Category: America

Is the Truth Divided Between Community & Law Enforcement? - Interview with Author & Officer Nakia Jones of "The Truth Divided"

7/15/2018

by Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media

In our recent interview with Nakia Jones, we discussed the reasons behind writing her book “The Truth Divided” and gained some insights into the book’s title, the Black Lives Matter movement, and what the book can do for all who read it.

Q: What is discussed in your book and why did you feel it needed to be written?

A: In my book, I discuss why I became a law enforcement officer and the challenges of being a women in law enforcement and being an African American mother of two sons and dealing with the divide between the color of my skin and the uniform I wear. The difference is I can remove my uniform, but I can't remove the color of my skin. The book also talks about the first time I felt the divide between law enforcement and the police during the Rodney King beating. It also touches on black on black crime as well as Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter, and the importance of them both to me .

Q: How did you come up with the title “The Truth Divided” for your book?

A: The title reflects how I feel wearing both hats as a Law Enforcement Officer and being an African American, as well as being an African American mother of two sons. The divide that is going on between the community and the law enforcement community is the same divide I feel inside of me.

Q: Would you call “The Truth Divided” a “tell-all” kind of book?

A: No, “The Truth Divided” is not a tell all book. There were many things I couldn't discuss. The next book will definitely fill in a lot of the blanks.

Q: Were there any parts of this book that were difficult for you to write?

A: The entire book was difficult to write because it’s about such an emotional topic, a subject that has a mass effect on our country, even outside our country, today.

Q: What did you learn through the process of writing this book, about yourself and others?

A: I learned that writing and reading this book has begun to help me heal. It also has taught me that no matter what the color of your skin is in a lot of ways we are all saying the same thing. Lives matter and rights have no color. I also believe that if we can just dispel some of our fears and biases we will all be capable of living in harmony. Because, at the end of the day, we are all one race, the human race. Our skin, hair and eye color may be different, and we may have come from different regions, but we are all human beings and one race is not superior to another.

Q: How do you feel “The Truth Divided” will help the Black Lives Matter movement?

A: I believe this book will help the Black Lives Matter Movement, because it allows others to see what and why we are fighting and why the movement is so important. It also will help people understand why a movement like this even exist and that it’s not to downplay or be against any other race. Black Lives Matter understands and has never disputed that ALL LIVES MATTER. It is just right now it seems to be fact that the only lives that seems not to be a part of ALL LIVES MATTER are BLACK LIVES.

Q: What do you hope that “The Truth Divided” will do for people?

A: I pray that this book first of all brings Unity and Understanding between Law Enforcement and the Minority Community, as well as it becomes a teaching tool to dispel the myths and biases that we learn when we are younger, which in turn will end racism. I also hope that it brings the Minority community together and also to let Mothers of African American sons know they have a voice.

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Taking Sides Won't Make America Great Again!

11/22/2016

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By Phoenix Desertsong, Concerned American Citizen

It's finally time to stop choosing sides in the wake of the US Presidential Election. It's well past time to step back and reflect on just how divided we've become. It's time to set rhetoric, dangerous and otherwise, aside and focus on what we all have in common.

It is the opinion of many in America that this country has elected a man that is extremely unpredictable. His early actions in transition have been hailed by some. To others, they are questionable at best. Much louder voices than mine have called out hypocrisy on both sides. And it's true.

People are understandably upset at what Trump stands for. He is continuing to say and do some things that many Americans are going to hate. Some of these things are going to and already have destroyed some lives. But this is not all Trump's fault. In fact, Trump embodies a greater part of the American population that many would like to believe.

I voted for neither major candidate. I voted for a third party candidate who best reflected my own views. Perhaps in the eyes of many that was a wasted vote. But no, it was still exercising my right to vote for the candidate who I best felt represented me.

I may not personally like most of what Trump is proposing and I may be befuddled by a great many of his choices for his Cabinet. But what worries me most is how loud his supporters are in support of bigotry, homophobia, sexism, racism, and xenophobia. It's extremely important to understand that these people always existed. While they are not the majority of Americans, they are a loud and powerful minority.

In some ways it's sort of a good thing that Trump won. We got to have a coming out party for all that's evil still in America. Is that all Trump's fault? Not really. Many would have rather had Hilary win. But now that a Trump win has legitimized some of the worst elements of American society to rear their ugly heads, it's now clear who the true enemies of freedom and democracy are.

We do indeed have a chance to Make America Great Again. I'm not sure it was ever truly Great to begin with, but over the past 200 plus years, we've made progress. Will all this progress disappear overnight? I don't actually think so. That is, as long as we all come together. conservative and liberal, Democrat and Republican, and realize most of us are not political at all. Most of us just want to live our lives and be ourselves.

We need to see the painful realities of what the Red vs Blue political party system has done to us. I fear that there is a social civil war on the horizon unlike no other in the history of this country. I hope that I'm wrong, but I'm sure we are going to watch things get much worse before they get better.

In the meantime, we have to stop beating on each other over whose fault this election is. We need to remember that this election is over and that we need to make the best of what has happened no matter where we stand on the political spectrum.

I'm on America's side, not with any politician. Some are saying good things. Others are not. But we are just all people, and we just need to let go of political affiliations. We need to look in the mirror and recognize our own shortcomings.

As a nation, we cannot stand divided. There is not yey the liberty and justice in this country that our Pledge of Allegiance mentions. Yet that is what the flag many of us as kids in this country were led to believe. If we are truly going to Make America Great, then we need to realize these ideals as best as we flawed human beings can instead of just using them as patriotic rhetoric.

Let's just move on, and truly Make America Great, shall we?

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Is the Truth Divided Between Community & Law Enforcement? - Interview with Author & Officer Nakia Jones of "The Truth Divided"

Taking Sides Won't Make America Great Again!

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Is the Truth Divided Between Community & Law Enforcement? - Interview with Author & Officer Nakia Jones of "The Truth Divided"

Taking Sides Won't Make America Great Again!

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