A child was born, with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smiling on you but he's frowning too
Cause only God knows what you'll go through
-Grandmaster Flash, "The Message"
so i'm putting gas in someone else's car about to head back to the bean and and this cop pulls up talking about 'where you headed'?
woosah...
so i shrivel my face and say what the hell are you asking me that for? he then says well you not going anywhere because that car's registration is suspended, etc. he then says you have to leave it here and get a ride and be happy that i don't ticket and tow you. so, why is it suspended, we ask as we wave the valid registration that just got renewed in may? oh, that's just a piece of paper. i have it here in my computer system. and without any real proof other than his word, he again says we need to call a ride and he pulls off.
we are in Chelmsford (a good 30+ miles from Boston), having pulled off Route 3 for a quick fuel-up. i don't even know the exit number yo. oh, so you gonna just up and leave like that. what if i didn't have a cell phone?!
but the part that gets me the most is...i was PUMPING GAS!
who the fuq runs plates on a car sitting at the pump. ah yes, but of course, i fit the description. i had the XL orange football jersey, those oh so comfy loose-fit jeans, and an untamed 'fro. why else would you become suspicious enough to do something like that at damn near midnight? i could understand if we were speeding, driving erratically, running consecutive yellow lights, or had a tail light missing. but really though...i'm going to need for you to do a better job of cloaking your bias, homeboy.
and people wonder why Michelle Obama said she was proud of her country for the first time in her adulthood.
so...here's a little something for you to enjoy if you don't have the MP3: NWA-FuQThePolice
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
connect the dots
Listening to "PreGame" by Sauce Money and Jay-Z got me in the zone. 2008 has been a pretty good year so far. It has been a helluva ride. A lot of cylinders have been clicking; on some straight coasting shT. A few missteps too though.
Witnessing Shorty Rock's (aka the midget) growth and evolution has been a process by which I've grown as well. My patience is continually honed as I try to better manage how to pick and choose exact phrasing for nearly every thing that comes out of mouth. Being Arlene's son does come with its share of indiscretions; the most striking of which are the diaphragm-induced muthafukas that roll off the tongue like Spanish language R's.
Something I have noticed about myself is that I tend to be fairly quiet during meetings unless I am the convener or a featured speaker on the agenda. I usually opt to be an active listener. Here and there, I'll seek clarification from a neighboring attendee. But I will chime in if I feel my viewpoint or perspective had not been voiced. And that strategy has proven fruitful in its own right.
Other things I've noticed include...
...how odd it was that the 7 of the 8 Olympic medals for Zimbabwe were won by a white woman. All while the country still reels in turmoil and infighting and economic insecurity. She has been a source of inspiration and pride and hope despite the failure of government. It is a complicated mixture of power, rule, and tradition that I will never fully be able to comprehend.
...how foolish would I be to take a vacation in Mexico. Seriously, these dudes are blasting away with the quickness. In one incident in Chihuahua, 13 people were killed as the left a party, including a toddler. That's some straight desperado ish I ain't trying to be near. I'll stick to Canada and the Caribbean, yo.
...how crazy the world works sometimes. So this Rockerfeller dudes kidnaps his daughter and bounces to Baltimore. Come ot find out, he's been a mystery man forever and has been 'getting by' literally over everyone. I read this striking piece about confidence and the part that amused me the most was how some educated brothers and sisters can be on the job hunt for months, whereas this dude copped job offers without so much as a resume.
Witnessing Shorty Rock's (aka the midget) growth and evolution has been a process by which I've grown as well. My patience is continually honed as I try to better manage how to pick and choose exact phrasing for nearly every thing that comes out of mouth. Being Arlene's son does come with its share of indiscretions; the most striking of which are the diaphragm-induced muthafukas that roll off the tongue like Spanish language R's.
Something I have noticed about myself is that I tend to be fairly quiet during meetings unless I am the convener or a featured speaker on the agenda. I usually opt to be an active listener. Here and there, I'll seek clarification from a neighboring attendee. But I will chime in if I feel my viewpoint or perspective had not been voiced. And that strategy has proven fruitful in its own right.
Other things I've noticed include...
...how odd it was that the 7 of the 8 Olympic medals for Zimbabwe were won by a white woman. All while the country still reels in turmoil and infighting and economic insecurity. She has been a source of inspiration and pride and hope despite the failure of government. It is a complicated mixture of power, rule, and tradition that I will never fully be able to comprehend.
...how foolish would I be to take a vacation in Mexico. Seriously, these dudes are blasting away with the quickness. In one incident in Chihuahua, 13 people were killed as the left a party, including a toddler. That's some straight desperado ish I ain't trying to be near. I'll stick to Canada and the Caribbean, yo.
...how crazy the world works sometimes. So this Rockerfeller dudes kidnaps his daughter and bounces to Baltimore. Come ot find out, he's been a mystery man forever and has been 'getting by' literally over everyone. I read this striking piece about confidence and the part that amused me the most was how some educated brothers and sisters can be on the job hunt for months, whereas this dude copped job offers without so much as a resume.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers
I think it started with some random-a$$ article I read that didn't sit well with me regarding something with the city whatever, whatever. So, I decided to write something. And then it grew. And then - lo and behold - they up and decided to print it. Go figure.
"Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers."
Those words, excerpted from a biblical passage, still hold true in 2008. The Boston I know is one of quixotic wonder. It seems almost everything under the sun is both idealistic and unrealistic. For the short gains we do make, missteps always pop up. Leaders rise to prominence because of vision, charisma and capability. And even still, we hold their feet to the fire when either our interests wane or their impact lessens. Well, at least we should.
I have grown tired of the clergy being seen by the media as the only seemingly legitimate source of black leaders and opinion. I have grown tired of the mayoral machine and its retaliatory tactics to subjugate power and authority. I have grown tired of grown men casting blind eyes to the power of their actions and words. I have grown tired of youth having their voices muted. I have grown tired of boarded-up homes and closed commercial sites. I have grown tired of thugs, young and old, preying on my peoples.
Yet my weary body cannot stay down. Solutions to any of these issues will not come easy. They have to come from the people. Simple handshakes and "daps" of acknowledgment are mere steppingstones, but true community is forged through relationship building. That, to me, is the single and simplest way I envision us turning the corner.
They say history repeats itself. I say we are doomed for a fate much worse if we do not take these lessons learned and cultivate meaningful, tangible change. The immediacy and urgency cannot be diluted or else we may as well stop voting, stop dreaming and stop thinking we shall overcome the enemy within.
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