In a not so past life, I was registered as a Republican. My primary motivation in making that move, was to protect and fight for my right to bare arms. I saw that being a member of the Democratic party was counterproductive toward my right to self defense.
While registered as a Republican, I began hosting a talk show where I covered many topics ranging from gun rights, to poverty in our minority communities. While I spoke out against the crime in our streets, and condemned the criminals, I was all good.
Even so, as a Republican, I always stood to the left on social issues. I defended our gay brothers and sisters, I supported a woman’s right to choose, I supported immigration reform, and I never acted blind towards the fact that racism is very real. Even though I was a Republican, did you think I stopped being Latino? Ahh, but then I was not all good anymore.
Sometime ago, I realized that I was not a Republican. I am a patriot, but even as a patriot who loves our nation, I see her faults. When I speak out about those faults, then it’s not all good anymore.
I live here, this is my home, I defended her by wearing the uniform, but I have grown, I have learned, and I admit, she is not perfect. This does not make me anti-American, it makes me real. Real is not all good anymore.
I’m not calling for America to be destroyed, this is my home. I am calling for change, fairness and equality. Perhaps to those who benefit from inequality, to those in power who benefit from the abuse, this is “destroying ‘their’ America.” I mean, look at Trump’s slogan, “Make America great again.” Which some have very openly changed to say “Make America white again.”
Today, I am not affiliated with either of the two major political parties. My vote did not count in our primary because of that, and I had no choice but to sit and watch idly as the nation picks FOR ME between the “lesser of two evils.”
One day, history will look back upon us, the way we look upon the Roman Empire and analyze how the great American Era came to fall, if we are lucky. We are nowhere near as old as they were, and we are already on the verge of collapse.
Standing up, and speaking on what’s right, doesn’t make you less of a man. It makes you a man. In the past, I wrote and said many things, some I regret, some I still feel. But if you learn new information, yet you remain ignorant in your beliefs, then you truly are a fool. There is no shame in learning, growing, and changing your views. The true shame is in learning, yet remaining foolish. I have learned, and with that I have grown and evolved. This is who I am today, love it or leave it.
Apparently, to some people, that means I am not the man you thought I was, and I’m okay with that.
Just a life long New Yorker sharing the journey through my lens. Please take note of a post’s date. The views I express here are subject to change and evolving as I grow and learn.
That’s okay.. Just do you.. You do you…