If You Don't Use It, You Will Lose It!!!!!!!

I ask myself this question, when es enough is enough? After going through the illness of my best friend moms for

6 1/2 months until her death 1-12-11 a day i'll never forget. I made a promise to her that im going to continue

being an advocator for youth violence through my writing,instructing self help classes and my speeches.



I've been looken upon as an (HERO) for saving two inmates lives, being a role model for the work i do as will

in helping;ing out people thats in need, and to be better than i was. Im still being haunter in my mind im questioning

myself are you doing enough or can you do more?.



I say this because on 1-21-11 while reading the Advocate news paper out of Baton Rouge Lousiana i read an

article ("Eward Dwayne Allen 32 dead four days after being shot in the head 1-28-10 ") Mr Allen was my roon mate

for about 12 months befor he went home,i use to talk to this young man alot and gave him three words to take

with him and keep him on the right track "People,Places,and Things" if you can give then up it's going to work

put for you,vice versa. Wayne as i called him didn't last a year on them streets because he was in the wrong ones

them same streets, East Baton Rouge swallowed up the lives of 86 people in 2010.



It hurts me to my heart to read the article and look at his picture because this question still haunts me,did i do

enough?,or could i've done more?



There's always a choice! If you don't ust it, you will lose it! It's alright to do the rights in life. You can even live as

long as my mother 82years and 8months. She lived that long by making good choices in life.



Young people lets stop the madness and stop the pain because its painful!!!

My Way Of Giving Back

If I could replay all the events and experiences in my turbulent life,it is easy to predict where I would end up-in
the grave yard,strung out on dope or in prison.These type scenes reel through my mind often.Another young life spun out of control.I hear sirens and my mom crying. After languishing in federal prison for 24 harrowing years,I rise every morning and tell myself that it's a miracle that I am still alive and that I haven't lost my mind.After all,I come from the mean streets of Baltimore,MD's Murphy Homes Projects,where i was a violent troubled teen.As a youth,I was fearless,craved excitement and hungered for adventure.I was a thug,a hustler and a small time gangster.It was inevitable that the attraction of drugs,sex with fast beatiful women,money and shiny cars would lead me to a federal case and a lengthy sentence.

At the begginning of my sentence,I would gaze about the misery that engulfed me,I couldn't see through the smoke of my own confusion.I had no direction.I only understood what was on the outside of me.Every inmate seemed lifeless,trapped in some frozen dream.One day I decided I had enough,I broke the monotonous state and found my faith in the Holy Koran and in helping others.Some inmates used smut books,played handball and used drugs to ecsape this cruel dream of reality.

I had always found pleasure in helping others so I used that boxed up energy to facilitate a program to assist inmates in positive growth and development in life.The title "Saving Ourselves" or SOS represents what direction the program is aimed.
The idea for the program came about one day while I was sitting in front of my prison cell and noticed all the youths run to the BET tv at 6:00 pm and sing every rap song that came on from 6 to 7pm.I took down some of their names and went to the

education department the following day to investigate how many of those "rappers" had an GED or a highschool diploma and I found out none of them did.

The idea was born.I realized they were missing positive inspiration.That little push or shove that they probably needed in the real world that probably would of saved their lives or kept them out of prison.One even confided to me as much after joining the SOS program via a letter.I must admit the letter touched my heart because I realized that i had the ability to help others change in a positive way.Who could of known that my SOS program would be widely successful in prison,that i could encourage other young inmates to join the program and make a change,that the class would grow from 35 inmates to 90 within 1 year.After all,I'm just a poor black boy from the lawless streets of Baltimore,Md-yet the beautiful act of helping others has provided me with the wings to fly over the bob wired fence that daily secures this prison.

I share this story to solicit others to step up and help young teens and youths with encouragement and inspiration.This my way of giving back to the community.

