Yesterday Afternoon, my bride and I decided to go see Iron Man 3 at our local multiple-screen movie house. The movie itself was great. Robert Downey, Jr. IS Tony Stark and the digital effects were outstanding.

As is our custom, we took our seats at the end of the row. In the seat beside me was a young high school aged, or a little bit older, young woman, who happened to be black. Her boyfriend and one of their mothers were sitting beside her.

As we went to sit down, my wife noticed the young woman frowning and glaring at us, as if we were wearing white sheets and pillow cases, or something. She continued to talk during the previews , both on her  Android cell phone, and to her boyfriend. I didn’t think much of it, since it was only the previews that were playing.

However, when the movie started, she didn’t shut up, as any polite person would do. Oh, no. She kept on yapping during the movie. And, when this heifer wasn’t running her mouth, she was sighing or yawning loudly. Heck, she even started talking on her phone during the movie.

It was quite evident that this youngster was intentionally trying to run us out of our seats. Just when I was about to give her the use of our popcorn bucket as a hat, it struck me: she wasn’t worth it.

Pookie and her family left right at the end of the movie. Too bad. If they had seen the first two Iron Man Movies they would have known that there was an additional scene of the movie at the end of the credits. And, this time, the scene was quite hilarious.

In a related story, earlier this week, I had stopped at the Dodge Store (a gas station/fried chicken, etc. place), on the way to work, to pick up a Diet Coke. As I stood in line, another register opened up. There was already a big fella over there, who appeared to be in line, but, surprisingly, he motioned me to come over there, saying that I had been in line, first.

As I made the move to go over to the other register, a young fellow, again, who happened to be black, and in a Coca-Cola uniform, by the way, just sauntered on up to the register, while the other fellow, who was  trying to be mannerly, and I, looked on in disbelief. Deciding not to make a scene, we just watched him pay the cashier and traipse on out the door.

Now, I’m 54 years old, and a mannerly person, raised by a gentle, loving Christian man. My mother, however, had a temper, being Irish-American. Friends and family have described me as having a long fuse which leads to a keg of gun powder.

That’s one reason I have written almost 1,200 Blogs. It gives me the opportunity to vent.

Anyway, back to my train of thought. As I have related before, I’m a Memphian by birth, resident of DeSoto County, Mississippi, by choice.

Former Memphis Mayor W.W. Herenton told all of us …ummm…”taxpayers”…that he neither wanted nor needed us in his city, several years ago. So, I snuck under the barbed wire, and escaped to the Magnolia State.

I wasn’t alone.

During Herenton’s reign as Mayor (1991-2009), Memphis went from being “The City of Good Abode” to Detroit South.

Since 1997, when I moved out of Memphis, the city has rapidly gone downhill, and along with it, the city school system. So much so, in fact, that recently,  in a power-grabbing effort to get away from the blame for their horrible stewardship of the school system, the City School Board surrendered their charter to the state, held an election among city voters only, seeking to merge with the better-run, financially stable County School System.

Of course, the city voters backed the board up, and an interim school board was formed, which is presently heavily stacked with the politicians from the soon-to-be-defunct City Schools.

The merger is set to be final in 2014. However, the towns in Shelby County have been given the right by a ruling from the Tennessee Court System, and the signing of a bill into law by Gov. Haslam, to form their own individual school systems in any town which can afford to do so.

Needless, to say, that isn’t sitting too well with the self-promoting former City School Board members. Oh, what a tangled web we weave…

Also, during this time, the Memphis City Council, out of the blue, in the dead of night, decided to take away the names of three historic parks. These parks were named Confederate Park, Forrest Park, and Jefferson Davis Park.

The council claimed that Memphians were offended by the names of the historic parks. Funny, though. Memphis’ CBS Affiliate, WREG, ran a poll whose results showed that the majority of citizens wanted the names to remain the same.

By now, you’ve probably said to yourself, “KJ’s gone off on a tangent…again”.

Actually, I haven’t.

Did you know, that in the Mid-South area of Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi, the illegitimate birth rate of Black Americans is right at 75%? I heard that stat on the Ben Ferguson Show the other afternoon as I was driving home from work. Think about that: 3 out of every 4 black children, will start out at a disadvantage in this life.

Studies have shown that children are more well-adjusted when they are raised in traditional two-parent families, with two strong role models to teach them right from wrong, good manners from bad, and respect for others.

Now, I realize that I’m just an ol’ cracka, but, it seems to me that, at least in the Memphis area, it’s not some sort of government slight of the city schools, nor parks, which were named decades ago after a moment in history that cannot be erased, nor should it be, that is keeping Black Americans in Memphis and surrounding areas from prospering.

The Black community, as does our nation in general, needs to return to our Christian heritage, which made us a strong and united people, who together, are capable of defeating any foe,removing any obstacle, and trimphing over any adversity.

I believe, if Black Leaders would start devoting their attention to the problems of their community: illegitimate births, abortions, single parent homes, unemployment, and out-of-control crime, including gang violence, instead of throwing out excuses, things would begin to turn around.

Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, a woman of Faith and a tireless Pro-life Advocate, working within the Black Community (who happens to be a Facebook friend), is a great example of someone who is making a difference.

And others, like Dr. Thomas Sowell, Dr. Ben Carson, Lt. Col. Allen West, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are outstanding role models for all of America’s youth.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said,

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

Our nation needs a “Come to Jesus” meeting. And, we need it right now, before Dr. King’s prophecy comes to fruition.

Until He Comes,

KJ