The Ramey Commentaries By Mike Ramey

Obama Turns Page; Clintons Sweat

Nearly an hour before his history making speech in St. Paul, Minnesota, a small 'blurb' was released by the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama to the press. 

It was buried in the moment, but was not a shock to those who had the opportunity to hear Sen. Hillary Clinton's 'speech' earlier Tuesday evening. 

The item?  The selection of a well known research legman by the name of Jim Johnson to start the selection process of a Vice President for the Obama ticket.  Johnson, according to the Associated Press, has worked on Democratic campaigns before: First in 1984 for Walter Mondale, and 2004 for John Kerry to select running mates. 

Of course, there are more than ten names on the list, with Sen. Clinton's name in the third position.

However, several of the names are major democrat heavyweights such as Sen Joseph Biden, Gov. Bill Richardson, and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. 

It is clear that Obama heard speeches by Clinton, and his Republican opponent Sen. John McCain--who also will soon announce a search of his own for a Veep candidate. 

In my opinion, just the releasing of this list has enough power to 'cut' the Clinton dynamite.  Faced with a defiant Hillary who is hooked on 'dissing' Obama "...because she believes its is HER turn..."which is in the public realm, and, based on the old 'street' saying that there is: "...only room for ONE dominant female in a house..." (position filled by Michelle Obama, who is also a lawyer), there may be some 'laying low' for a while, but Hillary's page has been turned Obama made that clear on Tuesday night. 

The pundits agree...Hillary Clinton did more damage to her own political ambitions than she did to Obama's.

Her New York 'non speech' with a side order of "...I would accept the Vice President spot..." has made the rounds on the political shows and even YouTube.com.

She has proven that she is hooked on power, not reality.  The numbers added up, and Obama was the winner, pure and simple.  Now it is HIS choice to make for VP; and his alone. 

Time IS on Obama's side, as the 'real' race for the general election--by tradition--does not start until after Labor Day. THAT is when voters start paying attention.  Sen. Clinton has a proven track record of not being able to stay away from publicity more than a few days or weeks at a time.  The longer Obama sticks to the script as the nominee, the more the Clinton power base will dwindle, and the more the Clinton strategists and donors will be looking at the Obama camp, and wanting to be with a winner. 

What of the voters that Hillary 'commands'?  They will eventually straggle over to Obama, over the course of time.  And, after a dismal, painful, and lousy Tuesday night speech by Sen. McCain, there MAY be some company with them. 'Republicans For Obama' are already starting to 'line up' on the Internet, and many of them will be Black and Hispanic.  Thus, those who may be die-hard 'Clinton fanatics' may be replaced by disheartened Republicans. 

Obama has as much 'experience' going into the White House as any other president. The office shows the true character of the occupant, for good or ill (I just wanted to throw this in for fans of conservative talk radio--LOL).  Nevertheless, Obama has the nomination; and has 'turned the page' on the Clintons.

They can take the hint, or, take the hurt.

 

 

"The Wright/Obama 'Rope-A-Dope'?"

"Dinner is over.  Bring the walnuts, and let us crack the reputations of a preacher or two."  --Charles H. Spurgeon 

Please keep in mind that it is nothing new for preachers to be criticized.  Charles Haddon Spurgeon, hailed as 'The Prince Of Preachers' of nearly two centuries ago, in his book 'Eccentric Preachers'(which is a must reading for pastors), noted that critics and preaching go hand in hand. He had also had his share of critics. 

"He who hopes to preach so as to please everybody must be newly come into the ministry; and he who aims at such an object would do well speedily to leave its ranks."  Spurgeon notes. 

Now that the NAACP Convention, The Bill Moyers interview and the National Press Club are behind him, The Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright continues to be touted in the press as someone who is 'hurtful' to the campaign of Barack Obama.  Rev. Wright, from what I have witness just this last 72 hours from the point of view of one who IS a pastor, has held up beautifully thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ.  There is NO way possible that he could have dominated the news cycle of three days (and many more days ahead) if this was not a means of getting this nation to finally deal with her Black issues, reparations, reconciliation, and racism.  I have said a few 'controversial' things from my own pulpit. I'm not a supporter of 'Black Liberation Theology', but I will support those who welcome Christ. 

However, here is the rub.   

This is a 'rope-a-dope' move to the max. 

Obama and Wright 'counted the cost' of the arena of national office, somewhere back in the recesses of time.  The 'inside' ticket is that Obama 'explored' the underground concerning his political chances nearly two years before he became a candidate. This is why Obama is ahead in the delegate count, the popular vote (without Florida and Michigan) and creeping up in the super delegate count...planning, getting a good team, prayer, and execution. 

Even the US Supreme Court, in deciding FOR the use of Photo ID to get voters to the poll is working towards an Obama presidency...and the voter photo ID issue, in its latest form, started HERE in my home state of Indiana.  Sen. Clinton's bid for another debate was gunned down, while Obama was here in Indiana.  Sen.

McCain's remarks about Obama not caring about the poor WHILE Obama was at 19th and College--a poor area--eating with poor folk and posing for photos--was another resounding 'dud' as it hit the airwaves while Obama was here in my home state of Indiana.  

As Wright noted in some of his weekend remarks: "He

(Obama) is saying what politicians are supposed to say; and I am saying what Pastors are supposed to say."  Too smooth?  Media missed this?  A preacher without something to say?  A preacher AND a member of his church taking the heat for the highest office in the land? This is why this had to have been anticipated, planned, plotted and dismissed. 

Obama and Wright are best liked to Tiger Woods, and the Williams sisters. They 'sweat' and 'strain' and ran scenarios in secret, so that when they are in 'public', they are usually victorious!  And, with the training of Rev. Wright, he is also on the cutting edge of victory.  How can one, who is a Black man, a preacher, a pastor, and over the age of 50 NOT understand how this society functions and know which buttons to expose, and which buttons still need to be dealt with.

This is...shall we say...how Ali was 'misunderestimated' in the boxing ring?  And, HOW many months until the Democratic National Convention? Do the math and see the results.  It's all in the rope-a-dope.  And...the gloves have YET to come off in the Obama camp.

 

 

THE RAMEY COMMENTARIES: THE ALICIA KEYS SHUFFLE By Mike Ramey 

High profile person makes comment; gets call from the string pullers that his/her comments are bad for business; high profile person recants or says that they misspoke, even though their comments are on tape, video, AND DVD! 

It's nice to know that the formula doesn't change. 

MSNBC reported on its web site that Alicia Keys is now denying (backing away from, recanting) that she didn't say what she said in her Blender magazine interview about Gangsta Rap.  According to an AP story, a spokesperson for Blender Magazine is standing by their story. 

Now, I'm not one to get excited.  Somehow, someone at the gatekeeper's desk let the truth 'slip out' in order to boost, a) Keys' sales, and; b) the genre of Gangsta Rap, which has been slipping in sales for the last FIVE years, even though the 'big name playahs' of both the male and female ranks have been still making money by diversification of their business portfolios.

Meanwhile, those who have been dying on the streets as a result of those who have been 'fueled' by the rage of Gangsta Rap, are still dead, and Black men and women are--through the miracle of technology--EAGERLY disrespecting one another...for the sake of a buck. 

Let this be a clear lesson for media watchers and those who want to be famous, regardless of what venue you wish to conquer.  Unless you have some of your own intestinal fortitude, your decisions, comments, or even political office are going to be 'monitored' by the blowing of the wind against your moistened index finger. 

Disappointed?  Not really.  I was wondering when the truth about 'her truth' would be coming out. With the music industry in a slump thanks to downloading and other 'tech toys' and a sour economy, the cash registers are starting to come up dry.  The powers that be snuffed out her 'militant' streak when their profits were in danger.  Just like in the Book of Acts when the Apostle Paul cast the demon out of the girl who could tell fortunes, her 'handlers'--the folk who made money off this young woman soothsayer--demanded financial justice...even IF the truth were made public. Paul had to be locked up, because he ruined their cash flow. 

The same is still true today. 

Thus, Alicia Keys 'may' have told the truth about Gangsta Rap, but the high priests of the music industry ordered the matter closed. Maybe she 'misspoke', but by recanting...nobody will be set free--because of the money.  Expect her sales to suffer as well in the long term. 

Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to be a 'Conspiracy Theorist'.  After all, they usually manage to outlive the conspiracy, through the grace of God and through keeping an eye on history so as to learn from it, and not repeat it. 

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So what do you think?  If you would like to respond to this article click here and sign our Guestbook to leave a public or private statement, comment or reaction. 

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GANGS AND GANG VIOLENCE: A NATIONAL CRISIS

Gang violence is contributing to a disturbing crime trend across the country.  MIKE RAMEY is a nationally certified Street Gang Specialist and former Felony Probation Officer for a Juvenile Court.  As a longtime substitute teacher Ramey understands why many of our children are "latching on" to colors, guns, and mayhem.  Mike Ramey says that winning the battle against modern street gangs (MSGs) requires out-of-the-box thinking and solutions.  So we decided to interview Mr. Ramey in an effort to learn more about gangs in America and how to combat this national crisis.

The M. G. Ramey Interview

BMIA.com: Why are you so passionate about gang violence?

Mike Ramey: First, let me say thank you for interviewing me. I’m in the big time now, baby! Anyway, let me also say that I am pro-color, because I am color. So, if some who read this interview want to make accusations, just remember that some of the most vicious gangs in American history were run and maintained by more of the lighter hue than those of color. Further, gangs are not a new phenomena. Now, what fired me up about gang violence this time around was a NATIONAL Juvenile Justice conference I attended back in 2003. One of the main speakers at a seminar admitted that the juvenile justice system had, literally, run out of money at ALL levels AND that the next five to ten years would HAVE to be spent in finding more ways to get parents involved in disciplining their OWN children instead of running them to court for every little problem. This was in 2003. Needless to say, I was not happy because not only had parents been sold a bill of goods, so had many of us who had been working in juvenile justice as probation officers, counselors, detention officers, etc. Up to that time, our training and skills were sharpened to convince both wayward teens and the public that the system ‘had’ the answers. Now, this comes along, which reinforced a lot of what I had been feeling for a long time; IF you don’t get the parent, or parents involved, the teen will have problems…including gang violence.

BMIA.com: Tell us a little bit about your background and how you became a soldier against gang violence?

Mike Ramey: I’ve been bumping heads with this issue off and on for more than 20 years. As a crime reporter in the 1980s, my home city of Indianapolis, Indiana saw gang crime go off the charts. There was plenty of bickering among politicians as to whether or not we had actual ‘gangs’ in our city. Well, after a study was done and verified the fact, then the politicians and police HAD to act, and start locking these Bangers up. Then in the 1990s, I did several print columns when I made the jump into newspapers and did research with some experts both in and out of Indiana. That was when I found out about how vast the problem was, how girls were starting to form their own gangs, how the ‘Gangbanger funeral’ wasn’t just a joke, and how teens…OUR teens...were entering gangs as some kind of job.

Now, after spending six years as a juvenile probation officer working with the roughest of juvenile criminals, I’ve seen teens younger than 13 getting wrapped up in this madness, and the system isn’t having much of a dent in breaking them up…at least in public. When I received my national certification as a Street Gang Specialist in 2006, it solidified, consolidated, confirmed, and expanded a lot of stuff I already knew, and had seen while working as a reporter, substitute teacher, pastor and probation officer. That’s when THE GANG LINE became more than just a thought; it became a business and now, and added weapon of reaching out via the Internet.

BMIA.com: Why do you think kids join gangs?

Mike Ramey: I think that they join out of typical rebellion…BUT they get far more than they bargained for. It is natural for young people to rebel; to test their limits at home and in society. However, when you have a society that is scared to do its job, and parents being challenged every time they want to properly supervise their OWN children, and taxes going up to subsidize programs that have little in the way of success, you can see what we are up against.

