By Heru (H. Emmanuel Ofori-Atta)
Oh what a beautiful day it was when I threw away my t.v.
Or should I say Tell-Eye-Vision?
You see, I got tired of strangers telling me how I should look, feel, or listen.
I got tired of strangers showing me how other people are living,
and therefore how I should be living.
And by the way, what does watching a football game on t.v. have anything to do with
celebrating a so-called day of Thanksgiving, oops I was mistaken, I meant Thanks-taking.
Oh what a beautiful day it was when I threw away my t.v.
Or should I say Tell-Lie-Vision?
No more lies for me.
Mental sabotage I won’t be missing.
So many potentially great people are caught in a psychological prison.
Our minds are programmed by t.v. programs, we’re caught in a media prism.
And this box called t.v. has become oh-so popular.
So many Sisters are caught in soap operas.
So many Brothers living their lives like they’re in the next show of cops and robbers.
We even get our slang from this thing called t.v.
The police are now called Five-O, is this Hawaii?
So many people are just bored, lonely or just plain lazy.
You’re spending time with something that weakens your human development,
and you’re telling me that you ain’t crazy?
Imagine cuddling up with something close to your foe.
Instead of learning something that strengthens your community or humanity,
all you did in your lifetime was learn how to quickly turn from channel 7
to channel 5 to channel 4.
Outstanding, exquisite, you did it.
You’re out of sight.
Remember, every time you turn on your t.v.,
you are inviting people into your home who you would not normally invite: RuPaul?
Let me be more explicit,
if you cannot throw away your t.v. tonight,
you have no right to look down at a crack or heroin addict.
You see, your addiction is stronger because you’ve been practicing it much, much longer.
Now, let’s deal with those commercials that influence people to buy things they normally
would not buy and wear things they normally would not wear.
It all begins when a young child starts to stop-sit-and-stare.
It all begins when a young child starts to stop-sit-and-stare.
There goes one, there goes another, hook, line and sinker.
T.v., Tell-Lie-Vision does not prepare you to be an independent thinker.
Just like back in the day.
Just like back in the day when every one wanted to be cool like Fonzie.
Now, ’nuff people have become Puff Daddy zombies.
Oh what a beautiful day it was when I threw away my t.v.,
or should I say Tell-Eye-Vision?
Mental sabotage I won’t be missing.
By now you can tell that I am on a liberation mission.
So right out my window, I threw away my t.v. or should I say Tell-Lie-Vision?
But I bet the stray dogs can use that box for pissing.
Wulfruna Sufi Association 