IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING - 10

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING – 10 The indiscriminate murder of police officers – nothing heroic about it – makes me say something. Friends of mine retired from law enforcement – I have family still in service; for a short while I was an MP (military policeman) while on active duty in the Marine Corps. These and my life experiences give me some idea of what police community relations should look like. Just laws and enforcement of those laws are absolutely necessary for a civil society to sustain itself. Citizens must be protected against those who would do them harm. I refuse to close my eyes to the reality that some people among us don’t give a damn about anyone but themselves; they don’t give a shit about color or kind – they will take whatever they can get away with, including human life. Some crafty criminals work to turn color and kind against each other. I frankly don’t care whether someone hates me or not; but when a hater tries to harm me I want an officer of the law to hear my cry for help – I’ll fight till he or she gets there. If law enforcers and citizens do not work together there will be chaos. American law enforcers don’t have a long history of protecting black people; more often than not law enforcers have been used to restrict the rights of and even kill black people – especially those who stood in defiance to unjust laws and enforcement. The existing mistrust between law enforcers and black communities – especially those economically depressed – shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Now with the passing of laws that directly impact black communities and with the intensification of enforcement, the thread of trust between the black community and law enforcers is at a breaking point. Law enforcement in the 21st Century cannot work in a democracy using treat and intimidation – fewer and fewer people are afraid of dying while more and more people have guns…. www.adolphusward.net, www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

JUST SHARING MY THOUGHTS - 3

JUST SHARING MY THOUGHTS – 3 A close female friend and I were having lunch with conversation about what could be done to increase the presence and diversity of African American stories in the media – specifically stage and film. As in many conversations by many people in the entertainment industry some good ideas were discussed. Enthused by something I said my friend suggested we put together a group to take the discussion further. My sharp response punctured her inflated enthusiasm and left her somewhat confused and stunned. I explained that I was not interested in forming or joining a group to discuss anything – “I don’t want to discuss shit.” I went on to say that I had been on and chaired committees that pleasured themselves in discussing one thing or another; that pleasured themselves in studying a problem. I have concluded that most discussion-groups pleasure themselves in doing nothing but discussing. If one is really interested in moving past discussing the economic social political psychological condition of Black Americans read any one or all of the following books: “SLAVERY by ANOTHER NAME” by Douglas A Blackmon; “THE NEW JIM CROW” by Michelle Alexander; “SHOULD AMERICA PAY?” by Raymond A Winbush . I’m only interested in Doing not Talking. If I am ever again standing with a group, or sub-group, that group will include officials from every level of our government, stock holding members and CEOs of financial institutions, CEOs and HEADS of business, religious, educational, social, law enforcement, and community institutions; and others who have a stake in developing the imprisoned potential of Africans Americans. I submit that all Americans will benefit when every human being, living is this beautiful country, is enabled to develop their full potential.

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING - 9

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING – 9 I see a relationship between our government’s torture of perceived enemies (terrorists) and the threat intimidation and killing of African Americans by law enforcer – this makes me say something. When I look at how enemy prisoners are tortured and compare it to how black people are treated I see more similarities than differences; and it scares the shit out of me. If what I’m seeing is true then it means black people are perceived to be enemies (terrorists) of the United States and subject to whatever treatment deemed necessary by the military and law enforcers. I think the military and law enforcers are using the same rule book for controlling – black – domestic enemies as they do for foreign enemies. I’m convinced that the same philosophical/psychological basis governing the treatment of foreign enemies is the same basis governing – black – domestic enemies. Both the military and law enforcers are directed by orders from their superiors; those superiors are directed by rule books, manuals, spelling out how when and where activities are to be carried out. The manuals are created by a small group of individuals to include those educated in human behavior – psychologist. The reason we see law enforcer acting more like soldiers on a battlefield is because they are following the same orders, from the same manual, from the same psychology. www.adolphusward.net, www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

JUST SHARING ME - 2

JUST SHARING ME – 2 Sunday was my Think Day – it’s the day I’ve set aside for assessing what I did or didn’t do during the week. I call it my stink day since I don’t usually shower or foldup my sofa bed – I don’t leave my apartment. Yesterday was an exception; I did some bending and stretching to get my heartrate up, had an oatmeal breakfast, took a shower and drove a short distant to a Crown Bookstore at Westfield Topanga to hear a lovely writer friend, Lila Lee Silvern, read from her new book: CONFESSIONS of a GERIATRIC PROM QUEEN. I do buy and read lots of books. I own a number of African and African American art pieces – including an original fabric piece by SHERRY EVON WHETSTONE, also an original painting by CHARLOTTE HILL O’NEAL. When you enter my apartment you know a black man lives here. The new-year, 2015, will find me spending more time at home, buying far fewer books and art pieces, and eating out less. I already cut my charitable gifts – that will continue through next year. The reason is this year I spent a considerable amount of money on publishing the second edition of my three novels – and on advertising, and on writer’s conferences, and books on writing. It will take all of next year to repay the bank and myself. I’m now beginning to record an Audio Book for each title – the first will be available at Amazon early next year. www.adolphusward.net, www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING - 8