Then, you have the spiritual void. Modern street gangs, in spite of all their faults and dangers ‘represent’ a type of ‘religious void filler’ to a lot of teen males and females. Prayers are prayed. Items are held to be ‘holy’. Alms and support are provided for members who have fallen defending the colors. The ‘no snitch’ code has replaced the ‘love’ code put forth in the last generation of gangs. There is a fraternal/sorority ‘excitement’ to become a member after initiation and accepting your ‘new’ name, in front of your homies.

Gang structures are very rigid. The gang bylaws or gang constitution is designed to break the individual and mold them into being a gang soldier through their own processing and involvement. Read one sometime if you can get a hold of one…they clearly show what is expected and demanded. Members LOVE such concrete expectations…but forget that there is a high price tag at the end. It’s the COST of being a gang member that most in society are reluctant to comment on.

BMIA.com: What are most people missing when it comes to recognizing gang violence?

Mike Ramey: The fact that teens who are involved are NOT stupid. They copy the tactics used by gangs on video and in the movies, some of them can be traced back to the Prohibition days of the USA. In fact, teen bangers are highly intelligent, and cold-blooded when it comes to performing violence. Remorse? Many of them save it for court. They just ‘use’ their gifts for crime…without thinking about the punishment. They rehearse their ‘rap’ for authority figures, and many authority figures are still ignorant of the fact that gangs and gang members have changed their dynamic and have learned how ignore criticism, and block questioning about their activities.

Teen Gangbangers RESPECT those who will have the guts to pull them over to the side, set them down, and break down their reality. Sure, they’ll threaten, but as an old solider myself, I know how to reach the young--by putting the mirror UP to their faces and explaining how fast life passes by. I had a 17 year old and his parent in my office one afternoon, and spent about 20 minutes JUST on the subject of his priors, and lack of attending school and how he was a functioning statistic because he had missed three years of school and was too DUMB to even qualify to get INTO a GED program…by his OWN efforts! He was in TEARS! His parent hadn’t seen him cry in public over his own shortcomings. That parent and child, hopefully used those tears to get him to take responsibility and rebuild his life.

BMIA.com: Share with us some facts about gangs and gang related violence that we should know.

Mike Ramey: Gary, there are REAMS of information out there on this particular subject. I tell those who come to my trainings where to look and how to look for such information. However, my BEST piece of artillery comes from, of all places, The National Center for Policy Analysis. In a nutshell, a teen who is involved street gang activity has a 25% chance of being killed; they will be arrested at least six times; they will suffer at least two non-life threatening injuries. Also, they (gang members) value their lives far less than the average teen.

BMIA.com: What is the most shocking or jaw dropping thing you’ve seen when it comes to gangs?

Mike Ramey: Watching white kids use gang signs and ‘represent’ traditional Black and Hispanic gangs and the police and the community let them ‘roll’ on, while coming down HARD on Black and Hispanic gangs for doing the same thing. I’ve seen white kids drop flags RIGHT in front of white cops, and the cops will just roll on by like the kids are just talking about a football game. There IS a double standard. The gangs know it…and they play on it. Among Black probation officers there is a saying that is true; THEIR kids get therapy, and OUR kids get time.

Another shocker, this one involving a young man who was on my caseload. I had to get a copy of his grades from his middle school, as a part of the court order for probation. The school gave me a copy of his report card. He was an eighth grader for the second time and his GPA was 0.0035. If his grades were being translated into an EKG monitor strip, he would be one TICK away from DEAD.

BMIA.com: Talk with us about girl gangs.

Girl bangers are going to be covered in a separate column for the series, but I can tell you this. I’m one of the few who dares to state on the record that girl gangs can be traced back to the feminist movement of the 1970s. You see, Black women and women of color are not held to be equal by their white, feminist sisters…UNLESS they ‘happen’ to serve a purpose to help ‘the agenda’. Now, we are seeing the handiwork of the feminist lie. More and more young Black and Hispanic women are heading to jail and prison, and more and more young white women are heading to therapy for the SAME offenses. Further, the girls in gangs thing can be traced to a failure by women to train their younger sisters. You have older female relatives ‘helping out’ with some girl gangs in terms of plotting hits and securing weapons, rather than teaching these SAME girls how to cook, clean, and sew and secure an education.

Girl gang members are adept at using their fists, weapons, drugs, whatever it takes. They are not above using the West Side Story model of ‘rolling in with superior numbers’ in order to make a point. They are not above posting ‘catfights’ on the Internet in graphic detail…which makes them techno savvy. They have enough sense in throwing gang signs one moment, and appearing innocent the next. Yes, it takes a woman to reach a girl. Males in the criminal justice system are not truly equipped to handle girl bangers.

I’ve seen some female cops, probation officers, and teacher break DOWN a swaggering teen sister in rapid fashion using a nod, a change in tone, and ‘the look’. However, those women in law enforcement are rare.

BMIA.com: How young are some of these kids?

Mike Ramey: According to the stats that I received and researched, there are gang members who have been recruited as young as eight or nine years old. Twenty years ago, gangs were actively recruiting in high schools. Ten years ago, they started recruiting members out of middle schools. Now, you have gangs who have been recruiting kids from elementary schools as far back as 2002. Among Hispanics, the recruiting age is about the same, but, the dynamics are different because--and I want folks to read this carefully--the patriarchy is still firmly in place in the Hispanic community. Daddy still rules the house, and the oldest male child is held to be in charge until the father returns. They haven’t become ‘Americanized’ yet…but that day IS coming.

BMIA.com: You have a unique perspective as a longtime substitute teacher and probation officer. Where are things breaking down?

Mike Ramey: Things are breaking down in courts, with the police and with government because they won’t tell the public the full truth as to how bad and pervasive the gang situation is. The government will raise taxes to ‘cover’ diversion of funds to other non-essential areas, but these same officials won’t be courageous enough to let the public know how bad it is on the streets. Funny thing is, the public will spend $5 Billion Dollars to decorate, costume, secure candy and have parties for Halloween, but the same public ‘stutters’ over the need for society to free parents to get involved with the raising of their own children.

The schools are just as bad. Teachers are not being protected. Safety and security forces are being cut back. Ignorance is being exalted, and social promotion STLL continues even under NCLB. Until the parent is allowed to be involved with the process, there will continue to be problems. Then, on the other side of the dynamic, we have Black parents who have ‘made it’ and gotten their children in the ‘best’ schools…but have NOT followed up in being accountable as parents and staying ON their kids to study, work, sweat, and achieve. The mistaken impression is that once our young Black kids get into a ‘good’ school, that is the end of the rainbow. Balderdash! All this means is that you’ve got more folk who are going to put pressure on your child to achieve…because you can ‘afford’ to go to their school. The rules for success have not changed. You can’t get ahead, if you are Black, without an education. You may be ‘socially promoted’, but you have not been educated…IF you don’t make some decent grades.

BMIA.com: Let’s keep it real and talk about some of these parents and guardians. Tell us what you see.

We are seeing more and more extended family members stepping up to serve the role as parent, because for one reason or another the father OR mother OR BOTH have decided to drop the kids and run. When I was active with the court, I had grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, cousins, uncles and even older siblings and family friends serving as parents. I also saw more and more single mothers so wrapped up in man-chasing, drinking, drugging, or who were locked up themselves and serving time. Add to this the fact that teens who were in the system had, in some cases, fathers who were in prison for a variety of crimes.

Gary, I’ll be honest. What separates me from a lot of so called ‘experts’ on street gangs is that I don’t pretend to be an expert; I’m a specialist--I work on connecting the dots to come to a conclusion or spotting trends, and pegging where gang activity is heading. I can be wrong on a few things, but not very many. All gang issues are local but have national ties and implications. It doesn’t matter about the names of many of the gangs we see…it’s the mindset. Once you understand the mindset, you understand the particular gang because they ALL operate the same way. If the parents understand the basics, THEY become the ‘experts’ because they know--or should know--their children better than the courts, the cops, and the therapists.

BMIA.com: What role should neighbors, churches and schools play in the lives of our children?

Mike Ramey: Encouraging unmarried singles to get married before having sexual relations. There is a LOT of resentment in society from kids whose parents never married. This is another ‘dirty little secret’ (DLS) that society does NOT want to get out. A summer of love is always followed by a winter of woe for those who don’t have the guts to get married, but have the guts to have sex. I believe the aforementioned should also encourage the parent to be a parent! Single parents COULD be more than just statistics IF they stepped up and determined that their children were NOT going to become gang members. If this means that mother needs to stop trying to ‘drink and chase’ with her friends every weekend and spend some time teaching her daughter or son about the ‘birds and the bees’ or a proper education, then so be it!

The modern church--and I can speak on this--has gotten soft, lazy, and uninvolved. We have forgotten that in order to impact lives goes beyond drive by prayer vigils, street marches for the cameras, and ‘declarations’ against gang violence. Gang bangers have parents. If you walk BY the home, and don’t make the effort to VISIT the homes in your community Mr. And Mrs. Church Member and Mr. Senior Pastor, you won’t have the credibility to demand change in society. The Bangers in my community KNOW me on several different levels. The dynamic has changed, fellow Christians; WE have to go up the next level and get the parents of the wayward child some help--getting them to complete their educations; getting parents to BRING their children to church instead of the church picking up the child; leading the parent/parents to Christ THEN encouraging the parent to lead the children to Christ IN THE HOME.

One other thing, there needs to be a cessation of mentoring programs for young men and young women. Encourage and support their parents to do their jobs. Too many mentors, therapists, and counselors are being used as well-paid baby sitters for the single parent, thus letting them off the hook. ENOUGH!

BMIA.com: Again, you were a part of the criminal justice system. How is gang violence affecting black boys and young men?

Mike Ramey: The true impact is the rising level of better excuses to justify criminal behavior, from the hood to the suburbs. Sadly, when I was actively attached to a court, it mattered little the monetary location of the family, because more of the Black families came from lower-middle to upper-middle income homes. Now, there were some families who were Black and Hispanic who were ‘poor’, but they were the exception, and not the rule. Cops, Probation Officers and Parole Agents, when dealing with juveniles…even young adults involved in gang activity are having to help ‘train’ parents (who were babies themselves) in what their role SHOULD be when it comes to raising their children.

Some of our Black young men…and their parents…are so warped in their thinking that this next example will wake you up as to how bad it is. Brothers with two strikes on them at between 23 to 26 years of age NOW want to ‘warn’ their younger counterparts about the ‘dangers’ of gang activity as ‘public speakers’. The only drawback is, this the only activity some of them can do, because they have screwed up their lives with felonies to the point that they would be unfit for work at McDonalds. MOST of the public speakers in street gang programs that have ‘real’ impact don’t have criminal backgrounds.

BMIA.com: What are the signs of gang activity?

Mike Ramey: The FIRST sign of gang activity in the individual is the commission of a crime, and the starting of a juvenile criminal record. Up to THIS point, it is all talk. Once arrests start taking place, and trips to court, and payment of court fees, the teen (male or female) gets their ‘gang’ name. The SECOND sign of gang activity is the increase in LIES by the young person involved, followed closely by skipping school, hanging out with less than trustworthy friends USUALLY at night. The THIRD sign of gang activity is the SECRETNESS of the teen involved, followed closely by the arrival of new bruises, tattoos and ‘smells’ of liquor, marijuana smoke, and flashing of cash money. Once it gets to the third stage, the fight will be on by the parent to get the child out of the mindset of the gang life.

