progressive

Vote Blue

America needs you.

I need you.

The children need you.

The elderly need you.

And, this isn’t just me but for US, you+me!

Get a Mask! Stand 6ft away.

Vote November 3rd, 2020 United States of America!

Ujima, a collective responsibility.

UJIMA (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our people’s problems our problems, and to solve them together

Our government and our world didn’t become poorly overnight. It took the collective works and was the responsibility of our leaders. Global Climate Change didn’t occur overnight it was a slow collective effort of the greedy, and unawareness of others. The United States deficit didn’t happen overnight it is the result of the collective works and responsibility.

Ujima means we all take responsibility for our action and we commit to trying to make a difference for the year collectively. It’s an agreement made with our heart and mind signed on a contract with mother earth/universe. We need to no longer beat our selves up and keep blaming politicians when WE ALL had a part in destroying our planet, our country, and future generations. 

We need to make a commitment to do better and aim higher. We still have time. The earth isn’t dead, yet. We can still change global hunger, stop wars, save refugee people, provide medication to the poorer countries. We can still do better. As a country we can get out of debt, we can save our government and appoint leaders who can lead it with dignity, respect, integrity, and personal accountability. 

Ujima is the collective works and responsibility of each individual equally.  What can you do to be the change and leader America needs today? What can you do? What can we do? Do we even know what our responsibilities and roles are? No longer can we afford to blame others even if they’re in the wrong. What good is it? Be the needed change we want to see. Our children are dying, and it’s harder to afford higher education. Our children are hungry. Our children do not have good health care. our universities are failing us. Our leaders are being carnally human. We have the medicine but who can afford it? Why can we afford GMO-Foods with antibiotics and corn raised animals but not organic and locally farmed foods? Why don’t we take our money and put it into our farms, local businesses and let them thrive? Instead of the rich getting richer; why not give our farmers a chance, the local shops a chance, and local governments a chance? Why is Debt crushing the necks of our young people? 

Bottom line: It’s our collective works and responsibility. 

I pray your Ujima was a blessed and great day! 

Joyous Kwanzaa 

Domenia 

We ain’t got no neighbors.

   I live in a suburban area. It has been pretty quiet until this past week.

I live with a white foster family, and across the street when I first moved in I realized that I was not the only person of color.

I was not upset or angry. During 2008 elections  I saw a republican flag hanging from a black mans house. Shocked, everyone on my street was a liberal. I never knew how you could be of color and a republican. 

Until that point I never knew that there were African-Americans who would vote for “Bush.”

Today June 24 2012 I was walking from the corner market. I have dread locs and I just washed them. I look like a rug. However, I finally said walked crossed the street and said “Hi, I am Domenia your neighbor” The young man, said “hey, I’m RJ” and we had a conversation.

On my street at RJ’s home it was crowded outside. There was a graduation celebration. I was disturbed though, because the quietness, and stillness in our neighborhood I realized would soon be no more, and maybe the other “white” neighbors would move out in fear of our culture, music style and urban lifestyles; that didn’t fit the white upper class society. 

I talked with RJ. He is really cool! He was sitting on his dads porch. His dad came out front, RJ immediately said “dad, this is your neighbor Mia”

The father immediately said “we ain’t got no neighbors.” He hesitantly shook my hand. I wanted to cry, because I felt in my heart that he was responding to stereotypes. Just because people choose to sit on their porch does not mean that trouble is afoot. I asked God to forgive me, because I had made that same assumption when I saw that there was more color added to Belmont Street it would some how change something, we would be united solely because of the color of our skin. 

I’m in awe. “we ain’t got no neighbors.” I wonder if the Republican flag was really just to fit in or if he is a true Republican. I wonder if he was worried about how other people saw him and his family.

Finally on my street I thought I could befriend a family with hair like mine. And then I heard the words “we ain’t got no neighbors”

The African-American community is not all bad. It’s false that,  one bad apple spoils it for the rest. However, we are fighting the stereotype. I feel as though that African-Americans creates more tension than what needs to be. The mentality of being 3rd class citizens, animals, “niggas”, defeated and demoralization has to go.

Our young men and women need to grow up, and be raise into position of authority and respect for themselves, their country, their family, and their community. Yes, the African-American Community has seen turmoil, death, hate, depression and oppression. However so has the Jewish Community, Hispanic/Latino Community, Mental/Handicapp Community, Foster Care Youth and Immigration Community.

“WE HAVE NEIGHBORS! AND IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZED THAT TOGETHER WE STAND AND DIVIDED WE SHALL FALL”

SO TO 15 BELMONT STREET “YOU HAVE NEIGHBORS, BLACK, WHITE, HISPANIC, GAY, HANDICAPP, AND OF DIFFERENT FAITHS.

Philippians 4: 12-13

¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,   whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.