Nas: ‘Open letter to young warriors in Chicago’ who beat honor student Derrion Albert to death (561 hits)
Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong wars! Killing each other is definitely played out. Being hurt from the lost of a love one was never cool.
Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong war! I know that feeling, that frustration with life and needing to take it out on someone, any one. But….
We chose the dumbest things to go the hardest for. I remember seeing deaths over 8 ball jackets, Fila sneakers, and name plate chains. Deaths over “he say, she say”!!!!! “I’m from this block or I’m from that block”, or “my moms n pops is f*cked up now the whole world gotta pay”!!!
I remember feeling like I was the hardest “n*gga” breathing. And I couldn’t wait to prove it. But let’s think. What are we really proving?? And proving what to who?? Everybody knows Chicago breeds the strongest of the strong but I just feel, me, being ya brother from another state feels your pain as if I grew up with you in ya very own household.
You have the ability and mindpower to change they way we are looked at. Look who’s watching us young warriors, look who’s throwing us in jail constantly, look at the ignorance in the world. Look at the racist dogs who love to see us down. Loving to bury us in the ground or in jail where we continue this worthless war on one another.
Young warriors…. We are WASTING more and more time. We gotta get on our jobs and take over the world. Cuz this movie left the theaters years ago, Juice, Menace, Boys n the Hood , Blood n Blood Out, Belly!
When we see each other why do we see hatred? Why were we born in a storm, born soldiers, WARRIORS….and instead of building each other up we are at war with each other.. May the soul of this young person find peace with the almighty. I’m with you young warriors. You’re me and I’m you. But trust me! you are fighting the wrong war.
-Nas
{ I'm not so sure I can call these boys warriors, because it sounds too honorable. I'd rather call them menaces to society and thugs. My heart goes out to the family of young Derrion. May his soul rest in peace. }
Part of the reason criminals exist amongst blacks is that criminals exist amongst every race. The other reason is the lack of security and the history of slavery with many of the beginning captives were criminals whom were facing death for their mischief with slavery offered in lieu of a death sentence. Majority of the slaves later became innocent victims caught up in wars contrived by stronger more militant nations upon weaker ones in order to capture a high amount of slaves to feed the demand for African slaves. What is happening is not a slave mentality but a security issue whereinas we as African Americans have never been allowed self destined or rule by White America. So financial and sometimes hidden criminal support has been given to black gangs, cartels, mafias, drug dealers and criminals of all types. This is done to keep our communities in a state of chaos and will only change when we confront this as our own problem and not something thrust upon us.
Black Americans who are descendents of slaves are not Africans. Black Americans are a new breed or race of people that has emerged out of the ashes of slavery. Black Americans are the results of White men mostly of British descent breeding themselves with the many different kinds of African slave women doing the 15th and 18th century that they purchased from the slave traders.
Consequentially, Black Americans are not Africans. Therefore, everything else that you had said is inaccurate.
First, get it right whom Black Americans are, then post again.
Yes criminals exist in all ethnic groups Bro. Washington and although I do understand your points, there is an even simpler solution to this problem in urban neighborhoods ... parents have to go back to parenting their kids. There is nothing that will convince me of this truth. NO matter how rough a neighborhood might be or how great a neighborhood might be...there is simply nothing that can replace good home training. 'Charity starts at home' and when that charity is lacking at home kids find other things to replace it.
It's time for us to stop making excuses for some of this stuff and start taking responsibility for the choices and decisions that we have made. It is what it is. Many people don't even finish school and therein the problem begins with poverty and the ability to earn a decent wage. Then factor having kids that you can't afford to take care of with one job---so there comes Workfare/Welfare or people get two or three jobs to piece together money to pay for stuff. Then that leads to latch key kids with too much time on their hands.
There are too many single mothers trying to do it all when they can't do it all. There are too many fathers who won't be a part of their kid's lives socially, financially, and emotionally. There are too many parents who will not spend time with their kids. There are just too many things that need to change. It becomes a never ending vicious cycle.
The problems in the Black community as you said Brother Washington have to be confronted by us--the people who are directly impacted by the problem.
