Dear All
The below quotes follow on from my previous article. Whatever culture, whatever the people, repsect and honour are two of the foundations to buidling up our cultures and preserving integrity.
"You cannot believe in honor until you have achieved it. Better keep yourself clean and bright: you are the window through which you must see the world."
Sir Walter Besant
"Never give in! Never give in! Never, never, never. Never -- in anything great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." Sir Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill
"There is no calamity which a great nation can invite which equals that which follows a supine submission to wrong and injustice and the consequent loss of national self-respect and honor, beneath which are shielded and defended a people's safety and greatness."
Grover Cleveland
11 June 2007
The Big Brother Issue - As a Community we Need to Make a Stand
Greetings and Solicitations Everyone
“A contestant from the Big Brother house was evicted today for using a racist epithet, in the latest scandal to hit the Channel 4 reality show. Emily and Charley were dancing together in the living room when Emily used the word in an apparently light-hearted manner. Rather than react angrily, Charley responded by pointing out that her actions were likely to get her in trouble.
Emily was called into the diary room at 3.30am this morning and told to leave the reality show immediately.” Excerpt taken from http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article1898239.ece
Thoughts to ponder. The above incident certainly caused much debate generally. Chat shows and phone-ins were inundated with incensed callers, a plethora of blogs and other online forums too vented furious debate, the papers of course had their field day - debate, debate, debate. Once again this incident brought back the Shipla Shetty race row which caused uncomfortable and angry ripples worldwide. Yet as I listened, and maybe I have become desensitised, I refused to get angry at Emily or other ignorant individuals who use the word liberally I got angry at us. Why? you may well ask, simple fact. We have allowed ourselves once again to become the puppets at the hands of anyone who has a string to pull and I was struck by how many people felt the same as I and that is to some extent, we as a black community had to take some responsibility for the Big Brother contestant feeling it was ok, to mention the “n” word in what is described above in a “light-hearted” manner. For me, this word should not even be in out vocabulary because of what it represents.
How many times do we hear rap artists blazing their perceived glory of nonsense into our children’s lives and minds using the “n” word? Standing like glorified buffoons in hypothetical salutation of pride (their Oscar of Ignorance) gold dripping from every crevice of their muscle bound bodies, ranting and raving using the “n” word and disrespecting women? Hardly able to smile through a mouth of gold encrusted teeth, they face the world with fierce expressions, the new studious and educated look of knowledge!! Little do they realise that within the body and context of their so called “songs” using only two or three syllables does not make for good music nor any form of intelligence.
These artists, though powerful and maybe even classed as successful, money burning the lining in their pockets, girls on every arm, offering a false sense of purpose and vision to our misguided youth are partly to blame. They laud over our tv screens, controlled and dictated to by the powers that be, rapping using derogatory messages which rolls easily off their tongues, yet causing an uneasiness amongst the more educated and knowledgeable within our community. As if we do not have enough battles of our own by trying to keep our youth on the straight and narrow by offering them more positive viewpoints on life, and trying to educate them about our history and identify role models which they can look up to? If you are keen to notice, these artists never actually refer to themselves as “N…”s but they slyly use it as a term of endearment when talking about and addressing their “bruvas” as if this represents solidarity or a cohesive union of brotherhood.
How often do we hear this word used liberally on the streets by our own black boys (and sometimes by others outside our culture) and more distressing adults. It seems that 2005/6 were the years when the “n” word became “hip, ” and using it somehow elevated individuals into a kind of superior social status. It was often disturbing to see this sort of behaviour with brothers greetings each other with a “whatz up N….” and laughing like monkeys who had been thrown nuts full of dynamite, but not yet fully realising that there was a possibility that this nut would explode in their hands sooner or later. I even noticed my sons used it a few times when greeting their friends, caught up in the delusional sphere of youth culture and “following the crowd” but you know I had to put a stop to that, with some very serious lectures and some strong verbal breakdowns of what the word meant, its connotations and requesting them to go-online and do some research. They got the picture and haven’t gone there since.
So in effect, how can we expect anyone to take us seriously, when we use this word freely amongst ourselves, with liberal frivolity, seemingly ignorant about the true meaning and far-reaching implications of using such a word, which is so derogatory and which stood for so much pain, humiliation. No wonder often times, we are the laughing stock and not taken seriously, because of our own failings. How can we expect other cultures to RESPCECT us when all the above dynamics are in place? I say no more on this score, but leave the below with you, for further ponder and thought.
