Let’s Pretend You’re Black: Ty’Qwonne Blacksten (Part 9)

Warning: The following dialogue contains foul and inappropriate language that may be offensive to some readers.

 

Meanwhile on the Mezza’s territory, three guys are posted in front of a local liquor store having a simple conversation:

M-FACE: “That new Weezy No Ceilings 2 goes hard bruh”

G-Nutt:”That shit is pure garbage, I’m bumpin’ that new Lil’ Bibby Mixtape. That young bull is a beast!”

Lil’ Jake: “On another note, Quiana was giving me dome last night, nigga!”

Homeless man walks up to young guys..

Homeless man:”Excuse me, young brothas, do you have some change?”

G-Nutt: “Fuck off, bum! naw I aint got no spare change!”(laughing)

Homeless man: (pulls out a 20 dollar bill)

Homeless man: “I need some product bruh”

G-Nutt:”We aint never seen u before, u prolly a pig”

Homeless man: “Nevermind, I will call P-Nutt, he is ya’ll OG”

G-Nutt:”P-Nutt my brother, nigga watch yo mouth!”

Homeless man: “You got that work, or nah!”

Lil Jake:”Fuck this, gimme that 20, follow me.” (Goes to dark side of liquor store)

Homeless man: “Thanks, man. I needed this”

Lil Jake: “Whatever,get the fuck off my block!”

Homeless man pretends to walk away behind the liquor store. When Jake walks back to the front, homeless man brandishes shotgun from behind Jake and fires at the back of his head. Jake dies on impact. He was only 16 years old.

Homeless man runs to the other side of the liquor store where some 45st Ballstone Boyz are waiting with Mack-10 automatic machine guns. The homeless man was actually, Fat Troy, a local Ballstone Boy gang member.

Startled and frantic, the two Mezza St gangsters try to evade the quagmire of danger, but were cut off by a used Toyota Mini-van. The passenger door slid open and Skooby hopped outside of the van with a mask on holding two .45 Desert Eagles. Skooby unmercifully annihilated the two young men, standing over them both and executing them with head shots to complete the job. Fat Troy shot the liquor store camera, and harassed the store owner for the footage. Ultimately, resolving the issue by destructing the surveillance equipment.

 

As if the murders weren’t enough, Skooby grabbed a blue spray paint can and sprayed “FuCC Messy Mouth!…MMK”(Mezza Mob Killa) on the liquor store advertisements, located near the front of the store. By using a blue spray paint can and two c’s instead of a ck, the Mezza’s would be confused as to who was behind it. The Mezza’s may surmise it was the Hyde Park Hustlaz. The Ballstone Boyz hopped back in their mini-van and drove off.

Officer Brock gets a call on his beat, about a homicide that was committed. When he arrives, he sees the dead bodies and calls the coroner.

Officer Brock: “We have a possible 187 at location, please send coroner.”

Officer Leslie (Partner): “According to the store owner, the men had committed obstruction of justice by damaging the surveillance equipment. Their may be possible footage at the security camera company’s cloud system.”

Officer Brock: “I wonder if it was the Hyde Park crips, but a witness said they seen a  red mini-van drive off. This is a mess. This is the start of an all-out war between all of the gangs. It’s gonna be a lot of blood shed in Troose.”

In the mini-van the boys drive to a dark alley in a city 30 miles east and set the van on fire with the evidence, while jumping into two separate vehicles awaiting them. They talk on walkie-talkie’s about the situation, bragging about the carnage they committed.

At the hospital, you finally awaken to see your mom and uncle praying with the Bishop.

 

You:”What happened, what’s going on, why am I here?”

Mom:”Baby, every things gonna be okay. Thank you, Jesus!”(crying)

Uncle Rocco:”you had an incident that went bad, and now you are in the hospital. other than some injuries, you will be fine. You have to get out of Troose. When you get better, you will stay with me. There is no way you can go back. Me and your mother agreed it will be best for you.”

You:”And what about you mom? and where Nana gonna go?”

Mom:”We will be fine, we will visit you on the weekends, until the situation gets better. When I save up enough, we will move to Maize Terrace. We can afford a one-bedroom, but we will be able to make it.”

