That’s the first principle of the Hippocratic oath better known as “First, do no harm”.

Now, most of the people I’m referring to in this post are not doctors, so they wouldn’t be subjected to the terms of this sacred tradition. But, almost all of them took another oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and it’s this one that they failed at miserably and, dare I say, criminally in some cases.

Loathe as I am to even say his name, it was clear before the election Trump was unfit to serve in office. But there was this push on the right to elect him to be their Manchurian Candidate, someone they can use to do their evil bidding. Unfortunately for them, he showed who he really was so much that they might as well have called him the Mandalorian Candidate.

Unfortunately for us, Life began to imitate Art on a constant basis throughout his Presidency even from the start. It seemed to be the newest reality show set at the White House with real-world consequences. One of the first examples of this was the ousting of a current staffer and former reality show “star”, Omarosa. She, of course, wrote her version of how dysfunctional the West Wing was and how she tried to do what she could to help stop the worst from happening.

Foreshadowing, an indication of something that will happen in the future, often used as a literary device to hint at or allude to future plot developments.

Oh, it’s a literary device, all right, because I’ve lost count of how many staffers, reporters, and confidantes have published books now spilling all the tea of how crazy this MF was and why they only stuck around because the next person might help Mayor McOrange to accomplish his evil plans. No accountability.

“But, we have recordings of statements you made where you clearly show your support for the President…”

“Yes, but if you paid attention, you can clearly see me winking and when the camera pans to the side, you can see my fingers crossed behind my back!”

They want us to think this was Weekend At Bernie’s (Sorry, Sen. Sanders) where they just carried a harmless body around that was not a threat to anyone, except that time he was spreading disease from his rotting carcass. Or, at the most, they would like you to imagine the movie Dave, where the lead character is an entertainer and puppet that they were only using to get their Ring-wing agenda passed without anyone getting hurt.

But, we all know it was not that. Instead, it was that aptly named Enemy of the State with people in front of the cameras and behind the scenes actively engaging in bald-faced lies, grift on a worldwide scale, domestic terrorism, and treason, in order to get what they wanted no matter who they hurt or killed. And spoiler alert…a lot of people died at the end. Except for Will Smith, who didn’t even hit anyone.

The phrase “25th Amendment” keeps coming up but none of these people ever thought seriously of using it because that would mean fucking up the party for everyone. You know, like Kavanaugh’s friend that jumped on the bed knocking all three to the floor so the almost raped victim could get away.

No, they are all trying to get rich while assuring us that they did all they could at the time. But the whole point of the 25th is to remove a threat to the office and the country before things get too far. Someone, preferably many of them, has to step up and honor that oath to defend “the Constitution of the United States”, i.e. US!

Us, We, Them…however, you cut it, when you raise that right hand and say those words, you are making a vow to stand up to the bully, to give up the position you hold to bring truth to the light, and to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. It does us no good to hear after the fact that things almost got way out of hand. It does not serve the country to know that the man who has changed the course of the Supreme Court for a generation or two wanted to shoot innocent citizens because they were exercising their 1st amendment right to protest him.

These words may be just that…and they most likely won’t be seen by anyone involved, let alone my own friends. But, I felt compelled to write them because I often feel the need to speak out, which has gotten me ousted, fired, and uninvited to more than a few places.

But I never took a vow. I never promised anything. And if I ever finish my book, it won’t have any revelations of any crimes that I could have stopped.

Jada “wants to be a superwoman
But is that really in her head
But I just want to live each day
To love her for what she is”

Apparently, Jada is suffering from alopecia. Hair loss. But as a casual observer, I will say that she looks amazing. I can only assume that her family, her husband, and her community is supportive of her.

Jada “wants to be another movie star
But is that really in her mind
And all the things she wants to be
She needs to leave behind.”

Jada is very good at certain roles but Viola Davis, she is not. There are certain roles she will never get nor should she. But Chris Rock joking that she could be GI Jane 2, a character that is strong, determined, smart, and fearless in her pursuit to show the world that she will not be denied her place in it because she is presently bald…was a compliment.