Regardless to culture, it is about making a stand and not accepting certain things which have serious messages and connotations behind them. When the Shilpa Shetty row broke out, there were fierce demonstrations in her homeland and within the political arena – these people made a stand advocating that this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated and I am sure that many people would be very very careful in the future if they found themselves in this situation because they’d realise there would be consequences.
There have been many comments by individuals online who have stated that “the word was not said in malice and as black people we should get a life and move on” – my point here is this: whether the “N” word is used or any other negative, derogatory words which are used to depict ANY culture which have serious connotations, people should make a stand. There are boundaries in life which are set and there are certain places people just should not go and because we have embraced this pushing of the boundaries, that is why people think it is “light banter and ok” to be using words which should be banned from out vocabularly. Whether they be words against the Asians, Europeans, Africans etc, it is about making a stand and letting other people realise that as a people, as a community there is something called RESPECT and that using certain words are just not on. It is anyone’s right to challenge the mindset of using certain words with frivolity.
For more information
“The history of the word nigger is often traced to the Latin word niger, meaning black. This word became the noun negro (black person) in English, and simply the color black in Spanish and Portuguese. In Early Modern French niger became negre and, later, negress (black woman) was unmistakably a part of lexical history. One can compare to negre the derogatory nigger and earlier English substitutes such as negar, neegar, neger, and niggor that developed into its lexico-semantic true version in English. It is probable that nigger is a phonetic spelling of the white Southern mispronunciation of Negro.
No matter what its origins, by the early 1800s it was firmly established as a degenerative nickname. In the 21st century, it remains a principal symbol of white racism regardless of who is using it. Social scientists refer to words like nigger, kike, spic, and wetback come from three categories: disparaging nicknames (chink, dago, nigger, etc); explicit group devaluations ("Jew him down" or "niggering the land"); and irrelevant ethnic names used as a mild disparagement ("jewbird" for cuckoos having prominent beaks or "Irish confetti" for bricks thrown in a fight).
http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2420/Nigger_the_word_a_brief_history
I’d therefore like to leave the following with you for further thought, hoping that we do not continue to be the monkey as described below:
TEACHING TALE
“A monkey whilst swinging through the forest one day spied a glass bottle glinting far below. Excited, he made his way down and saw that it contained a huge tasty looking nut. He put his hand through the neck of the bottle and grasped the nut. He pulled and pulled but despite his efforts his hand just would not come out of the bottle. When he tried to run away with the bottle he found it was tied to a tree.
Just then he heard a man approaching through the forest. Despite his increasing fear, the nut captivated him with its promise of rich flavour. He pulled and pulled but to no avail and so the greedy monkey was caught.”
“A contestant from the Big Brother house was evicted today for using a racist epithet, in the latest scandal to hit the Channel 4 reality show. Emily and Charley were dancing together in the living room when Emily used the word in an apparently light-hearted manner. Rather than react angrily, Charley responded by pointing out that her actions were likely to get her in trouble.
Emily was called into the diary room at 3.30am this morning and told to leave the reality show immediately.” Excerpt taken from http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article1898239.ece
Thoughts to ponder. The above incident certainly caused much debate generally. Chat shows and phone-ins were inundated with incensed callers, a plethora of blogs and other online forums too vented furious debate, the papers of course had their field day - debate, debate, debate. Once again this incident brought back the Shipla Shetty race row which caused uncomfortable and angry ripples worldwide. Yet as I listened, and maybe I have become desensitised, I refused to get angry at Emily or other ignorant individuals who use the word liberally I got angry at us. Why? you may well ask, simple fact. We have allowed ourselves once again to become the puppets at the hands of anyone who has a string to pull and I was struck by how many people felt the same as I and that is to some extent, we as a black community had to take some responsibility for the Big Brother contestant feeling it was ok, to mention the “n” word in what is described above in a “light-hearted” manner. For me, this word should not even be in out vocabulary because of what it represents.
How many times do we hear rap artists blazing their perceived glory of nonsense into our children’s lives and minds using the “n” word? Standing like glorified buffoons in hypothetical salutation of pride (their Oscar of Ignorance) gold dripping from every crevice of their muscle bound bodies, ranting and raving using the “n” word and disrespecting women? Hardly able to smile through a mouth of gold encrusted teeth, they face the world with fierce expressions, the new studious and educated look of knowledge!! Little do they realise that within the body and context of their so called “songs” using only two or three syllables does not make for good music nor any form of intelligence.
