Community

Community

RESPECTING EACH OTHER: AVOIDING NEGATIVE SPEECH

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RESPECTING EACH OTHER: AVOIDING NEGATIVE SPEECH Negative speech can be disastrous. As there are examples in human history where thousands and even millions of people can be misled. I believe that by raising awareness and implementing positive influence in our behavior, our humanity, and mankind can avoid negative pitfalls and not repeat previous world conflicts. I was motivated to speak out or discuss this issue as it pertains to current events that we face every day. I begin by defining a few terms as they pertain to the concept of Globalization, which is simply the way that countries and people of the world interact and integrate, combining and becoming whole (one). Though this is not particularly a new concept, the idea of respecting each other’s culture as we assimilate needs constant attention. Assimilation occurs when there is a minority group that begins to resemble a dominant/main group, assuming the values, behaviors, and beliefs of that dominant population. This is very evident in today’s ever-growing cultural, social, and economic “melting pot”, as we witness the slimming of separation of various cultures, such as the case of occurring globalization. How often have we heard the cliché statement, “We live in a small world after all”, a foreshadowing of how closely all human beings relate to one another. Unfortunately, there are those in power that can or do use, in my opinion, this beautiful conceptual life truth to adversely affect a group or groups of people, using derogatory terms, in describing other cultures. This easily allows distraction, separation, misinformation, and consequently, unwarranted hateful feelings toward one another. This is the clinical point of this piece; despite what words are being promoted or circulated, we must remain united in respecting our cultural differences or diversity and our core human value system. No one deserves to be slandered. Let us use wise words and decency in all our interactions, to encourage growth Read More From This Writer All Post Business Culture Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Military & Veterans Our Community Peace People Sports RESPECTING EACH OTHER: AVOIDING NEGATIVE SPEECH December 24, 2019/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More SOME THOUGHTS ON “RESULTS” September 24, 2019/No Comments SOME THOUGHTS ON “RESULTS” There are elements that contribute to your ultimate success and measurements that determine your position, always Read More Perception & Perspective August 24, 2019/No Comments Perception & Perspective Let’s begin by knowing that perception in its definition means the ability to see, hear, or become Read More Load More End of Content.

Community

WE MUST INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY! A MESSAGE TO OUR LATINO COMMUNITY

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Honest and loyal representation in our community is going to cost money, to sustain, maintain, and grow our communities. One of the major problems we have in our communities is that we don’t invest in our candidates, and we don’t vote! Do you know what happens when we don’t supply our support to our candidate/s running for office? The interest groups, and people outside our communities, take the advantage and opportunity to invest, donate, contribute, and support them. By the time our candidates get elected to office, they no longer belong to our community. The people that invested in them get the goodies and the right to control them. They got him or her elected — not us! The next time your local candidate comes to you for help, do the right thing for your people, yourself, and your family: Register to vote – this is a must in our democracy. If you don’t vote, you can’t complain! Research your candidate, find out about what your candidate stands for, and look at his or her experience with the community. Contribute If you like what you find out, contribute what you can, $5, $10, $15, etc., and if you can, give more. Get the word out to your friends and family to support your candidate and encourage them to donate what they can to help him, or her get elected.  If you have the time, get involved directly by working with the committee working to get him or her elected. There is so much you can do for the candidate, just by volunteering one to three or four hours per day or for the whole week. The little time you give your candidate can turn out to be beneficial to you and our community. If we do all these things, the candidate becomes a product of the community, becomes your candidate, and not of the political machine, not of the outside interest groups.  American politics is very serious, and the sooner we realize it, the sooner we can grow and advance the future of our community — socially, educationally, and economically. Look at the political principle of this city: “You have to pay to play, and it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Well folks, let’s stop the political abuse, and let us begin to develop our own “game in the interest of our people, our children, and our youth. REGISTER, EDUCATE YOURSELF, AND LEARN ABOUT WHO’S WHO IN YOUR COMMUNITY…  Remember, when you say that you’re not interested in politics, that in itself is a political statement. Help, and join those that are working to bring respect and quality representation to your community. Do your homework and find out what groups in your community are truly looking out for your interest, not for themselves. Too many people in our community complain and cry about government service, but are not registered, voters. We need to grow and develop, we need to be creative, and imaginative, work to make our young people proud of their Puerto Rican Roots, their Dominican Roots, their Cuban Roots, their Latino Roots… We must carve out a piece of the action for our community. All other communities have their territory, their commissioners, their elected officials, and their countless businesses and services. We too are entitled to have a dream, but that dream must be carved out by us, not outsiders. We can use their support, but not their handouts. Help your leaders! Help yourself! Register to VOTE! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books Business Community Education Entertainment Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics LATINO COLLEGE STUDENTS FACE INEQUALITY AND CULTURAL ISOLATION AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK at BUFFALO March 25, 2023/No Comments LACK OF COLLEGE SERVICES FOR LATINO STUDENTS: This is in response to a story by UB Spectrum reporter, Kayla Estrada, Read More “GETTING VERY LITTLE FOR THE WHOLE,  BUT GETTING A LOT FOR THE FEW” WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2023 January 25, 2023/No Comments While I might appear to be biased and selective, I strongly feel the four people in the photo are the Read More The Isaías González-Soto Branch Library (formerly Niagara Branch) is a member of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System December 25, 2022/No Comments When the Hispanic Heritage Council (HHC) moved to rename the Niagara Branch Library several years ago, with the support of Read More Load More End of Content.

