As I sat at a computer in the leisure room of my unit, I noticed two young guys wearing walkmens with the music playing,blazing from the headphones. One of the guys began to recite the words of the rap song playing,"I need a westside chick, or an eastside chick....." I just looked at them both,in amazement, wondering why this kind of music has such control on our youth. I tapped one of the guys on the shoulder,"excuse me, didn't I see you in the education dept. yesterday?"Aren't you in school over there?"I asked
He responds,"Yeah, i am in GED classes."
I nod.It figures, I say to myself. I got up and walked out heading toward the tv area when I noticed a video on BET. I stopped, glared at it for a moment and then put my headphones on to hear the music.Lil Jeezy raps"Lost My Mind", he talks about sexing two young girls, having deranged thoughts, smoking 1000 swisher sweet blunts and about his car in the parking lot being the hottest. I looked around and noticed all the youth singin,smiling and bobbing their heads in a trance from the music.If only education had this appealing sound.
The guys sat there in front of the Bet tv watching every video that came on for an hour straight practically lipsynching every song. Sadly, most of those watching Bet, don't have a GED or a highschool diploma.Further, they can't even tell you when was the last time they sat down and wrote their parents, children or siblings.Two years ago, it was reported that 70% of the federal prison population didn't have a GED or a highschool diploma.Education is not a priority to our youth, they are motivated by fantasies derived from television videos. New music videos come out every other day, attracting new young viewers and those same young viewers are the ones w/out a GED or an education. This leads to our overall graduation rate and self respect declining while the crime rate is rising.
Is it BET videos or Rap music that's causing this?
by A.Barnes
Monday, June 21, 2010
FOCUS
Last month we tried to focus on youth violence and the problems as well as some solutions.
In the month of July we will focus our content on the Lost and Forgotten Elderly.
In the month of July we will focus our content on the Lost and Forgotten Elderly.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH
"As soon as you trust yourself,you will know how to live."
"You can't give love away to others if you don't have any yourself."
"Learn to close the door of your mind on all failures from your past.Try to clear your mind of any influence which does not support your new goals to making that change to freedom."
"Your thoughts create your reality,so getting control of your thoughts is the first step toward freedom."
--A.Barnes
"You can't give love away to others if you don't have any yourself."
"Learn to close the door of your mind on all failures from your past.Try to clear your mind of any influence which does not support your new goals to making that change to freedom."
"Your thoughts create your reality,so getting control of your thoughts is the first step toward freedom."
--A.Barnes
Monday, June 14, 2010
AIDS AWARENESS:DON'T BE AFRAID TO KNOW
FEAR RACED THROUGH MY MIND AS I SAT IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE WAITING FOR MY HIV TEST RESULTS TO COME BACK.THROUGH EARLY YEARS OF LIFE I FAILED TO PRACTICE SAFE SEX LIKE SO MANY OTHERS MY AGE,AND , AS I SAT IN SUSPENSE, I WONDERED WOULD I END UP PAYING FOR MY MISTAKES WITH MY LIFE.
TEN MINUETS LATER, MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, THE DOCTOR CALLED ME TO THE BACK AND TOLD ME MY RESULTS WERE NEGATIVE.I TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND THANKED THE DOCTOR WITH A HANDSHAKE.TWENTY MINUTES LATER AS I WALKED BACK TO MY UNIT, I CONSIDERED THE ALTERNATIVE:MY TEST RESULTS BEING POSITIVE. JUST CONSIDERING THAT POSSIBILITY PRIOR TO GETTING TESTED IS ENOUGH TO THWART THE AVERAGE PERSON FROM GOING TO GET TESTED.MANY INDULGE IN THE THEORY OF DENIAL-IF I GOT IT ,I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.THIS THEORY OF DENIAL CREATES ENOUGH JUSTIFICATION IN THE MINDS OF INDIVIDUALS TO STOP THEM FROM GOING TO GET TESTED.
THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ALLOW THE AIDS EPIDEMIC TO CONTINUE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.FEAR AND PERSONAL INSECURITY PLAY A PART AS WELL.NO ONE WANTS ANYONE TO KNOW THEY HAVE HIV AND NO ONE WANTS TO KNOW THEY HAVE THE DISEASE.WE HAVE TO SHAKE THE COAT OF FEAR AND SECRECY AND TALK ABOUT IT,CREATING A SOCIAL FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT MAKE IT EASY FOR THOSE AFFECTED TO TALK ABOUT IT.BY NOT CREATING THIS TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE AFFECTED TO TALK ,WE ARE AMPLIFYING THEIR CLASSIFICATIONS AS"OUTCASTS" AND ALLOWING THE EPIDEMIC TO GROW.