These artists, though powerful and maybe even classed as successful, money burning the lining in their pockets, girls on every arm, offering a false sense of purpose and vision to our misguided youth are partly to blame. They laud over our tv screens, controlled and dictated to by the powers that be, rapping using derogatory messages which rolls easily off their tongues, yet causing an uneasiness amongst the more educated and knowledgeable within our community. As if we do not have enough battles of our own by trying to keep our youth on the straight and narrow by offering them more positive viewpoints on life, and trying to educate them about our history and identify role models which they can look up to? If you are keen to notice, these artists never actually refer to themselves as “N…”s but they slyly use it as a term of endearment when talking about and addressing their “bruvas” as if this represents solidarity or a cohesive union of brotherhood.
How often do we hear this word used liberally on the streets by our own black boys (and sometimes by others outside our culture) and more distressing adults. It seems that 2005/6 were the years when the “n” word became “hip, ” and using it somehow elevated individuals into a kind of superior social status. It was often disturbing to see this sort of behaviour with brothers greetings each other with a “whatz up N….” and laughing like monkeys who had been thrown nuts full of dynamite, but not yet fully realising that there was a possibility that this nut would explode in their hands sooner or later. I even noticed my sons used it a few times when greeting their friends, caught up in the delusional sphere of youth culture and “following the crowd” but you know I had to put a stop to that, with some very serious lectures and some strong verbal breakdowns of what the word meant, its connotations and requesting them to go-online and do some research. They got the picture and haven’t gone there since.
So in effect, how can we expect anyone to take us seriously, when we use this word freely amongst ourselves, with liberal frivolity, seemingly ignorant about the true meaning and far-reaching implications of using such a word, which is so derogatory and which stood for so much pain, humiliation. No wonder often times, we are the laughing stock and not taken seriously, because of our own failings. How can we expect other cultures to RESPCECT us when all the above dynamics are in place? I say no more on this score, but leave the below with you, for further ponder and thought.
Regardless to culture, it is about making a stand and not accepting certain things which have serious messages and connotations behind them. When the Shilpa Shetty row broke out, there were fierce demonstrations in her homeland and within the political arena – these people made a stand advocating that this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated and I am sure that many people would be very very careful in the future if they found themselves in this situation because they’d realise there would be consequences.
There have been many comments by individuals online who have stated that “the word was not said in malice and as black people we should get a life and move on” – my point here is this: whether the “N” word is used or any other negative, derogatory words which are used to depict ANY culture which have serious connotations, people should make a stand. There are boundaries in life which are set and there are certain places people just should not go and because we have embraced this pushing of the boundaries, that is why people think it is “light banter and ok” to be using words which should be banned from out vocabularly. Whether they be words against the Asians, Europeans, Africans etc, it is about making a stand and letting other people realise that as a people, as a community there is something called RESPECT and that using certain words are just not on. It is anyone’s right to challenge the mindset of using certain words with frivolity.
For more information
“The history of the word nigger is often traced to the Latin word niger, meaning black. This word became the noun negro (black person) in English, and simply the color black in Spanish and Portuguese. In Early Modern French niger became negre and, later, negress (black woman) was unmistakably a part of lexical history. One can compare to negre the derogatory nigger and earlier English substitutes such as negar, neegar, neger, and niggor that developed into its lexico-semantic true version in English. It is probable that nigger is a phonetic spelling of the white Southern mispronunciation of Negro.
No matter what its origins, by the early 1800s it was firmly established as a degenerative nickname. In the 21st century, it remains a principal symbol of white racism regardless of who is using it. Social scientists refer to words like nigger, kike, spic, and wetback come from three categories: disparaging nicknames (chink, dago, nigger, etc); explicit group devaluations ("Jew him down" or "niggering the land"); and irrelevant ethnic names used as a mild disparagement ("jewbird" for cuckoos having prominent beaks or "Irish confetti" for bricks thrown in a fight).
http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2420/Nigger_the_word_a_brief_history
I’d therefore like to leave the following with you for further thought, hoping that we do not continue to be the monkey as described below:
TEACHING TALE
“A monkey whilst swinging through the forest one day spied a glass bottle glinting far below. Excited, he made his way down and saw that it contained a huge tasty looking nut. He put his hand through the neck of the bottle and grasped the nut. He pulled and pulled but despite his efforts his hand just would not come out of the bottle. When he tried to run away with the bottle he found it was tied to a tree.
