God's Neutral Zone: The GNZ
The Way Up The Way Out The Way Forward
The nation is divided, with all sides intractably positioned.
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The effect is that not enough is being done to address the root-problems which, inevitably, give rise to gang violence, police profiling, inner-city poverty, the lack of a way up, the lack of a way out.
Nothing is being done to alleviate the fear between police and citizenry, existent racism, the lack of quality educational opportunities, the lack of investment in the inner cities — and the list goes on and on and on.
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The divisions are deeply seated and opposing in varying degrees of extremism. Yet, the Woke, the Non-Woke, the U.S. Citizenry, the Legal & Illegal Immigrants, and ALL of the Political Parties & Sides – as diametrically aligned against each other, as they are – ALL have one thing in common:
They do little-to-nothing for the plight of our nation’s inner-city inhabitants, except, that is, to moan and groan and blame and finger-point...
They love to point out what the other sides are not doing... but what is anyone doing to actually rectify anything???
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Oh, there is frequent, almost constant, demonstrating, ranting, name-calling, hating, baiting, back-stabbing, in-fighting — even lobbying & law-making (which is merely a more polite way to describe more of the same), and do you know what these exercises are perpetually labeled?
Yes; Raising Awareness is the noble, but meaningless phrase to all of the above described methods of operation.... operations or exercises in futility that bring nothing but division, hatred and violence...
I ask you: What good is being made aware, when frustration, animosity, and even hate, are the harbingers of awareness???
It's not like we are not ALL aware of our inner-city plights and circumstances...
And all of the passionate – and misguided – actions and demonstrations and political activism, do not even take into account the callous indifference of those not even passionate enough to be bothered by the fact that there are those in our midst, right here in America, who are hurting and hopeless and not receiving real and valid opportunities for healing, for progressing, and actual abilities to escape their circumstances...
Those that are perched atop their judgmental attitudes, without even the will to express their unjustifiable disdain and fear of and for those of lesser station...
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Despite the truths on each side of the division, raising awareness has accomplished little, beyond bickering back and forth, while our citizens suffer and die and destroy each other...
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ALL sides have some truth...
ALL sides are largely unbending.
ALL sides are blind to the same central fact:
Our Founding Fathers had the only truth that matters.
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Together we stand. Divided we fall.
Everyone says, "Something Needs to be Done!!!"
It is time to stop talking about it, to stop bickering and pointing fingers. It is time to come together to rid our inner cities – and in fact, our nation – of this division; this emotionally explosive and divisive situation...
It is time to actually do something (other than raise awareness), to stop the killing, the suffering, the hopelessness, and the abject fear on all sides of these issues...
I think that professional athletes can and will play a major role in transforming our inner cities...
I believe they will not want to miss this opportunity to do more than merely have a platform for publicity...
I believe they will want to join us, here at the GNZ to make a difference...
I believe they will wholeheartedly join in the endeavor to be a large part of solving the problems of inner-city violence, police profiling, and the lack of quality educational opportunities available in our inner cities.
Who among us does not appreciate the dedication, the commitment, the drive, the determination, the greatness of Elite Professional Athletes?
Name a community, a city, an environment, that is not positively and greatly impacted by their presence, if only fleetingly at championship competitions and individual promotional events...
What if they became regularly involved with the men and women of our inner cities?
What if the storyline of every news outlet depicted real footage of Professional Athletes, World Champion Athletes, and Police interacting with the inner city inhabitants in staged events; in seminars, in recreational exercises and educational disciplines...
Continual and Frequent Interaction breeds Familiarity... Familiarity breeds Understanding... Understanding breeds Love... and Love Conquers All...
Here at the GNZ, we believe that everyone will embrace the chance to rectify the general hopelessness of those enduring our inner city circumstances and the unwillingness of people to do anything about it –– to actually do something truly meaningful to provide a way out of this seemingly perpetual social dilemma; to remember our nation's truly forgotten and abandoned men and women.
Everyone includes the U.S. President, All Politicians, and the Governors and Mayors of the individual States and Cities, as well as Police, Detectives, Concerned Citizens and Local, State, and Federal Governments...
We believe they will be unable to sit idly by and resist the opportunity to rid our innocent citizens of ravaging hopelessness, frustration, despair, and inequality of opportunities.
We believe they will be unable to resist having a hand in providing the training that will not only bring hope and love to those that have only dismal options, but will also help to solve the insufficiency in workforce skills that plague the nation...
We believe they cannot fail to want to take part in healing the breach between citizenry and police.
We do not think anyone can – in good conscience – sit out the opportunity to be a part of stemming the tide of violence, and intractability, suffered by victims, perpetrators, and innocent bystanders alike...
We do not think they can continue to allow personal differences to block their mutual concern and stated desire to be a part of the solution that brings the umbrella of humane standards to cover fully those that – for too long – have been awash in the raging storms inherent to those trapped by circumstance, callous indifference, and the lack of options.
But someone has to start the turning of the tides...
JOIN US WON'T YOU???
We all listen to those like us... We all enjoy those who are similar to us in thought and desire...
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But must we always allow our differences to negatively impact our effectiveness?
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What would happen if we utilized our differences to achieve the impossible because – in spite of our differences – we share a single, common, desire???
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Does not everyone wish to bring hope, equality of opportunity, and an end to the failures that are prevalent in our inner cities???
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Yet, it is hard for us to join others with differences in thought, opinions, and beliefs, in other areas — even though we are all in strong agreement concerning something needing to be done about the circumstances of our inner cities...
Professional Athletes, Politicians, Policemen, Firemen, First Responders, Presidents; all know that those outside of the realms of their own experience and circumstances cannot fully understand or speak to the concerns and the everyday existence of what they go through...
It takes one of their own to command their full and undivided attention.
Humans tend to be dismissive of those differently situated, because we know, instinctively, that outsiders cannot completely relate to us –– even though it may be their highest desire to do so...
Me? I understand violence. I understand gangs. I understand a life of imprisonment; of being trapped in a violent, hopeless, environment. I understand the fear and rage that attaches to those cast aside and treated as animals (however justifiable the reasons for their ostracism)…
I understand the hardness of heart and callous indifference for those not inside their particular brand of suffering.
I understand the antisocial thinking and behavior that automatically attaches to those who do not possess the mental, emotional, psychological, and educational means – or even an evidenced social concern – to help them learn to cope with –much less change – the hopeless certainties played out all around them, for all of their lives... for generations.
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I can speak to these men and women because I am one of them...
But I can also speak to you, because I am one of you...
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No matter who you are; No matter what your circumstances are; No matter your previous experience(s)… No matter what anyone else does or does not do...
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YOU can make a difference; YOU can push the boundaries; YOU can become a
Blessing, a Harbinger of Hope, a Solution instead of a Bystander...
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YOU can become tired of waiting for someone else to address the problem...
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And do you know the only difference between you and I?
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It's not Race. It's not Religion. It's not Culture. It's not background. It's not Parentage. It's not Social Status. It's not Gender. It's not even Desire...
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We ALL want something done to dispel the darkness of our inner cities, by brining in the light of understanding, education, hope, and equality of opportunity...
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So, we are one in desire and the only difference between you and I is that I have decided to do something as opposed to waiting for someone else to get it done...
And YOU are completely in control of removing the only difference between us... It only takes YOU deciding to stop doing nothing and start doing something...
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Come: Let's use our differences and myriad strengths, to achieve a common goal... a common good...
JOIN US WON'T YOU???
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