Animals in the street... Shame, shame, shame.

The video that is attached to this blog entry is disturbing. It is disturbing to me because it took place in the neighborhood just north of mine, because there are children involved, because no one seemed to care enough until the damage was already done AND because it was not reported on the Chicago news until the next day- after we all found out that the student that died was an honor student. I have a problem with the fact that these black children are fulfilling the stereotypes that people have of them. I have a problem with the fact that there is a police station down the street, yet there are no cops in this video. I am troubled by the fact that there are children TAPING this and screaming "daaammmmnnn" when their classmates get hit- like they are in a movie theater and this incident is somehow amusing.

These students should be ashamed. The gang members who started this melee in the middle of the street, turning Chicago into their own version of the wild, wild west, should feel ashamed- and be arrested. The police, who I generally have the utmost respect for, should HAVE to participate in more patrols when school gets out. The parents HAVE to raise their kids better than this. As a community WE have to do better than this.

Watching this, I am actually at a loss for words over the sheer stupidity of what is going on. I live in a working class neighborhood- it is not the best, but it is definitely NOT to worst in Chicago. We don't have to fight each other. I don't live in Boys in the Hood... seriously. Who does something like this? Now a 16 year old is dead, and lives will be ruined when someone gets arrested for this. Someone threw their life away in 3 minutes and for what? Are we so desensitized to violence that this shit passes for entertainment? Listen to the girl scream "zoom in" like this is a movie. This is NO FREAKING MOVIE- a boy lost his life. A boy, walking home from school LOST HIS LIFE. Think about that. He is never coming back, he will not turn 17, he will not graduate from high school... all so some stupid thug can claim a street in his neighborhood? All so some stupid jackass can brag that he has the biggest balls in the hood? Give me a break. A real man has no need to beat an unsuspecting boy who is walking home from school. Nevermind that, a real man has no need to be in a gang or fighting in the street like an asshole.

Here is my call to the "village"... Black people have to do better. Don't give me any excuses, because I don't want to hear them. There is no reason for us to PROVE to the doubters, haters and the racists that we are exactly what they think we are. Our ancestors died for the right to go to school and vote... they were still fighting less than 50 years ago. Those people are rolling around in their graves when they look down and see these types of displays. My grandparents did not get disrespected so that these assholes can beat an innocent boy in the middle of the street. My great grandparents did not suffer through indignities so that black students can drop out of school in record numbers, or so that black parents can do some lack luster job. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???????

And I don't want to hear anything about the stigma of slavery, because I am black and I am tired of US falling back on the slavery issue. At some point we have let that shit go and move forward. The attached video is a leap backward. Even if there were some lingering effects of slavery or other socio-economic issues, in this video there are black children beating black children. We are attacking ourselves. I feel like Bill Cosby a few years ago- what excuse is there going to be for this behavior? There should be NONE. We have to start holding our youth to higher standards because- even if it is not fair- they are already expected to fail... already expected to fail. If we continue to allow behavior like this- this deadly, ghetto, repugnant, self destructing behavior- we are no better than our critics. We have to be better and the only way it will get better is if someone from our community takes a stand. Say something... do something. I am sure that I will catch some flack for this entry and I don't care. You don't want me to put you blast, do better. You don't want me to talk about you AND your kids, do better. You don't want me to call you an embarrassment? Do better. You don't want me to agree with your critics? DO BETTER.

My parents used to tell me to be different- I was and continue to be, so my advice to whoever is reading this: Be the exception, not the rule.

Insurance Companies v. The American Public... Hmmmm?

I am smiling while I write this blog about insurance companies because I used to work for one- a MAJOR one, so I know how slimy they can be. By no means am I saying that all insurance companies are slimy, manipulative organizations... but I do see how the present business infrastructure in America allows them to do whatever they want- and get away with it- with very few checks and balances.  

In addition to knowing some of the inter-workings of a major insurance provider, I am also heavily opinionated (shocker!) about regulating the insurance empire in this country. I got into this very long winded argument on facebook- of all places- about whether or not the government should intervene and make sure all citizens are covered by some insurance company.  This was not my first argument and I imagine that it will not be my last, which is just fine. I strongly stand on the "everyone needs healthcare" platform.  It is much cheaper to have preventative medicine than to fight a progressing disease.  We live in the RICHEST country in the world... WHY should our citizens go without healthcare?? So far, no one has been able to give me a convincing argument against my platform... but I am listening....

Need a reason why insurance companies canNOT be trusted to do the right thing?? Click here.

"Love Poem" Lemon

LOL!!!