Until Next Time

This has been an amazing nine weeks. I have really enjoyed writing post for this blog to be perused by my readers. I do understand that my topics bounce between government corruption and corporatism. I apologize for that. However, the following weeks I will be discussing things that are most important to my readers. I will also be taking suggestions as to what I should talk about. Please, email me at Donjackson096@gmail.com for any suggestions.

Like the name of the blog states, alternative information for the alternative thinker is still the main premise for my writing. In my previous post, mainly, the one about viral videos, I posted a few videos from YouTube that deemed to expose corruption within our media and government. Well, I received the most emails about that post and I would like to personally write to those readers and say that, I did not make those videos up as I do not have the resources or time, however, I do believe in them.

Ladies and gentleman, trying to type up how I feel about the past nine weeks, might just take me about a full nine weeks. SO let me end this post with this.

We are all humans. Not everyone that reads my post went to college or is ever going to go. Let me tell you, you do not need college to uncover intelligence as that information is readily available. I hate when people I run into assume that because I went to college, I am a smarter individual. No, I am not. College did not technically teach me anything except how to be a critical thinker and to look at things unbiasedly.

These are things that anyone can learn, for free. Do not let the thought of institutions make you feel that you need them and their professors in order to become a more intelligent human being.

As far as the materialistic society we live in, where MORE equals success, college can help with that. If a big house, with a fancy car and a bunch of toys is what you dream of, then yes, college and other institutions for higher learning might help you acquire those things. But, college can not and will not teach you, how to be a better human being, how to treat people fairly and equally, even when they can not do anything for you and how to always find the good in people even when they only display the bad.

This is a crazy world we live in, and yes, I understand that my thoughts are and content in this post are all over the place, that is because I am trying to fit nine weeks worth of information into one post.

Lastly, I would like to point out, an earlier post that I did, where I put a picture of one of my articles where I interviewed a top ranking official from the pentagon. Gen. Cartwright. here is his bio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cartwright I need for you to understand that I have befriended this man a while back after our interview and he told me things... a lot of things...

Let me tell you something from some of the things that we have discussed. The world around you is changing, things are changing, information is changing and most of this change you will not like. We are entering a police state, we are entering a world based off consumerism and materialism, where the fiat dollar will rule. We are moving daily towards a one world government with a one world currency. These things are real and they are happening.

Out of all of my classmates and their blogs, I tried my hardest to bring you information that was actually helpful in different aspects of your life, versus simply complying with an assignment and talking about one thing, as if I was a sheep or carbon copy. I already have a job in public affairs for the military, so I'm ahead of the curve when compared to most of my classmates in referenced to media relations.

Please, within the next couple of weeks, please be on the lookout for my next big posting. I am going to take some time off to research a couple of topics, but I beg of you to please please please, pay attention. Pay attention to the media, pay attention to how they try to divide us, and do yourself a favor and Google Bradley Manning. Then ask yourself... WHY ISNT THIS FRONT PAGE NEWS EVERYWHERE??

NAACP's Strategic Communication Plan

An image of the text messages sent by the NAACP as part of their Strategic Communication Campaign

Strategic communication campaigns are a vital part of an organization's many vehicles that are utilized for public outreach. The campaigns can be used in the emergency of a public relations nightmare or to just simply touch bases with a desired audience.

Recently, we got the opportunity to witness a strategic communication plan implemented by the NAACP, in response to the State of Florida V. George Zimmerman trial verdict. The NAACP sent out mass text messages to people affiliated with the group the read "Tell  friends to text JUSTICE to 62227 to demand that the DOJ address the travesties of this tragedy by filing a civil rights violation against Zimmerman."

Without getting into any details of the trial, this was a perfectly timed and executed strategic communication plan by the NAACP, as it was created prior to the conclusion of trial, sort of as an insurance policy that was to be used just in case the verdict announced was not in their favor.

A snapshot of the NAACP's homepage during the trial.

For some strategic communication plans, measuring their success can prove to be quite difficult as there is no typical mathematical formula in use, for their measurement. However, from the plan implemented by the NAACP, measurement is easy and can be compiled using simple mathematics.