 

Doctor Schecter:(enters room, flashes light in eyes to check your pupil dilation)

Dr. Schecter:”Okay, Ty’Qwonne, you will be going to surgery tomorrow. You will need as much sleep as possible. Every thing is looking positive. All of your vitals are normal and healthy. It will be a four hour operation, and you should be fine. I’m going to have the nurse bring you some food, so we can monitor your appetite. From one to ten, where is your pain level?”

you:”12″

Dr. Schecter:”I am gonna send some more pain medication, but we have to be careful, we don’t want to damage your liver. The surgery we are performing will be very delicate. You will experience less pain than you are now, but it won’t be completely gone.”(walks out of room)

You:”Where is my phone? Did you tell Skooby?”

Uncle Rocco:”About Skooby, he is up to no good. Don’t worry about your phone, yes he visited, but he is troubled right now. He is not handling the situation well. If I were you, I would stay as far as I can from him. He had that look in his eye.”

Part 10 coming soon…….

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Not So Subtle Racism

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Public vs Private School: Which is better and why?

At the time of this writing, my daughter is only the tender age of 3. Me and my wife are currently debating whether we should put our daughter in a private school. Being a child raised in the public school system, I was vehemently opposed to my daughter going to a public school. My wife grew up in a private school system. She is ambivalent, as to what is the best decision. According to my wife, she liked going to a private school, but feels like there are good public schools in the area that we already reside in.

In my mind, I picture a good private school full of angels who have never committed a sin. The kids all wear white uniforms and plaid skirts, never swear or do drugs, they are the prime example of what a child should be. My wife told me that I am naive as a virgin. She told me that most private school kids behave just as bad, if not worse, depending on what school you go to.  Prescription drugs are a thing in private school, and some private schools don’t rank as good in certain subjects.

One day, me and my wife decided to check out the local school ratings by checking Great Schools. Our local public school had very high rankings and the local private school located across the street was ranked lower. I always take reviews with a grain of salt, due to the fact that competition may attempt to incapacitate one another. However, the catholic school had complaints of bullying, while another parent griped about how their child is struggling in high school with math and science.

 

The pros of private school are the fact that private schools tend to be a tight knit community. Classes are usually smaller, which means a child can get the proper attention he or she deserves. Most of the parents are like minded individuals who want the best for their child. You get to feel more involved by participating in school events, which ultimately makes you feel as if your opinion truly matters. Private schools provide an environment and culture that is conducive to learning; if you know your parents are paying for your school, you inherently feel a sense of responsibility to not disappoint them. If your friends are doing well in classes, you know that you have to perform equally well in order to stay in school. Uniforms eliminate the unneeded facade of a fashion show.

Young Students Holding Schoolbags — Image by © Corbis

The cons of a private school are that you have to pay a good chunk of money for your child to attend these schools. If you wish for your child to be secular, at a religious school, you will certainly have to pay more. Uniforms, books, and other accessories are not included with tuition. Neither are the penalties for not participating at the private school events. Fundraisers are separate as well. The money adds up and there are no guarantees on how your child will adapt to a rigid environment. In the private high schools, a lot of kids are into more complex drugs: adderall, percocet, vicodin, cocaine, and marijuana. Here is the link to what I am stating. Though the statistics from the studies back up my claims, the results are anecdotal.

The pros of a good public school are that there is usually a healthy mix of diversity. A child will meet other races and become comfortable around different cultures. The bulk of the kids who attend the public school, will be local kids who live around the neighborhood. Being a local kid around the neighborhood, most of the kids in the neighborhood will know who your child is. No obligations of tuition, book fees, and participation penalties; any funds that are contributed are ancillary and optional. A lot of teachers and aides must be state certified in public schools, for some private schools that is not the case. Many local county and state programs work with public schools on after-school programs, which provides kids with extra-curricular activities. Many of these programs include transportation to and from school to assist parents.

The cons of a bad public school are limitless. Drugs and gang violence are common. Sexual activity among teenage girls are higher, and the environment of constant danger is imminent. Many of the teachers are lackluster, because the school which has a bad reputation, is usually seen as a punishment, or as a mean of “paying dues”. Imagine trying to teach a classroom full of kids who are addicted to cell phones, and cannot stop talking about the last episode of “Empire”(Fox) or  another housewife reality show. That is nearly impossible to do, especially with a bunch of kids who don’t value education. These are schools who test so poorly that the staff has a high turnaround rate. Teachers can barely build a rapport with the students, before being  re-assigned or flat out quitting. This is obviously the worse option.