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING – 8 The systemic racism in the law and law-enforcement continues to take black lives – this makes me say something. As police continue to move from Protect and Serve to Control and Dominate, antagonism will continue to increase between black people and police officers. The shift from Serve to Control can best be seen in the military style uniforms and actions of police. The shift in the application of law can be seen in the punitive sentencing handed down by courts – a sentence has no relative balance with an alleged crime. I’m almost 80 years old; I remember a time when Milwaukee neighborhood beat cops would stop to chat with my parents while on patrol. Whites had begun their flight to the suburbs; it was predominantly a black community; we did have a few black police officers. The point I’m getting to is that there was some tension between black citizens and policemen but conduct between the two made room for dignity and respect – policemen didn’t normally bully back citizens with the threat of violence. Older black men and women, as a rule, worked to keep any conflict with a policeman from escalating. Younger black men and women, as I see them, don’t have the same conciliatory – fearful – mindset as older black people. So while laws governing race and law-enforcement have become boldly disrespectful, young blacks have become boldly insistent on being treated with equal justice, dignity and respect: and they’re not backing down. www.adolphusward.net, www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING - 7

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING – 7 As a grandfather with grandsons and nephews the emboldened slaughter of young black men by some white policemen makes me say something. I have witnessed the conduct of white officers, when approaching black people grow from cautiously intimidating to emboldened domination – total disregard for the civil and human rights of black human beings. It’s as though police departments issue a special license to racist cops allowing them to do whatever the hell they want – as long as it’s only done to black people. No such license would be issued for Italians, Irish, Germans, Polish or any group of white people. When a racist cop inters a predominantly white community he know better than to use the conduct he so easily uses in a black community – he knows there would be severe and immediate consequence. He is fearful that his livelihood and quite possibly his life would be ended. No amount of diversity-training or examination of law enforcement regulations will arrest the conduct of a racist cop. Until the black community, I mean all black people – whatever their income or location – create fear in white racists, no black person is safe from the growing brutality of black people by law enforcers. The power to stop the slaughter of our black men – and very soon our black women – is in black hands. www.adolphusward.net, www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

IT MAKE ME SAY SOMETHING - 6

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING – 6 The young death and the justifiable pain and anguish in Ferguson, and other cities and too often, makes me say something I believe to be true. The mother of Our Nation is racism; the basic instinct of its issue is to annihilate minority groups – at times it will recruit members of minority groups as mercenaries to aide in their own destruction. It is the rule of law that attempts to restrain the instinct of America’s dominate group. Notice that I use the word attempts: the instinct to completely annihilate minority groups remains a part of the dominate groups’ fundamental intent. The agents of the law are many and not readily apparent; but two can easily be identified – Police and Military. Both the police and military recite a mantra we’re all familiar with – “To Protect and To Serve.” Police swear to protect and serve civilians and the Military swears to protect and serve our nation as a whole. Remember that the rule of law only attempts to restrain the basic instincts of racism. That instinct is so innate, so inborn and pervasive that it tends to corrupt the oath both the police and military swear to live by. The corruption of the oath changes its nature from “To Protect and To Serve.”, “To Control and To Dominate.” I think our police and military have been corrupted in this way. This brings me to the question that is always asked about the role of violence as a tool in demonstrations to oppose injustice. I believe that violence should always be among the tools used to resist injustice and should be employed, without hesitation, when a racist group moves to harm or destroy another. The value of our minority youth is as precious as those of the dominant group. Black adult minorities should not hesitate to take up arms, should not hesitate to bleed and die, especially, in the protection and perpetuation of our youth. www.adolphusward.net, www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING - 5

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING – 5 Just sharing a notion that has guided my thinking for as far back as I can remember. I am interconnected with all that is but I have never felt I could not exist without all there is. I’m not saying I don’t need other people and other forms of existence but my presence does not depend on any one person or form - no person(s) or form(s) controls me: I control me. My interconnectedness with people and other forms of existence is because I will it to be so. As a young child I remember waking from a near death experience to see my mother, father, and our pastor standing at the foot of my hospital-bed praying – I interrupted their prayers by telling them, “I don’t know why y’all here I ain’t gonna die.” As an adult I have belonged to organized groups, to include religious, business, social, and political institutions – but I was there because I chose to be not because I had to be. I’ve married because I chose to do that, not because I had to. I have loved because I chose to do that not because I couldn’t help it. I omit ‘…under God…,’ when Pledging Allegiance to the flag. In my mind I omit, ‘… so help you God,’ before saying “I Do” when swearing in as a witness or juror in court. God’s name, to me, neither validates my willingness to serve nor my truthfulness – for me it’s a personal commitment not the fear of or permission from a God. I now avoid belonging to or being in large groups – especially when group members are of one mind. I refuse to enslave my thought processes to the will of a group: I CHOOSE TO THINK! www.adolphusward.net, www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING - 4