One way to measure that the communication plan WORKED, is by simply counting the number of text messages received. However, this method would not measure the campaigns SUCCESS. In order to measure the success of the campaign, the NAACP would need to set a numerical goal that they would hope to have been surpassed either sometime during or after the campaign. Once the campaign is evaluated using a specific method, the NAACP would then be able to correctly evaluate the success of their campaign.

However, not all strategic communication plans can be so easily evaluated, with a quantitative ruler. However, I truly believe that a goal must be set by an organization during the developmental stages of their strategic communication campaign as goals can be reached and typically have a beginning and an end which both display growth, increase and completion.

George Zimmerman, Your Friendly Neighborhood Watchman.

NOT GUILTY

Zimmerman, stoically sitting in court, awaiting the verdict from jurors.

I Understand that many people are upset with the not guilty verdict that was decided by jurors, July 13, 2013, however, I have to ask you to ask yourselves, did the prosecution really prove without a reasonable doubt that George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin in cold blood, or was he truly defending himself.

Pictures of Zimmerman's face and head, taken after his altercation with Trayvon Martin.

 I am not going to spend time going over the details of the case, as they are readily available on virtually every major and minor news website. However, I will address the emotional aspect from the angle of a true, straight shooting, media and communications professional and as a proud African American.

This type of situation in common in America. Literally, an African American is killed everyday by another African American and the news does not report it. Sad, I know, but that is because it is all too common. As an African American, I take more of an outrage against my people killing themselves versus someone from another race killing us. In fact, I would rather a thousand George Zimmerman styled murders versus, the all to common type that take place in New Orleans, Chicago, and Detroit.

Social media propaganda. A picture of Dr. Martin Luther King, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt similar to Trayvon Martin. What did Dr. King have to do with this case and why was his image used?

I am already aware that I will receive a lot of backlash for my point of view, however I must ask people to truly ask themselves, which one is worse. Which option is the lesser of two evils.

The response from African Americans in light of the Not Guilty verdict are embarrassing and it makes me sick. Even those who I assumed were the most educated of the race have fallen short with their emotional response to Zimmerman's trial. 

Why do we feel as if Justice has failed us as African Americans? Originally, Sanford police were not going to press charges, so the fact that this case ever made it to court is TECHNICALLY a victory, within itself. Why do we not appreciate that small step. Why as African American do we feel inclined that people (America) owes us something because of our skin color. America owes us nothing, except for a large income tax return every year if you have not adjusted your withholding accordingly.

THE TRIAL

George Zimmerman's defense team did a stupendous job in defending their client. The prosecution... not so much. This case was not a case to determine if George Zimmerman was guilty of killing Trayvon, he had already admitted to that. This case was about proving if whether or not Zimmerman did it out of cold blood. 

Trayvon Martin lies dead, after altercation with neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman.

 Well here is the thing that people are going to have to get through their heads in order to get on with their lives The state was unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Zimmerman committed second-degree murder or manslaughter, as defined in Florida. 

What Zimmerman did is legal in Florida, point, blank period. CNN, HLN, MSNBC, FOX and all other media outlets are very much aware of this, however, they are going to continue to spin the story to attract ratings and more advertising revenue.

I need for people of all races to understand, that this case is not a race case, please do not make it into one. if anyone really and truly wants to make sure that something like this never happens again, then, actions need to be addressed to the state of Florida. Boycott Florida, do not go to their beaches, do not purchase anything in the state that may benefit its economy, move away from the state, boycott their university's the point is to hit them where it hurts!! Buying Skittles, Arizona Ice Tea, hooded sweatshirts, signs, markers, and other things to pointlessly protest only expand the pockets of the companies that make those products. How is that concept not understood. 

After, carefully going over all of the evidence and watching the trial from start to finish, I can conclude that TECHNICALLY Zimmerman is not guilty and his killing of Trayvon was justified. Why do you ask? Because he felt that his life was in danger and he did what he felt he had to do in order to put an end to the confrontation. Now, I am in know way shape or form defending Zimmerman, I only ask that people, simply analyze the technicalities of such a delicate trial. 

Zimmerman's life will never be the same. Is that not enough? America is breaking its unity over one trial, is it truly worth it? Please people, I beg of for us all to get on with our lives and simply try to improve as a species. Continue to evolve, help those out who are less fortunate and continue to make a better life for our children as we always want better for them then what he have had.