(S.T.P.C) STOP THE PAIN CAMPAIGN

This month of December is a very important month for most people world wide,
with the holiday seasons under way,family and friends gets togather give and receive,
share stories ctc.
In time we have this seriouse(epidemic) on our hands with this youth violence,its out
of control and at a all time high in this country the land of the free, this is nothing,but
a disease and we as a community/village we have to find a cure and some solutinos to this
epidemic befor we loss our future. I've been writing about this youth violence on and off for the last (6)
monthsand the statistices are egregious.
According to (familyfirstaid.orgyouthviolence) Homicide is the second leading cause of death among people
age 10 to 24 thats enough right there, let alone gang violence up there as well in all the major cities and
small towns.
Join me in this campaign in finding some solutions to this madeness!!
Help Stop The Pain.




Next weeks content i'll have some of my own solutions, and will be looking forward to yours.
BY.ANTONIO BARNES

Lets save our children from obesity, Part 2

Obesity is robbing our children of a healthy life. Parents need to set and example for these children and it will solve most of this problem with our children. Eating healthier will take a big burden off these children and saying No to the food that is not healthy for them will help and not harm in the long run.
Whatever happened to the fruit and vegetables? That's what we need to get back to and drop the candy and cakes leaded with sugar and fat.. Eat meals in the family setting which causes better communication in the family setting. Lets get the soda and candy out of the house.
Lets encourage our children to be more physically active and cut down on the TV, computers, and video games. Encourage outdoor activities such as playing sports like roller blading, bike ridding, etc...
Teach them and steer them towards healthier prepared foods like grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, and smaller portions. Encourage to at least to have "five" servings of fruit and vegetables a day along with regular exercise. If they will eat well end exercise regularly incorporating a healthy eating habit then we can save out children and their further generations. So lets talk to then about the importance of eating healthy and they will love you more than ever.
Save out Children from Obesity...
By Antonio Barnes

Spot A Stroke...

Here's a life-snd -death reality. Some young stroke victims may be sent home fron the ER
without treatment. In a Wayne State University study, one in eight stroke patients under 50
were discharged with diagnoses of migraine, vertigo, or other eisorders-even though later tests
revealed that they had suffered a stroke. If you or a family member experiences,dizziness,sudden
,numbness,a severe headache,or seeing,make sure the ER doctor orders an MIR to rhle out a brain
attack.

Now you know.......

By Antonio Barnes

LETS SAVE OUR CHILDREN

Obesity is taking control of our children in this country. Weight gain are skyrocketing among our children, this is a dangerous havit, that really need to be looked at and taking seriously by the parents. Parents it's time to step to the plate and say no to some of the things we let our children put in their bodies, however saying yes to what they shouldn't be eating is nothing but a slow death.
During my research i came accross some startling numbers that really need to be addressed by out partents. Researcher Penny Gordon Larson associate progessor of nutrition at the university of North Carolina at chopel Hill say about half of these teen girls and a third of boys become severley ovese by the time they are 30 meaning they are 80 to 100 pounds over healthy weight other studies have found that heavey children are more likely to be heavy adults.
Researchers reviewed national height and weight records of almost 9,000 people ages 12 to 21 who weere followed for 13 years. Among the finding in todays journal if the Americam Medical Association: 51% of abese ten girls and 37% of obese teen boys became severley obese by age 30. A third of us kids and teens are overwight; two third of adults are overwieght or obese-ex-tra pounds but people at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood presssure, high cholestoral, asthama, joint problems, heart and poor healt status.
This is not what we want fsor our children. They look to us for help when neededc and this is the time to save our children for this obesity problem and what comes with it.

BY: ANTONIO BARNES

(S.T.P.C) Stop The Pain Campaign...

Youth violenec is at all time rate now.Dear face book and blog friends, i'm running a campaign on youth
violence the hold month of Decemerand need your help and support. What i need from you all is some
suggestion on a solution for this madness thats wipping out our future.I really need feed back from you all
thats the only way this thing is going to work is for us to come togather and step to the plate for these young
people.
"Help Stop The Pain"

By Antonio Barnes