The American Dream is the national religion of the United States of America. Democratic ideals combined with capitalist principals are perceived as a promise of prosperity for its people in a religious manner, in God we trust. In America, we have faith in the American dream and seek after it for home ownership and as status symbols separating the rich and middle classes from the poor. Rightly, I am sure in other countries as well, the things of life that we do habitually, like providing for ourselves and our families or just conducting everyday business, often interferes with as well as hinders us from being what we should be. Nevertheless, in America, the search for the all-American dream often comes before our doing anything we know we should be doing. In the end, as the children of Allah, Yahweh, Jehovah, or God, we will miss the mark of the high calling of God chasing behind the American dream. This is because for the household of God, the American dream is not what life is all about.

Nevertheless, we have become a nation fooled into chasing after the American Dream and the representation of it as god, a false god. Right now, America is more concerned with who rich than doing the right thing. We gladly give to the powerful men, women, and corporations and discourage giving to the poor by making the poor illegal and banning them from our sights. However, the Bible clearly states that giving to the poor is like lending to Godand He always pays dividends. Nevertheless, we willingly put our great, great, great-grandchildren deep into debt to please the rich while the poor of our society cannot even get their unemployment benefits.

Although God once tremendously blessed this nation, we loudly denied him every day. By our collective actions, we have made it evident that America does not trust in God. This is why the things America choose to do always interfere with what God has called this nation to do. In reality, America cannot feed the hungry because those running the food distribution organizations will be paid the largest portion of the money given to them to feed the poor. In our righteous desire to obtain the American dream, we awake to a world engrossed in a nightmare. Our society is headed into the deepest crisis we will ever face and everyone is arguing about who got us in this mess but no one can figure out how to stop the descent.  

The politicians say they do not want to spend the extra money because unemployment benefits will only make the unemployed lazy. The religious right says that it is not right to help those that cannot help themselves. The Liberal left proclaim their right to do as they please. I am sorry, but as a Man of God I say, “That is a lie.” I do not know about anyone else but I am tired of it. It is time to let our political leaders, business owners, and the ruling elite of the American society how the large poor majority feel. When it comes time to go to the polls every incumbent politician that voted to help corporate America and left the American people in the middle of this tsunami of an economic disaster should be voted out of office. Every senator and congressman that voted for the Iraq War should be tried for treason against the American people.  

Our nation and world is on a race toward extinction because the wealthy ruling minority gladly betted against and ruined our lives so they alone could live a more prosperous life. Case in point, the giant too-big-to-fail companies robbed the American taxpayers. However, these wealthy people and powerful companies controlled our economies for centuries. They not only controlled our economies, these corporate Chief Executive Officers betted against the very economy and waged war against the very people that has provided them the means to create great wealth. Then as the bottom fell out of our factious economy, the first and only ones to get any real help was the ones that betted our economies would fail in the first place.

Our elected officials rescued these companies in spite of the crimes they committed. Moreover, more of their crimes are coming to the light every day. Worst yet, our previous elected officials of this fatuous, frivolous, and asinine government of the people, for the people and by the people deserted the people. They committed high treason by playing politics and started a war for big oil then told the American taxpayers to foot the bill. Our elected leaders sold this nation to the rich and powerful lobbyist of the wealthy ruling minority. Too-Big-To-Fail corporations lined our leaders’ pockets with bribes and trips on private yachts.  Instead of doing the job that the American public elected them to do, they fought for months about who shot John rather than trying to save this dying nation.

Consequently, this crisis is a disaster of our own making. In spite of seeing the great chasm that existed between the wealthy and poor, we were surprise when the middle class disappeared into poverty. Moreover, the current Global Economic Catastrophe is the consequences of our national deceitful actions.  The truth is, in our minds and by our national actions, we do not trust that God really does know what is best for us. Although our money proclaims that we do, the whole world, as well as everyone in America knows the god Americans trust in is called money. We trust and worship money by chasing after that green dollar bill and teaching our children to do the same thing. Therefore, the hand of the real God has come to punish the people of the world for the lies we allowed our nation to sell to them.  