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING - 4 Following the triumph of the Republican Party at the polls I received a letter from the Democratic Party wanting to know what important issues the party should undertake in the coming years. Since I’m an Independent voter I received a similar letter from Republicans. As a person who’s been breathing for a long time I don’t get too excited when a politician wants to know what I think about a given issue; I’m convinced the reality of how seriously my response would be taken has more to do with how much money or influence I could contribute to what the party thinks is important. With that in mind I have to say something about REPARATIONS – REPARATIONS is the only means by which peoples of AFRICAN descent will ever share in the opportunities and wealth available in this country – the free labor of our ancestors, their exclusion from social political and economic life, enabled America to become the strongest, in-terms of wealth and military might, country ever to exist. The only way for America to atone for its deliberate actions is REPARATIONS. I think REPARATIONS should first go to reconstructing educational institutions serving peoples of African descent – jobs for peoples of African descent should be an integral part of the initial thrust of REPARATIONS. www.adolphusward.net, www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING The notion of being aware of myself - that is being conscious - makes me say something that has been in my head for a long time. I unapologetically admit that I have no formal training in brain function and its role in human behavior; nor have I been trained in behavior and its role in brain function. I have, however, included reading in brain/behavior areas among unrelated subjects of my interest. For me, reading is a habit; when and where ever I have an interest I will get a book to appease my hunger. I think my brain is the birthplace of my self-awareness. Without my brain I would not be aware – I would not be conscious; without my consciousness my brain would cease to function – my brain would die. A continually developing conscious (awareness) makes possible a continually developing brain; the developing brain in turn makes possible a continually developing conscious (awareness). At the start consciousness is like a new born child who must be fed by others. If the growth of that child is nurtured the child will soon learn to feed itself, will learn to select and secure its own food, will learn to rely on itself. That self-reliance will inform the brain; it reacts by assisting the maturing conscious (awareness). The short of all this is that I’ve learned to continually develop my brain by continually developing my consciousness – by continually developing the awareness of self, of others, and all else. www.adolphusward.net http://www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

IT MAKE ME SAY SOMETHING 2

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING Growing Cost of Freedom makes me say something. I once had the naive believe that freedom – you know, all that life liberty and pursuit of happiness stuff in The Constitution – was guaranteed; especially after it was purged of its overt racism, sexism, and you know the rest. I once thought that when I worked hard, paid my share of taxes, that I would be assured of representation by all elected officials, not just the blue or the red, the right or the left. Oh, I knew there would be some basic disagreements along the way; but I thought my basic rights were unquestionably guaranteed. Now I find that my taxes, my philanthropy guarantees me nothing. In order for my basic rights to be protected I am now forces to pay for those rights – I am now told I must pay a legal form of protection. I am now told that our democracy has been put on the stock exchange and big money is grabbing chunks of it at bargain prices. I am told that I must dig deeper in my near empty pockets if I expect to have any rights at all. I am told that The Constitution has been enslaved and put on the auction block for the highest bidder. I am told that I will be a slave once again because I don’t have enough money to buy my freedom. www.adolphusward.net, www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

EBOLA MAKE ME THINK

IT MAKES ME SAY SOMETHING Ebola makes me say something. The world for me seems to be much smaller; certainly much smaller than when I was small. I think smaller is a good thing – not me, the world. Like it or not we are beginning to know more about each other as Americans, and more about other peoples around the world; it’s not like we have a choice. It doesn’t matter that I don’t like white people, or any other people; my attitude does not alter the fact that we share the same space and time; sometimes that space is on an airplane, in a restaurant, at a mall, traveling on a train, bus or subway. With all our differences we must still share common spaces. It didn’t take me long to figure out that if a person within my space is facing a physical threat that I too am threatened. With the world getting smaller – in terms of travel and communication – spaces are merging. At one time in my life I didn’t much give a shit about other spaces nor the people in them. But with Americans dying for freedom in other spaces, the names of which I still strain to pronounce, with people from other spaces blowing up my space, with my government spying on everyone’s space, I have come to the conclusion that not only have all spaces merged but so has the people in them. It’s been said in many ways – if the health and wellbeing of one person in any space is under threat we’re all under treat. www.adolphusward.net. www.amazon.com/author/adolphusward

SHARING WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 13

WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 13 As a black man I’ve known for some time that I owe a debt of gratitude to my parents, my grandparents, and my ancestors that can never be paid. Were it not for them I would not exist – quite literally. It is they who survived their bodies being ripped apart and sold in the meat markets of the world. It is they who had their tongues torn from pleading mouths and fed to dogs; it is they who were forced to watch their men being castrated by hogs and their women raped and ravaged by iron claws; it is they who watched their flesh being fed to fish and their blood soaking the soils of lands still hiding in the shadows of a genocide yet to be acknowledged; it is they who refused to die when forced to live at the edge of humanity; it is they who refused to stop breathing even with the boot-heels of government on their throats; it is they who dared to stand even when hanging from trees; it is they who never stopped snatching more humanity, never stopped healing themselves, never stopped making life possible for me. So now you may be able to understand that my novels are and will continue to be a tribute to my parents, my grandparents, and my ancestors. www.adolphusward.net.

WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 12

WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 12 I love life – it’s not a new love affair, I’ve been in it for a long time. It started when I began to understand that I am unique, that every person who ever lived, who is living now, and who will ever exist, each of us is unique: each and every one of us. There are no two people exactly alike. Some people may look alike, some may act a little alike, but each person is unique, each person exist in their own time and place and when dead will never exist again. I don’t know how life began. The notion of The Creation is no more than a myth to me and The Big Bang Theory is no more than a pop. I frankly don’t give a shit how life began – well, maybe a little – what’s more important to me is I’m now here with other people and other living organisms, for better or worse. Now this is really the good part – I have the power to make my life progressively better and the skills to enrich the lives of others. Through my education, my book reading, my desire to learn, I have taught myself to think. I can now write stories that allow me to share the experiences of other people – some of those experiences may help me and you make better choices during the time we exist. www.adolphusward.net.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

SHARING RANDON THOUGHTS For many years now I’ve made it a habit to read from several books each day of the week – titles and substance of interest to me. No day passes that I don’t comb the local and world news for information – I think knowing what’s going on close to and far away from me has some value and perhaps some effect on my life. Being a free thinker I don’t allow any belief system to dictate what I can or should read – I certainly won’t allow any person, living or dead, or yet to be born to take the freedom of my own will. Since I don’t believe in a God, a Heaven, a Hell, a Virgin Birth, a Christ, some would classify me as an atheist. I don’t debate my freedom with those who live within a belief system; nor do I attempt to dissuade them from their sanctuary. I’m happy to say that those who know me respect me enough not to try and dissuade me from my freedom. I live within what a call a universal notion – I don’t know how we began but I think we have the power to determine whether we will continue to live or die forever. www.adolphusward.net

WHY I WRITE NOVELS 11

WHY I WIRTE NOVELS – 11 In my novels to date I have examined how significant historical events influenced character behavior. I think human beings are making the history of tomorrow today – what we are doing or not doing today will create the historical events of tomorrow: we are making our tomorrows every minute of today. Our trees, our water, and our weather systems play a major role in filtering the air we breathe. The air of our earth has become so polluted the trees, water, and weather systems can no longer filter (clean) it. We need clean water to drink and grow food – we need clean air to live. Climate Change is well into becoming a significant historical; human (our) behavior will change significantly – not for the better. www.adolphusward.net

WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 10

WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 10 HARVEST THE DUST is my first book of family fiction. I set the story in the time of my grandparents – it’s the mid-1930s in west-central Arkansas. Most people in this small farm town rode in wagons or walked – few people owned an automobile. Water came from a hand-pump outside houses not from faucets inside. There was no running water inside houses so toilets were built in an outhouse. Milk came directly from a cow not from a grocery store. Black and White people were separated by law. Jacob is a black man and the head of this family – his wife, Clara, is a black woman who could easily have passed for white. As a boy Jacob witnessed a black man being burned alive by a mob of white people. Clara’s father was a prominent white doctor who never acknowledged her as his daughter. These early experiences of Jacob and Clara not only influenced their behavior but also the behavior of their children. My own life experience convinces me that my behavior is influenced by not only my experience but also the experience of others. www.adolphusward.net

SHARING WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 9

WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 9 The Pasadena Play House produced a work of Peter J. Harris at a history making event Sunday 31 August 2014. The dramatic poetry was directed by Alison M. De La Cruz, a staff member of the Play House. The historical event is the First Annual Leimert Park Village Theatre Festival, Los Angeles, California, presented by The Leimert Park Vision Theatre Consortium. Ten black male actors of diverse backgrounds and impressive resumes used their crafts to animate Harris’ characters giving them life. “THE BLACK MAN OF HAPPINESS,” became a living organism, a choral synthesis of what makes a black man happy. As one of the ten black men chosen to be in the performance I became a part of this historic event. For some time now I’ve been doing two things with my life-time: I write and I act. I love life, I love story – when I’m not on stage or in front of a camera living a story, when I’m not reading story from a book, I’m sitting with my laptop creating a story. www.adolphusward.net