Just then he heard a man approaching through the forest. Despite his increasing fear, the nut captivated him with its promise of rich flavour. He pulled and pulled but to no avail and so the greedy monkey was caught.”
04 June 2007
"Let Go and Just Move On" - But is it Really that Easy
Hello again
Today, I’d like to touch on a phrase which nearly everyone I come into contact with seems to use on a very frequent and liberal basis. This set of words is almost clichéd and I have wondered at its usage, and whether people really think about what it means in its full context Or if we, as a society are so cold and bold that we mean this phrase really is as it stands.
The term I am talking about is called “let go, just move on.”
After talking to someone over the weekend and hearing this particular phrase again, I actually took time to stand back from the conversation reflecting on the many other conversations I have had in the past where this phrase was mentioned.
Many times when we experience something in our lives that falls apart or does not materialise how we expect it to or a separation is involved/someone close dies or a job/ event does not go according to plan, the phrase often applied to the scenario is “learn from it and move on.” Hmmm – in other words my dear folk the scenario that comes to mind is just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, she just clicked her little red shoes together and hey presto, she was back in Kansas. Yet life does not work like that, we cannot just get rid of an emotion, just like that as if the past never existed nor happened. Life is about processes. For some people it may take a short time to get over an incident/relationship for others, it can take a lot longer and for others still, the process of healing never really takes place.
Now in many contexts, this can be a true statement. Learning from an experience, reflecting, analysing and moving on certainly are the credentials for growth and ultimately change. Yet how often do many of us find the process of change a difficult journey? How many times do some of us struggle to just “let go and move on” as if whatever has happened did not play a major and significant part in our lives for a very long time?
Is it really so easy to just put something behind you/a relationship that has gone sour/an opportunity that did not materialise etc behind you with the click of a finger as if to say “oh well, that was that, what next?” as if time spent with that person or in that situation had somehow never happened?
Moving on is certainly the best thing to do, but in that alone, there is a process and certain dynamics are also at work here as well. As you move on, this should be a time of growth, a time to heal and a time to look forward to the future. Yet sometimes the future throws up things at you and it certainly has a funny way of sometimes, pulling you back towards something, which you thought had been buried. There the three scenarios which I see are:
v Moving on from a situation because there is no turning back and one looks forward to new horizons;
v Moving on and having regrets for doing so;
v Moving on from a situation, allowing the healing process to take place, each individual working on each other, creating a different individual to the one who lived before the experience that eventually changed their life. This then allowed for the re-emergence of both individuals on different levels which allows you both to get back together stronger and on higher level playing field;
Everything in life is about processes, a format, a structure. Life is about evolution, regardless to whether it is about relationships, careers, health. To evolve is about constant growth and change, leaving one place of time leading into another and hopefully arriving at a more healthy, positive place.
So next time you go to tell someone to “just move on and get on with it” think about their situation a little more, maybe empathise with them and see if that phrase is really relevant and helpful. Because when people are in a place where you think they need to “just move on” that is the time when they need all the support they can get and a shoulder to cry on in order for them to “just move on.”
Today, I’d like to touch on a phrase which nearly everyone I come into contact with seems to use on a very frequent and liberal basis. This set of words is almost clichéd and I have wondered at its usage, and whether people really think about what it means in its full context Or if we, as a society are so cold and bold that we mean this phrase really is as it stands.
The term I am talking about is called “let go, just move on.”
After talking to someone over the weekend and hearing this particular phrase again, I actually took time to stand back from the conversation reflecting on the many other conversations I have had in the past where this phrase was mentioned.
Many times when we experience something in our lives that falls apart or does not materialise how we expect it to or a separation is involved/someone close dies or a job/ event does not go according to plan, the phrase often applied to the scenario is “learn from it and move on.” Hmmm – in other words my dear folk the scenario that comes to mind is just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, she just clicked her little red shoes together and hey presto, she was back in Kansas. Yet life does not work like that, we cannot just get rid of an emotion, just like that as if the past never existed nor happened. Life is about processes. For some people it may take a short time to get over an incident/relationship for others, it can take a lot longer and for others still, the process of healing never really takes place.
Now in many contexts, this can be a true statement. Learning from an experience, reflecting, analysing and moving on certainly are the credentials for growth and ultimately change. Yet how often do many of us find the process of change a difficult journey? How many times do some of us struggle to just “let go and move on” as if whatever has happened did not play a major and significant part in our lives for a very long time?
