(Readers: The assumed chronological date for most of the entries in this blog is after the expected 5^th revolution in the US.  For more background about  the expected revolution – labeled the Revenge Revolution – and author, please view entry #01.) 

Scene: Jordan and Rock Man having coffee.  Jordan has met with Rock Man several times.

Jordan:  “RockMan, nice to see you again.”

RockMan:  “You, too, Jordan.  Been a while.”

Jordan:  “First, congratulations.”

RockMan:  “Congratulations for what?”

Jordan:  “All the progress you’ve made starting to get the Black Community off the bottom rung of the economic ladder.”

RockMan:  “We’ve not made much progress.  Besides someone needed to lead the effort…and you goaded me into it.”

Jordan:  “I think you’re doing a great job.”

RockMan:  “I don’t know whether to thank you or curse you…but it is gratifying.”

Jordan:  “These kind of changes don’t occur overnight.  What changed people’s thinking?”

RockMan:  “Simple, or at least I’d like to think it was simple.  What changed thinking was Ferguson.”

Jordan:  “You mean events in Ferguson, MO – like the riots after the grand jury decision?”

RockMan:  “Look, the Black Community was frustrated there was no indictment of the cop who shot and killed an innocent, unarmed kid.”

Jordan:  “You mean police officer and you don’t know all the facts.  So let’s stay with what we know and show a little respect.”

RockMan:  “Alright, not a cop.  Police officer.”

Jordan:  “So, people were frustrated with the grand jury.  But frustration does not justify burning someone else’s business or car.”

RockMan:  “Agreed.  And finally, the Black Community started to see the lunacy in rioting and especially burning their own neighborhood.  Rioting might feel good but it creates a whole new set of problems…and alienates many people who might help.”

Jordan:  “But what really pushed them over the edge?”

RockMan:  “When they had to talk to their neighbors in Ferguson who now were out of a job because some a-hole burned a store.  Many of those who lost jobs…and I’ll bet most were black and Ferguson residents.”

J ordan:  “And the tragedy is unless the Black Community starts to act differently, many of those people will never get their jobs back.”

RockMan:  “So, the light bulb finally went on.   And some people started to say, ‘Hey. Let’s quit acting so stupid.’”

Jordan:  “Then you come along.  How’d you get started?”

RockMan:  “Met with lots of groups and listened to people whine…but no cheese with that whine.”

Jordan:  “What were they whining about?”

RockMan:  “The usual – discrimination against blacks, no real good jobs, bad schools, unfair police force…blah, blah, blah.”

Jordan:  “Interesting you said whine and blah, blah, blah.”

RockMan:  “Well, it’s true.  I so I told them bitching and moaning won’t solve any problems.  And I reminded them blacks are not the first ethnic group to face discrimination.”

Jordan:  “Did you talk about solutions?”

RockMan:  “Yeah, and at the beginning I heard the usual tired solutions – more government programs, more quotas for this and that, more sensitivity training for the police force…blah, blah, blah.”

Jordan:  “You being cynical?”

RockMan:  “No, I’m just being realistic.  You know it.  I know it.”

Jordan:  “But did your audience know it?”

RockMan:  “Only after I kept responding, ‘so what?’ and ‘that won’t work.’”

Jordan:  “You must have been popular.”

RockMan:  “About as popular as Rush Limbaugh at a Democratic Fund Raiser.”

Jordan:  “At some point, however, they changed their minds.  What happened?” RockMan:  “For starters, I stole your line.  I told them to quit driving through the rearview mirror and start looking through the windshield.”

Jordan:  “Good, that seemed to work?”

RockMan:  “It also helped when I told them to trying to be white and start being black.  Some of the same stuff you and I talked about.”

Jordan:  “This is getting interesting.  I’m really want to hear more.  But let’s take a quick break.”