BY INTRODUCING AN EXAGGERATED AWARENESS TO THE COMMUNITIES, WE ALLOW THE EPIDEMIC TO BE DISCUSSED AND CAN ENCOURAGE THOSE AFFECTED WITH THE DISEASE TO PARTICIPATE IN OPEN DISCUSSIONS.THE NEXT TIME YOU CONTEMPLATE ON HAVING SEX WITH A PERSON OR WITH YOUR PARTNER ASK THEM,"WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD AN HIV TEST? DEMAND THAT THEY BE TESTED AND SHOW YOU THE RESULTS.THIS TYPE OF DEMAND IS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF A POLICE OFFICER WHEN ASKING FOR ONE'S DRIVING LICENSE.THINK ABOUT IT!
"LEARN TO TRUST YOUR INTUITION"
BY ANTONIO BARNES
TEN MINUETS LATER, MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, THE DOCTOR CALLED ME TO THE BACK AND TOLD ME MY RESULTS WERE NEGATIVE.I TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND THANKED THE DOCTOR WITH A HANDSHAKE.TWENTY MINUTES LATER AS I WALKED BACK TO MY UNIT, I CONSIDERED THE ALTERNATIVE:MY TEST RESULTS BEING POSITIVE. JUST CONSIDERING THAT POSSIBILITY PRIOR TO GETTING TESTED IS ENOUGH TO THWART THE AVERAGE PERSON FROM GOING TO GET TESTED.MANY INDULGE IN THE THEORY OF DENIAL-IF I GOT IT ,I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.THIS THEORY OF DENIAL CREATES ENOUGH JUSTIFICATION IN THE MINDS OF INDIVIDUALS TO STOP THEM FROM GOING TO GET TESTED.
THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ALLOW THE AIDS EPIDEMIC TO CONTINUE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.FEAR AND PERSONAL INSECURITY PLAY A PART AS WELL.NO ONE WANTS ANYONE TO KNOW THEY HAVE HIV AND NO ONE WANTS TO KNOW THEY HAVE THE DISEASE.WE HAVE TO SHAKE THE COAT OF FEAR AND SECRECY AND TALK ABOUT IT,CREATING A SOCIAL FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT MAKE IT EASY FOR THOSE AFFECTED TO TALK ABOUT IT.BY NOT CREATING THIS TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE AFFECTED TO TALK ,WE ARE AMPLIFYING THEIR CLASSIFICATIONS AS"OUTCASTS" AND ALLOWING THE EPIDEMIC TO GROW.
BY INTRODUCING AN EXAGGERATED AWARENESS TO THE COMMUNITIES, WE ALLOW THE EPIDEMIC TO BE DISCUSSED AND CAN ENCOURAGE THOSE AFFECTED WITH THE DISEASE TO PARTICIPATE IN OPEN DISCUSSIONS.THE NEXT TIME YOU CONTEMPLATE ON HAVING SEX WITH A PERSON OR WITH YOUR PARTNER ASK THEM,"WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD AN HIV TEST? DEMAND THAT THEY BE TESTED AND SHOW YOU THE RESULTS.THIS TYPE OF DEMAND IS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF A POLICE OFFICER WHEN ASKING FOR ONE'S DRIVING LICENSE.THINK ABOUT IT!
"LEARN TO TRUST YOUR INTUITION"
BY ANTONIO BARNES
Thursday, June 10, 2010
A sibling murder: a brother kills his sister
When will this madness going on stop?
Doing some vintage reading two days ago, I came across yet another article in the Miami Herald that described another youth killing. On Oct 21,2009 a 14 year old kid named Ronald Salozar was found guilty of raping and killing his 11 year old sister in which he sliced her throat. The jury gave the "sister killer" two life terms and according to the article, he did not flinch when the verdict was read.
The youth violence is a serious crisis in this country.Yes, we are the land of the free, but not crisis free.While the BP oil spill seems to be the national headline, in my opinion, the youth violence also qualifies as a national headline.Is our future's crisis serious enough to warrant more attention, after all, our kids are our future.
We,as adults,have to be the difference makers.We have to install old values in the kids.Our parents did not raise us to be killers and gang members. We were taught to love and respect each other and the community.What happened with that part of life? Some of us took "short cuts" in raising our children and it reflects our communities.Kids acting out,killing,robbing,raping,etc.Pain and suffering is the derivative effect of this and prison is the light at the end of the tunnel for our children or death. In the end, we all lose.
How can we stop this madness and go forward?Tell me.
(welcoming all comments and answers)
We need help and you do have the answers.Help us help ourselves.Lawyers,doctors,police officers,teachers,ball players, and all of you who are kids look up to, they will listen to you if they know you care.I've been there.