“But, very well, I believe I know you-very well
Wish that you knew me too-very well
And I think I can deal with everything going through your head
Very well, and I think I can face-very well
Wish that you knew me too-very well
And I think I can cope with everything going through your head.”

Jada latched on to a star, Will Smith, and has benefitted from the partnership. So much so that she has access, status, and clout that I dare say “Woo” would never have made on her own.

Jada “wants to be a superwoman
And try to boss the bull around
But does she really think that she will get by with a dream.”

Jada has had Will by the short and curlies since the jump, and at every turn, it seems, she has been in control of the relationship. So much so, that her “entanglement” was dealt with in a very public way to Will’s detriment.

“My woman want to be a superwoman
And I just had to say good-bye
Because I can’t spend all my hours start to cry.”

Will went thru a period of self-reflection that for a moment had rumors of them breaking up. But I can only infer that when it came down to it, she, he, they decided to stick it out and make it work.

“But, very well, I believe I know you
Very well wish that you knew me too
Very well, and I think I can deal with everything going through your head
Very well, think that I know you too
Very well, wish you knew me like I know you
Very well, but I think I can deal with everything going through your head
Your filthy head”

The shame, embarrassment, and emasculation that that brother had to endure…and probably still does to this day has obviously not been dealt with in his mind.

“Very well, dum dum da, dum dum da
Very well, wish you knew me too
Very well, and I wish I could think of everything going through your head
Very well, dum dum da, dum da, dum da dum dum da, dum da, very well
And I think I can deal with everything going through your head.”

She has her “Red Table Talk” where she has been able to talk openly about what’s going on with her, her family, and has garnered a large following that has strongly come to her defense in this latest debacle.

“When the summer came you were not around
Now the summer’s gone and love cannot be found
Where were you when I needed you-last winter, my love?
When the winter came you went further south.”

Where was Jada when Will needed her? Where was his community when he was going thru the feedback, memes, and jokes of her choice to pursue what she wanted without consideration of the damage it did to him and them?

“Parting from love’s nest, leaving me in doubt
Where are you when I need you, like right now?”

Will initially laughed at the joke but immediately after got the signal that she was not amused and decided he needed to respond…for her, and now faces the consequences of his actions.

“Our love is at an end
But you say now you have changed
But tomorrow will reflect love’s past.”

There’s always been talk and speculation that Jada loved Pac and has never really been totally into Will other than what his talent does for her. I can only hope that Love finds a way to overcome. Otherwise, these two should part…for his sake, if not both before another violent event occurs.

“When the winter came you were not around
Through the bitter winds love could not be found
Where were you when I needed you, last winter, my love?”

I have been alone and lonely these past years wondering where is my muse, my queen, my Love? But if the many responses I have seen from women applauding the insecurity, the toxic masculinity, and the insanity that it took for that Black man to slap another Black man on live tv in front of billions just to prove his…worth?…to her? I’m ok with being alone.

“La la la la la, la la la la la
La la la la la, la la la la la”

Lyrics by Stevie Wonder

The internet is blowing up with reports that Dave Chappelle is responsible for killing a plan for “affordable housing” in his hometown of Yellow Springs, OH. The headlines are written in a way that makes it seem that Dave does not want any “poor people” moving into his town and threatened to pull business projects of his own from the area.

Even The Root, one of my favorite sites, is usually supportive of not only Us but the truth. They also published their own hit piece on Dave:

Dave Chappelle Threatens To Pull Investments From Small City If Affordable Housing Project Goes Forward

In their post, they include a passage that states “Oberer Homes and the village of Yellow Springs initially worked together to produce a plan that would include duplexes and affordable housing along with single-family homes in a 53-acre area.” (Rawls, M., The Root, 2/10/22)

But what the writer doesn’t point out that can be found by clicking the link Dayton Daily News in the post is this memo:

The above proposal shows in Black and White that 140 of its homes would start at $200k with only 1.75 acres to be “Donated Land for Affordable Housing”. However, while it stipulates it would fit “20-30 units”, a quick Google search points out “One acre (43,560 ft) is enough space to fit about five single-family homes, given that nothing but the land for the lots is included.” (HomeX.com)

So, unless they are planning on building one large apartment complex with 20-30 units, that would backup the issues that Dave’s spokesperson, Carla Sims, pointed out in the New York Post:

“Neither Dave nor his neighbors are against affordable housing, however, they are against the poorly vetted, cookie-cutter, sprawl-style development deal which has little regard for the community, culture and infrastructure of the Village,” Sims added.

