Vol. 35: True Crimes

before I begin, I want everyone to continue to pray for my family. For those that don't know, my Aunt is in the hospital. I'm actually at the hospital as we speak. She's doing well though.

So on to the subject at hand. for those of you who are still in chicago, you may or may not have realized some of the atrocities that have been plaguing our fair(ly) gothic city. The numerous homocides, the increase in gang related activity, and the overall blatant disregard for authority or, in some cases, discretion.

A guy in my neighborhood was robbed in broad daylight....like 1pm daylight. all he was doing was trying to get to the bus so he could go to work. and even after, he couldnt because they stole his bookbag with his work clothes

Last weekend, there were numerous shootouts in the Uptown neighborhood (my old stomping ground).

earlier this week, there were police and helicopters shining lights over the Lake. everyone knows the only time they do that is when they're looking for a body.

and lets not forget the dozens of REPORTED home invasions, assaults and robberies all over the city.

I was talking to my favorite homie Susie about all of the recent criminal acts all over the city. not to knock her, because I love this girl to death and beyond (lol). but alot of people seem to want there to be something done, but dont want to take the time to do anything about it. We've become a nation of whiners. We want to live this perfect, utopian existence, but aren't willing to help build it if its not directly related to us. here's a new flash for everyone: everything that happens in this city...everywhere really. is effected positively and negatively by everything else.

If something bad happens to one person, it might, psychologically, fuck them the hell up. I'll give a classic example:

for years, hundreds of years even, the media has demonized black society. black women were objects to be used at the discretion of men. black men were powerful, uncontrollable entities that were (are) to be feared. when you reinforce that over generations, it becomes commonplace for a woman to get a death grip on her purse when a black male enters an elevator. Note: if someone wanted to take your purse lady, theyd do it. And we're in an elevator. where the fuck am I going to go?

anyway, that one aspect of media has changed the face of how people viewed one another. It has effected schools, jobs, residences.

So how do we stop things like racism, violence, and toher negative things? we need to act. even the smallest act can change someone's life forever. One thing you will notice about almost everyone that commits a violent crime or is incarcerated is that they have very poor education. low education has been linked to violent crimes for years, so why is it still a factor? it's quite simple -- even if you have/are pursuing an education, go to a school where educational standards arent held as highly as an NBA contract. volunteer to work in an after school program. take a group of friends and read to a bunch of 3rd graders. these things just wont magically go away because you wish them away. people need to stand together and say "This has got to stop."

everyday is a gift. that's why it's called "present" so make the most of it, in light of your self. get out in the communities so someones gift can be changed.

till next time