As I do trainings and presentations, I cover specific differences from the religious standpoint. Many of the colors, signs, and numbers used by gangs are rooted in the Bible, but have been twisted in their use. Then, I also examine the cultural roots of some of the Hispanic gangs and their involvement in Santeria and other forms of saint worship. Some of THESE gangs, to Christians IN law enforcement, actually CAST spells on case workers, police officers, probation officers and judges in order to ‘get’ their way. The use of witchcraft by these and other gangs take the gang issue to another level and I’m one of the few who addresses these types of issues.

BMIA.com: In your opinion, does rap and hip-hop music play a role in gang violence? If so, how?

Mike Ramey: Rap/Hip Hop is the blueprint for gangs rising, gang motivation, and gang recruitment. Put it this way; what happens on the CD, MP3, and TV screen soon translates into what is happening in the various communities. Here’s an example, because I go into a longer discourse of Rap/Hip Hop impact on gang recruitment; THIS year, there has been a marked RISE in the number of Rap/Hip Hop videos featuring, spotlighting, or having in the background children under the age of 12 participating in the throwing of signs, riding in banger cars, and dressing in smaller versions of the Rap/Hip Hop stars. As a Probation Officer, I KNOW the curfew laws of my jurisdiction like the back of my hand. When I see a pack of teens walking around at 1-2-3 am on a school night, it does not bode well for someone.

Another reason why Rap/Hip Hop is such an indicator on gang activity is its quick assimilation into the mainstream. We know that Rap/Hip Hop did not start out this way, but we know that the mainstream does not spread the ‘best’ about us in the first place. Just as there is Speed Metal, Death Metal, and Thrash Metal as genres of Heavy Metal Music, there is Porno Rap, Gangsta Rap, and Destructo Rap in the genres of Rap/Hip Hop music--meaning that the more that you listen to one of the ‘sub genres’, the more likely you are to act out upon it, or USE it as an excuse to inject yourself against what ‘the teen’ sees as ‘wrong’ in society. Gang members have to ‘consume’ many hours of the genre EVERY day, must be able to ‘recite’ the words of the song BACK to superiors IN the gang, then sustain that train of thought on a regular basis.

It took MTV only 7 years, from 1984 to 1991 to take Rap/Hip Hop from the hood to the burbs. Seventy percent of Rap/Hip Hop is consumed by the white community…young white males, mainly. Now, let’s add this to the equation. From roughly 1993 to 2001, Rap/Hip Hop was HEAVILY exported out of the US and into the WORLD marketplace. Before the end of that eight year cycle, there were reports of Hispanic, Muslim, Japanese, British, Russian and other teens acting out what they were hearing on MP3s from 50 Cent, Jay Z, Queen Latifah, Usher, etc. NOW we have gang problems being reported from the Equator to the DMZ and everywhere in between.

BMIA.com: What’s the impact of gang violence in the surrounding communities?

Mike Ramey: Briefly, a rise in denial by Black and white parents about how deeply gang violence impacts their community. Stop and think for a moment; a lot of gang violence is not even covered by the MSM (mainstream press) because they have stopped covering the community the way they USED to for the sake of dollars and cents…and there has been little outcry by the community about the lack of coverage. Right now, there are FEWER Blacks males and females working in newsrooms than who are working in Corporate America. Thus, we have succeeded in the boardroom, but it is not being reported to the community through the newsroom, and you have young Black, Hispanic, and white teens in this ‘ain’t no use’ train of thought.

Being a gang member is a state of mind, fed by drugs, liquor, tobacco and music to maintain. In order to be a true gang member, you have to commit crimes. You have to steal, kill and destroy (and, yes I do have a sermon on that, but not now--LOL) in order to impress your fellow bangers and attempt to terrify the community at large. Let me pose this to you; how many business owners--EVEN dedicated brothers and sisters are going to stay in the community after they have been robbed, pistol whipped or WORSE? Now, add to this the fact that much of job creation is tied to small business. Where are the jobs going to come from if small businesses leave a community and NOT return? That migration does NOT take all that long to spread.

BMIA.com: A parent or guardian believes that their child is part of a gang what should they do?

Mike Ramey: A quick solution is to ‘Shake em down, Break em down’, and--if need be ‘Take em down’ to the nearest police station. Shake em down; search their rooms, their backpacks, their lockers on a regular basis to see what they are ‘holding’ for a friend. Check the types of clothes they are wearing on the streets during school hours and after school hours…is their ‘too much’ of one color over another? Wearing too many of one type of sportswear? Bangers wear sports jerseys and sports hats to ‘represent’, just like sororities and fraternities and lodge members wear their organization paraphernalia and colors to ‘represent’--for a different reason. Check their exposed limbs for bruises, tattoos, cuts, etc. While tattoos are on their way out as a means of street gang ID, nevertheless, some smaller gangs in smaller communities still require them as a ‘proof’ of being in the gang.

Next, parent/guardian…Break em down. Put them in a chair and grill them as to who they’ve been hanging with. Do they KNOW the REAL names of their friends, or do they only know them as Lil G, JL, or Spyder? Does your child have their OWN little ‘moniker’ on the street. Give them the 3^rd degree about their grades, their career choices, etc. Then, keep talking to them day in and day out about the need for an education, a need to keep a clean criminal record, a need to keep themselves sexually pure and morally pure for marriage.

Lastly, let them know in no uncertain terms that you, parent/guardian are prepared for war on this matter. No matter how tough the gang talks, let your child and their gangbanging buddies know that IF you find contraband, it…and your child…will be going to the police at the FIRST sign of gang activity. DON’T let the cops knock on your door at 3am; knock on their door at 8am if your child is involved. Better you take them than the cops come to take them from you. Once a parent puts their foot down and means it, a lot of that stuff seems to evaporate.

Here’s a tip for single parents; society, the church, and the schools have been lying to you about how ‘weak’ you are. ANY parent can get back into the game IF they are more concerned about their children than they are about themselves. I’ve seen single parents refuse to lay down at the whim of society and actually better themselves and better their children by remembering who was in charge. Society WANTS to see your child in the system, parents…because they represent money and job security. I used to thank some of my clients for being ignorant enough in their criminal ways to pay for my next vacation. If they stopped committing crime and actually went to school, mama and daddy would have to see their tax dollars hiring more and more cops, and counselors. Taxes would be going down…not up; and violence would be going down as well. Parents, it is UP to YOU!

M. G. RAMEY is the Pastor of ‘The Forward Church,’ of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is also a Juvenile Court Probation Officer, Street Gang Specialist/Certified and Cult/Occult Researcher.

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SAGGING PANTS & THE REAL BLACK DEAL 

        Is it me, or has the 'sagging & bagging' issue been getting a few folk HOT 'under the collar'?  I've had the chance to 'read' a host of the so called 'wisdom' on the issue of sagging pants. Let me toss in my .02 from the perspectives of being a Gang Specialist and having served in the capacities of Teacher and Probation Officer/Juvenile--Felony Level. 

        While SEVENTY PERCENT of Rap/Hip Hop Music is BOUGHT by WHITE TEENS and YOUNG WHITE ADULTS, GUESS who is getting harassed about 'sagging pants'?  More and more of the urban school districts in America are adopting uniforms to 'curb' the problem.  More and more local and state lawmakers are 'slamming' teens for this 'social statement' in an 'effort' to 'curb crime'.  Guess who is getting 'hammered' on such wear by BLACKS in education, government, and the law? 

        It AIN'T the WHITE KIDS. 

        Let's throw some strikes on this topic.  Think back, Black Parents and Black Grandparents when Swing and Motown came out?  Who were the ones 'sneaking into' the Black clubs to 'absorb' our culture and music? Hmmm?  Now, look at the landscape of complaining today. I'm not hating, I am stating. I'm not a racist, but a realist! 

        IT IS THE WHITE KIDS! 

        The young, white establishment grabs and mimics the exotic then, after all of the 'juice' (race

identification) has been wrung out (or twisted) it is cast into the mainstream, and they 'grow up'. The only difference is that nobody is picking on other 'races'.

Educators and Cops are not 'wholesale' slapping around whites who mimic the behavior, but those whom THEY 'perceive' originated the behavior are getting rousted. 

        I don't care what kind of grades a young Black man or a young Black woman are making.  Since many of us have NOT 'pooled our money' and 'built the economic infrastructure of many of our communities', the MAJORITY community WILL determine whom and HOW they will interact, based upon APPEARANCE.  At 11pm at night when OUR TEENS are 'sagging and hootchying' on the public street corner, a GED or High School Graduated Jackie Law white cop with a badge and a gun operates on perception is reality.  He may 'hang' with Blacks and Latinos after his shift, and he may have (like the Michael Bolton character from the hit film 'Office Space') a COLLECTION of HARD CORE Hip Hop in his private vehicle. He MAY even have a Black or Latino woman as his girlfriend or wife.  But, once the uniform goes on and the shift starts, guess WHO is the ENEMY? 

        Same thing with 'Sally Saddleshoes' white school teacher, who is in the public schools and in her first few years of teaching; yes, she danced to Rap in the college bars (possibly sans her top...but I digress); yup, she can SHOUT OUT the lyrics in her car with her other academic functioning male and female 'buddies'; she may even have some Dr. Dre in her CD player or MP3.  But from 9 to 5, she is interested in upholding the 'system' against the 'barbarian hordes'.

She wants her college education loans paid.  She is in 'survival' mode (because the system has programmed fear into her about 'certain' kids) and 'going along to get along' (so she may 'advance in her career', and eventually move to a better school district). 

        Oh, I've been employed in these professions, once upon a time.  I've seen it, up close and personal.  For those who don't believe what I am saying, then that's just too bad.  Truth is still truth, whether or not you have experienced it. 

        Black Parent and Black Grandparent, hear me out. THE REAL BLACK DEAL? OUR teens NEED to re-learn how to dress for success, rather than dress to be a mess in order to survive economically in a land that may send mixed signals about success, but is DEAD UP IN IT concerning 'the unwritten dress code'.  Sagging equals ECONOMIC pain...EVEN from BLACK employers. 

        One thing that is true; the parent or grandparent who 'lets' their child set the tone for what the child will or will not do is a FOOL, and is RAISING a statistic.  Just in the last 12 months, I have had a former client murdered, the mother of a former client murdered, and another former client NOW, as BARELY adult, facing a murder rap.  All THREE of these individuals were given their options well before their troubles by yours truly and others. They 'convinced' the adult authority figure in their lives that 'they' knew best about 'life' and how to 'dress'. 

        They are JUST as DEAD or in HOT WATER because they DID not LISTEN. 

        The Bible says that: "The way of the transgressor is hard."  Put simply, those who mock God's authority line, or those whom He determines to be part of His authority line (parents, grandparents, cops, courts, teachers, judges) will have a HARD way to go.  Yes, on TV it may be CUTE to have folk mouth off to authority figures, but the REAL DEAL is jail bars are JUST as hard to serve as a 'wake up call' to those in real life who want to try it! 

        Children need leadership, guidance, and truth from older family members.  The REAL DEAL in America right now is that society is SHIFTING BACK concerning casual dress.  In the late 1990s, Casual Dress began to be 'phased out' of the corporate climate. Next, Hampton Unviersity (a Black University) demanded that it's MBA students started coming to class in business casual attire. Recently, a WHITE college's undergraduate Business program ordered their students to shuck the 'low riders' for business casual attire to be 'ready' for interview, internships, etc.  In other words, if you DRESS professional, you will likely ACT professional AND you will be perceived as a professional by the status quo.  Even COPS know better than to use a PR-24 on a well-dressed young Black man or young Black woman because...here's the 'ta-da'...they remind them of their OWN children! 

        The REAL DEAL?  Yup, being played out RIGHT in front of us!  Teachers, sadly, do NOT have a dress code, for the most part.  Some of THEM don't have the morals of alley cats, and allow their students (some of them our children) to 'slouch' their way through the education process to weaken the recruitment pool building up against their nieces, nephews and children. Law Enforcement (which includes Probation, Parole and Corrections Officers) has a dress code...and are trained to spot those who don't obey the code. The first person who 'looks' like a criminal, or 'out of place' is the one who is stopped. 