 

My wife and me are still debating on what decision to choose. My mother-in-law is adamant on us putting our child in a private school. I am leaning towards placing my child in a public school, and involving my child in extra-curricular activities to expose her to different avenues in life. I feel that this is what most people fail to do as parents. You never expose your child to the different elements of life, and then when the child becomes 18, they are expected to automatically know what they are going to be. The decision also depends on your child’s personality. My child has an alpha personality that could handle public school. Your child may be mild mannered and stoic. Private school may be a better choice. Or, you may choose the school that is the opposite of your child’s temperament. At any rate, I hope the decision that I make is the best decision for my child.

Let’s Pretend You’re Black: Ty’Qwonne Blacksten (Part 8)

You are currently unconscious at St. Augustine’s Medical Center of Troose. The doctors have placed you in a medically induced coma from all of the head trauma you’ve sustained. You have a broken jaw, broken nose, cracked eye socket and ruptured spleen. Your mother has just arrived at the hospital to receive the news.  She proceeds to have a conversation with  your grandmother and uncle.

Warning: Strong use of inappropriate and foul language in the following dialogue.

 

Mom:”It was all my fault, I should’ve known better than to let him go over that way.”(sobbing uncontrollably)

Grandma: (inconsolable)

Uncle Rocco: “Tammy (your mom), Don’t blame yourself sis, It’s okay. I felt like it was more of my fault, than anybody else. I was just with him last weekend. He is gonna be fine Tammy. Trust in Jesus, Sis.”

Granny: “Yes, Rocco, I serve a powerful God, in Jesus name! please watch over my grand baby”(sobbing)

Mom: “I just can’t believe I let this happen.”

Uncle Rocco: “Listen, Im gonna call Bishop Henry Dixen, to come down and say a prayer for y’all. I promise you T.Q, is in God’s hands and he will be fine.

—-

Skooby walks in visibly perturbed by the recent news. He storms in the hospital greeting everyone and asking for the room number of Ty’Qwonne. Rocco looks at Skooby scornfully as he walks away.

 

Uncle Rocco: “Yo, Skooby, lemme holla at you real quick”

Skooby waves Uncle Rocco off in a flippant manner. Disregards Rocco entirely and walks toward the room.

 

Scooby walks in the room and sees you bandaged up and hooked up to the machines. Tears begin to weld up in his eyes, as he realizes that you are in bad shape.

 

Skooby: “Fuck…..who in the hell did this to you!..Why the hell you ain’t text me to let me know where you was at?”

Skooby: (tears dropping from his face)

Skooby: “You my lil cuzzin, I am always gonna look out for you. No matter what. You can’t pass away on me, TQ.”

Skooby: (phone vibrates and rings)

Skooby: “Wattup nigga, I’m at the hospital, I gotta hit you back. Somebody got T.Q.! On the dead homies, I need to know who did this.”

Voice on the other end of the phone tells Skooby that the Mezza’s had youtubed the whole incident and placed it online. The Mezza’s have a YouTube channel that shows all of their parties and intimidation tactics.

Skooby: “Say what!!, On Stone Gang Blood?!, tweet me the link my nigga! It’s on. Somebody gotta feel it tonight. On Bloods!!”

 

Storms out of hospital and bumps into Uncle Rocco. Rocco grabs Skooby.

Skooby: “Get cho fuckin hands off me, whats wrong wit you!”

Rocco: “Listen,  Daniel (Skooby’s real name),  I already know what you are thinking, you wanna retaliate. But think before you act.”

Skooby: “Nah, fuck all that! I’ma gangsta, Ain’t no peace talks going on here. You saw what they did to my lil cousin.”

Rocco: “Listen, Daniel, Nothing good is gonna come out of this. You already know. Think about what your gonna do. It’s a constant cycle of violence that will never be resolved. When will it stop. You are killing your own people.”

Skooby:”My people?, them niggas ain’t never gon’ be my people’s. This shit is deeper than skin color. People done lost fathers and kids behind this gang banging shit. I done lost homeboys to the penitentiary and cemetery behind this shit. My dead homies ain’t never coming back. This is all I know. This is my set. That is my race, fuck all that other shit. Save that peace talk for Farrakhan, Im active.”

Skooby storms out of hospital.

Rocco: “If you wanna ruin your life go ahead!!”(screaming aloud at Skooby)

At the 45 Ballstone hood house, the gang members are awaiting the retaliation plan.

Big Trick- (gang leader): Okay, Stonez, Even though TQ ain’t from da hood, something gotta be done. They tryin to make the hood look soft. So, load the ratchets (guns) up and listen to the lil homie Skooby.

