Cheryl Lynn isn't quite sure who she is, but she's pretty sure of what she wants to be. A warrior woman. A bad-ass mamajama. Perhaps an earth goddess extraordinaire. She spends her days abusing keyboards and screaming at computer screens while she waits for her cult following to finally show up.

She changes her mind more often than extras in rap videos change thongs.

Remember: save to your own server, sweets!

Reading SELF Magazine.

Writing To-Do lists.

Hearing Thunder.

Watching General Hospital.

Building Nothing.

Eating Vitamins.

Drinking Iced Tea.

Buying Comic books.

Thinking "It is HOT!"

Playing Episodes from Liberty City.

Adoring Cold water.

Saying Very little.

Abhorring Bigotry.

Feeling Calm.

Hoping To get in gear.

The Nine.

"Can you imagine them doing this to black people?"

Oh God, I wish I could stop hearing those words. No matter what slight is being discussed, whether superficial or serious, the person discussing it never seems to be satisfied until he or she can utter that phrase.

Obviously I must be living in some alternate reality, because everyone else seems to be living in a place where black people are treated with the utmost dignity and respect while every other group from redheads to Christians are horribly discriminated against.

If you have to utter those nine words, then your best bet would be to let someone else make your argument for you. Because if you looked past your own plight for five seconds, maybe you'd see that black people are being treated that way. Perhaps you do not observe it simply because you are too caught up in your own problems and privilege to notice.

First off, the phrase makes an individual look spiteful. As if he or she were somehow jealous or resentful due to how well another minority group has been treated. Second of all, the phrase makes an individual look foolish, because any person with access to a newspaper, magazine or television remote can clearly see that the dignity or welfare of black individuals certainly is not a concern to the larger social group--unless black people have fought diligently to make it a concern with their words, souls and blood.

Seriously, y'all need to stop making us your debate crutches. If our issues aren't part of the conversation, why bring us up?

Cheryl Lynn @ 02:57 PM EST Link