Is it really so easy to just put something behind you/a relationship that has gone sour/an opportunity that did not materialise etc behind you with the click of a finger as if to say “oh well, that was that, what next?” as if time spent with that person or in that situation had somehow never happened?
Moving on is certainly the best thing to do, but in that alone, there is a process and certain dynamics are also at work here as well. As you move on, this should be a time of growth, a time to heal and a time to look forward to the future. Yet sometimes the future throws up things at you and it certainly has a funny way of sometimes, pulling you back towards something, which you thought had been buried. There the three scenarios which I see are:
v Moving on from a situation because there is no turning back and one looks forward to new horizons;
v Moving on and having regrets for doing so;
v Moving on from a situation, allowing the healing process to take place, each individual working on each other, creating a different individual to the one who lived before the experience that eventually changed their life. This then allowed for the re-emergence of both individuals on different levels which allows you both to get back together stronger and on higher level playing field;
Everything in life is about processes, a format, a structure. Life is about evolution, regardless to whether it is about relationships, careers, health. To evolve is about constant growth and change, leaving one place of time leading into another and hopefully arriving at a more healthy, positive place.
So next time you go to tell someone to “just move on and get on with it” think about their situation a little more, maybe empathise with them and see if that phrase is really relevant and helpful. Because when people are in a place where you think they need to “just move on” that is the time when they need all the support they can get and a shoulder to cry on in order for them to “just move on.”
25 May 2007
Time for Change - Disrespectful Youth? - Is it time for us adults to turn vigilante?
Dear All
I really felt the need to share the below with you. It is about an incident on the bus today which left me incensed. All I have to say is this, it's time to change strategy. Out youth need to recognise, they cannot get away with things anymore, but as always, it's how do we tackle this.
“The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.”
Benjamin Franklin quotes
I feel I have to share this episode with you purely because I am so incensed by what I have just witnessed. This is not to say that I have not witnessed such disgraceful behaviour before, because it comes in many guises from being verbally abusive, spitting, to physical confrontation, yet all the same disgusting and simply “degrading.”
Today I was heading to an appointment for 1pm. Three stops after getting on the bus, three men got on. One went upstairs the other two stayed downstairs. The driver called after one of the young men, who incidentally, had his mobile phone in his hand with music blaring out, as if anyone really needs to hear his crap. After calling several times, the bus driver then killed the engine. There was a wait period of about 10 minutes until the young man came downstairs, obviously realising that he was in the wrong. He confronted the driver stating “make me get of the bus, then, make me get off the bus.” Obviously in his arrogant and ignorant state, he knew he was in the wrong and as he got off the bus he SPAT at the driver.
Peeps, and I really am not ashamed to say this. If I had a brick at the time, I would not have hesitated to throw it.
Not only was I fuming by now because I had missed my appointment but more so I was fuming because I was incensed at such tactless and disrespectful behaviour. The way I see it is this: yes there are a number of problems facing our youth. Yes, as many say the system is against them. Yes there are facts to prove this. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT – I don’t give a flying rat, regarding where these youth are coming from and what they’ve got against them. I don’t give a monkey’s banana about all the other plausible excuses that we have for them, the fact of the matter is this:
Regardless to where you have come from and who you are or what you have experienced, RESPECT and MANNERS are something which should be innate. People are pushing the boundaries of life everyday. I cannot only just blame the youth because often times, you look on the home front and there are some serious issues going on there. But let’s just level this up. Respect and manners are two key, absolute key components that make up the boundaries in society of which we all bounce off. Without these in place, society deteriorates into the cauldron of bedlum. Someone shouted out to the youth that “he should be in school.” My stance, if I was a bigger and better person, he would’ve found his carcass in a hospital bed.
Let me also make it plain here. I have two boys and I am becoming more and more aware of how difficult it is for our young black men, but the fact of the matter here is they are not making things easier for themselves neither. I am conscious of so many dynamics surrounding having boys and it is absolutely key, that I try my utmost to, and if I must, impose certain restrictions on them so they know there are certain places they cannot go.
Society is falling into the pit of degradation, in fact it is almost there. We need to bring back into our lives, our communities, our families, those BASICS that have kept and held us as a people for so long a time. It is these fundamentals such the below which in their simplicity are the bedrock of society and humanity’s progression into a higher state of being.
v Respect
v Manners
v Discipline
v Courtesy
v Politeness
v Faith
I am tired of the excuses we are giving for the behaviour exhibited by our youth. I am really, really and if I may use the word “pissed off” with such a LACK of consciousness about the above basics.
