theShepherds

Every four years, a very specific question arises in America. A question that garners attention from all around the world. That question, of course, is “who will become the next President of the United States?”

In all honesty, I really think Obama is taking his 2nd term in Office this November. With the amount of bad press R-Money’s been getting over the election cycle (excluding Fox “News” of course), it’s hard to see him winning the popular vote. Does that mean if he loses the popular vote, he has no chance at the actual collection (the electoral college is the body that actually elects our president)? You might think so, but Al Gore would probably disagree. That being said though, I don’t see it happening.

Now, the more important question: Does it matter who wins the Presidential Election? 

I’d be lying if I said I really thought it mattered who was elected as POTUS. Sure, some people will be affected in different ways depending on whether or not it’s Obama or Romney in the Big Seat. But that’s short term, and more-or-less inconsequential. Neither candidate is going to stop the downward spiral our Economy’s been on for a long time now. Yes, each candidate might slow down the spiral depending on their methods (or maybe even speed it up if the wrong policies are implemented). But I truly believe that neither of these two men will make a positive long-term impact on our nation.

Why? Because positively impacting our nation with lasting outcomes means overhauling the system. -A broken system that places 2 individuals on pedestals every 4 years as if there’s a real choice to be made. The same 2 individuals financially backed and funded by the same handful of corporations and private interests. -A broken system that still holds a 2-party system, in a nation of 314 MILLION people. That’s right, 314 million citizens, 2 parties. -A broken system that claims laissez faire, but bails out corporations that make bad investments, and then turns around and gives the bill to its citizens. -A broken system that holds civil liberties in such low regard that ordinary phone conversations, email correspondences, and text messages are all subject to government eyes. -A broken system that now allows for indefinite detention with the passing (and signing by Obama) of NDAA2012. -A broken system that unjustly kills citizens of other nations because there’s a profit in their deaths and the military-industrial complex is hungry. -A broken system that incarcerates its own citizens to feed the for-profit prison industry. -A broken system that, quite frankly, doesn’t give a fvck about you or me…

I guess the real question isn’t “does it matter who wins the presidential election?” The real question is: When are we going to make it matter? Because unless we do something about it, history is bound to repeat itself.

When people ask me if I’m gonna cast a ballot this election (given all the criticisms I have of our failed political system) I always say yes, because I plan to. 

I’ll tell you one thing though, neither of these 2 puppets are getting my vote.

-P

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is Immortal.” - Albert Pike

Death. The finality seems so bleak. I don’t wanna talk about religion, or whatever comes after the part where our consciousness fades (if anything comes at all); I’m interested in neither. What I AM interested in is what death should mean to us as finite, aging, mortal beings. When we lose someone important to us, we should take with us the positive impact they had on our lives. We should celebrate their life and their influence on ours; not dwell on how their life has come to an end. In my opinion, anything less would be a shame on our part.

Kyle Kondo was many things in his life – he was a brother, a son, and an irreplaceable friend. And among his many accomplishments, he was also the fourth founder of theShepherds. He was one of the creators of this beast of a clothing brand. He was our brother. And for this reason, it’s only right to do him tribute, here.

A peaceful man with a joyous disposition, Kyle was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after we graduated from high school in 2006. Before even hitting the age of 20, this man had to somehow find the courage to fight a deadly disease with all his strength. And fight is exactly what he did. Although he had a grip of honorable personality traits, his competitive nature was one of his greatest strengths. Not once did he bitch or complain about the shitty hand life had dealt him. Instead, he used it as fuel for his aspiration to become and do the things he loved most in life. The term “hard-working” doesn’t even begin to describe the amount of effort that he put in to achieving his goals – one of which was starting a clothing brand.

Towards that end, we couldn’t have asked for a better business partner. The dude’s fashion sense was dope, his work ethic was on point, and his attitude was always positive. He was always ahead of the trend and figuring out how to set new ones. (theShepherds’ leopard-print pocket tee was HIS idea – and a brilliant one at that.) He kept pushing himself and the role that he played within the company, never taking a step backward. And throughout all of his hardships due to the effects of leukemia treatment, not once did he use his condition as a scapegoat or excuse. In fact, he sometimes kept us in the dark about the details of his current health condition so that we wouldn’t worry. He didn’t want sympathy; he wanted our brand – HIS brand – to succeed. 

Although we mourn the loss of our brother, we exult in knowing that our lives are better for having known a man like him. As it should be when any loved one passes, we are thankful for the unforgettable moments we have shared, and for the excellent personality traits that have rubbed off on us. We are better men because Kyle was our brother. He will surely be missed, and definitely celebrated. As a testament to his competitive nature and immeasurable heart, one of the last things he told us while he was fighting for his life in the hospital was “keep working on the brand, and run over the game.” theShepherds will heed his advice religiously. Bet that.

 -KingP