Doing some vintage reading two days ago, I came across yet another article in the Miami Herald that described another youth killing. On Oct 21,2009 a 14 year old kid named Ronald Salozar was found guilty of raping and killing his 11 year old sister in which he sliced her throat. The jury gave the "sister killer" two life terms and according to the article, he did not flinch when the verdict was read.
The youth violence is a serious crisis in this country.Yes, we are the land of the free, but not crisis free.While the BP oil spill seems to be the national headline, in my opinion, the youth violence also qualifies as a national headline.Is our future's crisis serious enough to warrant more attention, after all, our kids are our future.
We,as adults,have to be the difference makers.We have to install old values in the kids.Our parents did not raise us to be killers and gang members. We were taught to love and respect each other and the community.What happened with that part of life? Some of us took "short cuts" in raising our children and it reflects our communities.Kids acting out,killing,robbing,raping,etc.Pain and suffering is the derivative effect of this and prison is the light at the end of the tunnel for our children or death. In the end, we all lose.
How can we stop this madness and go forward?Tell me.
(welcoming all comments and answers)
We need help and you do have the answers.Help us help ourselves.Lawyers,doctors,police officers,teachers,ball players, and all of you who are kids look up to, they will listen to you if they know you care.I've been there.
Friday, June 4, 2010
A LESSON ON RESPECT
Now a days our youth lack self respect.In my opinion, this stems from the lack of knowledge regarding what defines respect. The youth,for decades, have been confused by the real meaning of respect. The real definition of respect is a state of being held in honor and esteem, or to show consideration for.
Before you can show someone else respect, you have to respect yourself,hence, the seed of self esteem. Do thingd in your everyday life that makes you feel good doing. Whether it's helping someone, making the right decision at the right time, to just doing something as simple as telling your loved one that you love them. Once you build honor and self esteem within your self, respecting the next person becomes easy. In fact, you begin to value the respect you show to the next person and it becomes routine. Most important, it's a wonderful feeling, and that's real!
"Your attitude towards life determines lifes attitude towards you, your future and past."
by Antonio Barnes
Before you can show someone else respect, you have to respect yourself,hence, the seed of self esteem. Do thingd in your everyday life that makes you feel good doing. Whether it's helping someone, making the right decision at the right time, to just doing something as simple as telling your loved one that you love them. Once you build honor and self esteem within your self, respecting the next person becomes easy. In fact, you begin to value the respect you show to the next person and it becomes routine. Most important, it's a wonderful feeling, and that's real!
"Your attitude towards life determines lifes attitude towards you, your future and past."
by Antonio Barnes
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
"Stop Killing Our Children:Take A Stand"
We have a big problem on our hands, our children are dropping like flies. While reading the Miami Times(1-27-10), I came across an article by Sandra Charite that described three senseless killings of youth. Based on the motives for the murders, I 'm inclined to say that they were senseless.
In one instance, two young men ages 15 and 18 were walking to a freinds house and was gunned down and 7 others were injured, apparently, by gunmen who opened fired with an assault weapon on this group. One year later, the families of the victims made a public plea for help for information in assisting in capturing those responsible.
In Jan of 2010, a 15 year old girl was killed in a Liberty City drive by shooting and three others were injured. After I finished reading the articles;I gathered my thoughts,trying to think of a universal solution to this national evolving policy of violance inflicted upon our youth. Initially, I thought that Chicago was the only city that had big problems regarding the killing of our children but as I know now-It is a national problem.
Instead of sitting around grieving abouthte violence, we have to take steps in the community to save our children. We are just as responsible for the violence if we do nothing to curtail it from occuring,again, and for those of you who have yet to encounter youth violence in your community or city,don't sleep-It can happen.
The time has come for us to take a stand, not only for the kids but for our communities. After all,"you are your community.
wake up!!!!!!
by Antonio Barnes
In one instance, two young men ages 15 and 18 were walking to a freinds house and was gunned down and 7 others were injured, apparently, by gunmen who opened fired with an assault weapon on this group. One year later, the families of the victims made a public plea for help for information in assisting in capturing those responsible.
In Jan of 2010, a 15 year old girl was killed in a Liberty City drive by shooting and three others were injured. After I finished reading the articles;I gathered my thoughts,trying to think of a universal solution to this national evolving policy of violance inflicted upon our youth. Initially, I thought that Chicago was the only city that had big problems regarding the killing of our children but as I know now-It is a national problem.
Instead of sitting around grieving abouthte violence, we have to take steps in the community to save our children. We are just as responsible for the violence if we do nothing to curtail it from occuring,again, and for those of you who have yet to encounter youth violence in your community or city,don't sleep-It can happen.
The time has come for us to take a stand, not only for the kids but for our communities. After all,"you are your community.
wake up!!!!!!
by Antonio Barnes
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