Yet as always, we go back to the same thing “What is the solution”
If I had my way, every offence committed would mean these individuals would be stripped bare, maybe leaving their underpants on, put in the town centre and made an exhibition and example of. Strip away their arrogance and ignorance with shame. Strip them bare physically, challenge them that this behaviour will not be accepted and there are consequences. Walking the street as if they are vigilantes will no longer be a game, it will require a backlash from parents, conscious adults. The sweet pillow talk thing will be a thing of the past. I think it is time to get radical, because every day I step outside my door, I come home feeling angry and despair.
“Treat others as you want them to treat you because what goes around comes around”
I really felt the need to share the below with you. It is about an incident on the bus today which left me incensed. All I have to say is this, it's time to change strategy. Out youth need to recognise, they cannot get away with things anymore, but as always, it's how do we tackle this.
“The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.”
Benjamin Franklin quotes
I feel I have to share this episode with you purely because I am so incensed by what I have just witnessed. This is not to say that I have not witnessed such disgraceful behaviour before, because it comes in many guises from being verbally abusive, spitting, to physical confrontation, yet all the same disgusting and simply “degrading.”
Today I was heading to an appointment for 1pm. Three stops after getting on the bus, three men got on. One went upstairs the other two stayed downstairs. The driver called after one of the young men, who incidentally, had his mobile phone in his hand with music blaring out, as if anyone really needs to hear his crap. After calling several times, the bus driver then killed the engine. There was a wait period of about 10 minutes until the young man came downstairs, obviously realising that he was in the wrong. He confronted the driver stating “make me get of the bus, then, make me get off the bus.” Obviously in his arrogant and ignorant state, he knew he was in the wrong and as he got off the bus he SPAT at the driver.
Peeps, and I really am not ashamed to say this. If I had a brick at the time, I would not have hesitated to throw it.
Not only was I fuming by now because I had missed my appointment but more so I was fuming because I was incensed at such tactless and disrespectful behaviour. The way I see it is this: yes there are a number of problems facing our youth. Yes, as many say the system is against them. Yes there are facts to prove this. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT – I don’t give a flying rat, regarding where these youth are coming from and what they’ve got against them. I don’t give a monkey’s banana about all the other plausible excuses that we have for them, the fact of the matter is this:
Regardless to where you have come from and who you are or what you have experienced, RESPECT and MANNERS are something which should be innate. People are pushing the boundaries of life everyday. I cannot only just blame the youth because often times, you look on the home front and there are some serious issues going on there. But let’s just level this up. Respect and manners are two key, absolute key components that make up the boundaries in society of which we all bounce off. Without these in place, society deteriorates into the cauldron of bedlum. Someone shouted out to the youth that “he should be in school.” My stance, if I was a bigger and better person, he would’ve found his carcass in a hospital bed.
Let me also make it plain here. I have two boys and I am becoming more and more aware of how difficult it is for our young black men, but the fact of the matter here is they are not making things easier for themselves neither. I am conscious of so many dynamics surrounding having boys and it is absolutely key, that I try my utmost to, and if I must, impose certain restrictions on them so they know there are certain places they cannot go.
Society is falling into the pit of degradation, in fact it is almost there. We need to bring back into our lives, our communities, our families, those BASICS that have kept and held us as a people for so long a time. It is these fundamentals such the below which in their simplicity are the bedrock of society and humanity’s progression into a higher state of being.
v Respect
v Manners
v Discipline
v Courtesy
v Politeness
v Faith
I am tired of the excuses we are giving for the behaviour exhibited by our youth. I am really, really and if I may use the word “pissed off” with such a LACK of consciousness about the above basics.
Yet as always, we go back to the same thing “What is the solution”
If I had my way, every offence committed would mean these individuals would be stripped bare, maybe leaving their underpants on, put in the town centre and made an exhibition and example of. Strip away their arrogance and ignorance with shame. Strip them bare physically, challenge them that this behaviour will not be accepted and there are consequences. Walking the street as if they are vigilantes will no longer be a game, it will require a backlash from parents, conscious adults. The sweet pillow talk thing will be a thing of the past. I think it is time to get radical, because every day I step outside my door, I come home feeling angry and despair.
“Treat others as you want them to treat you because what goes around comes around”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Scotland October 2008 Slideshow - Leadership and Youth Training Week
Please Sign My Guest Book