For years, the capitalist elite ruling minority profited from others misery, sweat, and blood through physical slavery called work. For years, the American worker has earned a slaves wage for their job while the owner took home a king’s ransom. Moreover, the capitalist elite continue to enslave the masses under the disguise of spreading the capitalistic American dream of being rich and self-centered like them across the globe. In reality, it is a new breed of slavery to the same old Lucifer. In spite of the proclamations from our Americanized false religions, we cannot seek first the kingdom of God by chasing behind the American dream. Man cannot serve two masters. He will love one and hate the other. Chasing after two masters is something American is now answering for.  

Indeed, America is as capitalistic country. In spite of this, the ruling minority cannot be allowed to capitalize off our need to live. The ruling minority not only gets richer off the burden of the subjugated majority, they get rich from our consumption and spending. The poor looks up to the rich and strives to be like them then willingly subjugate themselves to a never-ending burden of debt and worries. However, do you know in a capitalistic society, the servant is actually the master? A capitalistic society those that actually have the power are the ones that do the serving and/or working. This is because those being served and reaping the benefits depends upon those under them. Now if the subjugated majority would refuse to be suppressed, what would happen to the ruling minority? They will lose their power because no one will be there to do their bidding. The king has subjects only if someone is willing to be subjugated.

The lie told for the repression of the masses conceals the need of one human to feel in control. The truth is we are in control of ourselves. We are the masters of our own fate and the captains of our individual souls but God owns the ships we sail and controls the oceans we travel. Even so, when we willingly or unwillingly surrender that control to a person that is equal to us, we actually are placing the yoke of inequality upon them and us. However, occasionally we stand too close to the forest to see the trees. In life, we are sometimes too involved in trying to solve our problems to see God at work within our situations. Step back for a moment and just check out what God is doing.

Everywhere people are growing tried of those in power taking advantage of those under their care. It is demoralizing for those we trust to abuse that sacred responsibility we place on them. As a result, an uprising is currently brewing among the restricted majority because of the injustice actions of ruling minority. However, what will make this uprising noteworthy is the subjugated majority actually outnumbers the ruling minority one million to one. For this reason, many unheard voices now speak loudly reshaping the world’s view of its veiled history.

Because of the global fiduciary disaster, the subjugated majority can no longer willingly suffer the destruction of everything they value for the satisfaction of and compensation to the ruling minority. Realize, what made Gandhi and Dr. King so powerful were not the words of non-violence spoken rather the willingness to suffer the violence inflicted to get the point across. What points in these difficult times do we need to make and what are we peacefully willing to do to be heard? When we stand up and speak up in spite of the suffering, threats, or violence, we let the ruling minority know that we are actually in control.

Is there hope or help for the ‘Hood’? How do we repair the economic infrastructure in the African-American community? Most of America's urban areas have been transformed into racist city. I live in a large urban area and have vivid memories of being afraid to be caught by TPD (The Police Department) with more than three dark-skinned people in one car. I also have the recent memory of the reaction of a few Caucasians when I was promoted to manager on the job. Therefore, in my opinion, racism on both sides of the color spectrum is alive and well.

Nevertheless, the reason for the downfall of the economic situation in the largely African American populated urban areas stems heavily from the injustices done in the area by those citizens living in the area. These injustices include but are not limited to numerous rapes, murders, robberies of business, theft from business, vagrancy, and other acts of non-civilized disobedience committed by those that live in the area. The hood for years has been a war zone as the African-American gangsters and other criminal elements fought to take over the streets. Their acts of violence perpetrated more harm than the K.K.K. ever did. The appearance and ruthlessness of the African-American crack dealers, gang bangers, and other ‘Ghetto Entrepreneurs’ scared the citizens into became helpless participants. Because of their destructive activities, it became necessary for most business to vacate the area in order to survive.

It is my constant belief that changes and progress will be brought to the blighted urban areas. However, we, the African-American citizens of these areas must first change the way the area is viewed from the inside out. This change is something that the citizen of the area must first put into effect. We must be willing to take control of our future and the destiny. We must come together to lift our communities up so those that want to invest and can invest can see what the area has to offer. Our areas want and need growth and progress. However, in order to achieve it we must first change our community for the better ourselves.

Now the question that remains to be answered is how will those in these blighted urban areas encourage the business leaders to invest in the area again? Do we do this by shouting the evident proclamations of racism? On the other hand, do we work to better the visual perception of our neighborhoods? It is my hope that one day the African-American community will rise and shake off the stereotypical thinking that has guided our actions in the past. Our simple existence is no longer about the ‘White Man’ trying to keep us down, because most of the Caucasian race is being oppressed by the same system that oppresses us. Our simple existence depends upon the African-American community realizing that we have been as much apart of the problem as anyone. Now it is time to resolve to be a part of the solution.