Monday, October 5th 2009 at 11:03AM
Jen Fad
Sister Jen, I think you are right. But also changes could be made in the school system to help also break out of this vicious cycle.
The open letter from Nas first appeared on GlobalGrind.com. Here is a comment from their political editor:
The Hope From Obama. We Off That?
In the same city, the same windy city, where young Barry Obama walked through the streets to organize a community…the same city where Walter needed a Refrigerator to win a Super Bowl…the same city that in ‘68 made students run for their lives…the same city that needed Common Sense to understand the Twisted rhymes of a rapper…a city whose doors were opened up by Mr. West…a windy, cold city that we call “The Chi.” In this same city, Chi-Town, The Windy, The Chi, Chicago --- this same city…has been brought to her knees…and we fall right there with her.
My body shakes. My skin tightens. My head aches. My eyes tear. My heart hurts. Because on the streets of the Chi, we witnessed hope lost. We witnessed the result of a heavyweight championship match. Ali vs. Frazier. This was no “Thrilla In Manila” or “Rumble In The Jungle” – this was a defeat that pains every bone in the body. A defeat of humanity. A defeat of our people. A defeat of our nation. A defeat of our hope.
I remember sitting on the steps of an abandoned house in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2002, having a conversation with Leifel Jackson, better known on the streets as “OG” aka Original Gangster. I was there to produce a film for HBO about the 10-year street war between the Bloods and Crips in Little Rock, which at one point had a higher murder rate (per capita) than LA and New York. Leifel, the leader of the Crips and who had a federal number for 10 years, was back in the hood, trying to uplift his people in a positive way. And during that conversation, he said to me (and I will never forget it), “a hopeless kid in America is the most dangerous kid in the world.”
And now I wonder, after watching that video – what happened to the hope from Obama? I look at these young people running around the streets and beating each other up, and I see a reflection of myself. I feel I am as much at fault as they are in the tragic killing of Derrion Albert. What have I done to contribute to young people in this country having NO HOPE? I read yesterday that the unemployment rate for 16-24 years old (not in school) is 52%. FIFTY TWO PERCENT. And with that knowledge, how do we even question this type of behavior. If you have no hope, then what do you live for?
After only 8 months in office, are we already running out of hope? Is that all it took? Or did ever really have it? Maybe it was just about rockin a t-shirt or throwin a poster on your wall? Whatever hope we thought we had, WE OFF THAT.
However, I am going to take this moment to look deep inside myself and ask myself whether I really want to help make our future better. This is not about one man, in one office, in one house. This about is our generation taking control of that four letter word, and creating real opportunities for all. We know when we watch that video, that that is not the America we dream of. That is not the America we fought for. That is not the America we built with our bare hands. That is not the America we are proud of. That is not the America that we want to be.
I ask you, what America do you want? And are you ready to do something about it?
-Michael Skolnik
GlobalGrind.com Political Editor
Monday, October 5th 2009 at 11:44AM
Steve Williams
Hello Ms. Fad,
Do you not understand that the parents themselves are psychologically ruined as all Black Americans who are descendents of slaves are?
Now I know that all Black Americans believes that they are super smart and that is indicative of how ignorant that we are. Nevertheless, how could we be smart when we are descendents of slaves and do not want to let go the hands of our ancestors’ slave masters’ children? Please explain that to me.
In other words, since our ancestors started out as slaves how is it that you would think any of us are mentally and psychologically sound in view of what our ancestors were subject to? Do you not think that they passed down their psychological damages to us as well?
Today when there are a couple of murders in the schoolhouse the children immediately gets psychological counseling. What kind of counseling did the surviving children of the Tulsa, Oklahoma massacre received? They lived with their trauma and inadvertently passed it along to their children or descendents. So, how could you, Ms. Fad consider that we are psychologically sound people? We must desire to become a sovereign people or gain complete independence from White America. We have a long way to go before we become a psychologically sound people.
We need the help of God and we have it. We need to think about becoming a sovereign people or have complete independence from White America on a portion of this continent that we could call our very own country with borders.
We need to be in a situation that we could handle our own problems. We need to have our hands on the wheel of our own destiny. Do you not think so, Ms. Fad?
How long is it going to take you to understand what I am saying, Ms. Fad?