SHARING WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 8

WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 8 I once had a morbid fear of making a mistake – of being wrong. My fear was so intense I would often not try to do or say something for fear of failure. When circumstances forced me to risk, my whole body would shake violently; if I didn’t get to a toilet fast enough I’d pee on myself - I’ve often used paper towels to absorb the wetness from the front of my pants to get rid of the stain. I was and am a physically active person – I had and still have the body of an athlete. As a young person I had an athletic body but not the confidence to compete successfully – I was scared of not making the basket, not jumping high enough, not catching the ball, not hitting the ball, not running fast enough, I was scared of looking like a fool in front of my peers. With my fear I created a self-fulfilling prophecy. I thought I’d fail and I did; I thought I’d look like a fool and I did. The one redeeming quality I had and still have is I NEVER STOPPED TRYING TO MAKE THE SHOT, NEVER STOPPED TRYING TO CATCH THE BALL, NEVER STOPPED GETTING UP, I NEVER STOPPED GETTING BACK IN THE GAME. Along the road to becoming an adult I learned that failure is a part of any success. There is no success without some failure. Along the road to maturity I learned that I had created prophesy to fail – I learned to use that same energy and created prophesy to succeed. This insight didn’t come out of the blue – it came from learning to think, it came from reading many books out of many disciplines. www.adolphusward.net

WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 7

SHARING WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 7 I have lived most of the adult life as a single person – two wives and a number of lovers along the way, but most of the time it’s been just me. I love and trust me so we get along just fine. From time to time, however, I get tired of being with me alone – conversation and sexual manipulation tends to get a little stale. My one bedroom is lovely: furniture, artwork; but once in a while my otherwise spacious place tends to close in on me and I have to get out. Since I love espresso, my get-out place is always a coffee shop with other light eating stuff. I have a couple favorite spots but prefer moving around. I belong to a writers group; we meet once a month – that together with my theatre contacts satisfies my need for interactive social contact. I shared a coffee shop table with a middle age man the other day, interesting individual. He’ll be the model for a character in a future novel. I often attract people who want to tell me something about themselves or something they believe. This table-mate was convinced that all Muslims want to kill all Christians – that Muslims are so evil they even kill each other; that Christians don’t kill each other; that Jesus will soon return to save Christian. As a non-believer I gently disagreed with all of his assertions. I calmly told him that most Muslims and Christians are decent life-loving people trying to treat others as they wish to be treated. I let him know that I had neither trust nor belief in a Savior to come or One to come back. I went on to say there is no prescription for life – humans will either do what is helpful to all humans or they will do what will kill all living things. We are our own savior – if we chose to be- we have a choice. My table-mate promptly excused himself and quietly left me alone. www.adolphusward.net

NO RESPECT NO JUSTICE

NO RESPECT NO JUSTICE A race without respect should not expect justice. America was conceived and born out of racism. The legacy of that bastard-birth is enshrined in all of its institutions – none excluded. Native Americans, and other races, have their own voice so I’ll pass over that consideration and focus on African People and now African American People. African People were enslaved by plunderers and with slave labor America grew and prospered beyond its imagination. African Americans had the flesh and bones of their ancestors torn from memory and themselves sold to rich cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane plantations. Slaves have nurtured their master’s young. They have given their lives to protect the master and his family. African Americans have given their lives in defense of America and have been paid in lynching, no right to vote, no right to a job, no rights that a white man must respect. Tavis Smiley was the host and convener of a television forum, made up of African American leaders. The one leader I most remember is Minister Farrakhan. The discussion came around to the outspoken and vitriol hatred for President Barack Obama by some white Americans. Minister Farrakhan warned against (I’m paraphrasing, with apologies if incorrect) warned against a misstep of security in the personal safety of our president. The Minister, with open sarcasm, pointed to the security missteps in the assassinations of Malcom X and Doctor Martin Luther King JR. The Minister went on to say (I again paraphrase with the same condition) say that the real power behind our government’s doings should not make another misstep when it comes to protecting the life of President Barack Obama and his family. Reparations for the enslavement of a race; for no jobs; for no vote; for no respect; is a must. I’ve never had any confidence in changing the hearts and minds of white people who hate black people or those who stand against affirmative action and reparations. I don’t care if some have the ridiculous noting that affirmative action takes white jobs or that reparations would take from the rich so that everyone has the same level of wealth. Both of those absurd positions don’t deserve a discussion. Reparations must become a reality to raise the standard of Education for African Americans, to prepare African American for jobs in any area where a sustainable income can be earned, to move young African Americans out of prisons and into productive lives, and Reparations must become a reality to purge the American mind of the psychological poisons of Racism. www.adolphusward.net

