There was this documentary on VH1 Soul about conflict diamonds called Rock Docs: Bling'd: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip Hop. Sometimes we forget what's going around in the rest of the world and we get too caught up in our own selfish lives. I was watching CNN this morning and after the segment on the democratic race where Hilary tried to pesuade America her view on a gas tax (something about saving truckers 2 billion dollars which can go to groceries and something about the hidden medical tax we pay for uninsured) and filming the reaction of Obama sticking out for his wife when she was attacked on a video on you tube about her stature and capability if in the White House, CNN went on with new footage of the survivors of the Earthquake in China, a follow up of the children who were effected from the cyclone in Myanmar and the US' best efforts to send aid their way. 

It sparked a reminder to write this blog on the conflict diamonds of Sierra Leone and how theres so much to work on in this world. I watched the documentary with Aries, Erika, and Kristine Friday night while we made more buttons for the Distortion 2 Static booth in the Asian Heritage Festival. I used to be a journalism major at SFState and I remember learning how much the media had so much to expose us too. My professors would go over examples over examples of how one newscaster would try so much to get a story across, but as soon as the media had something better to catch the viewers eye, such as celebrity gossip and what American icon is screwing up and why, (the latter I feel is still important) the stories of the mass of the world goes down. 

We've all heard of the conflict diamonds. Most recently held fame for one month or two by the movie Blood Diaminds and Kanye's effort in raising attention with his lyrically held controversial self, one month or two and the subject felt like it was a taboo. Was there no more information to gain from it? Did we feed into the media and get tired of the subject and leap to the opportunity to hear Perez Hilton instead of our true news reporters? Or did we just forget?

I'm guilty of the third. 

Flat out. I'm a busy girl. Period.

I have work. full time. I have class. full time. I'm in an Industry. holding 2 positions in it. I have a huge family and they are my All the Time. I have a dope set of friends. (i dont consider the latter 3 a job, just the first 2) Basically, I'm on my shit. On a grind and a state of mind not a lot of people can stay hustlin with. I surround myself with people who are like me to keep me sane. Im focused. And in this case, here's the negative side.

I'm so focused sometimes that I forget about the bigger picture and my bigger community. And by bigger community I mean the rest of the world. Is it a rude awakening if I say to you so much is happening and we don't pay attention? Because if it's rude or not, I just said it. Im trying to get through to us, that's all. In all our fighting for that six figure job, that new handbag, are you going to this and that, that new ride, and who's winning the playoffs (and trust. I'm one of your biggest NBA fans so I cringed when I typed that in)- thats how hard I'm being on myself, we need to do the three finger snap snap snap and wake up.

I'm always talking about giving my time to charities, and building one in the future which WILL happen, I promise you. But in the meantime, how about me and you be more with it and pay attention to the world. Because poor conditions in sweatshops, workers who bend in the sun to find a gem for you, and children with abnormal conditions because of starvation is so not cool. Peace out. For real.

www.cnn.com

Roc Docs: Bling'd: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip Hop

Asian Heritage Street Festival

and the one article that irks me most:

the kids eating mud cookies in Haiti