I have spent good parts of my life inviting people to join my cause, to make good choices that will lead to the enhancement of their lives-- I have done this for no pay

I have spent good parts of my life inviting people to join my cause and make good choices that I know will lead to the enhancement of their lives-- I have done this for no pay.

I will continue to do these things, inviting and collaborating with people of all backgrounds to join in and share with what works for me and that I strongly believe will work for them.

Other times I have directly assisted in food, work, welfare, or other pro-bono efforts to assist others, of all races, creeds, ethnic backgrounds. Some of these efforts were through my church outreach, others involved separate charitable groups, and sometimes it was work related to my paid jobs or some of these efforts were simply ventures or acts on my own or with family or friends. Some of those people, to include white people, if that matters, have rejected my efforts or overtures, offers to assist or to become involved with what I believe to be helpful for them and us.

Should I feel guilty or ashamed for having done this? Should I feel guilty or ashamed for being a white male who has given and will continue to give freely of my time and energy and at times financial resources to help others? Of all races?

I hear people complaining about disparities and inequalities in the United States and across the world, but when I get involved with people on different socio-economic levels and they reject my best counsel and ministry, or advice and help proffered, is it my fault that they continue in their poor ways? How many times should they reject me before I am free of such remorse or guilt for their plight? There are lots of initiatives to change the narrative, we learn about so many in 2020, but when will some of those who complain the most listen to what works for me, and others that I know, if I offer the counsel or invitation to a better life or progress? I am inviting them to join me in my beliefs and practices!

I am trying to say that I live racially, ethnically, sociologically, and ethically correct for my own conscience, that I am happy with my efforts which I will not stop doing, and when people of different political or sociological currents lay blame on me for being over-privileged, for being male, for being white and therefore automatically oppressive, I have some serious qualms with those accusations.

Do I have to enumerate my efforts to convince you?

First of all, my general attitudes, platitudes, and counsel:

1. Come to my church. If you do not attend and participate in mine, go to another house of worship. Go often and regularly, and offer your talents and fellowship. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, COMMUNITY RELIGIOUS GROUPS HELP PEOPLE BE BETTER PEOPLE.

It is not all about what constricts your lifestyle and what is sacrificed by YOU to be in those communities, it is about helping your brothers and sisters, of all ages, all backgrounds. This is bigger than just YOU, and just YOUR FAMILY and its immediate needs. There is a bigger community that needs you to be part of it in order for EVERYONE TO BENEFIT.

Make sense?

If you are not part of a religious or at least humanitarian or philanthropic secular group, then I would argue that you are part of the problem of the "unequal society". Think about it.

2. Do not smoke. Do not smoke anything. No tobacco, no marijuana, no cocaine, no illicit drugs, no vapes, no candies, no cotton, I do not care what lights up. Don't inhale smoke. Smoking in any form hurts your lungs, body, and savings.

STOP IT. If you have medicinal needs for cannabis, I understand. Consume it responsibly. Smoking, inhaling smoke through your mouth or nose, like pot or other substances is dumb, DUMB, DUMB!

3. Do not drink alcohol. You say moderation is okay? Moderation is definitely not okay if you cannot pay bills, bills that should include good health insurance, education costs, and charitable donations to others. You say you can't make charitable donations to others, you cannot afford it? But, you can afford to drink booze? Get off it. Stop the drinking, be a better person within your family and community. If you are wealthy and drink alcohol, take that money and give to something better than your own buzz, your own inebriation, your own chemically induced high.

4. Read books, articles, periodicals, words of wisdom and find out if they work to illuminate you, to inspire you, inform you. If not, if a book or periodical does not work for you, move on to the next one. You have to read to be culturally and spiritually literate. You complain that life is not fair and that there are no opportunities for success, but you do not bother to read?  Read words about practical applications, manuals, laws, if the stories do not do it for you. YOU MUST READ SOMETHING. And, it must have an intrinsic value for you.

The Bible. The Koran. The Book of Mormon. Doctor Phil. C.S. Lewis. Deepak Chopra. Even James Patterson.  The list is almost endless. Your brain needs to be massaged by the best thinkers; reading is key to succeeding when only defeat has been the option, otherwise you will never leave the bonds and ruts that you are supposedly trapped in. You are in a cage and there are books that will free you. You do not have to read every day, or even complete the books or articles that you start, but it helps.

5. Help someone out with their needs. An old person? Visit? A young family? Bring a treat. A lonely person? Talk with them. Visit and get to know others more. Neighbors, folks at the rest home, veterans, children in clubs or nurseries. Oh, yeah: family, too. Be involved with people outside of your direct interests, even if they are family. Are some of your associates dragging you down? You must get away from them. Find other groups who do not leave you behind.

6. Don't sleep around. Get married to the one you are intimate with. Be a parent to your children, do not be a bum. Work to pay for your children's needs. Help them grow and flourish.

So, more or less, these are my minimal demands for you to follow and heed, to have a better life, and stop calling me the oppressive systemic privileged one because of my ethnic heritage and gender. I follow what I suggest or recommend, I am not a hypocrite. I share these values as much as I can and I live them as much as I can. THESE CHOICES will determine much of your success and failure in life, and they will help others that are less fortunate. I believe that they have greatly aided me and others. My parents also followed most or all of the above, and most of the people that I hung out with.

It is not just about race, or gender, or even wealth; it is about choices and consequences of those good or bad choices.

Can you not agree that the above standards would help people of all backgrounds to live healthier, happier, more prosperous lives? If not as a recipient of the results but to the greater community as a contributor?

Think about it.