RACE RESPECT RESULTS

RACE RESPECT RESULTS Just sharing my thoughts about a Race without Respect and the probable outcome. When a Race of people do not have Respect the outcome is that Race being forced to the bottom of employment, education, health, politics, security, and general wellbeing. If a worldwide pole Comparing Race to Respect were to be taken, the outcome would show the Black Race being the least respected. That outcome is true today and will be true tomorrow unless individuals in All Races realize that the outcome is planned; All Races are pawns controlled by a very Rich-Powerful Elite. The Game of the Elite is to Divide and Control – it’s an old axiom. They, the Rich-Powerful Elite, guide nations, with money, by political persuasion or armed force, in the acquisition and or control of land, water ways, natural and human resource which can be turned into commodities and capital. The media and propaganda machine of the Rich-Powerful Elite is godlike - with its invisible hands guiding the conduct of all institutions, whether education, social, political, entertainment, or religious. All institutions, in order to earn favor, are compelled to respond in a manner that pleases the Rich-Powerful Elite. So when one Race is designated to exist without Respect, other Races comply by seeing the designated Race as Undeserving of Respect; allowing for summary executions by law enforcers and private citizens, mass incarceration, unlawful seizure of person and invasion of private property – all of this to please the Rich-Powerful Gods. Change will come only by defying the will of Rich-Powerful Gods. I write Historical Family Fiction – get to know me better at www.adolphusward.net.

WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 6

WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 6 I write Historical Family Fiction. I’ve always loved story. I don’t remember a beginning to this love affair. I’m sure Mother and Daddy had something to do with it since both were story tellers. Mother preferred reading but Daddy always told them. I was and still am curious about what people do and why. Along the way I became even more curious about what I do and why. I began to see little stories in the behavior of people – people themselves gave me little hints as to why they do what they do and I fanaticized the rest. I’m not saying what I created was factual in reality but in my imagination it was supported by what people do – what I do. The stories I remember most are not those read or spoken but those lived. I was and still am fascinated and inspired by people’s experiences. As a fiction writer I will never exhaust the rich treasures of human experience. A side note: I now have Ebooks at Kindle Direct Store; go there, put Adolphus A Ward in Search and get to know me; or visit www.adolphusward.net.

WHY I WRITE NOVELS - 5

SHARING WHY I WRITE NOVELS – 5 I start by asking everyone to READ a BOOK, a NEWPAPER, a MAGAZING, a POSTCARD, a COMIC BOOK, a STREET SIGN – READ SOMETHING! If you like to read, that’s Good. If you don’t like to read, READ ANYWAY! Sunday afternoon I had an opportunity to read from one of my three novels. I’m not sharing this to get applause because I did nothing to arrange the reading – all I did was show up and read. I’m a member of the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) and it was my organization that arranged for thirteen of its members to read; I was fortunate to be one of them. Not only did the leadership of this organization arrange the reading but they did it with the cooperation of Southern California’s Largest Independent bookstore – VROMAN’S of Pasadena, California. Applause to IWOSC and VROMAN’S for allowing me to share my stories with a reading audience. In the life of an independent writer it’s a damn good day when she or he sells a book - I HAD A DAMN GOOD DAY! www.adolphusward.net

WHY I WRITE BOOKS

Sharing why I write novels – 4 I grew to dislike public school at about the time I completed the primary grades. I turned off school but not learning. The WHY of things was and still is very much alive in me – I never stopped wanting to know; I never stopped talking to others and turning the pages of books to find an answer. A great deal of what I learned during my formative years was from INTERACTING WITH OTHERS and READING BOOKS: it did not come from what I got in classrooms. Reading and interacting with others is a habit I’ll keep to death. There is one thing about life I find extremely fascinating – STORIES. Stories record the comings and goings, the ups and downs, the tears and laughter, the failures and triumphs of people. Stories not only record what people say but what they do. Stories enable us to better understand another person another people – stories enables us to better understand ourselves. www.adolphusward.net

NEARSIGHTEDNESS OF BEHAVIOR

SHARING WHY I WRITE BOOKS - 3 Myopia, I’m told, is a condition of the eye. A person with the condition sees things that are closer to them quite clearly but have trouble seeing things that are not – this eye-state is called Nearsighted. I recently read an article that reported an increase in nearsightedness among certain age groups. My writer-brain fired up and I began to wonder if the physical manifestations of nearsightedness also had a psychological twin in the behavior of people. Are some people capable of seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling, and hearing only those things they like; do they knowingly avoid anything they don’t like? Can people so condition themselves that it becomes impossible to accept any truth outside the shortsightedness of their own senses? I think we, you – the reader and I, can accept the fact that there is no complete agreement between any two individuals – let alone two groups of individuals. A person or group of persons will often define themselves by exclusion – that is, there’s Me or Us, and Them. The Them is not only thought of as different but also quite possibly bad: maybe emphatically bad. Some individuals and groups go so far as to demonize other individuals and groups who are different. www.adolphusward.net