        THAT'S THE REAL BLACK DEAL, BABY! 

        SOME Black Parents and Black Grandparents talk a good game when it comes to what our teens SHOULD be doing, EXCEPT when it comes to the excuses they OFFER for the TEENS in their own HOUSEHOLDS!!!  SOME Black Parents and Black Grandparents STILL hold that it is a TRAGEDY for ANOTHER BLACK CHILD to be caught gang banging, but 'their' little 'darling' was 'innocent'. 

        MOST COPS operate on the principle: "IF It walks like a duck...."  They ALSO operate on the term:  "Justifiable Homicide" (Well, your Honor, he/she LOOKED like a gang banger...so I HAD to shoot! How was I supposed to know that he/she was an Honor Student?????) 

        Let's take a trip back into time.  Sagging Pants were BORN in PRISONS! They were done that way so as to IDENTIFY those inmates who were either ADVERTISING for HOMOSEXUAL favors, OR LETTING the GP.

(Population) know that they would be willing for a QUICKIE.  Check it out for yourselves with other family members who had done time in the JOINT.  When this FACT is passed on to the sagging thugg of today, their response is a blank stare and 'SO'???  However, the REST of society REMEMBERS the CODE!  Recently a member of the US Senate had to RESIGN in disgrace because he had sent some signals to a Vice Cop in a public restroom.  You think that YOUR child won't be judged by the clothing that they wear?   

        When you have teens consuming MASS quantities of Hip Hop videos, coupled with BLACK outlets such as BET, RADIO ONE, etc. putting forth the WORST that there is to offer, and EXPORTING the 'Beautiful Lie'

into the MSM and the AROUND the world, why do you think there is a problem in us RESPECTING ourselves?

We are so 'wrapped up' in this 'give a brother or sister a pass' that we have 'accepted' the criminal, and have 'disregarded' the honest, hard working, and talented.  How SICK is this?  Rather, 'What's written on the BUTT of YOUR daughter's jeans?' 

        Hey, this is just my .02.  But, take it from me; this 'sagging' mentality has spread to the courts, the schools, and the churches. MANY of our young people are IGNORANT of our culture and history and FEW BLACK PARENTS have the guts to confront them with the fact that "African Americans came from Kings and Queens...NOT from the gutter!" 

        THE REAL BLACK DEAL?  Are you raising your teen to be a success, or a statistic?  If the former, you have my support.  If the latter, you have my sympathy, because you WILL be attending a LOT of funerals.  Society is shifting away from the 'casual'.

look, and Black Parents, Black Grandparents, and Black Teens need to shift away from the excuses.  

        To let the inmates to not only run the asylum; but to die in it to protect some teen's 'feelings' or shield them from reality, or allow them to nuture a warped dream of fashion sense at the expense of common sense and racial pride is not only wrong; it is suicidal!  And...guess who picks up the tab for allowing the illusion to continue? 

        ALL of us...and that's the REAL BLACK DEAL!

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The Hot Ghetto Mess (HGM) Controversy--Misplaced Outrage? 

By Mike Ramey

When is the best time to kill an idea?

At its infancy!

The controversy surrounding HGM and BET is truly sad, just as much as the controversy surrounding Bill Cosby, Charles Barkley, and others who have the guts to speak out on the problems within our own community. There are those who have the courage to speak, and, of course, there are those who want to silence the truth.

But wait...there's more!!!!

When the former head of one major BLACK organization had the 'audacity' to come down on Rap Music & Hip Hop Culture a few years back, efforts were made to shame this woman. Now, because we have seen the problems caused by such music, and the ten years of further damage done to Black men and Black women.

In the words of Rush Limbaugh: "The trail blazers are the ones who take the arrows!"

Now, we have a lot of 'Black Trash' on VH1 and MTV. Where is the outrage from 'the community'? Oh, I see; it's 'not suspect' when the checks are pocketed by 'the hood'...no matter how much Flav and Monique are the new Steppin Fetchit and Ain't Jamima.

HGM shows the end result of wrong actions and wrong behavior without the 'Hollywood Photoshop' that many are used to. If Min. Scott and others want to cheer the pounding on HGM and BET, why don't you take on the REAL Culprits...the folk at VH1 and MTV.

Remember; SEVENTY PERCENT of the Rap/Hip Hop culture is consumed by WHITE MALES...many of them the skinny, geeky 'Michael Bolton' types
from 'Office Space', who will put up Snoop Dog posters, and Blast NWA CDs in their cars, but are still SCARED of people of color.

The Mrs. and I were watching one network the other night on cable. Parliament/Funkadelic was BLASTING out in one commercial. Back in the 1970s when George Clinton, etc. were hot in the hood, WHITE FOLK HATED their music. Now, P-Funk is the soundtrack in commercials, just as so many other 'hated' music offerings from the Disco era.

Please...let's not do massahs work for them. HGM MAY be the way, on the tube to sicken us to the point that folk WILL do better....VH1 and MTV still treat Blacks and Browns as their latest pets...and
few BET blacks take them on at their game.

Mike Ramey
The Manhood Line
manhoodline@yahoo.com

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GANG BANGERS VS. THE MODERN PARENT

SETTING PARENTS FREE--TO BE IN CHARGE

BY MIKE RAMEY

 

        As I hung my copy of the ‘Street Gang Specialist’ certificate on my office wall, I paused to reflect upon the effort it took. Three days of no-nonsense classroom training; two nights of extensive homework, and a written test that would have reduced many a college student to tears. When the smoke cleared and the certificates were handed out, yours truly had proudly picked up another tool for his arsenal. Of course, my superiors were not happy that I had received such advanced training…but I’ll not digress any further on that point.

 

        I didn’t have to wait very long to put the new training to good use. Within two weeks, some of the more obvious bangers on my caseload began to ‘duck’ (street term for hiding) their colors before my office appointments. Clients who had been used to coming in dressed to ‘represent’ their ‘favorite street flavor’ received a tip about one P.O. getting ‘wise’ to their game AND calling them on it. Other lesser ‘risk’ female clients and their parents were sent as spies by their banger boyfriends to ‘check out’ my new certification and report back whether or not it was real so the word could be passed on to their friends.

 

        Next, to further frustrate client rebellion, authority figures in their lives--be they mother, father, legal guardian, or foster parent--also received a quick course from yours truly in the arts of banger spotting and stopping. They were encouraged to check their OWN child from head to toe. I reminded parents that their child was NOT born in Juvenile Court, but was THEIR child; and that their darling was heading further into the deep water of the street gang realm. Many parents had no clue (at least that they were willing to admit) that their beloved child was slipping further into the gang life. However, more than a few of my parents left the office with a spring in their step at being encouraged to become parents again.

 

WHY PARENTS NEED TO BE EMPOWERED AND INFORMED:

 

        Some of my ‘hardcore’ clients were actually attending school and getting their grades up. Probation violations on my caseload went way down as some of the parents of my clients--perhaps for the first time in years--were overjoyed that someone had encouraged them to BE parents.

 

        This is what I believe it will take to get a grip on the modern street gang problem; truly empowering and informing parents as to their duty in supervising their OWN children AND giving them the tools needed to get the job done AT HOME. This observation, of course, put me at odds with many of my colleagues in the criminal justice system--but that’s another story for another day.

 

        The Modern Street Gang (or MSG for short) have seven ‘eyes’ that are designed to instill fear, silence parents and win young converts: Infiltration, Intimidation, Information, Instigation, Ignorance, Instability, and an Insatiable appetite for wrongdoing. However, let’s be honest. A child--even a teenager--wants a parent to be a PARENT and not a ‘buddy’. The years, the parent who dares to discipline and dares to balance concern with the rod IS the one that even the toughest of street thugs secretly admires. Mama’s voice and Daddy’s belt are still MORE effective than the cop’s nightstick or a judge’s gavel.

 

        But, I digress.

 

        Society has--for its own economic concerns--quietly pushed parents off of their thrones. The revolution against meaningful parenting has been accomplished. Parents have become relegated to nothing more than walking wallets and purses, expected to take their orders and cues from those who know better, whether the ‘experts’ be on Madison Avenue, the small screen, or on a basketball court.

 

BACK IN THE DAY OF MOM AND DAD KNEW BEST:

 

         There USED to be an institution called ‘the family’ which birthed children who were raised in a place called ‘the home’, NOT a court of law. In the Black community--unlike other communities--two-career families were a matter of survival. Day care was provided by a nice neighbor--often another stay-at-home mother or a grandmother. In those days, mother and father were tough; single parents were tougher, and the extended family was MURDER. There were no ‘plea-bargains,’ no appeals, no alibis. Chores were work to earn an allowance. Everyone worked together for the good of the home.

 

       Sassing your parent was not tolerated. Lastly, if you cut up at school, in the street, or at a neighbors house, you got it there--and you got it at home. No it was not perfect…but it had worked for more than 1900 years.

 

       Who were we to come up with something better?

 

       A swarm of social reformers, school experimenters, and government experts in the mid-1960s led to the creation of a new set of industries. They eventually grew, evolved, and developed budgets, personnel, and grant needs. Next, social workers, police officers, probation/parole officers, and medical personnel were put IN schools, while parents were not ‘allowed’ to be as involved as they USED to be in the school setting, except to ‘help’ raise money to pay for school programs AND the salaries of these extra ‘helpers’. Parental authority was removed in the disciplining of children. Fathers were marginalized, then declared optional. Single parenting was held to be the ‘way’ to go. Children were encouraged to become little adults, with big rights and plenty of ‘freedom’ without responsibility. Education? Changed from the traditional, to the experimental. Open a book in school, teacher, is not held to be ‘cool’. Turn on Channel One or ESPN, and you could have your classes ‘riveted’--but not necessarily learning.

 

THE CHURCH AS AN ACCOMPLICE TO THE SOCIAL MAYHEM:

 

        I recall a chat I had a few years ago with a local pastor on the subject of evangelism. He was the pastor of a small church, but he was surrounded by several good sized apartment complexes, along with a high school and other assorted middle income neighborhoods. When I looked at the size of his church, and the fields of people in his immediate area awaiting to learn about his church, I asked him if he or his congregation had tried to evangelize the apartments nearby.

 

       “We tried--and failed.” Noted the pastor.

 

        Sad to say, a new pastor replaced him a few years later.

 

       One of the unsung accomplices to the social mayhem we see in our streets now--in my view--is the modern church. It boils down to the fundamentals of what a church IS from a biblical perspective to how the church has ‘evolved’ to get along with the modern world.  The church is supposed to be a supporter OF the family, instead of its enemy. If one reads the Bible, it clearly shows that the first institution created by God was that of marriage; the second was the family. Further down the list came the church. If the order was good enough for God, why have so many churches stepped away from His blueprint? Simple; the twin idols of money and numbers.

 

       How do I dare make such a statement? Let’s examine recent church innovations and programs. Sunday school has become the ‘drive by drop offs’ program for parents who are never invited to stick around. Youth departments had ministers and staff who were more concerned about putting on good shows for the teens to pad/build ministry resumes…but did not encourage nor parents how to bond with their children. Teens in these ministries may had been encouraged to be proud of their parents and respect their authority, but little was done to follow up on such encouragement. Oh yes, attached to each of these ‘innovations’ are the instructions of ‘big name’ church leaders (male and female) who claim to have the inside track to ‘boost’ attendance…but not holiness nor commitment to biblical doctrine. How could a mere parent or parents hope to ‘compete’ with marquis quality church leaders who have taken the time to lend their expert advice to a local church?

