Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Monday, April 26, 2010
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Man Of The House At Eight
When an eight year old is man of the house. This is the time when uncles are suppose to step up and give guidance to a young boy who has lost ed his father. Without positive guidance in his life, what chance has he or his brother or sister have to be a part of the success statistics. Because we don't know when our life will end, fathers should give his son or sons and daughters something to refer to when things aren't happening just the way they planned them. Here is what was passed to little j. It's not the answer to all the questions he may ask, but it's something his father lived by. He will still need the support of his uncles and positive figures in his life, but his dad did leave him the one sheet of paper he always carried in his wallet and shared with friends. The paper was given to little j's father by an uncle.
It's called Dad's Philosophy...Some of my favorite quotes.
1. My Race: It's better to be hated for what you are, then to be loved for what you are not.
2. The world is full of problems, the way you handle them is how you define yourself.
3. Socrates..There is only one good KNOWLEDGE and one evil IGNORANCE
4. Core Values..Honor, Courage, Commitment
A strong gift to face life without a father.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
How gang rituals can get you killed
Please watch this video! It can save your life.
The video is one of an urban myth, but it rings true for a young man who was shot with a shotgun for flashing his headlight, 3/09. Word is that the local gang was, bloods, but witness would only say the young man did flash before gunshot rung out.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Spring Break / The Police
Spring break, the clouds before the storm. The cities don't have money for summer programs and kids need something to keep them busy until school reopens. I see it's going to be a long summer in every way. The good boys are being treated like the bad boys. An eight year old kid can't go to the corner store without being harrashed by the police.
The polices are showing more presents and being more active then usual. They are pulling over cars for anything from a missing tag light to the tint on your windows.
Everyone in the car can be pat down and treated like a criminal, and then let go if there is no reason to hold you. This is the actions that gives a young kid the wrong impression of who mr. friendly is.
Young kids are visited by the police in school and told that they are the kids friend. But the kids see the actions and how the police act in the neigborhood. It's an impression that puts fear in a young kids heart.
Kids in crime areas where the police visit often, these kids fear the police. And coming to school to say how friendly they are isn't going to lessen that fear anytime soon.
The polices are showing more presents and being more active then usual. They are pulling over cars for anything from a missing tag light to the tint on your windows.
Everyone in the car can be pat down and treated like a criminal, and then let go if there is no reason to hold you. This is the actions that gives a young kid the wrong impression of who mr. friendly is.
Young kids are visited by the police in school and told that they are the kids friend. But the kids see the actions and how the police act in the neigborhood. It's an impression that puts fear in a young kids heart.
Kids in crime areas where the police visit often, these kids fear the police. And coming to school to say how friendly they are isn't going to lessen that fear anytime soon.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Mom Don't Cry For Me
Every boy on the corner isn't a gang banger. And every boy hanging with a gang isn't really part of the gang. These are the boys that are savable from gangs. These are the boys that are there from pressure be it peer, or they are afraid to not be a part in fear of other gangs within the community. These boys turn to gangs for many reasons. My focus is just boys that has lost their father to crime. Some of these boys want to join a gang because of the stuff they see on television in videos. The rappers set bad examples for young boys to follow. And if there isn't a dad to explain the role of becoming a man, then most young boys will follow what they see. You may say what about the boys who made it just with a mother. That's good, but today isn't yestersday when we had strong mothers to raise young boys to be men. Today we have younger mothers that are still trying to find their way in life and with the government hands in family life, a mother can't do but so much with a hard headed boy. Government has taken the fear that moms and dads had to raise kids and replaced it with time outs where a kid will tell a mother to stick it and walk right out the door. This being older teenage boys. So now moms fear to raise boys in fear that they may turn on her and cause her harm. One boy told me that his mom lets him do as he please because she knows that if she piss him off, he will call the police and say his mom hit him. These are the lessons taught by gangs to young boys. Can a mother save her son from gangs now that dod isn't there?
Friday, March 13, 2009
Excuses
Can a boy use the death of his father for a reason to fail. "My father use to help me with my homework". Can a mother except this for his failure? A lot of mothers in the hood are very young and don't want to try to compete for their son's attention in order to direct them in the right path. The line used is, "he needs a man in his life to correct his mistakes". This is music to the gangs ears. Is this why the drop out rate is so high in the hood? Because the fathers aren't there? I know there are a lot of mothers doing the job of raising a son without any help of a man being around. This is because they fight to keep their sons on the right path to success. So what do a mother say to a young boy that is failing in school? Please don't join a gang...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
When No Is The Death Word
Gangs in schools are becoming a way of life in the hoods. Today's gangs are many and the police can't keep up with them. A lot of gangs don't wear tatoos or colors that represent them. The gangs of today uses hand signs and code words the police hasn't yet found a book on. There are gangs with kids as young as 8 years old. I know it may be hard to believe, but it's true. They take pocketbooks and steal items from stores. They do the kind of things that doesn't call for muscle. So when an 8 year old is approached by a gang member and asked to join, if your answer is no, they report you to an older gang leader where they convince you to join. A gun to the head and a few hard words spoken, that's usually all it takes to convice a young boy to join. Most boys in the younger gangs are those without a father present in their lives. So what is a kid to do and who does he turn to when dad (the man he depended on to guide him durning these times in his life) isn't there to give him the advice he needs to confront gang members. Gangs target kids without a father figure in their lives. So what happens is most young boys join and before long, another good kid has been set on a road of crime and neighborhood destruction.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Acting out in school - Lesson incomplete
The title is something all kids do. The reasons maybe different, but it happens. Have you ever questioned an eight year old boy about why he is misbehaving in school? I have. The answers are many if you keep asking just to find that one answer you want to hear. The answer I got that stood out was; my daddy told me I don't have to take any mess from the other kids in school. I understand that may have been the answer to something that had happen in the past, but does it relate to what is happening now. I ask what was going on in school when his dad told him he didn't have to take any mess from other kids. His answer was: someone had tried to take his money and he gave it up because he didn't want to get in any trouble for fighting in school. This is when his dad told him not to fight unless someone tries to hurt you. This didn't apply to when someone is making fun of you and laughting at you. So the lesson was incomplete. The answer didn't apply to all situations and now dad isn't there to point this out. Is this how mistakes will happen in his life? Will unanswered questions to incompleted lessons be the cause of a good kid being misunderstood?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Temptation
Temptation comes in many forms. A pretty girl, a new pair of tennis, and money. Young boys see the corner filled with young men hanging out with young girls and wearing the latest tennis flashing a lot of money. These are the things that will temp a young boy into doing bad things in his life. He knows what is going on and how and where the young men and girls on the corners get their money from. And without the guildance of a mentor a young boy could and will find himself caught up in a gang where there is no way out. The corner is filled with traffic that is there for drugs, ladies of the night and other gang activities. Young boys are used by older guys to sell drugs so they don't get caught and go to jail. A young boy if caught selling drugs is taken to the police station and is picked up by an adult just to return to the corner to continue his drug selling.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
When Dreams Can't Come True
A child that has lost his/her parent can only dream of the days long gone by. Sometimes they sit and think of the way it was when dad was there. The ball games and the video games they played together. The very things that made a child's life happy now is the same things that brings back the pain of what is missing in his life. This is the time little boys need a mentor to guide them toward positive growth. Someone that can point out how to use their hurt in a positive and not a negetive way. Someone to explain by letting the child know that he isn't alone. Dad is gone, but he is still within your heart. This isn't the time to act out in school causing trouble and being out of control. This is the time to remember and build on your teachings of respect for self, life, and others. It's okay to miss dad but, don't let a good boy go bad.
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