Scooby: “Okay, this is what we gon’ do. I want FatTroy to park over here…..”(showing google map location)

 

Part 9 coming soon.

 

 

Maybe Mom was right?

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“The Girl on the train” book review

This was a book that I knew was a chick book, but I had to read it because it was the trending book. This review is from when the book came out. I thought it was going to be over rated. To my surprise, it was exceptional. There is a lot of plot twists and suspense throughout the whole book.

Below is my YouTube review:

 

Video duration: 6 mins

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Let’s Pretend You’re Black: Ty’Qwonne Blacksten (Part 7)

Bucko Burger

Bucko Burgers

WARNING: Graphic and inappropriate language is used throughout the story.

It’s Saturday evening and you are hungry. You take food orders from your mom and grandmother before you leave. As you step out, you notice that the block is clear and hardly anyone is out. Seems odd that no one you recognize is outside. The burger stand is 5 blocks away, so you take a bus to get there. When you get to Bucko Burger, you see an inter-racial couple in their mid forties arguing outside. A black man who looks like an out-of-shape Terrance Howard, and a Latin Woman who is Mexican American, resembling  the late Jenni Rivera. You simply walk past them and pay them no mind. When you step in Bucko Burger, you give the cashier your order and sit patiently.

You take a look outside and the inter-racial couple boards the transit bus from across the street. You fill up your soft drinks and grab your order while hearing loud music from a car entering the parking lot. A bright orange 2015 chevy impala with 22 inch custom rims, matching the paint, pulls inside the parking lot. As you walk out of the restaurant doors, you hear the music shut off and hear the car doors slam shut. You already fear that it may be the Mezza’s, so you strut a little faster. Suddenly at a moments notice you hear the Mezza bird caw, a ritual performed by the Mezza’s to mark their territory.

Mezza Member A: “Cahhhh-Cahhhhh!!!!”(crow voice)

Mezza Member B:”Hey Nigga!!…Hey!!! You hear me calling you Cuzz!! Turn around Nigga!”

You: (Blank stare)

Mezza Member B: “Where you from Nigga!  This M-Tre (M3) all day!”

You: “I don’t bang, man. I’m not from anywhere.”(cracked voice)

MMB: “How is that so?..Where you headed, where you stay at?”

Mezza Member A: “FUCK BITCHSTONE!!” (a derogatory term for Ballstone boyz)

You:”Look, I don’t want any problems, I am just trying to get home. I ain’t from no where.”

MMB: “Nigga, Answer the fuckin question! Where tha fuck you headed to?” (biting his lower lip with genuine contempt)

You:”Im headed to Ballstone and 49th st”

MMB: “Give me a reason not to smoke you right now!”

Mezza Member A: “Take off on that nigga P-NUTT, He a bitch! He prolly a Bitchstone anyway!” (taking the role of  a demagogue)

You:”C’mon bruh, I ain’t wit that. I don’t got no problems with anybody. I just live there. I don’t bang tho.”

P-Nutt: “Fuck Bitchstone and yo faggot ass cousin Skooby! We know where the fuck ya’ll at. I am on his head. He got his coming, and fuck you too you fuck boy!”

The fact that he knows of Skooby and speaks ill of him, irritates you to the point of anger.

You:”Nigga, check this out. I told you I don’t bang, but if you wanna catch a fade. Let’s go. I ain’t turning down nothing”

P-Nutt:”Whats hattnin then!”

(Takes off his shirt and hands it to MMA)

You: (Puts food down)

P-Nutt charges at you and you avert his tackle. You square up with him and connect the first punch to his neck.  A crowd is starting to form around the burger stand to watch the melee. He swings wildly and connects with your chin. It stuns you and you feel your adrenal glands pumping up. Next thing you know you feel a blow to the back of the head and you get jumped. You try to curl up in a fetal position to brace for kicks and blows to the back, but the damage is done. The owner comes outside and fires his pistol in the sky.”BOOM-BOOM”. The Mezza’s hop back in their car and drive off. You hear the ambulance in the distance before blacking out.

As you wake up you realize you are in the ambulance and in extreme pain. Something bad has happened to you, and you don’t understand why.  You keep flashing in and out of consciousness.

Part 8 coming soon.

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10 reasons I will never be slim

Naw, I’m just kidding….

But Seriously

The food is crack in a bun! I’m trying to lose weight.

