by Yohannes Sharriff Smith

(Reprinted from T.H.I.N.C.)

You took me to the brink;

I hung at the edge banging on death's door,

Screaming at the top of my lungs, "LET ME IN!"

Ease my pain. Take me away. Life meant nothing.

The thought of ending this existence

Brought relief to my drowning heart.

But, as I lived, I wanted you to die.

Your blood to be that emotion.

How I wanted you to feel the unearthly ache,

Which consumed my every waking moment.

Hell was there; it surrounded me,

Hate was all that kept me breathing. Intuit

by John Burl Smith

T.H.I.N.C.'s second principle: The limit of infinite possibility is the quest of humanity. Arriving here totally unaware, human beings grappled in darkness, dominated by their fears. For western man, Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection is ground zero on a philosophical fault line extending from Copernicus to T.H.I.N.C. Galileo conceptualized an infinitely boundless universe. He illuminated thinking about a lawful cosmos with earth as one planet among billions. Coupled with Darwin, this consideration freed humanity to view itself as improvable, that is, change is not only possible, it is desirable.

Implicit in Darwin is the notion evolution not only takes place physically, but in the mental realm. T.H.I.N.C. explores that process on an individual level. Although Yohannes faced the grim reaper, this is a hip hop love story with super heros, and damsels in distress. "The Chrysalis of Evolution" brings everything together growing, evolving and changing. The infinite possibility of life is becoming anything. Living life's limitless gift unrestrained is as earth shaking an idea as Galileo's proofs.

Throughout his ordeal, Yohannes struggles enigmatically to balance the world outside with the world inside. An unlikely hero in this hip hop epic, Yohannes reaches deep within and connects with the realness of being black. For him, the knowledge is that "definitive answers are unattainable. Though certainty and control are illusions, fear is to be embraced with love, leaving only questions and consequences for actions taken. Effective solutions are the best we can hope for." T.H.I.N.C. about it! Other Essays by John Burl Smith

On Recalling Slavery by Dot Smith

"We have nothing to regain by revisiting the grave site of slavery" (Obstacles to Learning, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/6/99). Would anyone suggest we not recall the Holocaust? No, of course not! Is this a double standard? Yes. Is it racist? Probably!

In America, we openly discuss the Holocaust, but close the door on conversations about slavery. This double standard is a cornerstone of linear secularism. Invariably, linear secularists blame their victims for the socioeconomic condition they inherit and admonish and/or punish them whenever they recall the abuse heaped on them. No discussion or action is taken to correct past injustices. Prescriptions to change the system of ongoing racism are nonexistent. Given this, one should expect some suspicion, anger and a desire for retribution among those victimized. A case in point is the black farmers' protest of injustices that have existed since slavery. Institutionalized racism is an obstacle to black achievement.

Art is the only medium where slavery is a subject. Unexplored in classrooms, there are so few opportunities to explore the topic. It is hardly surprising that slavery is over-represented in acts at a black arts festival. We have issues; some forum must entertain them; the arts mirror our pain.

Recalling slavery is not an obstacle to learning, though there are psychological roadblocks that are by-products of slave conditioning. For example, reading is a key to learning, yet at one time, a black man learned to do so under pain of death. Even after emancipation, blacks were not allowed in tax-supported libraries or institutions of higher learning. Linear secularists would have us believe this is irrelevant, and black people overcame the negative conditioning. Blacks are super beings when it comes to overcoming injustice; in a mere 30 years, we have supposedly overcome three hundred years of abuse without reparations. For others, this is unrealistic; we would demand better for them. An international court would be convened to demand their justice. But, there you have linear secularism and its double standard, the genuine obstacle to black success and achievement. DISHing It Up Hot!

The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro admits he has issues. The Dark One/Ninja/Zorro is committed to working through them, but we must be patient. Bat Cave

"HELP WANTED. Must be able to type, must be good with a computer and must be bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer." A dog trotted up this sign and went inside. He looked at the receptionist, walked to the sign and whined. Getting the idea, the receptionist got the office manager. Surprised, he led the dog to his office. Inside, the dog jumped on a chair; the manager said, "I can't hire you; the sign says you must be able to type."