Lastly, I need all of you to ask yourself, as the media continues to push this trial down your throat, what is it that you are not seeing? What happened to the Boston Bombing stories? What happened to the NSA and Snowden? What happened to North Korea launching test nukes? Why are major countries like Brazil, Egypt and Turkey, protesting and dying in the streets? What executive orders are the government signing over that continue to violate your rights, without you having a clue. Ladies and gentleman, please do not be fooled by the propaganda that the media inflates to keep you distracted from things that truly matter in your life. It is happening and you will feel it in years to come. MARTIAL LAW and RFID technology is inevitable and it will happen. In order for such actions to happen, a country must be distracted, disarmed and divided. The three D's that I have learned while working for the military. Ask yourself, are the three D's being implemented right now?? 

How quickly we forget.

Advertsing and what it means to you...

Due to current Internet connectivity issues, my blog post will a bit late tonight. I am sorry.

Rachel Jeantel... A Leader Amongst Followers

Rachel Jeantel smirks while giving her testimony during the trial of her slain friend, Trayvon Martin.

As an up and coming expert on strategic communication practices, I was very disturbed recently, when I got the chance to see a leader of our time become ridiculed by social media users. I'm referring to the Trayvon Martin case. I noticed that it was being aired on HLN and so I decided to watch.

I'm already familiar with the incident as I wrote an article about it for Troy University's student newspaper, the Tropolitan. What I perused doing the duration that I watched, left me feeling very good about our generation in terms of the courage that we have embarked. I saw a young black woman giving her testimony as to what she remembered happened the night that her friend Trayvon Martin was killed by the self-appointed neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman.

As this 19-year-old young lady continued her testimony, I took notice of a few things, as I'm sure, so did the rest of those who were also watching the trial either through the TV or live stream through their personal computers. I noticed that Rachel Jeantel is not very articulate nor well-read. This was obvious due to her response to questions pertaining back to the night of Trayvon's death. Jeantel also appeared to be very fatigued as she spoke with an exhausted breath and a very low pitched tone.

Jeantel in the form of Shrek.

 As I convinced myself to stop watching, I then logged on to social media outlets via my smartphone as I was most certain that not-so-nice things were more than likely being said about the young lady. I was right. Instagram was filled with mean and derogatory post about about Rachel, as was Twitter and Facebook. Users poked fun at Rachel's vocabulary skills, her response to questions and her broken English. In addition to those things people also made fun at her appearance, more specifically, her weight and pigmentation.

Jeantel, presented as a Star Wars character.

 As a communication professional, I was outraged at the terrible things that I was seeing and reading about her. I agree, Jeantel could have done a better job with her testimony, but I understand that if someone is not taught how to correctly speak and articulate themselves in front of large crowds, how can we expect that from them.

Jeantel is from Miami, English is not her first language and she is from a notoriously rough neighborhood. Even with such facts, people were still heartless. Even knowing such facts, people still did not give her the credit that she deserved for mustering up the courage to go under oath in front of all those people, including her friend's killer, parents and relatives; along with the judge and media, while try her best to recant what happened that night while on the phone with Trayvon Martin. If anything, DOESN'T THAT MAKE HER A HERO? Shouldn't we praise her??

A young lady pokes fun at Trayvon's death, as she is dressed in black face, a hoodie and is carrying a bag of skittles and can of iced tea as Trayvon was the night he was killed.

 As a communication professional, I did not exit my mothers womb in 1989 with a high level of intelligence and advance understanding of the world that I now posses. I was conditioned and groomed over so many years.

High school taught me how to listen, college taught me how to think critically.

Jeantell is a leader. She is a leader because of the amount of courage that it takes to do what she is doing. I am more than certain that she is aware of the media backlash that will be available on the Internet for a very long time. I am certain, that her relatives are upset at what they are seeing on their various social media time lines.

Jeantel is not only a leader, but also, an innovator for unknowingly bringing forth the attention needed to remind educators that we must do a better job with educating the future leaders of the free world as it is them who will succeed us.

Trayvon Martin's parents. His dad holds back tears during the trial of his son's death.