1. I eat food for flavor, not for nutrition– When I chew on my food, I want instant gratification. I want to feel the fat, salts, and sugars rushing through my veins like a crack fiend who is chasing his first high. I am not thinking about how many calories, or how much cholesterol is clogging my arteries. I don’t know how many grams of sugar this McCafe syrup drenched coffee has. My boss is an Asshole, and life sucks, but these salty ass french fries is making me feel appreciated. I am on a blissful high that is incomprehensible for a skinny vegan to relate to. I don’t want to blend a kale smoothie. I already know I am gonna die young, I can’t quit this shit. I wanna stop, but I can’t help but go through the drive-thru to buy some palatable junk. I rationalize the bad behavior by deceiving myself. I can’t view food the way you do. I am a psychopath.

   

   how you look at food..

   

   How I look at food

   2. I don’t drink enough water– Water to me is the most bland, terrible, emptiest fluid one person could drink. In order to lose weight, I would have to eat less food, and drink more water. Not gatorade, not milk, diet soda, or fruit juice, I would be forced to drink actual water. In order to lose weight I would have to ignore my sugar addiction and be old fashioned. Without paying any attention, soft drinks and sugary beverages can add up to 50 percent of your daily calories. The daily coffee I get at 7/11 with the mini shots of creamer adds up. I would have to drink my coffee black with no additives.

water is important

The benefits would outweigh the cons. I wouldn’t be constipated, with questionable breath. More water would mean that my piss wouldn’t be dark as my skin color, it would actually be light colored. I would actually eat when I’m hungry. At this moment, I eat first, ask questions last, when it should be the other way around.

3. I mindlessly eat while watching TV, etc – When I am going through my dvr list of shows to watch, I didn’t even recognize that I ate half a bag of pop chips. If I were skinny, I would have to pay close attention to what I eat, by logging every morsel of food and drink inside my fitbit app. I would have to swap all my dinner plates for my daughters baby plates. I would have to swap buttered popcorn for mashed cauliflower with sea salt and carrot sticks.

(Mother)”Eat your colors Bartholomew!!!”

4. I buy health junk food, and reason that I’m eating healthy -When I go to my local Trader Joe’s or Sprout’s Market in Los Angeles,Ca. I have a tendency to fall for all the fuckery; Gluten-free Chocolate cake, vegan cupcakes, vegan cookies, brownies, potato chips etc.

“It’s vegan, so it must be healthy, Dear!”

Despite walking through Trader Joe’s and grabbing some healthy food, I always manage to negate it with garbage: Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter, Maple butter cookies,  ice cream bars, cookie n’ creme spread, chocolate salted caramel candies.

I figure if the food is packaged with all the healthy benefits, it must have no consequences. Im eating so healthy with the other food, this “little snack” wouldn’t  bother. And that is another reason why I can’t succeed on a diet.

5. I would have to exercise almost everyday – On top of eating like a toddler and being highly irritable from sugar withdrawals, I would have to find time to exercise. I am so out of shape that a simple jog would feel like an eternity.

I work 60 hrs a week, and finding time to exercise would have to be more important than any other task I enjoy. More likely than not, I would have to go straight to the gym after work, and get it in. 30 mins is cute, but to get great results, I would have to do 45 mins to an hour. By time I get finished, I would feel a sense of self-accomplishment and better confidence. I would feel my serotonin levels increase, which would bring down by bouts of depression and anxiety. I would have no time for family and my wife would complain about me not sharing responsibility for our daughter. In other words, “I want to exercise and do what I want to after work too! Why should you get the autonomy to do what you want to do without repercussions? I am handling too much of the load.” and the nagging would be incessant. When I get home from the workout, I would have to prepare my meal and cook my dinner. Anything that could be microwaved, or inside of a  package has too much sodium or sugar to consume, so I would have to cook.

6. I would have to prepare and carry my meals –  Every night after my work out, I would have to cook my meal and prepare my lunch for the next day. Most of weight loss is about preparation. Cooking and planning my meal would probably take another hour and a half, 3 times a week. I really enjoy convenience, so this would be a pain in the ass. I like to get up and go, stop at the 7/11,get my coffee and hit the road. I like to stop at wherever my hunger leads me to. Every day I have a different place I like to stop and get my lunch, this would eliminate that routine. Broccoli and wild-caught salmon with blueberries and plain greek yogurt every other day would be challenging. Yes, I would be dropping pounds, but the constant hassle of unlearning bad habits would be tough. In the event I forget my meal, what would be my emergency plan? These would be things I would have to figure out.