On the back of every treasured dollar bill is the affirmation that in God we trust. We have circulated this untrue statement for years to billions across the world. We have printed this powerful yet untrue testimony on innumerable bills. Nevertheless, in reality, God and the whole world know that we do not trust in God. We trust in the dollar bill.

Since the beginning of this country and before this major crisis on Wall Street, America’s sheer greed or love for money increased dramatically. Over the span of this new century, the greed has become even more prevalent in our society. We impose on the comforts of our fellow brothers and sisters just so the comforts of our lives can increase. We constantly strive to have more and more of the great American dream. We constantly chase after the gods of power, wealth and influence. Greed has never been good and it has caused these current crises to come upon us.

These spiritual and economic crises are a result of a statement that was not true. The punishment for this statement, however, is now loudly ringing true. Our money has lost its value. Our politicians lie to get us to go to war. The companies that we invest our money in have raided the treasuries and left us broke. The number of people forced to go to bed hungry, without shelter or health care is alarming. The church organizations and the spiritual leaders we have chosen to lead us continue to betray our trusts because they, too, are overcome with greed. The vision of the founders had for the U.S has digressed into a representation where the vast majority of people in our own country now do not have.

The reason is the American ideology of Capitalist greed has feasted and continues to feed upon the masses. The rich grow richer. The middle class has disappeared. We continue to neglect the poor and subjugate the homeless to the ranks of the undesirables. Then, our church organizations practice and is consumed by this same capitalist ideology as the vast differences between the wealthy and the poor continues to grow. The influence of Capitalist greed has brought down great ancient societies before ours and it continues to spread poverty across the globe, today.

The question now is when will America wake up and realize where our national obsession with greed has taken us. The question now is do we trust in God or in our ability to think and lie our way back on top. The question now is can we afford to continue to blindly trust our politicians, our spiritual leaders and/or others to save us from these crisis that we are facing.

Therefore, I beg that we judge nothing until the Lord come. He will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; do not quickly rush to place your trust in the joys of prosperity that our greed can bring. It has become very evident that those joys will only lead us down a path of destruction and shame.

If Americans and those of us who have chosen to be Americans will survive these current crises and the soon coming great global catastrophe, we must first repent for the words spoken on the back of the widely circulated currency that has rung untrue for decades. We must put down our idols of shame, greed, and corruption. We must once again stand and build upon the great foundation of this country.

Yes, we must continue to hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, we must also realize that our Creator with certain unalienable responsibilities also endows us as well. We are endowed with the responsibility to treat each other as we would want to be treated. We are endowed with the responsibility of each other because we are our brothers and sisters keeper. We must face up to these responsibilities or as now is evident; we will be face with the results.

My beloved fellow citizens, we will indeed be faced with more trying time. Nevertheless, our God is more than able to bring us through these crises and the coming great global catastrophe. However, we must realize that we cannot serve God and continue to love money, also. We must realize that God is holding us accountable for every deed that we do. Our money loudly proclaims in God we trust. Therefore, we must stand behind the acclamation printed on this widely circulated symbol of our country. We must trust in God or God will force us to change what we untruthfully proclaim on the back of our money.

Because I was born on July 9, 1964 on Lakeland Farms in rural Perry County, the early years of my life were filled with the evidence of the racial prejudices and the demeaning injustices that we faced as African Americans. For the first sixteen years of my life, I was forced to recognize the fact that I truly lived in a segregated society. I grew up in a mostly African American community where my grandfather worked on a dairy farm. Often I would witness him refer to various Caucasians as mister or madam, even though he would be much older than they would be. I attended a segregated school and worshipped at a segregated church where the usual topics of discussion included some references of how the American society was treating us as a people. In spite of the words that I learned to repeat as I faced the American flag, in reality, I came to understand that I lived in a country that was actually many different nations under God. I came to realize this country was divided. Moreover, I came to realize that it offered liberty and justice only to those that belonged to the desired race and/or had enough money to purchase it.