APARTHEID - by FORCE

APARTHEID – OPPRESSION by FORCE Israeli Apartheid is not new – it inherited the structural blueprints from the United States and South Africa’s forms of Apartheid. What is new about the Israeli’s form is that it has the advantage of state-of-the-art construction materials, military weaponry, and the skills to use them effectively. What the US and SA’s experiences are reluctant to pass on to Israel is that the only way to completed control a people is to kill them all – both the US and SA have had their attempts at that. Oppressors throughout history have given the same excuse for their action – the oppressed will rise and consume us if we allow them to prosper. In today’s idiom, Israelis in fact say, ‘we need apartheid to defeat the terrorist.’ This mindset ignores what is historically obvious – oppression creates terrorist. www.adolphusward.net

WHY I WRITE BOOKS - 2

SHARING MY THOUGHTS why I write books – 2 For as long as I can remember I’ve been curious as to why I do what I do – why others do what they do. The simple answer is because I want to do it, or feel I have to. I think the same is true for others; but my questions didn’t stop there. I’ve come to the conclusion that conflict pushes us toward the choice we make. Conflict doesn’t make the choice for us – it manipulates that choice. I know that some of my behavior has created conflict in my life and the lives of others. I am certain that the action of others has brought conflict into my life. Not all behavior grows out of conflict but it is present in much of what we do. Jim Crow Laws of the south – and the more subtle forms of those laws in the north – were designed to limit the rights of Black People by controlling their behavior. Black People couldn’t hold jobs paying more money or be more important than jobs held by White People, couldn’t vote, couldn’t share public spaces with White People, couldn’t use the courts to defend their rights, couldn’t live in white communities, or couldn’t receive an education along with Whites. These laws brought conflict into the lives of Black People – the consequences of those laws are still with us. www.adolphusward.net

WHY I WRITE BOOKS

SHARING MY THOUGHTS about why I write books – 1. My books are primarily a salute to the resilience, the stubborn insistence, of Black Americans to be active citizens in a country that still, to this day, functions in the shadows of slavery. My parents and grandparents loved America; I love American – not because of Abraham Lincoln or the founding-fathers, but because my parents, grandparent, and ancestors worked bled and died to make it our home. The Elaine Riot of 1919 was but one of many rebellions by Negroes around the country that year - history records those rebellions as the Red Summer of 1919. Elaine, Arkansas was the site of the riot: the riot was sparked by Negro Sharecroppers attempting to form a Sharecroppers Union. If you’re a reader click on the site – If you’re not a reader, click anyway. www.adolphusward.net

ON AGING AND GRAVITY

JUST SHARING a few thought on aging and gravity. A while back I looked at myself in a mirror and discovered I’d morphed into ET, that wrinkly little extra-terrestrial in science fiction. True, 6 feet 2 is not short; but there was no denying the bags under my eyes, the drape of flesh beneath my chin, the saggy tit’s that used to be pect’s, and the ass that was no longer there. I can understand the tug of gravity on every part of my aging body, but I don’t understand what happened to my ass – what the fuck happened to my ass. True, I never had a big ass, but I did have enough to hold my pants up. Now it looks as if what I did have has melted away – maybe that’s what naturally happens to an aging ass, it just melts away. www.adolphusward.net

CONFLICT INFLUENCES BEHAVIOR

I’m sharing and selling - I am who and what I am by the choices I’ve made. No one, nothing has contributed more to who and what I am than me. It was and is my choice my behavior that makes me who I am. In my novels I look at how conflict influences character behavior. www.adolphusward.net.

PASTORS DECLARE WAR ON GAY MARRIAGE

PASTORS AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE The pastors and there followers will find themselves at war with their mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, grandchildren, and whatever value the God they ignorantly serve still has - everyone bleeds, everyone dies in war. www.adolphusward.net.

PRESS RELEASE

AW IDW www.adolphusward.net PRESS RELEASE 21 APRIL 2014 Adolphus A. Ward, a seventy-Nine year old Independent Writer, released the 2nd Edition of an African American Family Trilogy. His fascinating stories examine how conflict, both inside and outside a family, influenced individual behavior and continued to affect behavior in the generations that followed. The stories, he said, are connected yet they stand alone – each with themes of its own – each with a clear beginning, middle and end. “HARVEST THE DUST” is the first of the trilogy. “MILK THE IRON COW” is the second. “STAND UPSIDE DOWN” is the third and final book. Mr. Ward’s captivating stories follow the lives of three successive generations of the Tallman Family. Ward admits he is unaware of another trilogy, in print or ebook, of African American Family life and assumes his to be unique, both in structure and story content. His stories begin on a cotton farm in Colt, Arkansas, 1934 – a time of the Great Depression and Jim Crow Laws. The stories end in two Wisconsin Cities: Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1941– a time of World War II and job discrimination, based on race; and Kenosha, Wisconsin 1984 – a time when Affirmative Action was under siege. Ward was unequivocal when he said, ‘My stories are an acclamation to the resilience of African American People.’ The trilogy is available at his website in print and ebook. He believes readers will finish his novels with an enlightened understanding of African American life. www.adolphusward.net