7. I would have to ignore the midnight cravings – When you exercise and burn calories, you lose fat, but you also become more hungry. Exercise produces a hormone inside of the body called ghrelin. Ghrelin, is simply a hunger hormone. You produce more ghrelin in your body when you are more active. I am already prone to midnight snacking, so I would have to plan a healthy midnight snack that wouldn’t destroy my entire diet. Sugary carbs would destroy my diet and still leave me hungry in the morning. Having limited choices, I would be forced to ignore these cravings and go to sleep.

“Just one bite..”

8. An un-participating spouse that is oblivious – Starting a new diet is always hard. You declare for the millionth time, that you are finished with eating bad. You rid your pantry of as much fat, salt, and sugar as you can find, and explain to your spouse that you would appreciate it if they don’t bring any junk food in the house. Sensing that you are gonna fail for the 512th consecutive time, your spouse dubiously sighs in disbelief. In the spouses mind, you are gonna start this p90x dvd and quit again like you always do. You will blend ninja smoothies for a month, and go right back to chocolate milk and glazed donuts. You are just on another health kick cause you’ve seen the “Food Inc.” and “Fat, sick, and nearly dead” documentaries on Netflix. When you come back home from work, guess what is on the kitchen counter:

sprinkles cupcakes – beverly hills

“Jesus Christ!!, Sprinkles cupcakes!” you exclaim. “I got these from a friend at work. She was gonna throw them away, but I decided I was gonna take them home, because I knew you would eat em” the spouse says. Next thing you know you are 3 cupcakes in feeling like this.

9. I wouldn’t be able to use Eat24.com or GrubHub – Technology has made Americans pretty damn lazy. We have become so damn lazy, that we want everything delivered to us. Google and Amazon now have grocery delivery services. Driving to pickup some local food at the Thai restaurant is optional. Eat 24 offers a weekly code that takes 2 dollars off whatever you want to order. Between a couple, that is up to 4 bucks off every week to sit on your ass and wait for the delivery to come to your door. These companies are paying you to stay in the house and eat like a slob. Being that I couldn’t eat any thing that I don’t prepare, takeout or delivery would not be a viable option. Even the so-called “healthy” dishes have obscene amounts of sodium and hidden sugars. Every once in a while I could order, but my spouse would have to be in on it as well. It is no way my wife is giving up her favorite Brazilian “Bossa-Nova” restaurant food, once a month. It just ain’t happening.

10. Food is ubiquitous –   There is no escaping food. When you pump gas you have to enter the convenience mart to pay the cashier. Frito-Lay and beverage companies know you are stressed out and looking for instant gratification. They purposefully stock Am/Pm with sweets and fatty foods because they know you are in a weak mental state. Food trucks that sell tacos, burritos, burgers and lobster sandwiches are on every corner, trying to lure you in. Food is a form of communication and celebration, it is at your workplace when co-workers offer to go on a group lunch. It is the after work happy-hour that is hosting a Taco Tuesday you feel obliged to attend. You cannot escape food, because it is EVERYWHERE. You probably will eat something immediately after reading this article. Food is in different cultures and flavors. There is an advertisement that will pop up afterwards when reading this page, that will promote a restaurant deal. A holiday or birthday is coming up where food will be presented. For a fat person, he or she cannot escape food, he or she has to learn how to work around the problem. Alcoholics and drug addicts can cut the drug out by re-routing the streets they take. A overweight person cannot avoid food.

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Let’s Pretend You’re Black: Ty’Qwonne Blacksten (Part 6)

UNCLE ROCCO

Since you are approaching 17 1/2, you are in desperate need of getting  your  driver’s license. Uncle Rocco, a 48 year old heavyset dark-skinned man with a muscular build akin to Ving Rhames, is your fathers younger brother. Every weekend, he finds time to coach you on driving. Rocco, stays in an upper middle-class city 10 miles South of Troose called Maize Terrace. He is a licensed electrician who works as a lineman for the Edison Co. He is the closest thing you have to a male father figure.

Uncle Rocco:”Damn Ty’Qwonne, You are tryna kill me. The brakes are your friend. You need to ease on the gas pedal. Speed will kill you. Stop right here!”

You:”My Bad Unc’ I’m just excited to get my license. I’m tired of catching the bus. I need that Ford Explorer, like yesterday.”

