Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right: Either You Stand for Something or You Will Fall for ANYTHING!

All too often within our communities and within our neighborhoods, we have gotten away from the essence of being neighborly, sharing, and caring. There is so much going on around us, to the point that trust has become the exception, rather than the rule. Anything seems to go at anytime.

Things around you seem so convoluted that I am sure that many times you don’t know which way to turn, whom to believe or what to believe. And the lies; they too, seem to have become the norm rather than the exception. The sad part about it is that people believe they can tell you anything and you are supposed to believe it. They believe they can piss on your head and tell you it’s raining! As a matter of fact, you have to realize that a lie doesn’t care who tells it.

We are living in very tumultuous times. Each and everyday you awaken to the news of one tragedy after another. People treat you inferiorly on a daily basis. You are constantly being judged by your race, your religion, your sexual orientation, your income, your social status, where you live, what you drive, and anything else the system can find in order to hold you back. Politics is so thick in your place of worship, on your job, in the educational system, in your neighborhood, and in places you probably would never imagine. Educational an organizational funds designated for helping children, families, and the poor are being negotiated and misappropriated; corruption has become an expectation; crime is at an all time high; police are killing African-American males without provocation or cause, at will; Black-on-Black crime has risen to mass proportion; innocent police officers have become the target of the rage and frustration of everyday citizens; there are stories of kickbacks and kick ups, while nonprofits are making more hidden profits than for profit organizations. And where is the money? The NRA, along with many Republicans have closed heir eyes to the need for gun control, and our president of the free world, President Barack Obama is disrespected by congress and many others in the Republican community. And what do you say about any of this? What have you done about any of this?

There is no accountability, and too often, the wrong person gets the top leadership position, holding you and others like you down, holding you back, throwing up road blocks and other barriers, while sometimes cutting you completely out of the picture. You see these issues playing out live, right before your eyes, but what are you doing about them? You probably talk about these issues in secret, but how often do you speak out about them and against with others or in a public forum? As a matter of fact, have you thought about what you can do about these situations and what are you willing to do about them?!

The aforementioned issues are games being played and ideals being perpetrated by those in powerful positions (not all powerful people, but too many), at your expense and at the expense of others. The problem is that you have not been afforded the rules of the games or updated when the rules change. Even more so than ever, it has much more to do with who you know, rather than what you know! Trust is more of a joke than a reality! Yes, you are right! It’s just what you have been thinking; IT’S A RACKET…at your expense and at the expense of others!

The good news is, all hope is not lost! There is some great news about the bad news! If there was a way into a situation, there has to be a way out of the situation. And if you don’t see a way, it is time for you to make a way! You have the ability to deal with the bad news and the bad deeds that you see, that you hear, and that you read about on a daily basis. There is something that can be done about most of the negativity. It starts with you!

How often are you aware of the inequities taking place around you and sometimes with you? How often are you a witness to improprieties, the incompetence, the negative treatment of others, the abuse, the misuse of people, the corporate and public misuse and mishandling of funds, the nepotism, the poor customer service, the increased domestic situations, the increased theft, the infiltration of drugs into our communities (which is nothing new), etc.? Not only are you aware of what’s going on, how often do you stand by saying absolutely NOTHING, while doing absolutely NOTHING about what’s going on?  

Am I talking about you, am I talking to you? Yes I AM! Marvin Gaye asked the question “What’s Going On” in his 1971 song. The sad issue is that forty-five years later, we are still asking the same question…what IS going on?

You can break through the racket. You can reverse much of the maltreatment and mistreatment of others. You can stop the pilfering of funds from your educational institutions and other systems, as you eradicate racism, sexism and the other isms from our society, while returning your communities to one of safety and respect. You are probably asking me, ‘how can I do this Dr. Joyce?’ And my reply to your question is, BY TAKING A STAND!! Too often, we sit idly by, watching stuff happen, without saying anything and most of all, without doing anything. Either you stand for something, or you will fall for anything!

Taking a stand has more to do with you accepting you as well you taking responsibility for being you. And if you don’t know who you are and what it takes to just be you, you have a problem. In all actuality, there is no way that you can stand for what’s right without being knocked down and rolled over, unless you are confident in who you are. This confidence encompasses your belief in and for what’s right, who’s right, and not backing down, compromising, or standing with and for those who are wrong, as well as what is wrong. Remember, two wrongs don’t and won’t make a right!

