The Gantt Report
When kin folk become sin folk
By Lucius Gantt
On any given day, you can walk up to most African Americans and ask them how they feel about President Barack Obama and the majority of them will speak of the President in very loving terms.
And, on the other hand, for some reason, there are small numbers of Black people in America that hate Obama with a passion! The African American “family” is both its own best friend and its worst enemy when it comes to how we treat each other or how we support each other.
Like the late Rodney King once asked, “Why can’t we all just get along?”
One reason we can’t get along is because of tribal warfare, gang warfare and plain old family drama!
It is not unusual to hear people say “you always hurt the ones you love” but in 2012 some of us also hate the ones we are supposed to love!
We don’t have to go too far to find drama, hatred, jealousy, envy, thievery, adultery, snitching and other undesired feelings and behavior.
We can find it in our own homes, our own communities and in our own families.
Don’t take my word for it, you tell me. Who is the one in your family that always feels they have to run and snitch and tell mama everything that you do? Who is the family junkie that will take or con or steal anything and everything from everybody including Big Momma and Aunt Thelma?
Who is the cousin that can’t stand you because you worked hard and became successful and they did not? It’s probably the same sibling or cousin that always wants to borrow money.
What family members have borrowed and wore your clothes without your permission? Who in the family feels they should always run everything and make every decision? Which relative chooses to blame you for the bad choices and decisions that they made themselves?
Yes, we all have family members that get on our nerves, anger us, upset us and basically piss us off!
It’s easy for you to straighten your friends, coworkers or strangers but it’s more difficult for some of us to put our family members in check. Brother, sister and cousin can push us too far sometimes and cause us to react or even fight.
But it’s hard to tell Daddy to back off and you had better not say any-thing smart back to your mother.
Sometimes, however, when you’re trying to do what is best and what is right, you may have to call out brother or sister or even put mama and daddy in check!
Mary, mother of Jesus, was a party girl. She was often in attendance at parties and events where liquor was flowing. At one party, some family and other important folk came strolling in to the party very late. When they got there, much of the food and drink had been consumed.
Well, Jesus and some of his followers had accepted an invitation to join the festivities and when Mama Mary saw Jesus, she went up to him and said, “They want more wine.” Jesus looked his dear mother straight in the eyes and asked Mary, “What does that have to do with me? The Lord doesn’t give you what you want; God gives you what you need!”
Jesus explained just because he could turn water into wine, that didn’t mean every time somebody ran out of Ripple or MD 20-20 the Lord would provide them with more alcohol.
If Jesus could talk to Mary like that you should be able to talk to your family members when a good talking to be-comes necessary.
Too many African Americans die from stress caused and stress related injuries like strokes and heart attacks. Drama that causes you to have hyper-tension can kill you. Most dramatic things you can ignore or walk away from but some things demand to be dealt with.
I would never say that you reside with the Great Satanic Beast but there are some people that live in or visit your homes and communities that have devilish intentions and that display wicked behavior sometimes.
God is on the side of the righteous and you should not be afraid to tell your biological family members, your extended family members, your in-laws, your friends, neighbors, or your coworkers the truth about their hurtful, ways and words and how they can live better and more honest lives regardless of whether they like you putting them in check or not. (Buy Gantt’s book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” at any major bookstore. Like The Gantt Report on Facebook and contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net)