{The Ford Explorer referenced is an abandoned vehicle in Uncle Rocco’s garage}

Uncle Rocco:”I already told you. You ain’t gonna get nothing if you don’t get them grades up and graduate. When you graduate, I will personally get the alternator replaced and give it a paint job. The pink slip will be handed over to you.”

You:”C’mon Unc’. I’m gonna graduate, but I honestly don’t know what it is that I am gonna do. It feels like I’m lost. I would go to college, but honestly, it ain’t for me. Things is changing Unc’. I read online that Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates ain’t finish college. If they quit college, why should I go.”

Rocco:”If you don’t go to college, Whatchu gonna do?!..Smoke weed and hang with the Ballstone Boys. I know you are hanging with ya cousin Skooby, and he is a bad influence. He is a rowdy wanna-be punk. He doesn’t see himself beyond the hood! You wanna be stuck in the hood?!”

You:”But Unc’ Skooby ain’t as bad as you think. He….”

Rocco:”Don’t But Unc’ me!!! Your father would break out of prison if he knew you was hanging with him. You know your pops wouldn’t go for that bullshit! Let me tell you something about me….I grew up in Troose. I was an Original Troose Crip member. I ran around smoking weed, selling PCP, and driving low-riders!”

You: (Shocked)

Rocco: “I was a shit starting, blue rag banging nightmare. I know all about that lifestyle, but you know what got me out?..”

You: (silent)

Rocco: “They killed my cousin Tracy in broad daylight. In front of his mama’s house” {tearing up, crying}

Rocco: “I knew from that day forward, I had a choice to make. Fuck around and let the hood dictate my future, ending up dead like my big cousin. Or go out here and find a way out. I was lucky. I knew I had a second chance. I went to trade school and became an electrician. It was hard as hell leaving the hood and staying wit Sharice(his wife) and her mom.  Mrs Reece (his mother-in-law) was a sweetheart for taking me in. If it wasn’t for them I would be dead.”

You: (aghast)

Rocco: “So, when I am telling you that you need to graduate from school, I mean it with all my heart. I am telling you from a person who has been where you have been. I used to hang with guys like Skooby. Guess where they at now? The cemetery. None of them made it.”

You: “I understand that Uncle Rocco. It’s just hard to focus on school, when you living in a war zone. I’m living in constant fear that I might get killed, or moms might get robbed or shot by a stray bullet walking home from work. You know how it is Unc'”

Rocco:”You are right, I would take you in if it wouldn’t offend your mom. She is too proud of a woman to let you stay with me.”

You:”Nah, I couldn’t invade ya space like that Unc’..I got too much respect for you. Plus, you know moms ain’t having it. I’m her only child. I am her baby.”

Rocco: “I promised your Daddy that I would take care of you for him. I have to protect you. I don’t want you to be another one of these young boys getting killed or sent to prison off of making a few hundred dollars. Don’t be a fuck up T.Q, you ain’t like these other kids. You are smart. Go to school and be something in life. Skooby ain’t never gonna get past Ballstone Avenue. He is stuck on the 4 corners his gang run. Beyond those lines, he knows he is a dead man. He is stuck on the corner. Skooby is the type of guy that don’t wanna see you go beyond Ballstone either. Remember that.”

Part 7 coming soon.

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Being Color-Blind is Wrong!

This is a viral video that is becoming popular on the internet. Every one who wants to emanate social justice and civil rights are sharing and re-tweeting this romanticized video of peace and lily-flowers. Some Utopian fantasy land, where humans are cars, and biases aren’t formed.

Let’s start off with the “Pro’s” of being color-blind. The origin of this argument is from a Dr. Martin Luther King speech where he stated:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

Martin Luther King

I will get to more of that later, the purpose of this is to let you know where this argument stems from. So, a society of this sort would be free of hatred and every one would get along with no judgement made. A world of this sort would have to contain no religions, to eliminate any possibility of racial superiority or acrimony towards homosexuality. Religion would have to be nearly outlawed. The elimination of one religion would cause other religions to suffer as well. Since the society is without bias, the law would have to be fair. Therefore, all religions would be banished.  This would be a society that couldn’t vote for presidential candidates. The flawed psyche of human biases would be eliminated. A blind verbal and written test would be conducted by a machine that would choose a President, solely off of merits. Private companies would have to be complicit with this new law. The argument for equal pay would be eliminated, because companies would have no voting system, and could only conduct blind interviews to select candidates. A blind verbal and written test would have to be conducted by a machine, that uses scores as an indicator of position choice.There would be no two party political system. Cops could not harass a Black person, or anyone without solid evidence. Without bias, there is no possibility of suspicion. More crimes would have to be solved, than prevented.