Community, Politics

THE PEOPLE’S MACHINE

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THE PEOPLE’S MACHINE An organization founded by Christian Parra, a young and energetic Latino from the Bronx, who is now living in Buffalo, NY, and working with the PUSH agency.  The “People’s Machine” is a multi-ethnic group composed of individuals, independent of their affiliations, who have gotten tired of politicos making promises they have not kept – improving our communities! They say that one must be part of the “old boys’ network” to be heard. Well, we must stop that! The People’s Machine is focused on real community service, it works to support and elect people that understand and support the Machine’s agenda. The organization is well represented, their membership included Puerto Ricans/Latinos, African, Asian, white, and others who are committed to “positive community change” – to endorse and support candidates that believe in our people’s plan; they must respect and support our needs, and we will hold them accountable. It has been a long wait, for united and organized community voices, especially those most affected by political policies that are not reflective of their needs and concerns. The “Machine” is saying in effect, “if you say you represent, we better see the goods! We are holding you to real representation. We are here to do our part, help change the narrative, a narrative usually controlled by the politicos.” I’ve been around a long time, me, Lucy Velez, an elder in my community, always advocating for the west side community for over forty (40) years, the couple of years living near the Peace Bridge, which severely compromised my heath and breathing, as well as an accident at a church, which added complications to my recovery. I know about public policy representation! I lived it and continue to live it. Our local political parties are not addressing our needs, and their slip is showing. You have disenfranchised our voices, and you tried to dilute our vote, in the past and present, by unfair reapportionment lines, cutting and dividing our communities. That politico machine has stifled our people. But that must change! The “People’s Machine” will make the change happen. This is how we are working to change the narrative: We will interview, endorse, and support candidates seeking city, state, and national office. The candidates must commit and pledge to support the People’s Machine’s “Community Plan for improvement and representation. We are an independent machine, we are not, in any shape or form, affiliated with any agency or organization. We are a people’s association, with members from all walks of life, ethnicity, and religion orientation. We are inclusive, not exclusive. We are solely driven by people community power and need. Just like the Sun, we are the new source of energy, fully sustainable and equity driven to be a part of the changes we need to see! For too long, our communities have been left-out of the “Buffalo Renaissance.” We know our community have a few “sellouts”, but we are awake, able to see what’s going on, whose getting goodies without accountability. That shall change. We are tired of “pay to play”, we are tired of “it’s not what you know, but who you know.”  We are fighting for our communities’ survival. Join us! Contact me at sistervelez@gmail.com. Read More From This Writer All Post Business Culture Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Military & Veterans Our Community Peace People Sports THE PEOPLE’S MACHINE November 24, 2019/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More WE DID IT! CLIMATE JUSTICE PROTECTION ACT PASSED IN ALBANY July 24, 2019/No Comments WE DID IT! CLIMATE JUSTICE PROTECTION ACT PASSED IN ALBANY New York is finally taking back its role as a leader of Read More WEST SIDE GIRL GIVES NYC CLIMATE CHANGE TESTIMONY June 24, 2019/No Comments WEST SIDE GIRL GIVES NYC CLIMATE CHANGE TESTIMONY (A public testimony by PUSH member, Luz Velez, before the Assembly Standing Read More

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