Latino Believes Black Lives Matter Is An Organized Money Grab

Part of me believes The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (raised more than 90 million dollars in 2020) is an opportunistic money grab. Instead of criticizing the foundation, I want to share what has helped improve my quality of life (Latino author from Bronx NY) raised by a single mother. If someone believes the odds are stacked against them, they shouldn’t be embarrassed. Instead, embrace your insignificance and be less personal about disagreements, keeping in mind that one is only saying that one’s point of view is more probable than one’s opponent’s, not that one is certainly right and he or she certainly wrong. Relativism discourages most people of color to embrace their insignificance, because the beliefs are not false from the point of view of the believer. In other words, fallibilism gives us pause by reminding us we may be wrong. It emphasizes the risk that we are acting on false beliefs. When individuals discourage respect for rational standards, the confusion created is a smokescreen others also use to hide behind in order to avoid proper scrutiny, even though I’m sure they don’t intend it that way.

Despite the best of intentions, any financial advice given to a person has limitations regarding perception and enlightenment. How much you reveal to the person from whom advice is sought and the advisor’s capacity to conceptualize, describe, empathize and communicate the best economic course of actions determine the usefulness of the advice. Services like Google and Youtube are used for easy access to endless advice. The pitfalls of this approach is qualifying the soundness and credentials of the advisors. Unlike most, I accepted my fiscal reality prior to attending Binghamton University. My proactive approach enabled me to pay off my student loans one month before graduation and have the credit to purchase my first property. Despite earning a 3.5 GPA in summer school at Iona College (before I attended Binghamton University), I dropped out after my first semester due to lack of motivation and/or a long-term vision. I did not want to misspend my Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award. In January 1986, my financial aid advisor informed me I would receive a $5,800 refund check from the school since I wasn't attending in the spring semester. Within one month, I spent all the money, the majority went towards a car. In 1992, I transferred to Binghamton University’s School of Management from Monroe College in the Bronx. At the time, I was receiving social services and food stamps to support myself.

I also started two businesses with the use of financial aid money (I’d applied for the maximum amount of student loans while also living as frugally as possible). Years back when I’d used my student loan money to buy a $5,000 car, I had been able to sell it for the same amount 18 months later. It was through this transaction that I’d identified an opportunity to start a business. There were a number of independent car dealers I knew well who would sell me cars “as is” at a wholesale cost plus a $200 fee. “As is” means there is no guarantee of the quality of the car. I would attend wholesale auctions, bid and purchase cars I was interested in and bring back the cars with temporary plates issued by the wholesale dealer. I’d purchase moderately priced cars that appealed to students and sell them for an amount no greater than the average financial aid check. I struck deals with customers to add an additional 15 days to the state’s lemon law warranty, and extended miles-based warranties from 90 days to 120 days. I surrendered to the reality of my situation and took steps to create a different path. I incorporated the same process to my food choices and lost 23 pounds.

C.E.N.T.S. stands for Control, Entry, Need, Time and Scalable

Take Control through a healthy living visualization exercise. See yourself in a cave, in which students are kept. These pupils have been in this cave all their lives. They all eat the same food and share the same eating habits. The cave’s exit is not impossible to reach but since it entails making changes to ones daily eating routine, most students stay inside the cave. If one managed to exit the cave, at first he or she would be disoriented because being exposed to new things may seem intimidating and scary. But as the fear goes away, the student is no longer a prisoner to poor eating habits and is able to make better food choices.

How easy is it to Enter and make these changes is up to each individual. After learning this, as a former cave dweller, you’ll see how bad the choices of your former colleagues in the cave really are.

You may not feel a Need to return to the cave and feel conflicted. If you returned to the cave and rejoined them, you would take no pleasure in their accolades or praise for knowledge of their poor eating habits.

If you’re an altruist and want to help the unenlightened students, will you have enough Time to do your job most effectively and truly make a difference? For their own part, the people may see you as deranged, not really knowing what reality is and would say you think you’re better than the rest of them. Lastly, is your process Scalable?

In all human systems and most complex systems, the second layer of effects often dwarfs the first layer, yet often goes unconsidered. In other words, we must consider that effects have effects. Second-order thinking is best illustrated by the recent coverage of micro loans to the poor in under developed countries. The early loan recipients used these loans to start small businesses, many buying and selling phone cards. Initially, the early participant in the phone card business was similar to being the first person to stand up while watching a concert. Unfortunately, once one person does it, everyone will do it in order to see, thus negating the first person standing. Now, however, the whole audience suffers standing rather than sitting comfortably. The micro loans market became 10 people demanding calling cards with 500 people selling phone cards. How many people with outstanding student loans are using their degrees to pay the loans back? How many are in default without completing a degree?

This free information accompanied by my “personal mission statement”, is an almost perfect example of a pure public good. It is completely non rival and largely non excludable.

Personal Mission Statement

Despite often being ignored, not listened too or validated, continue to be conscious, grateful, forgiving, envisioning a perfect future, in the moment and blessed. Have unconditional love for all, but manage your time wisely. Spend your time leading by example and modeling desired behavior. Make the most of the present moment since the best you’ll ever be, you are right now.

PS - Yes, my mother is awesome!

Jose Franco is a self anointed Public Intellectual