So far: No gender discrimination, no racism, no two party system. No religions.The society would overthrow democracy for meritocracy. Sounds good doesn’t it.

Here is the negative:

The color-blind thinking is the same intellect of Whites during the Jim-Crow era. White folks, were not bad or terrible people. They sincerely believed that Black folks were too inferior as a race to participate in politics or attend the same schools. Whites feared that many black people were simply “not ready” to be accepted as full citizens. The pressure of keeping up would be too overwhelming for the Negro. This is what is called “spiritual and intellectual blindness”. Conversely, this is what Martin Luther King Jr. feared moreover than racial hostility:

“This tragic blindness is also found in racial segregation, the not-too-distant cousin of slavery. Some of the most vigorous defenders of segregation are sincere in their beliefs and earnest in their motives. Although some men are segregationists merely for reasons of political expediency and political gain, not all of the resistance to integration is the rear-guard of professional bigots. Some people feel that their attempt to preserve segregation is best for themselves, their children, and their nation. Many are good church people, anchored in the religious faith of their mothers and fathers. . . . What a tragedy! Millions of Negroes have been crucified by conscientious blindness. . . . Jesus was right about those men who crucified him. They knew not what they did. They were inflicted by a terrible blindness”

Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1963), 45–48

MLK stated this over 52 years ago and can be applied to some of the racial blindness that pervades our society today. Especially with the “#AllLivesMatter movement.  The conscientious blindness of the colorblind cult, becomes a ploy  to mitigate or hinder the #blacklivesmatter movement. In other words, overlook all of the racial injustices being committed, and focus solely on the individual. This hypothesis can be further traced back to Booker T. Washington, who believed that a man was responsible for his own decisions. Character could always overcome circumstance.

“Character, not circumstances, makes the man.”

Booker T. Washington

If you are poor, it is ultimately your fault. You should be capable of overcoming any obstacle with surrounding yourself with better company.  Pull up your pants and get a job Black folks. Figure out a way to succeed despite racial disparities.  A colorblind society promotes this type of thinking. The individual is more important than the situation he is in.

I happen to be part of the W.E.B DuBois camp. DuBois, believed that we needed to stand up against racial inequality and address civil injustices, not ignore the wrinkles of the law.

If there is anybody in this land who thoroughly believes that the meek shall inherit the earth they have not often let their presence be known.

W.E.B DuBois

We have been indoctrinated by cloudy pictures of motivational quotes, and catchy YouTube videos of poetry. Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey are touted as examples of an equal opportunity country. If Michael Jordan can become a billionaire, why can’t you. These are examples of “Black exceptional-ism” . These are anomalies, which are not fully representative of the entire  African-American group. Injustices still exist in America. To ignore the differences in each other is insidious at best.  A black child who grows up in an inner-city in Baltimore,MD. does not  have the same opportunity as a wealthy kid in Beverly Hills,CA. Real estate is a clear indicator of racial segregation. The higher price of the home, the higher the income, the better ranking of the local schools. Due to earning higher amounts of income, these homeowners actively donate and fund-raise for these schools. With the extra income, the school has perks that poorer schools cannot compete with. While many Blacks have financially earned more, so have Whites. Statistics show that Blacks are still behind Whites:

This article was intended to show the guileful nature of a color-blind society. I am not intending to invoke a feeling of  White guilt. I am a staunch believer in racial progress. I believe we can accept each other’s singularities, and collectively march towards a better future. What I am not behind is a society that wishes to ignore each others differences, and play pretend while social inequities are in play. We have made some racial progress in America, by overwhelmingly voting for a Black President, twice. We just haven’t made it to a point where we can ignore both the present and past. I am a Black man, you are (your ethnicity), you have a culture or history that you should be proud of. I am proud to be a Black man based on the fact that my ancestors endured true racial monstrosities that dwarfs the issues I face as an African-American man today. My ancestors fought slavery and jim crow laws so I could enjoy a better life. I will never ignore that, and neither should you. Be proud of your family heritage, and what your grandfathers stood for. Be proactive for the next generation of offspring, so they will enjoy a better life also. Don’t ignore history, embrace it and grow.