July newsletter: Does life matter?

As we move into July, we look back at the events that have unfolded: from the massive death toll secondary to COVID-19, to the protests, shootings, and killings, everything seems to be in a state of catastrophe. I look back to the days when I decided to make America my home, and it all seems very fuzzy to behold at this time. I was attracted here because I thought life mattered, but it does not seem to be the case at this time.

The country I came from had its own set of issues, where people were segregated into different castes—their very worth was based on this caste system, and the state of one caste oppressing the other all happened among people of the same race; this is hard to believe, but, in fact, is the truth.

Do you know what the guiding principle was that let the oppressed come out victorious? It was their determination to learn and get ahead educationally. Yes, there are solutions, and education and training are the keys.

Violence begets violence, and evil will beget evil. Everything in nature, good or bad, produces offspring akin to itself, so how would you imagine that violence will have a good outcome? If I went to an apple tree and asked for a harvest of bananas, people would look at me funny, so why are we expecting social discord and violence to have a good outcome? It is an exercise in futility. Peaceful protests like that of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela work. Violence will destroy the framework of any great nation!

I pray that everyone will meditate on these things and strive to rid society of hatred of any form. Society has never been perfect , but violence will not solve the issue.

This Month in the kitchen we will discuss the health benefits of cloves and also talk about why curtailing sugar intake is a must to our everyday lives. In our recipe section we will make King fish in coconut curry, and we will make it in a health-conscious way that will increase nutrition and flavor at the same time. I encourage you to live your life focused on the blessings in your life, and this will help you change the wrong things and make real progress. As always, eat healthy, exercise, and live long and strong !