Not taking stand for what and who is right can only indicate you falling for what’s wrong, allowing you to fall for any and everything, completely out of the realm of truth that you have been taught and the truth that has guided your belief system. At some point, it becomes difficult and almost impossible for you to keep walking in and standing on the footprints of others. These footprints are probably too small or too large for you to fit. However, as long as you keep sitting with blinders on, watching your girlfriend be plummeted mentally, physically, and emotionally by her mate, while turning your head, closing your eyes, and keeping your mouth shut, you are standing in and on the footprints of the perpetrator. In other words, you are just as guilty! If he is wrong and you say nothing, that means both of you are wrong, and there is no right until you take a stand and make it right!

Yes, it’s good to have e job. You are no different from anyone else; everyone needs to make money. But how much of you are you willing to compromise in order to get and keep a job? Whose head are you willing to step on or stand on in order to keep you job or position? How many lies and how many dastardly deeds are you willing to engage in, in order for you to climb the ladder of nowhere, believing that you are going somewhere, at the expense of others? And how long will you sit idly by, completely aware that your colleague has been mistreated, maltreated, and done completely wrong? But, you are willing to sit, not stand, and keep your mouth shut. As a matter of fact, you have sometimes been a part of the equation to do someone else in, not recognizing that if your colleague, your friend, or family member is done wrong, who do you think will be next? That hole that you helped to dig for someone else will often fit two. If he/she was taken down today, there is always the take down for you tomorrow. Either you stand for something or you will keep falling for anything, at your expense and the expense of others.

One of the reasons that you might not take a stand, even when you see the truth and behold the truth, has much to do with your own insecurity, your low self-esteem, and your fear of not belonging. The truth of the matter is, when you believe you have to compromise your beliefs and your values, falling for hose things, those circumstances, and those people who are causing you or forcing you to reframe your reality, you will live a lie, tell a lie, and become a lie, falling for anything.

No matter how you try to fit, no matter how much you seek prestige, power, and position, while trying to be political, until you find the truth, recognize the truth, see the truth, accept the truth, stand on the truth, and stand for the truth, you will keep falling for lies and being disingenuous. You might believe that you are fitting in with others by closing your eyes, your ears, your mind, your heart, and your mouth, and sometimes selling your soul to the truth, but once you are used up, you will be put out! Sadly, the same people you met on your way to the top, you will have to meet them in a completely different vein during your fall to the bottom.

And what are you afraid of by taking a stand for what and who is right; that you won’t belong any more or that you will be ostracized, put out of the group, not be politically correct? The bottom line is and the truth is, you never really fit and you never did belong in the first place. As a matter of fact, you have been perpetrating a fraud of fitting and belonging. The people you thought you were fitting with were only misusing you and others, to keep what they have and to continue to rise to their own heights. As they move on, you will be moved down or aside. It’s time for you to take a stand!

Anytime you are perpetrating frauds, you are holding onto untruths, standing by and standing for situations and people that are not for or indicative of who you are, as well as people that are not standing for your good, nor for the good of others as a whole, you truly have a problem! But, you can correct your problem, starting today!

It is time for you to release your fears, recognizing that you ARE your brother’s keeper and you ARE your sister’s keeper. It is time for you to accept the fact that your ability to help others to recognize their inner freedom and inner peace is predicated on their willingness to work tirelessly to take a stand to return their communities to a place of love, hope, faith, and compassion, instead of fear, despair, anguish, helplessness, and hopelessness.

As you recognize that you have a chance to improve any and all situations of your life and in the lives of others, and the fact that you have choices in life by using your voice, you will move past seeing yourself as a snitch and not be afraid to make your pitch for truth and righteousness! It is also essential that you do not allow yourself to become bamboozled by the political wrangling and fears being put forth by some of our political candidates, who disrespect, annihilate, and humiliate others, because of their differences and statuses. Your vote is your voice and your stand. You must be willing to take a stand for something or someone, or fall for anything! If you have to stand alone for what you KNOW is right, it’s okay! It’s better to stand-alone for what and who is right, rather than fall in line with and for others who are wrong! Two wrings DON’T make a right!

©2016; J. Morley Productions, Inc, P.O. Box 1745; Decatur, GA 30031; (770) 808-6570; www.doctorjoyce.com