Going to the typewriter, the dog typed a perfect letter. Stunned, the manager told the dog, "The sign says you have to be good with a computer. The dog went to the computer and proceeded to demonstrate his expertise with various programs. Totally dumfounded, the manager said, "I realize you are a very intelligent dog and have some interesting abilities. However, I *still* can't give you the job."

The dog went to a copy of the sign and put his paw on Equal Opportunity Employer. The manager said, "Yes, but the sign *also* says that you have to be bilingual." The dog looked at him and said, "Meow." Email Jag0439@aol.com

"Having worked a union job, I think they are part of management. When the union gets up the nerve to strike, management actually may want it more than the rank and file. The company may even be pulling strings and managing things behind the scenes to make it happen. When the air clears on this Lockheed controversy, the company will end up with fewer employees. In the current climate, management will pick off rank and file to reduce labor costs." Email CJWilson@aol.com

"African Americans are concerned about the depth of vice-president Al Gore's commitment to equality; he was not a noteworthy participant in President Clinton's dialogue on race. I am in agreement with The DISH "Options" (Vol 2 Iss. 8) that the addition of First Lady Hilary Rodham Clinton as the "right of center" Gore's vice presidential running mate in 2000 would be his strongest statement ever for equality, short of calling for reparations for African Americans." Email JSBlackburn@yahoo.com Mailbox

Disgruntled says: Pimping ain't easy!

Disgruntled feels: Like the dog in "Help Wanted!"

Disgruntled wants to know: Why are gas suppliers calling and lying about my service being switched from Atlanta Gas Light to their companies already? Disgruntled

by John Burl Smith

Fundamentalism vs environmentalism is a verbal battle, which has exploded into a war of attrition in the United States. The most recent example of fundamentalists extremism was in Sylacauga, Alabama. On February 19, 1999, Steven Eric Mullins and Charles Monroe Butler say they killed Billy Jack Gaither. They claimed to be outraged over a sexual advance made by Gaither. After plotting the murder for two weeks, they beat Gaither to death with an ax handle and burned his body on a pyre of tires.

The true danger of fundamentalism is the beliefs that God gave man primacy over all. Collaterally, God entrusted white men with rights much like a feudal lord. Accordingly, people do not change. God made things the way they are, and that is the way things should be. Ultimately, fundamentalists will fight to the death to protect their right to kill in defense of what they believe.

Natural selection says all beings adapt to change in order to survive, and unless something intervenes, the best endure. In this free market naturalism, those at the top are there, because they are the best. Fundamentalist discount four hundred years of slavery, segregation, bigotry, sexism, discrimination and manifest destiny as having any impact on America's socioeconomic and political structure. Determinism resists change as an attempt to upset the natural order of things.

The ugly face of racism, homophobia, lynching and other acts of wanton violence pales Lady Liberty's glow. "Ribbons in the sky" for Matthew Shepard, G. P. Johnson, Dr. Bernard Slepien, James Byrd, Jr. and others bind another to the tree. Fundamentalists denied Billy Jack Gaither what they will kill to possess for themselves.

Greaseman: An All American Guy

by Dot Smith

The DISH is convinced; the Greaseman (Doug Tracht) is an average American guy. His off the cuff comments can hardly be held against him to the point of ruining his life. After all, he is a live talk show personality with a following; somebodies listened to his show. Unfortunately, when it comes to race, rather than openly discussing it to exorcize its ghosts, we are so politically correct, niggardly is erased from our collective vocabulary. Nobody can take a joke!

Can the Greaseman's now infamous remark, "Now, I know why they drag them behind trucks," - in reference to the dragging death of James Byrd, Jr. in Jasper, Texas - be considered humor? Where did it come from? What did Hill or Byrd do to deserve such inhumane treatment? It is typical linear secularism.

Greaseman is a regular guy expressing a sentiment shared by those like him. Some people are perceived as their inferiors. Setting and/or breaking records and displaying a bit of racial pride are no-nos. Doing either oversteps some imaginary boundary, a killing offense from a regular guy's perspective.

What motivates Greaseman types to make sick jokes is ingrained in the social fabric. It's the gas that fuels American injustice. Let us be frank. His attitude is normal for the regular guy; the man had to be told he had committed a faux pas. He is a white man accustomed to privileging and beating up on perceived inferiors.

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