“The whole development deal, cloaked as an affordable housing plan, is anything but affordable. Three out of 143 lots would have been for ‘future’ affordable housing. The rest of the homes were to be priced between $250K and upwards of $600K. In Yellow Springs, and in many other places, that is not considered affordable housing. Instead, it’s an accelerant on the homogenization of Yellow Springs.” (NY Post)

I know Dave has already been on the hot seat for other issues well-documented and not necessary for me to rehash here. But the number of outlets and the way most of them have jumped at the opportunity to cast him in negative light points to a hunger for anything anti-Chappelle. Check out just a few more:

Dave Chappelle’s Latest Achievement: Helping Kill an Affordable Housing Development (Rolling Stone)

Dave Chappelle spoke out against affordable housing plan in his community (CNN)

Ohio village scraps plan with affordable housing after Dave Chappelle threatens to pull his businesses (NBCnews)

Dave Chappelle Helps Block Ohio Town’s Affordable Housing Plan, Threatens to Pull His Investments (People.com)

They’re coming for you, Dave. No joke.

(Jonathan Baran, James Pace-Cornsilk/The Washington Post)

Tweets from the Dark Side… That is what we get from the President of The United States! All CAPS mantras about Making America Great Again which is an insecure plea from an Old White Man who sees the country growing, evolving into the Great American Melting Pot we were told…(1/7)

…it already was in the first place! “A Shining City Upon A Hill” (too many White ppl to cite here)…a place where all people from wherever they may come to seek shelter and opportunity to live free without persecution of their faith, culture, race, or ethnicity. Yes, We Can! (2/7)

That is still the motto of the day, year and for the rest of our lives, because as Americans and I say that as an American with backgrounds as diverse as the country itself. We have a shared experience and although that history has grave underpinnings in itself, it is the fear… (3/7)

of that reality that keeps us from being that Shining City! From state to state, city to city, millions of Americans work side by side, worship next to each other in the pews, and socialize on a daily basis. But, unfortunately, politicians of both sides use this diversity to… (4/7)

divide us, to guide us, to speak out against one another to get themselves elected in order to better themselves, gain power and, give us the scraps from their tables that we as Americans and taxpayers provide. This coming election may seem like we only have a choice between… (5/7)

one or the other. But, it’s more than that. We have the choice to stand together to make sure whoever fills that position of the highest in the land, the most powerful in the world hears us, responds to our demands, and works to make this country better for all of us. Because… (6/7)

if we continue to embark upon the same path of hatred and divisiveness then we only have ourselves to blame in this Land of the Free, Home of the Brave. No man or woman should have to fear from their neighbor, for their health, or their well-being in this Shining City on A Hill! (7/7)

© D Jay Collins and Thoughts Of Sonny P, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to D Jay Collins and Thoughts Of Sonny P, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

I Can Breathe
But I can’t swallow the pain inflicted on my brother
I Can Breathe
But I can’t deny the air is thick with hatred
I Can Breathe
But I feel guilty living when there are those gasping for that same air
I Can Breathe
But I feel helpless looking on when that last breath escapes my brother
I Can Breathe
But I want to use that energy to avenge my brother
I Can Breathe
But do I become next in the threads like this lamenting our loss
I Can Breathe
Like Jackson and Rush that watched as the last breath left King and Hampton
I Can Breathe
But do I knock that murderer off Floyd and submit to the consequences or do I just keep filming so his death doesn’t go in vain
I Can Breathe
But do I rant and rave on social media hoping that my cries and anger and likes and loves and cares and memes go viral
I Can Breathe
But is it enough?
I Can Breathe
But do you care…that I still do?
I Can Breathe
But should it get to the point that I don’t care that you can?

© D Jay Collins and Thoughts Of Sonny P, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to D Jay Collins and Thoughts Of Sonny P, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.