 

MOM AND DAD ARE MAKING A COMEBACK:

 

        Of course, let us not put the entire blame on the other institutions of society without placing a share on parents themselves. Again, Back in the 1960s and 1970s when I was coming of age, two parent families were the norm, and two career households were a matter of survival in the Black community.

 

        How do fathers and mothers NOW fill their time? They have become programmed to chasing the gold, the glitz, and the glamour of modern society. Folk, in other words, learned quickly how to ‘use people, worship things, and idolize more’. Houses became bigger, but were not homes; marriage vows were shredded, but were replaced with new husbands and new wives; jobs were paid better, but were located further and further away from home. Since Mom and Dad had spent much of a generation abandoning and abdicating their God-given roles, the trap was sprung for their eventual replacement by the social planners.

 

        All is NOT lost…and I’ll explain why.

 

        Mom and Dad are making a comeback, as parental authority is ‘cool’ again.

 

        To be honest, brave couples and single parents have already been taking a national stand against the rigors of the ‘name and fame’ crowd; the courts, schools, and government to recapture the rights once common to ALL parents. The revolution is already underway as the ‘system’ can not afford to continue to supervise children who do NOT belong to them. Bankruptcy of the system was the needed spark to bring parents back in from the PC wilderness. Parents CAN make a comeback IF they want to. The prize--their children--is far to great to be abandoned to the gang warlords of our modern era.

 

IS YOUR CHILD LEANING TOWARDS OR LEADING A GANG?

 

        Parents understand and know their children--or, they should know them. Society’s first line of defense IS the home; not the social program, the cop, or the school. The home is where a parent can be honest about their child.

 

       Let’s be bottom line about this next matter: Is your child leaning towards or leading a gang? Surprisingly, some of the top teen lieutenants in modern street gangs are quite comfortable in leading a ‘double life’ at home, and their mother or father are the last to know what is going on UNTIL either the police or rival gang members are pounding on the front door, guns drawn.

 

       Gangs and gang members operate on secrecy and lies as their PRIMARY calling cards. The only way that a parent can gain an upper hand is to check their OWN child’s potential for involvement. A proviso must be added at this point; IF your child is found to be involved, and they have sworn to you they aren’t--but you secretly know that they are-- the parent ONLY has TWO options: Turn the child, and the evidence you find over to the authorities for a good, strong dose of reality for the sake of your teen. Second, secure the services of a lawyer to make sure your child isn’t ‘tagged’ by the cops with every major crime that has taken place in your city over the last year. Yes, I know that this may seem to be cruel and heartless. When it comes to gangs and their members, there is an old street adage: “Whosoever gets to the DA/Prosecutor first, gets the BEST deal!” It is far better for you and your child to be on the right side of the justice bar, rather than being on the wrong side.

 

         In case you need another ‘refresher’, let me give you my own short list as to how gang life is designed to ‘hurt’ the modern teen:

 

*Academically: School Is Sacrificed (stuff that you need) To Fill Your Head With Stuff You Don’t Need. (Each Day Missed Equals 3 To Make Up)

 

*Mentally: Takes A Lot Of Mental Energy To Memorize/Study Signs, Symbols Codes, Constitution, Bylaws & To Keep ALL That Stuff SECRET!

 

*Physically: Late hours, smoking, drinking, drug use, possible STDs, juvie/jail/prison.

 

 

*Emotionally: Death of fellow bangers; Injury to your OWN family members. 

 

*Socially: Ages 12-17 are the Times Of Greatest Development and Skill Building. Not To Mention The Fact That You Are Involved With The Scum Of The Universe.

 

*Spiritually: Praying prayers To An Organization Who Not Only Can Not Help You, But Can Not Help Themselves Or Their Community. 

 

*Economically: You Can’t List Being A Gang Member On A Resume; You MAY Have ‘Some’ Of The ‘Skills’ But Can’t Hone Them To Be Openly Successful.

 

WHAT AND WHERE--A PARENT MAY START LOOKING:

 

        Please keep in mind that MSGs are recruiting children as young as seven or eight into their ranks as beginning members. Remember that list of the ‘eyes’ of gangs I provided earlier? Ignorance is on that list for a reason; parents are often the last to know about what their child is doing. Here is a short list of a few ways you can stop the violence by stopping your ignorance of your child’s activities:

Check & Maintain Contact With Other Parents.
Check Youth For Tattoos, Marks/Bruises.
Check Backpacks For Clothing Items, ‘Extra’ Cash.
Check School Locker For ‘Alternative’ Clothing.
Check Notebooks For ‘Gang Graffiti’ (signs/symbols)
Check For Cough Syrup/Mouthwash/Inhalants.

         What about their room? Here is another short list of things to look for, especially if your teen already has a separate computer, cell phone, and entertainment system:

Weapons/Cash/Drugs/Excess Property--Drop Zone?
Gang Signs On Walls/In Art/In Notebook?
Look For ‘Secret’ Drawers Behind/In Furniture
Check Vents, Upper/Lower Closets, Under Beds
Strange Smells & Heavy Use Of Air Fresheners
Different Sports Jerseys BUT Same Number /Color Combinations?

        If your teen is already on active on Probation or Parole, they will have a host of restrictions placed upon them by the court. They must obey the orders of the court and the terms of their probation or parole. Thus, they need to be aware of curfew rules, and stay away from other teens who may have drugs, weapons, or both. Remember, a teen may be found not guilty/not true of a crime…but if they are on Probation or Parole, they can be found guilty/true of a Probation or Parole violation because the court has informed them…in writing and through their PO/PA about the terms of their time under the jurisdiction of the court.

 

        Let me add another item here for parental consideration.

 

        It is called ‘waiver’.

 

        This popular tool of the juvenile justice system is active in a host of jurisdictions and simply means that your child could be sent ‘downtown’ to be processed and tried as an adult IF certain adult crimes are committed. In my neck of the woods, if a child is sixteen years old and commits one of the ‘Big 10’ crimes as a juvenile, they are sent, or ‘waived’ downtown. Yes, the teens think it increases their ‘street rep’ to stand trial as an adult. What they don’t realize is that their conviction as an adult WILL put adult charges on their files and put them in PRISON….not jail…for a number of years.

 

        Now that you know the risks, it is important that parents also are aware of WHO their children hang around with by their REAL names…not their street names. If a child can’t tell you the real names of their friends, where they live, or who their parents are, these are teens your teen does not need to be around.

 

        I realize that parents have a lot of information to process in this column. This is an ongoing series to help parents gain a firm foundation on the issue of gangs. Not to scare the parent, but to keep them informed as to what is happening in our streets--before they receive that unwelcome late-night knock on their door.

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MASSA IS BACK--ON A NEW PLANTATION !

A few years back, a local news story got my
attention. Two mothers--with a total of five children between them--decided to leave their respective apartments and meet with a third woman for a ‘Girls Night Out’ at a local bar. Mother number one had a nine year old watching her other child; mother number two had an eleven year old watching her two young siblings. According to published accounts, about one o’clock in the morning, the nine year old began screaming for his mother. Of course, the concerned neighbors called the police. After a bit of investigation and waiting, the two mothers came staggering home drunk--and were promptly arrested and their kids were turned over to Child Welfare workers.

One Rap Video offerings flashed on my TV recently
which reminded me of this story. Interestingly
enough, a young, vivacious mother walked out the door of her house, to jump into a ‘tricked up car’ with some of her girlfriends to head ‘out on the town’. This ‘hip mother’ left her pre-teen daughter to care for the house, while she hit the streets to ‘get her roll on.’

Welcome to the electronic plantation. Massa IS back in town.

Gone are the whips, chains, and beatings of old. Old man cotton may be gone, but has been ‘replaced’ with Nu Skool rap tracks, sagging and bagging ‘gangsta’ style of individuals of our OWN race, and the ever present whip of the ‘No Snitch Code’.

You never HEARD of this term? HOW can I call this
SLAVERY?

Well, IF you remember your history (or have read the Willie Lynch letters) Black slaves were
treated/handled thusly:

*Men and women were pitted against one another for leadership.

*Education was held to be ‘useless’ and ‘illegal’ by
Massa.

*Entertainment was held to be higher than
Empowerment.

*Children were thrust into adult situations to force
them to grow quicker.

*Marriage was discouraged & families were broken up quickly.

*Men were ‘coddled’; Women were ‘cauterized’.

*Color, Class, Economics--even Religion were used as weapons.

Am I getting through?

Sadly, the results of this new plantation abound.
The statistics and body counts are piling up in
schools, juvenile facilities and prisons across the
country. Expulsions, suspensions, and dropout rates among young Black males--and now Black
females--continue to march upward. Street gang
recruitment is reportedly starting at the grade school level in some parts of the country. Lastly, our modern day ‘massas’ are completely without shame in playing the ‘race’ card and the ‘sex’ card--as effectively as the slave owners of old. And, Yes, there WERE Black slave owners ‘down south’.

On the electronic plantation, the chains are made of INVISIBLE materials. Sound waves, rap tracks, and infrared scanning; MP3s, CD, turntables, vinyl sound cards.

Many of the ones with the lash today were freed by the Civil Rights struggles of yesterday. They are
full aware of the Black churches of yesterday were
strong and the center of our communities. The new
massas have infiltrated and corrupted the Black
church, making her weak and allowing everything from hip hop ministries, to full blown crunk services in its doors. Many of the religious symbols that some of us hold dear have been incorporated into the ‘gangsta’ and ‘hip hop’ lifestyle--from crosses to Bible verses.

NEW TOOLS--OLD SLAVE OWNER MINDSET?

It’s OK to have ‘religion’ on this plantation--as
long as it ‘persuades’ you to serve the Hip-Hop/Rap
‘massas’ in a more ‘docile’ mindset.

They ‘like’ religion; just not ‘good’ religion.

They ‘like’ holiness, purity, and virtue--during the
daylight hours.

They ‘like’ the Bible…as long as you don’t read it,
live it, nor believe it.

Oh yes--the new hymn; the new ‘field song’? Dollars matter--lives DO NOT.

Now, there are more than likely some who may think that I’m being a little harsh. Comparing Hip-Hop/Rap to the ‘plantation’? In public? On the printed page?

“Well,” some may be thinking as the smoke is pouring from their ears, and they are snapping their fingers, “this is the music for OUR generation!”

Balderdash! Music is one thing, but murder, child
abuse, and sexual immorality are something else. For the life of me, I can still remember the Isley
Brothers saying “Fight The Power”, not “Off Some
Cops”.

But, I digress.

Let me provide a few quick examples regarding life on the old plantation and today’s modern electronic counterpart--based upon my travels and interaction with young people.

RULES OF THE ‘NEW’ PLANTATION:

First, the electronic plantation--like its older
ancestor--has a specific language, which must be used by the participants in order to be considered a ‘legitimate’ member. The deliberate misspelling of
simple words, or the insertion of symbols where
letters belong may not ‘look right’ on an employment application or a high school exam...but so what?  Education is held to be something for losers.

Second, the electronic plantation--like its older ancestor--has a specific rivalry pattern determined by the ‘high tech massas’ (accountants, producers, clothing designers, talent scouts, television/video
executives) of the Hip Hop/Rap industry. Only
‘certain’ members of the genre are cleaned up
(criminal charges disappear, drug/sex appetites go
into the closet, mainstream language used), covered up (clothing, hairstyle, traditional morals are put forth) and ushered out for public consumption in the mainstream. These new ‘HouseRappers’ are constantly held up as the people to emulate. Meanwhile, the ‘FieldRappers’ are still struggling in the business, still chase and emulate the ‘bling’, and still mangle, curse, and shoot. Some of them are ‘held up’ to emulate as well.

Y’all KNOW who you are. Why should I give you ‘free pub’?