As I left the comforts and seclusion of my small rural beginnings in 1981 to venture into the vast world, my heart was filled with the hope of discovering the America that I was taught about in school. I yearned to find the America that was shaped by the idea that all men were created equal. I yearned to find the America that was built upon the foundation of liberty and justice for all. I left Alabama, moved to Miami with my mother, and enrolled in American Senior High School. Even though I would no longer face the unmistakable racism of rural Perry County, I soon discovered that in America, the preferred way of life was indeed segregation. Moreover, the America that I was taught about in school did not exist.

During the decades since I left rural Perry County, I have had the chance to travel this great country. The one thing that I see no matter where I go is we are still a country that has not fully erased the lines that divide us. When I wake up in the morning, I find myself waking up in an America that still encourages us to place separating barriers on ourselves. I wake up to an America that is actually many nations, under many gods. I wake up to an America that has divided itself into many segregated communities of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Japanese Americans, Irish Americans, Native Americans, and White Americans. I wake up to an America that offers liberty and justice to all only if they are of the desired race and/or have enough money to purchase it.

In the four and a half decades since the start of the American Civil Rights Movement and my birth, the American society has yet to come to grips with the words that the founding fathers of this country penned in the sacred pages of our constitution. These words mention something about us holding certain truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and are endowed by God with certain right, which includes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Even though these very words have been repeated and included in various sermons, commentaries, and articles, America remains at a complete loss to the real meaning of these words. Over the years, America has been constantly trying to reshape itself into the nation that is presented in the preamble. Yet for some reason, we have still fallen short. True, we have gotten rid of slavery and other injustices that were placed upon various minorities. Yet, we have picked up other injustices and now fight to make them a part of our permanent society.

Therefore, I must question how we can hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal. That all men are endowed by our creator to certain inalienable right that includes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, when these truths have not even become evident in our communities, business, organizations, or in our way of thinking. The only truths, in our society, that have become evident are that we are many different nations, that have divided ourselves into our own preferred segregated communities, and that we serve ethnically colored gods.

It has become plainly apparent that the motives of our modern day leaders have turned away from making sure that everyone regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, or economic status will be treated fairly in America. Their goal has now become one of making sure that only the rich and powerful is taken care of without regard to the condition of the rest of our fellow Americans. Their intention is to reintroducing into society the very same ideals of segregation that many fought so hard to get rid of in the first place. Their objective is for America to evolve into a society where jobs will be issued out according to wealth, power and influence rather than qualification. However, it is time for the American society to wake up and see that any kind of forced segregation need and should be a thing of the pass.

Today, the American society, in practice, has become even worse than the Jim Crow society of old was in reality. Today, we, the American society, continue to segregate ourselves from each other. Today, the rich and elite of the American society practice and possess the same misguided attitudes that African Americans had to endure from the white race for so long. Today, we, the American society, have taken up where the Klan left off years ago. We are killing ourselves and destroying our own neighborhoods. However, since the economic tide has turned, it is now time for us to put aside our outdated way of thinking and press forward to making the dream of Dr. King come true.

I assure you that the American society have not forgotten the many heroes of the past civil right struggle; nor have we forgotten the great price that was paid in blood, sweat, and tears for the freedom that America can claim today. Instead, we, the American society, must now wake from our dreams of a bright future that was teeming with opportunities to excel. We must now face the reality of an American society that has become broke because of the overwhelming greed of the rich and elite and our desire to segregate ourselves. In order for the American society to become a great country, then we, America as a whole, must come to understand just what the words we hold so dear really do mean. They mean that if America is one nation under God then it must also be in God. We must possess the same opinion of the God that we say we serve. We must be colorblind just as God is colorblind. We must possess the ability to see each other not as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, White Americans, or even rich, middle class, or poor Americans rather just as Americans.

Nevertheless, my fellows American, as we press forward into the unsure future, let us not forget to look at the past. When we look, let us not look through the glasses that have been shaped by racism or grounded in hatred for our brothers and sisters. Rather let us peer through the same spectacles of hope that our ancestors wore when they first envisioned this country. Rather let us peer through the same spectacles of faith that Dr. King and many others of all races use during the Civil Rights Movement. Let us peer through the same spectacles of hope and faith into the self-evident truth that as long as we realize that we are all a part of the body of Christ there will never exist a wall big, wide, or strong enough to hold America back from become the great country that God has called for it to be. A country where we realize that we are all created equal by one God and given the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Then as Dr. King said, “Then we can all join hands and sing with new meaning the words of the old African American Spiritual ‘Free at last, free at last, thank God, Almighty, America is free at last.