HYPOCRITICAL APOLOGY

RACE LOATHING APOLOGY I’m just sharing my thoughts on the really good ape likeness given our president and his wife – I half expected to see their ape like daughters in the article. I see the former Belgian slavers haven’t lost their instinct for treating black people as exotic animals to tame and play with. Belgian mommies and daddies are still as loathing of the black race as history records. There’s a hypocritical Christ-like ethic that has been bestowed on us by moral leaders. That ethic, that code is the instrument of apology. One is allowed to say, and even do, anything to another person or group of persons as long as they apologize – even if with a snickering hint of contrition. Now I know that Belgium doesn’t have all the black-race haters in the world – race haters, like pollution, is everywhere. Black people live with, as one black writer has said, a protective mask. That mask allows some race haters to see us as a grinning, shuffling, forgiving, praying, watermelon, fried chicken eating bunch of ninnies. What race haters should know is that we see your naked, nasty, stinking asses – we would like for you to take your apologies, mold them into a blunt phallus, then slowly lower your naked cheeks until you feel a fullness in your rectum, then spin as rapidly as you can – until the pain forces your mind to a new reality.

PRIVATE LIFE: PUBLIC USE

PRIVATE LIVES MADE PUBLIC INFORMATION The growing discussion about the governments overreach into private communications is something I’ve given thought to long before Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. None of what’s being uncovered is all that shocking to me – the scale of it gives me pause, but the substance is consistent with what is already in history books and novels. It is commonly understood that the US Government uses wiretap as a tool to entrap law breakers. The government has stopped and copied personal mail before releasing it to the intended recipient. The government has planted a spy and or provocateur in organizations suspected of violating a law or some rule of conduct. Now with the aide of electronic data retrieval and storage systems and the unlimited access to huge deposits of personal information – school records, medical records, insurance records, credit records, court records, marriage records, divorce records, military records, phone records, email records – the government is capable of creating a profile on virtually any American, whether born here or not. This level of surveillance is now being extended to include other countries. I have a personal concern about a profile that might be drawn from data collected on me. As a writer and actor I live what I consider to be open life style. What you see is what you got – I love America because it’s my home; because daddy and mother and grandparents and ancestors worked, bled, and died to establish that fact; because I maintain that right by way of my citizenship. I don’t ask anyone for permission to be an American – I am an American because I say I am. My concern about electronic surveillance is that profiles are open to flawed interpretation. If I communicate with a prostitute, an illegal drug user, a felon, a gay person, a dissident, etc., or if I communicate with a person who communicates with any person with these attributes: it could be concluded that I support or am complicit in such behavior. Having relatives and friends in each of the above categories you might understand and even share my concern as it relates to our government’s expanding surveillance. When a government turns on itself it ultimately destroys itself.

OUR SUN WILL LEAVE

SHARING MY THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR SUN As a novelist I’m usually thinking about human beings and what we do or don’t do for or to one another. But my mind will, from time to time, leave earth and venture into the heavens. I try to get my mind around the enormous size and complexity of our solar system, our galaxy – the size and complexity of our universe is so far outside my understanding that I’m left dumbfounded. Like any person interested in the heavens, I think about our local planetary system – specifically the Sun. Without it, We would not exist. The Sun, like Humans, has a Birth to Life to Death cycle. We know our Sun is a star – all stars are born, live, and die. This brings me to the point of my thoughts. When a star dies any living organisms near it also die. This reality tells me that we had better find other earth-like places to live if the human race is to continue. Since we are living now, we have the responsibility to plan for those yet to be born – if We don’t do this the human race Will eventually cease to exist. Put another way, if we ignore our responsibility we will have aborted the possibility of others like us being born.

A DAY TO STINK

STINK DAY I’m just talking to myself loud enough for others to hear. For some time now, Sunday has been a day for reflection – I think about things: things recently done, things to do, and the how and why of it all. If I’m not going out to meet a friend for breakfast I don’t shower – I don’t even change out of what I slept in, if I slept in anything. I might leave the sofabed unfolded. So I tend to get a little funky as the day moves toward its end – I’m comfortable in my stink. Today the thought of my solo performance is present – next week I’ll do a workshop performance for a few follow writers and actors. One never knows when or how an idea will spark the action to do something. I’m a member of the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) – a very large group. One morning I was in a subgroup meeting at a bookstore near where I live when a fellow writer suggested I write a solo performance to help promote my new books – she knows my work as an actor and writer and had put the two together. That idea had never occurred to me – it may never have. Although I’m well aware that I need others to help me reach the goals I set for myself, sometimes that reality gives me pause and time to consider the fact that we really do need each other.