MALE AND FEMALE ‘MASSAS’:

Let me interject a point of information. A ‘high
tech massa’ does not have to be of one particular
race, or one particular sex. There are a host of
Black ‘massas’ --male and female--firmly embedded into the Hip-Hop/Rap business. Unfortunately, they never see the ‘success’ of their ventures…lining either the jailhouse, or the morgue. Once more, they keep THEIR children AWAY from their ‘art’.

But, let us march on. Third, the electronic
plantation--like its older ancestor--is only concerned with the wealth generated; not the lives obliterated. The general public rarely sees--or hears--about the dangers of ‘too much consumption’ of the plantation wares--unless a death results. Crime rates, OOW births, STDs, lowered literacy rates, dropout rates, etc. are thought of as being ‘unfortunate problems’ of society, but can never be laid at the doorstep of the ‘high tech massas’ home.

Up to this point, I’ve mentioned three similarities
to the old plantation system. This fourth point is
even a bit more twisted, and I have to go back to the old plantation system once again. Massa just is not all that willing to have a stake of truth inserted.

Some folk have been on the electronic plantation for so long that they not only refuse to leave, they make big money by bringing in ‘newer human performing’ slaves--at younger and younger ages. Independent producers and recruiters use money from the drug or gang trade to put unsuspecting ‘performers’ up on the auction block of fame and public recognition. Now we have middle school children being ‘shuttled’ from one venue to another--sometimes on school nights--to let
the public get a ‘taste’ of a future electronic slave.
“Hang the curfew laws and getting up early for school mama; your own Lil G can be the next Hip Hopper on a box of GRITS! Just let ‘us’ take him around to the sites tonight!”

THE WAY OFF--BEGINS WITH THE MIND:

Several friends of mine who are still in the
education game let me know that they have students who have made straight Fs--repeatedly--and are not phased by their poor academic performance. Of course, these same students have the latest electronic toys--BUT you can’t get some of them to carry paper, pencils or textbook to their classes.

That is--IF they decide to go.

It was MORE than forty years ago that the Civil
Rights movement really made it into the public
consciousness. However, it was TEN years after
this--in New York City--when the Hip-Hop/Rap genre was born. Ten years LATER, in 1984, Hip-Hop/Rap started to smooth out its appeal and presentation enough to go mainstream on Black/Urban radio stations. By 1994, the MTV/Hip-Hop/Rap connection was starting to bond.
Today, the electronic plantation is doing a booming
business, with ignorance being held as a highly sought virtue--and the ‘breeding stock’ of new talent is endlessly trotted across MTV, BET, and other music video screens and C.D. cases--while 70 percent of this product is purchased by WHITE males.

There is only ONE way to be free of the electronic
plantation.

It’s called ‘Escape through Deliverance.’
AKA--Bankrupt the massas!

Like a cigarette smoker, alcoholic, or drug addict
has to put up a major league fight to truly break
their habit, those who truly want off of the
electronic plantation must ALSO WANT to be delivered
from Massa and his/her crew.

How?

It starts with a reduction of consuming the offerings
from the plantation.

It means having the guts to invest some of your
disposable income into things that will uplift your
family, instead of tear it down. It starts with
focusing the long term vs. the short term. It
continues with the realization that there is more to
life than what comes through some headphones and C.D. players, or from a television screen. It continues with the firm realization that there are consequences for actions taken, relationships neglected and responsibilities avoided.

It ends when one is not only free; that one has the
courage to free others.

The clock, though, continues to tick away…as newer methods of enslavement are discovered and practiced.  Once upon a time, it was ‘forbidden’ to show elementary-school aged children involved in
Hip-Hop/Rap productions. That taboo has been broken.

More and more videos are showing eager and anxious children participating in everything from the throwing of gang signs, to mimicking the crotch grabbing and butt shaking moves of their older siblings--all in full view of the photographer’s camera.  In some segments of the community, that would constitute child abuse.

On the electronic plantation, this is merely business
as usual.

Is it any wonder we’re seeing more young people
facing the prison and the unemployment line rather
than the school, the church, or the family? They
aren’t interested in the long term; interested in know that if you get a criminal record NOW, you won’t be able to get much of a job LATER.

Firing a few people for saying a few things on the
airwaves only seems to enrich and empower the wicked and the exploiters. MANY of them have a plan B and a plan C AND the lawyers and accountants to have their vacations result in fatter contracts down the road.

The ONLY way to make a point with Massa; the ONLY way to make impact with THIS crowd of high-tech pirates its to make them walk the bankruptcy plank with their wares firmly chained to them…like they have chained
our communities for a number of years.

MIKE RAMEY is the author of THE MANHOOD LINE. A column written from a biblical, business, and common sense perspective. The column appears on fine websites around the world. Emails to manhoodline@yahoo.com. ©2004, 2007 Mike Ramey/Barnstorm Communications International.

So what do you think?  If you would like to respond to this article click here and sign our Guestbook to leave a public or private statement, comment or reaction. 

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BRINGING THEM BACK HOME: GANGBANGERS VS. THE MODERN CHURCH

BY M. G. RAMEY

 

As I sat down to write this column, I paused to reflect upon an exhausting week.

 

First, my wife informed me that the teenaged son of a dear family friend sat locked up in our juvenile detention center. His crime? Hanging out with ‘a buddy’ who had been engaging in a drug transaction…and was arrested by police.

 

Second, I had just finished a closed-door teaching on the dangers of street gangs to a select audience of school administrators from one area of my home city.

 

Finally, I had the opportunity to watch a portion of Ving Rhames’ production of the movie ‘Animal,’ a no-holds barred drama about the struggle of a former criminal who was sentenced to prison for his crimes associated in the ‘perfecting’ of his ‘craft’ of ‘street thuggsterism’…only to wind up eventually shot to death by the son he had left behind. The son had chosen to ‘follow’ in his father’s footsteps as the terror of the neighborhood, even though the father--now returned from prison a changed man--tries to prevent his son from repeating his mistakes.

 

Now, it is not my intent to ‘reinvent’ the wheel when it comes to the subject of street gangs.

 

There are reams of material on the Internet about ‘gangbangers’ (or ‘bangers’ as I prefer to call them), the different ‘crews’ and ‘cliques,’ colors, hand signs and gestures, and the impact of the current culture on ‘spawning’ a highly intelligent first generation of bangers. It IS my intent to help as many churches as possible avoid being labeled as ignorant when it comes to this subject.

 

The modern church sponsorship and use of gun buy backs, community rallies, commissions, slogans, finger pointing and public forums will not deter gangs from sowing their deadly oats. Soul winning, street evangelism and a realization that bangers of all races and sexes need salvation, will do wonders in neutralizing their worship of money, mayhem, and muscle to make their voices heard.

 

In short, it will take a spiritual solution to confront this spiritual problem.

 

That’s right…I did say ‘a spiritual problem.’

 

In the world of the gang, their ‘religion’ is spelled out in broad, fleshly terms: “If one can put it in a pocket, around a neck, in a blunt, worn on one’s back or take for a drive down the street, it is worth worshiping. In the gang culture, there IS no such thing as sexual discrimination. Young women can serve to pleasure the males in a gang, or, they can go out and practice the art of the beat down in their OWN gangs. In my home city of Indianapolis, Indiana, there have been at least three girl gangs identified by local law enforcement authorities as far back as 2004. They just want to get in on the fun of banding together to right perceived wrongs and ‘handling their business,’ just like their male counterparts. Locks in socks have replaced lip-gloss as a daily accessory in more than a few girls’ purses and handbags in some schools. A beat down given by a group of girls against one girl is just as dangerous and hurtful as a group of boys doing the same thing to one boy.

 

The ONLY way to stop them is a three-pronged approach: A strong law enforcement presence, coupled with a strong church presence and a no-nonsense community of determined people to regain control over our streets.

 

Please keep in mind that there are many who do not WANT the problem to get better in order to ‘maintain’ their own perceptions of ‘community visibility’ and power. After all, a ‘barking’ watchdog gets more press than a ‘doing’ watchdog. They also give a perception that they are ‘concerned’ about the problem rather than expending their own resources for realistic and workable solutions.

 

JUST HOW DO GANGS WORK?

 

As one who has spent the better part of one career or another involved in the areas of crime and justice, I am no stranger to the wiles of street gangs. It is no accident that these predatory organizations surface, are beaten back, lie dormant, and rise again more terrible than their original version.

 

Today’s street gang is not like the gang model many are familiar with from movies like “West Side Story”. Many modern gangs are no longer ‘segregated’ by race, location, or sex.

 

Thanks to the wonders of high technology, teens of different races and backgrounds can learn, model and belong to gangs whether they are in Oshkosh, Phoenix or Indianapolis.

 

Thus, bangers can have web pages on teen-oriented sites such as MySpace, Black Planet, or Facebook--complete with their favorite slogans, signs, symbols and affiliation. It matters little ‘which’ gang may be dominant in the headlines. They ALL operate on three basic principles:

 

*Power: Street Gangs bring a lot of muscle to the table IF they are allowed to gain in strength. Let a gang loose in one school and they could be in all of the schools of a school corporation. Let a gang spread their graffiti on one side of town, and you will have the murder rate and drug traffic increase at an alarming rate. Some gangs have ‘front’ businesses established to launder money and put on a good front for the media. Others have quietly been able to turn their power into capital to finance political campaigns and turn out the vote movements. Still others have taken their power into seemingly ‘upright’ social organizations dedicated to recruiting new members.

 

*Fear: There is nothing quite like a few dead bodies on the six o’clock news to frighten an area into silence. A few injured community activists who are against the gang drug trade will prevent others from coming out against the gang in their prevailing neighborhood. A few well-placed threats against a preacher and his family will have many a pulpit quiet on Sunday morning when sin NEEDS to be exposed. A few high profile kidnappings will cause even the best community leader to quake when the clock strikes twelve late at night. Trust me; many bangers quickly push themselves up the criminal ladder past the shaking down of kids for lunch money.

 

*Ignorance: Of the three, this may be the deadliest of the trio. While some teachers, police officers, and counselors may understand the signs and symbols of the gang scene, many more do not. Roughly every 12 to 18 months, bangers change their signs. The junior high or middle school child that will doodle some seemingly innocent names, symbols, and lyrics onto a notebook cover or the back of their $150 sneakers is not just practicing creative expression; this child is ‘reaching out’ to other potential gang members by ‘hoisting a flag’…letting them know of his interest in joining up with a gang. Unfortunately there is always a risk that a rival gang may spot the child’s intent and correct his efforts with some very physical persuasion.

 

THE CHURCH HOUSE REMAINS SILENT:

 

I’ll make another point, which may ruffle some sanctified feathers in many, a church house.

 

Since many churches have determined that the necessity of soul winning, coupled with street evangelism are out of date by modern standards, the message of the gospel and the power of the scriptures have become muted in the marketplace. This is an interesting phenomenon especially when one considers the religious trappings associated with gang activity.

 

A ‘Banger’s Bible’ is the constitution and bylaws of their respective gang. Many signs and symbols, numbers and prayers are modeled after what gang members have seen modeled in many churches.

 

Even the initiation process could be likened to one coming forward and being ‘re born into’ street gang life--complete with official nickname. Make no mistake about it. Gang bangers regard their gangs and turf as a church, their crimes and collections as forms of worship and have members programmed to be quite willing to die to protecting gang secrets.

 

It takes a willing church and congregation to preach against the sin gangs represent, firmly confront the wrongs that they are doing in a community, and reprogram young minds into the intricacies of good religion, a strong work ethic, and a needed education. Taking a stand against bangers is not for the weak. In some cases, church congregations are going to have to go up against single (and some married) parents who don’t see gang membership as that big a deal--until their son or daughter winds up on the six o’clock news being carted off to jail, prison, or the morgue.

 

The modern church IS going to have to step into the challenge.