 Lastly, Jeantel provides vision. A vision into the damaging effects that social media can have on any person, place or thing. Has anyone stopped and asked themselves, how does she feel right now, or what is she going through? How would you feel if you logged on to Instagram and saw such heartless post from people who do not know you nor want to take the time to get to know you.

I think that it is terrible that we live in a country where education is readily available but hardly ever utilized and if it is, then it is hard to tell by the actions of most.

19-year-old Rachel Jeantel has inspired and motivated me as a communication professional and student to share the knowledge that I am learning with as many people as possible in order to help produce an articulate society, free of what Rachel Jeantel appears to represent on camera and into the type of person that I am certain Jeantel inspires to be.

Information They Forget to Teach You in School

Privately Owned Prisons... Get Your Piece Today!!

Invest in a Slave!!

I know that my blog may not seem conventional and the information that I try to provide you with may be disturbing. But, just know, it is all heavily researched, and I'm only trying to keep you informed!

So, since we are on the topic of information, let me inform you on a topic that I have been researching for a while. Yes, I was researching this topic way before Kanye West dropped his new album, Yeezus. The topic is private prisons.

Private prison is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned by a third party that is contracted by a government agency. Private prison companies typically enter into contractual agreements with governments that commit prisoners and then pay a per diem or monthly rate for each prisoner confined in the facility.

Today, the privatization of prisons refers both to the takeover of existing public facilities by private operators and to the building and operation of new and additional prisons by for-profit prison companies.

Basically, a private prison is worse that a Federal prison because in a private prison an inmate is basically a cattle.

I chose this topic because as of right now, thanks to Kanye West, and his song New Slaves the topic is trending and more and more people are begenning to uncover the evilness that is associated with money, power and control, in other words, the evils of multinational corporations.

You see, here is the things, for the most part, we spend our whole lives doing the "right thing" or at lease trying to do the "right thing" because we are all afraid of something. What are we afraid of you ask, well the answer is the UNKNOWN.

Here is an example, I, Donovan Jackson, grew up on Long Island, New York in the town of Westbury. I was a very bad person growing up, but as I matured, I began to "shape up" and conform to society's definition of a productive citizen. It wasnt because I wanted to or had a sudden change of heart, it was because I was continously conditioned to. I was told that if I did not conform, and go to college and do all that other American Dream stuff, I would more than likely, end up dead or in jail.

Well, here I am now, a conformed member of society. Is it better than being in a evil private prison? I guess, however, sometimes I feel like I am mentally enslaved. 

Here is another example. When I initially went to college, I did not go because I wanted to learn or seek a higher understand of knowledge. No, I went because I was told that If I WANTED TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA, THEN I HAD TO GO. Well, I graduated and now I am puruing my masters degree. Not much has changed, I am still struggiling, I owe a bunch of money to the government, and I dont feel any smarter. However, I do feel that I have the capabilities to understand more and grasp the world from a different light and that is what I am trying to get everyone else to do, through this blog.

HOW TO KEEP THE CHILDREN OUT OF PRISON

This theory is just one of the ways to keep a population imprisoned

Education, information and understanding, and in that order, are key to surviving in America. However, in a country with so many educators, so many books and so many resources, why is it that we have the largest prison system with the highest number of inmates?

Why is it that the majority of our inmates are African American and Latino American?

Why is it that there are more African American prisoners in this country, then there were slaves? 

These are questions that I will not answer because we already know the answer, although the truth hurts us when we think about it, let alone even try to talk about it. 

You see these companies, like the CCA, have figured something out that other people just cant seem to get. If you withdraw information from those that need it the most, than you can create/mold any type of human being you want, and yes, this includes prisoners. 

The more available access that an individual has to education and relevent and vital information, the less likely he or she is to end up in a prison, working like a modern day slave, which is technicially what they really are.

And please, for one second, do not think that because WE are not in a prison that we are free, or that we are not slaves, no my friend, WE ARE SLAVES TO DEBT. 

You see, if there is one thing that I have learned while earning my masters it is that, information must be passed on to those who can not afford or who will not go readily looking for it. Of course, i cant tell you write down everything that I disucss in my classes, but I can share with you the main points of what I am learining. 

