Afi (Rodolphus) Osakwe:  

"The most potent weapon of the oppressor is THE MIND of the oppressed." -- Steven Biko First, thanks to the many family members, close friends, and those I've met along my journey who have financially and psychologically helped maintain my sanity as I have struggled to overcome substance abuse and other challenges brought about by challenging the government and status quo institutions and indviduals. I haven't forgotten you and I shall repay you. My current activities still include fighting the Veterans Administration, being an official war and tax protester, and seeking affiliations that have platforms against ministerial profiteers wherever they may exist. Having gone deep into the bowels of the narcotics industry, my life has often been on the line--whether real or imagined. But, for the Grace and Mercy of The Creator, my physical existence here would have been over long ago. To place things in perspective concerning some of my angst about the VA, for example: I know of a man (and have documents from him to prove) that the VA Administration cut off both his legs when nothing was wrong with them. They cut his legs off so high on his torso that he uses a colostomy bag. Prior to that, he was declared insane (exact diagnoses in the file) and had $500,000 stolen out of his bank account in collusion with his attorney. That being said, I continue to use information to empower myself and transmit it to others. Part of that information is ultimately for spiritual development, which is fundamental for attaining Self Knowledge--a lifelong quest thus far. My practice of Liberation Theology seeks to explore positive elements of religious systems in pretext, context, and subtext to self-determination and self-definition. What might appear to be "actuality" may indeed be personal and collective reality based on illusion and miseducation. Yet, I continue to observe "adults" passing fairy tales to youth--future generations, which maintain systems that deny spiritual development on a large scale. What is our theological praxis in building community other than systems we have adopted rather than insituted during antiquity? What historical "truths" and actualities are in contradistinction to distortion, innuendo, and outright lies as concerns humanity's cosmological, cosmogonical, and theological worldview and practice? What are the possibilities beyond individual materialism? Health, spirituality, and liberation theology can't be separated. So, my suggestion is that we learn what you are and who you are in context to the current socio-political paradigm. In time, we will have a very spiritually enlightened, healthy, highly educated (not mis-educated), and prosperous community that overstands the synthesis of politics as it relates to economic determinism. This is one of the reasons I am able to be open with you and the world. I have nothing to hide, which means that rumor and pre-supposition become insignificant. The best of intentions can often become mutations of negativity. That being the case, an exercise in minimizing participation in bloodletting for survival rather considerations of "quality of living." Moderate analyses of alternative health practices have revealed prevention and intervention strategies as well as health disparities among various populations. I remember years ago when Dr. John Moore would travel to Greensboro from New York and educate those who would listen concerning herbology. At the time, Burleigh Webb (Faruq Abdul Hakim) and I would go into the woods with him and others to learn about vegetation beneficial to health. Eventually, that knowledge was identified as being part of Self and I attained the maximum level of health. Even my bowel movements had no odor. Of course, meditation and prayer as part of spiritual development was key. Part of my belief system includes the lifelong exchange of information and use of the concept of "Freedom" to escape modern-day economic imprisonment. My life may appear to be a contradiction of my belief and actions. However, if I want to be a millionaire, I could do so at anytime by negating any moral obligation to Self and humanity; and by compromising my principles in business relationships (surely, a Madoffian characteristic). "Sealing the Deal" always has negative consequences to others in a capitalist modus operandi where greed and the negation of impact to others by our own personal actions is the rule. Bottom line? I still struggle when performing due diligence on my ability to make money in context to "how" it may occur. For instance, I once considered owning a McDonald's franchise. After investigating the negative global impact it has on millions of people, it is not an option for me. So, I minimized participation in promoting injustice, death and destruction by excluding the goal and objectives to own the franchise. The question becomes: What is the relationship between spiritual development, optimum health, blood money, fast food and quality of life? Based upon what level of The Tree of Life one is currently upon, to engage in enterprises of death negates Reciprocity. Then, too, many elitists dismiss online economics. Something online is better than nothing. In a capitalist world, you can be liberated without money, but you certainly are not liberated while in debt. So, the concscious, having a conscience, must consider capitalism and economic imprisonment in relation to overall well-being. There are a few tools to address systemic economic ills that speak for themselves--such as tax resistance or protest. But you cannot be afraid to implement them. And...you must absolutely know the law. Selecting choice-media to stay informed will expose the lies and sleights of hand used by corporatists and coup-mongers to repress, oppress, and enslave the entire world. An understanding of this is one of the most important aspects of "being." Am I status quo? No! Do I think that what happened in Nazi Germany cannot happen in our lifetime? No...to the contrary. Let me take ti...Expand for more