 

Yes, we have already seen the church’s weak stands against divorce, homosexuality, and out-of-wedlock children. Yes, many gang members and their families attend church without fear of correction or confrontation. Thus some church members may be wearing gang colors under their youth choir robes while presenting a good ‘front’ to the congregation and the pulpit. However, either the gang is going to win, or the church. WE have to make a choice and declare whom we serve.

 

A SAD STUDY:

 

The church MUST get back into the rebuking and repentance business. Yes, gang members must be made to understand there may be some repentance; but TRUE repentance involves a change of heart and a change of direction in one’s life.

 

Repentance means that one determines NOT to commit the same sin again. However, the church also must stand strong and remind gang members there also may be some jail time IF the weapons and drugs are not put down and they walk away from the gang scene.

 

The good news is that American cities have not become ‘overrun’ by street gangs. There are still far too many young people who are going to school, getting their homework done, and graduating to take their rightful places in society. Yes, some of them do go to church, and even more of them still view the teachings of scripture as being relevant in their lives. The thing concerning those who work in the juvenile justice system is the fact that the ‘good’ students have remained relatively silent when it comes to confronting, or even correcting their wayward classmates.

 

If the truth were told there is a lot of interaction and below the surface communication within the average U.S. high school. Students themselves often know the ‘ins and outs’ of who is in what relationship, and who is in which gang. Sadly, they oftentimes have to sit idly by; cowed into silence by the very young people they could be helping.

 

While attending a recent training on gangs, my group was presented with a national study of 2,000 teens that were involved in the street gang scene. It highlighted some eye-opening information on how young people are quickly sucked into the street life:

 

YOUTH FIRST MEETS A GANG MEMBER--AT 8.9 YEARS OLD

 

 

YOUTH PERFORMS FIRST GANG ACTIVITY--9.2 YEARS OLD

 

 

YOUTH EXPERIENCES PUBERTY--9 TO 10 YEARS OLD

 

 

FIRST TIME INTIMIDATED A PERSON AT SCHOOL--10.4 YEARS

 

 

FIRST TIME DISCHARGED A FIREARM--11.3 YEARS OLD

 

 

FIRST TIME OBSERVED A DEATH/INJURY RESULT FROM GANG ACTIVITY--11.3 YEARS OLD

 

 

FIRST TIME JOINED A GANG--12 YEARS OLD

 

 

FIRST TIME ARRESTED--12 YEARS OLD

 

 

FIRST TIME HAD A WEAPON FOR PERSONAL USE--12 YEARS

 

 

FIRST TIME TATTOOED--13 YEARS OLD

 

THE CHURCH HOUSE CAN CORRECT THE PROBLEM!

 

Many modern churches have been outclassed by the tug of the streets on young people.

 

Sunday after Sunday, teens enter churches not only full of the world’s knowledge of how to be a better negative, they recognize teens--and some adults--who appear to have gotten away with “it,” meaning their dual identities of street thug and church member.

 

Once more, they actively see the double standard of encouraging young women to dress for success, and allowing young men to exist in their mess, complete with sagging and bagging.

 

Let me be as upfront as I can at this point: Sin spreads not only by people engaging IN the activity, but people who know better AND give their silent consent! With the arrival of ‘casual’ Sundays on the church scene, teen members have taken this to mean ‘wear your own colors’.

 

Inside (and outside) of many a church on a Sunday morning, those young men and young women who have experienced a ‘flutter’ with gang life PROUDLY wear the colors associated with their favorite ‘nation’ or ‘set’ AND may ‘flash’ a few signs to rival members, or the general public without fear of public rebuke.

 

Add to this the fact that some televised national ministries feature pastors and preachers appearing in the pulpit in casual dress with the ‘be like them to win them’ mentality, and one better understands how far the ‘modern’ church has fallen.

 

How may a church in a city regain the upper hand when it comes to the spread of gangs?

 

Let me dare say again that this is a spiritual problem that must be dealt with via spiritual means. This is not an arena for the faint of heart. A pastor and a church must realize that this is an ongoing conflict that must be bathed in prayer.

 

One will be shocked to find how far the arms of gang life ‘stretch’ into the average congregation. More than a few congregations are clearly seeing first generation bangers who are between 12 to 17 years old, who may be on probation or parole in some cases. Many of these young men and young women know their gang signs and affiliations better than their ABCs.

 

Second, as in dealing with those who may be trapped in cult or occult activity, pastors and churches must realize that they have to regain control of the language of the debate.

 

Bangers have clearly stated to parents, social workers and teachers that they only know of ‘love’ as members of a gang.

 

In reality, how can one claim to be showing ‘love’ if they are hurting you, asking you to lie, cheat, and steal, or coercing you out of your virginity ‘for the good of the gang’? Every word that a gang has corrupted must be ‘taken back’ by those who preach and model the gospel, clearly and unashamedly explained from the point of view of the Holy Scriptures, and returned to the seeking individual in the proper biblical context. Lastly, churches and pastors must acknowledge that they are in need of training as to what is going on out in the streets of our communities.

 

There are police officers, judges, probation officers and teachers in many a congregation who can bring teaching to the church as to how gangs function, operate, and flourish IF pride is swallowed by church leadership and the pulpit.

 

Gangs are nothing new to many communities. However, it is up to those who call upon the name of the Lord to go about the Father’s business and take those out of the kingdom of darkness and bring them back home. Many young people DO have the prodigal story committed to memory. All they are waiting for is for some courageous Christian man or woman to show them the way out of the darkness, before it not only bites them…but devours them.

 

M. G. RAMEY is the Pastor of ‘The Forward Church,’ of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is also a Juvenile court Probation Officer, Street Gang Specialist/Certified, and Cult/Occult Researcher. You may contact him at manhoodline@yahoo.com. ©2006 Mike Ramey/Barnstorm Communications.

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The Manhoodline Comes To An End

Greetings!

 

Just wanted everyone to know that, as of October 13th, 'The Manhood Line' will end its glorious run...ten years! 

 

I wanted to thank each of you for your support over the years. It has meant a lot to me.  However, because of time commitments in other ventures, not to mention research for a novel, it is time to make way and allow for other up and coming great writers to have the chance to step forward.

 

Take care, and thanks for letting me spend some time in your bunkhouse.  It's time for this writer to act upon a great quote from the late General, Douglas McArthur, and just fade away. 

See ya down the block.

 

Mike Ramey

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So what do you think?  If you would like to respond to this article click here and sign our Guestbook to leave a public or private statement, comment or reaction.  Mike Ramey is the author of: "The Manhood Line".  A syndicated monthly column, written for men from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective. To correspond, e-mail to manhoodline@yahoo.com. 

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FRIENDS, ENEMIES and OPPORTUNITIES

I had been watching an old World War II-based epic recently, featuring a well-known military commander who had stayed around toooo long to suit the comfort of the ‘powers that be’. He was eventually FIRED, but had the opportunity to make a great speech on his way out of the public spotlight, and uttered the immortal phrase: “Old soldiers don’t die…they just fade away.”

Being an old soldier myself, after ten years of
keeping my fingers on the keys and throwing strikes, its time to fade away. This is the last column. We are putting the flag back in the box, and the bugle is blowing softly as this part of the journey ends.

The joys and sorrows I have experienced while writing this column over the years has been a true blessing from God. There are MORE brothers writing similar columns now. There are MORE brothers who are speaking out on the issues of manhood, hard work, and making the best of an opportunity. There are MORE brothers who are remembering who they are in Christ, in the brotherhood, and in the race.

It shows that my mission has been successful, and the battlefield has been conquered. I’ve been blessed to be visited by more than a few friends, a few enemies, and a host of opportunities. However, before we pull down the big top, and hose out the cages, there are still a few items on the burners that need to be examined.

No time like the present.

WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE!

One would hope that the mainstream press (MSM) would stop publishing articles and producing electronic fodder about the ‘fatherless’ issue in America.  Nevertheless, several times a year, brothers who ARE on the job as fathers have to ‘wade’ through a sea of finger pointing, guilt trips, and excuses about why some families can’t hack it in the togetherness department. In reality, families are doing better than ever. It is ‘cool’ to be a parent, no matter what the MSM tries to shove onto Page One.

Even Oprah can’t block the impact of a true brother who is on the job without excuse, no matter how far into space her message goes…but, I digress.

To those men who are on the case and manning the helm of their families as God intended, you get a tip of the hat from yours truly. It matters little what others may say on the subject, nor don’t look for too many pats on the back from the MSM. The media in this country has become feminized, and more concerned over whom is living with whom rather than who is getting married…and staying married.

The CHIEF reason why it ‘appears’ that there are
fewer fathers in the land is simple to explain.
First, our elected leaders have done little to reduce
the tax burden on those men and women who chose to do the right thing and get married BEFORE they have children. It has ALWAYS been marriage BEFORE children, and this is the right way to do things. As it has been said by one well-know preacher: “Do right, because it is right to do right, regardless of whether or not it is the right thing to do.”

Second, we have the MSM (and too many groups) who put unmarried fathers on an equal scale with married fathers, saddle the married father with a No Fault divorce system, a punitive Child Support system, and Visitation/Custody arrangements geared towards mothers (single married, or otherwise engaged) then ask why fathers won’t ‘stick around’ to raise the children they helped to create.

It seems we never hear the same MSM ‘jump’ single
mothers with the same gusto.

Could it be that many of those who are working in the newsrooms and behind the cameras could best be described as “Single, Messed-Up & Female?”

Yep…I DID say it! LOL!

PUTTING THE ‘MEN’ BACK INTO ‘AMEN’:

It seems that many men will just have to ‘tough out’ the stupidity of the MSM, the feminists, and even the church as to the reason why there are social ills associated with the so-called ‘absence’ of men from just about every nook and cranny of society.

It is not that society has not been warned. From a
biblical perspective, each and every time women and children are exalted above men, the society in
question has a real mess going on, until order is
restored. ‘Fem’ men and ‘Mascu’ women are not ideals which God created, but mankind willingly mandated.

Society is reaping the whirlwind.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why
recruitment goals continue to be reached in the War against Terror. Our young men like to have their metal tested. If it won’t be in the school, and can’t be in the church, then it will have to be on the battlefield--a REAL battlefield.

Hear me out on this point. Young men like to be
tested under the heat of battle. In the church, there USED to be upright brothers in the pulpit and the pew who were more interested in raising men with character, than BEING characters themselves. These days, it is hard to find a church where the brothers who are in charge are actually upright men, rather than uptight men. The spirit of service, stewardship, and selflessness have disappeared from many modern churches, regardless of denomination. “The Church of the Sagging Pants” has been birthed. I continue to run into young ministers, deacons, and even laymen who
have hit the door on the way out of that church, along with the “First Church of the Feminized Man“.

Let me offer a suggestion here, as we head for a
close this month.

Jesus Christ was NOT a punk!

Brother, are you sick of how your church is under
performing? Is the company where you are working
doing less than its best when it comes to serving the public? Is your sweetheart turning up her nose at the prospect of marriage, but is not adverse to getting “shacked up”?

Be a man and do something about it!

There are plenty of women who would LOVE to be your wife, brother. FIND HER, and drop Jezebel right back off to her own crowd. If your company is not doing all it should, and your job is less than satisfactory, it IS time to start the search to find a new one AND TAKE IT when you find it, or START that new company!

Lastly, if your church is not all that it should be,
put the MEN back into AMEN and START your own! Don’t be a prisoner to the ignorant! If they could start them in the first century, you could start your own in the twenty-first, AMEN?

In short, you can either remain and complaint…or head out the door and go for more. Why be ‘uptight’ when you are right and ‘upright’!

Let’s close this out, with an illustration.

