I’m going to a funeral next Saturday for a very close friend of mine who was shot and killed for no apparent reason not too far from my home. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This isn’t me boasting about my neighborhood or how violent some other neighborhoods are in the U.S. It’s just not the reality for most of the men on this board. I can go murder for murder with Medellin, at least with what the media reports, for homocides within 5 miles of my residense. I know for a fact there are probably many more murders in Medallo of Colombianos that aren’t reported. But my point is this can happen to you anywhere. Especially if you’re doing something stupid!!
Is it any wonder?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/uk/06/prisons/html/nn2page1.stmA while back, we had a narcotics gang that required prospective members to kill an innocent citizen to gain 'membership'-- the initiation...
People in otherwise 'nice neighborhoods', like people out walking their dogs, were being found dead, shot in the head, nothing stolen. The city was in fear, until they took the gang down.
My wife and I do volunteer work in the community. It's crazy, but one of the jobs I took on is working with a very hardcore, gangster wannabe. He's 15 y/o, 6 ft 3 tall, 220 pound 'kid', who is a repeated, violent offender. At age 15, he's a felon--he has a felony record for repeated aggravated assaults. Very angry person. He's on an ankle monitor bracelet, but still starts physical fights, in fact he's back in jail now--again.
When he's out of jail, I (try to) work with him at the school police HQ's-- The Annex. The kid was THROWN out of the alternative school for other violent types, for students caught with guns, drugs, etc. Seems he stirred up that school even worse.
The teen refers to me a "You is my [snip]h", (N) "boy" interspersed with nuggets like "You is a faggot--your blood full of pussy blood" He has looked me in the eye and said: "You know I can hurt you"
It took a while ( I basically ignore his verbalizations and aberrant, attention seeking behaviors, redirecting him when possible.
But I have him working about 40% of the time and even have him playing chess and Jenga if he puts out some tangible work.
Guess he realizes this white mofo isn't 'out to get him' but he is amazed that I give him even the time of day. That unlike almost every one else, I don't seem to despise him or act afraid. (although I am very aware of the danger he can create, that he potentially could hurt me)
We had some unseasonably cold weather and as he had none, I have him a pair of gloves that had been sitting around the house, unworn for too long. Another time, it was a bottle of cologne I didn't wear.
I suppose nobody, certainly no white person, had ever done that.
He brags that his teachers hate and fear him.
I guess he hadn't heard a lot of guys telling him "Hey, like it or not, life's not fair--in fact a lot of time it sucks, but w/o a high school diploma or GED, even McDonalds isn't gonna hire you nowadays."
I told him straight up: "You're in a bad spot now, but like it or not, that diploma is wall that you're gonna have to get over or around"
I told him if he could straighten up, it was possible that the courts could expunge his felony convictions, that if he made the right moves in the 'game of life'-- he could probably get out of the ghetto, have a car, a better life--'prizes' for making the right moves, even if the game's unfair.
While that's a long shot, what with this kid so deep into gangsta life, I doubt if any white guy ever ever told him and that made a difference.
I wanted to even take him fishing this summer, but his mother is all 'lawyered up' and that could be a trap, so nope, I'll just continue to work occasionally w him at police HQ. Ironically, I work with him one on one--other days, he works with two at a time, and the two are certified Behavior Intervention Specialists.
This teen is pretty much eating out of my hand, although I am constantly aware of his mindset and my physical proximity.
The nasty things he says are bluster, trying to get me upset. I just sip my coffee, poker faced and wait him out.
But this kid is an impoverished sociopath who tells me he wants guns, admits to using drugs. One of his diagnosed 'anger triggers' is 'other people' and I'm sure he's gonna be in the news in the future, and not in a good way....
And there are too many more like him, out on the streets.