Has anyone ever stopped to ask themselves, why is it that the students who attend Ivy Leauge universities, typically end up as those in the most highest of positions within companies?? It isnt because they are smarter than us as we all have brains and for the most part are all created equal. It is because they have access to information that most people dont. Those that attend Harvard and Yale, are humans just like you and I, however, they are humans that have accessed information and have learned different levels of communication than your average John and Jane Doe.

I can go on forever about the topic, but I am not. The most important thing that you need to know is the flow of information and where are you getting it from. Education is key. It is the key that will unlock areas in your brain that you did not know existed.

And as far as private prisons are concerned, well check this out, Chicago and Philidelphia are both closing down record number of school in black neighborhoods. Why? What will that help? Who will that help? Not to mention, not only is Philly closing down schools, but they are also building a $400 million dollar prison...

Now what group of individuals do we know that can quickly fill up a $400 million dollar prison??? Oh that's right, UNEDUCATED BLACKS AND LATINOS!!!!

Information... The Key to Life

Effective Communication and The End to Silence.

We all know how to communicate and we all know how to get a point across. The time has come in this new era of technology, where the most meaningful information is no longer being communicated and the most frivolous of information receives the highest level of communication.

For example, lets look at Twitter. As a professional writer/reporter/public relations expert/ I know first hand that it is a tool that I should utilize, however, I do not. As a matter of fact, I hate Twitter. I feel that it has become a tool used by people who have nothing much to do with themselves so they tweet, in hope of someone caring, or at least showing that they care, by re-tweeting what they initially said. 

Now of course, I am not damning Twitter, nor am I suggesting that it is a useless tool. I have seen many journalist use it as well as many organizations. What ends up happening is sometimes, information is passed that is helpful, and other times, information is passed that is just downright useless, inaccurate, filled with fallacies or the organization or company retracts.

Tweet about the Boston Bombings, posted by The Boston Globe... Strange eh? Twitter can help and or hurt and organization. What did this tweet for the Newspaper?

We must remember, that as a society that collectively develops new and innovative ways to communicate, there must be some type of way to filter amongst the bad information, useless information, incorrect information and informative information. Some of the best information lies within tangible books. Although those are becoming a thing of the past, we must remember to keep that level of conscious information free flowing, away from all of the clutter that clouds our minds today.

THE BENEFITS OF USEFUL INFORMATION

Here's a question, if something is said to be true by a major news network, does that deem it to be true, by default? If there is information on the internet that counters what is being told (sold) by the mainstream media outlets, does that mean that it is inaccurate, by default? I am asking those questions to lead into this; when accurate information is passed from one individual to the next, great things are likely to occur.

For example, if I explained to you the importance of engineering and the contributions that an engineer can make towards the benefit of mankind, you would more than likely look at engineers with a particular level of prestige now that you know what they do and why they are important. 

If I tell you that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian just had a baby, and that they named  their newborn child, North West, just how valuable is that information and to what degree could you apply that information to a useful or productive cause? I honestly, do not think that you could at all.

Although entertainment is necessary, does anyone besides myself feel that we receive too much of it. Every channel is trying to make me laugh, every magazine is trying to tell me what to wear, even when I can not afford it and every music video is telling me what I should be doing and how I should be spending my money. DOES THAT NOT OFFEND YOU??? DOES THAT CONSISTENT FLOW OF USELESS INFORMATION NOT OFFEND YOU??

We are a generation of intelligent people, receiving the wrong information on a day-to-day basis from advertisers who are only after our dollar. Yet, if you take a closer look, you rarely see informative information flowing through your television set that is providing you with accurate, non-biased information that can permit for you as an individual that posses critical thinking skills, to make sound judgements about your day-to-day decisions. 

I am not an expert, yet. However, I am someone who works with a mass amount of information on a daily basis at my job. It is my duty to decipher between what is right, what is wrong and what is educational, before I write an article, press release, create a Power Point slide or word document. 

I must end with this, please people, be wary of the information that you consume and take for face value. Remember, there are corporations that exist who control the media that you take for face value and hold on a pedal-stool as the gatekeepers for accurate, timely, and important information. Remember, those reporters, anchors, news directors and producers all have an agenda. They are doing their job, and their job is not always in the public's best interest. YOU ARE THE PUBLIC.