I just finished watching The BlacKkKlansman.
An excellent movie and at the end you saw everything I cautioned about during the 2016 election cycle.
So here's the down and dirty truth of it.
The reason I do what I do, am the way that I am, don't trust the way that I should, and am often silent when I should be yelling.
The Last Wizard.
Dragon Jack.
Where did these names come from?
When I was a child I was raised by and around people that held the ideals of the Klan.
Family.
Friends of the Family.
Luckily, not my Parents.
Though their humor crude and often laughing along with the "jokes" I could say that by their actions and who they chose to spend their own time with that they proved to be removed from much of that thinking.
Not all, they were after all, products of thier place and time.
But they placed the worth of an individual on their work ethic and contributions rather than the color of their skin or sexual orientation.
In other writings I've eluded to the people in my life that I thought were involved in these groups.
Held friends and co-workers at arms length trying to discover their true intentions because of this past.
But why "The Last Wizard"
Why "Dragon Jack?"
When I was a young adult first entering into the work force as an "independant" young person I was afforded an oppertunity at an airline that preached LUV as their motto.
What I discovered was much of the ingrained racisism and sexism in their very dress code. In the way that the Union was structured at the time.
And, lest I not forget, the way that many of my co-workers were treated.
All of this made me angry and bitter.
"Don't play dominos with those people."
"Don't date here"
"Your hair is to long."
"Take your ear ring out"
"Here's a fork, Eat Like an American"
Were all things said to me by Union Members.
So I Ieft that Airline and Chose to seek out other, less prestigous, employment. I began digging into myself as a human being. Into what beliefs and creeds made the core of who I was.
Reflecting as I did so on who I and those around me really were.
My car was a safe ride to and from work.
And for that reason I had a pick.
A metal toothed.
Raised Fist.
Black.
Pick.
Not purchased, but left in the passenger door by a coworker.
After that I kept it in the CD case that I kept in the car.
Not that CD cases are a thing to keep anymore, but at the time they were a thing to steal and mine was stolen.
But that, in retrospect was serandipitious.
Because it allowed me to follow the clues after returning home.
Alowed me to find out who was in "Top City"
I kept my shit together, mostly, until the kids were over one afternoon.
After that I couldn't do it anymore. Couldn't keep my shit together to keep digging.
Fastforward a few years and I find myself moving to the west coast.
A place, that by reputation of those that I had obseved, "befriended" and ultimatly held to account, was a place full of "Niggers, Spics, Kikes, Dikes, and Faggots."
Sounded like a lovely place to live to me.
At least I wouldn't have to "be friends" or "be sociable" with those I didn't want to be around. The people that, when out of public eye or earshot, would degrade my friends and peers.
That's the thing about television and reputation though.
Sure, maybe the larger cities and Southern California have a basis for Such a Reputation. Maybe Portland and Seattle have more diverse communities than that of the surrounding areas.
But, as I discovered after moving out here that north of Sacramento was very similar in demographic, ideology, and laws on the books to that of the "Middle America" that I grew up in.
That the West, as the Media and Ignorant of my home would lead me to believe, was not so "Liberal Elite" as one would think.
Yes, over the interveining decade that I have been here the demographics have started to change a little. And yes, there are pockets of "Liberal Resistance".
Or as resistant as nonviolent individuals can be in a place where guns are carried to the grocery store and everywhere in between.
I am not saying that guns should be outlawed, hell, if you actually watched my video on Gun Control you would know that my ideas lend themselves in the very opposite direction.
But at the end of it I still find myself fighting the same fights, having the same debates, with people that have the same ideologies I was trying to get away from.
It's funny, in one work situation while I've been out here there was a young man who was boasting about being part of, or associated with, the "Klan". Not being threatening about it, but letting another co-worker of color know that was "his people" and my eye twitched.
This is America and everyone is entitled to thier opinioin and beliefs, but after hearing it coming from someone bairly out of high school I knew that there was still a long way to go before things are going to truly get bettter.
After hearing about the actions of some of the kids at a local highschool I knew that there was still a long fight ahead.
So again you ask.
Why "The Last Wizard"
Well, the easy part is that I am a role player. A person that regularly inhabits the lives and stories of people in situations removed from my own. Often, but not exclusivly, in the lands of Wizards, Dwarves, and Elves.
The hard part of that answer is because I want to see "The Last Wizard" I Want to see the power that these supremisicst exert so heavily over this nation put into check and the Democracy that we, as a nation, are so wanton to spread over the rest of the world become truly representative of the people that inhabit it.
I would like to see them recogonized as the threat that they are.
Like to see them recognized and held accountable the way that other terrorist orgonizations are.
After all, when you legitimatly look at all of the terrorist actions perpitrated on American Soil since 2001 and even before, you will see that the White Supremicist influence is on far more of them than that of "Radical Islamists" or the "Invading Immigrants."
No, from this researchers observations and findings, it is the influence of White Supermacy that has caused far more:
the human and civil rights violations perpitrated on American Soil and in the various wars that we have fought in.
That the production and distribution of meth and opioids is largely a product of White Nationlists trying to fund their war.
The escelations of peceful protests to that of violence.
And lest us not forget: The large majority mass shootings.
So, that is why "the Last Wizard"
Now why "Dragon Jack?"
Dragon : Because I breath fire.
Fire in the form of Truth.
A fire that I want to see spread around the world to ignite the hearths of a more just and peaceful future.
I seek the truth, I learn the truth, I spread the truth.
And if what I belive to be facts are found to be wrong I reevaluate, reexamine, and seek out experts to find out both why what I believed was wrong and what the actual truth is.
Also, I sometimes forget to brush my teeth when I'm distracted by research.
Shout out to Mr. Waterson!
But mostly the truth.
Why : Jack?
Jack of All Trades,
Master of None.
I learn a little of everything, so that when I find myself in a new setting or a new situation I will be able to bring a new perspective to it.
Will be able to expand the bounds of my knowledge and understanding.
So there you go.
Ron, if you're still out there, know that there are some of us still out here trying to find them.
Trying to thwart them.
Know that some of us even used our real names because, we to, were eager rookies to caught up in the moment to think of another name.
Power to all of the People.
And as always.
Stay safe out there.
