"And You Stay There Because..."?

brohammas asked.

This past weekend I had a conversation with a few of our local politicians and the same topic came up.
When a local businessman pointed out that I'd been retired for the past decade, "You work more than anyone I know, especially for being retired." another businesswoman commented.
But that's the thing - being retired doesn't mean that one doesn't work.
Being retired means that one does not have to work.
It gives one freedom to walk away from any job at any time for any reason.

To tell the truth, I hate this town, this area, and this state.
I used to be racist (I couldn't help it, the philosophy is often one with which many youths who grow up in less than desirable circumstances are inculcated as a reason for their suffering.), but race no longer plays a major factor in my decision making.
But in this Southern town, area and state, race is the only determining factor in most people's decision making processes.

But I only do work for Black owned businesses.
Why?
Because the Blacks in this area have large amounts of money but very little power or wealth.
Blacks in this area represent half of the population but little of the effective representation.
Many Blacks still harbor resentment from Segregation and most still feel as though they are inferior.

Most of these still imagine that gaudy material goods bought from a chic boutique are more to be desired than ownership of the boutique or the building in which it operates.
Most still imagine that getting a new car every two years is more to be desired than not having a car note to pay for two or more years.
Most imagine that an unusable degree is more valuable than a marketable skill or knowledge.
Most still imagine that having better material goods is the same as being in a better class.
Most Blacks here focus on the outward signs of wealth without generating any real wealth that can be passed from one generation to the next.

"But there are a lot of Bill E. Bob rednecks in your area.", some might say.
So what.
What are they going to do to me besides hate me because they are in no way better than me - Call me a "nigger"?
Bitch please - try to hit a nigga and see what's up.
Provide poor service at a restaurant or store?
Chances are that I'm friends with their boss.
Have the police harass me?
Pa-leeese. The head of Internal Affairs and the Mayor have already handled problems for me in the past.

To tell the truth, I'd be more likely to be shot while pumping gas at a local station in So.Cal than I would be getting shot by some simple Hillbilly here in the South.
The truth is, most of these rednecks are just running scared.
Scared that their teachings have proven false.
Scared that Slavery, Segregation and racism have failed to eradicate Blacks (or browns, or yellows, or reds) from the American continent.
Scared that many of their children are being more influenced by the pop culture of the "coloureds" than by the disinformation being taught in their sacred history books.

So brohammas, why do I stay?
It is in towns such as this where society can be corrected.
It is in towns such as this where people will begin to judge each other by the value and quality of ones work.
Because this is ground zero for a larger social change.