One of my favorite Bible men is Caleb, Joshua’s
second in command. Not only did Caleb catch Joshua’s back from that first recon mission to the Promised Land, this brother was on the battlefield with Josh for several decades on down the pike.

The day came for Caleb to move on.

After the battles were fought, the troops were
taught, and the land was claimed, Caleb bid goodbye to his friend and commander and set off in search of those items that were destined to be a part of his life. In short, he could have stayed with Josh and kept on being in the command structure, with plenty of recognition, money and power. OR…he could take the risk, and move on to fight his own battles and take care of his own dreams. Caleb was on the front lines for the cause of God. Now that the cause was won, it was time to take care of some unfinished business.

Caleb knew when to move on…and so do I.

See some of you over the hill, when the next project is completed.

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“WHITE GUILT: PLAYING “THE GAME?” PART II 

         In the first part of this two-part commentary, we confronted the beast known as racism, and its continued existence in our land. The ‘grip’ on the trick bag in our modern generation brothers is that there are some whites--and a few non-whites--who are operating under the misguided notion that whites actually ‘feel’ guilty about their progress in this land. I beg to differ. I have not met a white person who has expressed remorse about being successful. The ‘White Guilt’ myth is all a part of “The Game”…keeping people focused on the right hand, when the left hand is where the action is. 

         ‘Going off’ on racists does not, nor will it destroy the demon. Neither will our crying about how unfair life it. Sometimes, the best way to deal with those who ‘hate’, whatever the reason, is to ‘withdraw’ yourself from them…meaning take your time, talent, cash and tithes and head on down the road. 

        What “White Guilt?” Those of us on the receiving end understand that this is all part of “The Game”. American need not be shocked if Men of Color decide that we don’t have to play by corrupt rules. After all, we DO know of one brother who is above gamesmanship. To the righteous, He is only a prayer away. 

         The Bible itself holds that there are ways TRUE religion can be made visible. Racism, no matter how some may ‘disagree or deny’ its existence and practice, is not something to be celebrated, but condemned. Racism is NOT a family virtue. 

THE “MEN’S MOVEMENT” AND “WOMEN’S LIB” LIES: 

         Recently, there have been reconciliation between Black men and Black women, much to the bewilderment of the mainstream media packs. I’ve noticed that we are coming together more, actually ‘catching’ one another’s backs, and have been deep-sixing the ‘Crabs In A Barrel Syndrome’. I don’t know why this is happening, but I do know that it IS happening without the help of the Women’s Lib and Men’s Movement crowds. Neither camp is happy about OUR coming together, so OUR children--and grand children are being targeted.  

         Just as Women’s Lib sought to inflame Black women against Black men (so Caucasian women would tempt Black men), we now have the Men’s Movement seeking to neutralize Black men with Black women (in order for Caucasian men to tempt Black women). Same game; different day, Amen?  

         I find it highly interesting that in the nearly ten years that the Men’s Movement has made it ‘above’ ground, stereotyping of Men of Color continues WITHOUT public opposition by Men‘s groups. This fact is paralleled in the Women’s Lib ranks as ‘they’ have ‘yet’ to condemn prostitution, pornography, and the rise of female homosexuals.

But wait, there’s more! Who are the ‘featured’ Men of Color ‘allowed’ to be involved in the forefront of the Men’s Movement? Why, the athlete, the entertainer, and the music star--the same types of Men of Color always regarded as being ‘safe’ by white America. What of the Men of color who are car dealers, construction workers, lawyers, probation officers and mental health professionals? Rendered invisible.

My question to those involved in the Men’s Movement is a simple one: Don’t Black men deserve to be ‘represented’ in the same light that you are representing yourselves to YOUR families? How many non-white male writers, talk show hosts, producers, etc., are featured prominently in your literature, on your billboards, or in your national programs and/or rallies who are NOT the same, year after year? 

         IF the Men’s Movement only applies to “Whites Only”-- I would pray that those involved would have the courage to say so! We can rebuild our families and communities without you, integration, or affirmative action, and past redlining, eminent domain, and racism. We are learning the techniques of the Chinese, Japanese, Hispanics and Indians about keeping our money in the hood.  

         I fully expect to see a section of some U.S. city designated as ‘Little Africa’. Especially after those Reparation checks start to show up, someday. 

         What “White Guilt?” It’s just part of “The Game.” 

THE ‘SALLY’ AND ‘BECKY’ LIE: 

         America likes to ‘export’ the belief that the mere presence of a WW will ‘stupefy’ a Black man and make him unable to think, concentrate, or calculate. This lie has been told round the world, and back again. To tell the truth, today’s brother is not a throwback to the ‘Birth of a Nation’ fakes that the majority culture viewed as ‘real.’ 

         I like how Dick Gregory destroyed this myth, back in the day: “If you don’t want Black men looking at White women, PUT MORE BLACK WOMEN IN TV ADS!” Of course, this has happened, and now White women are angry that White men are lusting after Naomi Cambell, Tyra Banks, Halle Berry and Queen Latifah. In fact, I’ve noticed that some of the ‘traditional’ white dolls have ‘fuller’ lips, and ‘bigger’ trunks--and better ‘tans’. It’s not by accident that ‘Miss School Teacher’ is trying to turn ‘Pimp’ at the school house. Headlines are FULL of this kind of scandalous activity, Amen? What color are the male victims, usually? But…I digress! 

        Fewer and fewer upright images of Black womanhood are visible in the MSM. I am NOT happy about the continued stereotypical treatment Black women receive at the hands of Hellywood, nor am I happy with the way the MSM treats my Black sisters with a double standard that more and more sisters are--for the first time--awakening to and understanding. No, I’m not against IR, as long as its male-female (not ‘Adam and Steve’ or ‘Eve and Rhonda’) and both are heading in the same direction as led by the Lord. However, this ‘fear’ among White men and White women that ‘…all Black men want are…’ is BALDERDASH.

         Sistahs KNOW that it’s ‘Raining Men’, Baby! Put another way; if YOU are looking at and relying upon the MSM to help you find a date or a mate, best save your subscription money and spend it on some improvement classes, sisters. The MSM can’t even help White women find husbands. Based upon my research, in spite of the rising number of Caucasian women in the workforce, more and more of them--and their daughters--have become alcoholics, perverts, dope fiends, and suffer from all kinds of mental illnesses and afflictions that did not exist a scant ten years ago. 

         What “White Guilt?” It’s all a part of “The Game.” 

THE “MISSIONARY MENTALITY” LIE: 

         As one who does wear a clerical collar, this is a great place for me to wrap it up for the month. Many ‘church folk of the lighter hue’ from the pulpit to the pew, still have a ‘missionary’ mentality about Men of Color, Christianity, and the Bible. What IS the ‘missionary’ mentality? Well, that is the action whereby Caucasian Christians will reach ‘outside’ of their cities to ‘help’ people of color outside of the USA, but will FIGHT to keep OTHER races out of their OWN backyards. Men of Color from Frederick Douglass to Frederick K.C. Price have addressed the sin of racism in the church. 

         The sin has NOT changed and still exists. 

         There IS a falling away from the church, as prophesied in the Bible. 

         It will take practitioners, not just readers and prayers, to reverse the fall. Until that day comes, Men of Color will be watching “The Game”, and entering the playing field at level areas of their OWN choosing--NOT ignorant about the field…or the players. 

        Let the fool choke on their own ignorance.

        What good does it do, O Man of God, to wrap the Bible in a flag and proclaim a need for patriotism, justice, truth and the USA way, when you can’t go down the block with a color blind Gospel and talk WITH us or even TO us? How many church members own or run banks, businesses, and corporations, yet can’t ‘find’ Men of Color to employ, but ‘pay lip service’ about the high unemployment rate among African American men? 

         Young brothers need to take a lesson from our forefathers; learn how to master your mind--when others are content to be losing theirs. I’ve only supplied an overview of the mainstream ‘chessboard’. The rest of the research, is up to YOU! 

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“WHITE GUILT”: PLAYING “THE GAME” ? PART I 

         In my view, the race issue is like the weather; everyone talks about it, but no one really wants to address the real, bottom line issues involved. It’s kind of like the social worker who chides the police officer for arresting a wayward juvenile…until that juvenile breaks into the social worker’s home. Only then, does the crime issue become ‘real.’ 

         Aren’t feeling me yet? Well, let’s move on. What do Rodney Dangerfield and Men of Color have in common? BOTH get little in the way of respect. Furthermore, as Dangerfield’s ‘lack of respect’ was based upon comedic wit, great timing and keen observation, the ‘lack of respect’ still swirling around Men of Color in this country is, in my humble opinion, rooted in planned, deliberate, and calculated ignorance.  

         Even by some of those of our OWN hue. 

         I hope that my opening illustration will shock more than a few people who have read my work in the past. As we used to say back in the day: “I want to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.” Sadly there are too many, both outside and inside of our communities who are STILL practicing this sin of favoring one person over another because of color. It is getting more and more obvious in the mainstream that the greatest fear is: “Guess Who Your Daughter May Be Marrying!” 

         Brothers, to be counted as a man means that there comes a time when we need to ‘clear the air’ about a few things in our modern society, in order to have the next generation of young Black men grow up to be wise, able to compete and free to see things as they actually ARE--and honestly evaluate their options. I ask a clear hearing on my subject this month, as I am not a racist…but a realist. I’m not stoking the fire, but I am going to be throwing strikes, cause Home Plate never moves. We KNOW that there IS deception in the land of the free and the home of the brave on the issue of race. The cold reality is, we have stopped teaching our young men how to spot--and confront--intentional and harmful actions, rise above them, and expose them with all of the class and grace the Lord will bestow upon us. 

         Yes, racism DOES exist in this land. The following two-part commentary is but a mere ‘cliff’ session, designed to remind US that there IS a standard of performance based upon racism. Black folk in general, and Black men in particular STILL have to do twice as much to be counted ‘average’ or even competitive by the mainstream. 

         Let me hasten to add that ‘going off’ on racists does not destroy the demon.

 

         Sometimes, the best way to deal with those who ‘hate’ is to ‘withdraw’ yourself from them and let ‘em choke on the consequences of their own bad behavior. 

THE “WHITE GUILT” LIE: 

         True freedom often involves an occasional throwing off of lies. Truth--Men of Color have ALWAYS come through when America has landed upon hard times, especially in those instances America did NOT want us to participate, nor expect us to help. Since 1619, WE have been MORE loyal to this country than it deserves, Amen? 

         I happened across several items to kick my switch for the month. They range from Ishmael Reed’s “Another Day At The Front”, to the Time Magazine 2006 Cover Story about the ‘plague’ of white youth dropping out of school, to several recent articles discussing Black progress and White Guilt written by a rainbow of writers, columnists, and scribes, and, least I forget, some wrong treatment of a friend of mine by people she was trying to help.  

         Here’s a real shock: Unless you have been living under a rock since the age of ten, MOST of us who are Black and male know that there is NO such animal as ‘White Guilt.’ 

         It’s all part of “The Game.” 

         Brothers, members of the Caucasian race who live in the USA do not feel a bit guilty over the progress they have made in society. I am a fan of Shelby Steel’s, but I must firmly disagree with him on the matter of White Guilt. If one wanted to be accurate about how white America views us, it is a look of bizarre amazement. We STILL survive IN SPITE OF the playing field being shifted, day-by-day…and sometimes hour-by-hour. 

         It gets hotter and better this month, brothers as to be ‘pro-Black’ does not mean ‘anti-white’. The Black man who dares to better himself, stay loyal to his wife, and conduct his family as God has intended will be seen as a suspect--even by some of those of the Caucasian ranks who may have talk shows, appear regularly on Christian or Non-Christian television, write books, be male or female, or may be wearing clerical collars, carrying Bibles, and addressing themselves as either ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative.’ 

         Let‘s turn up the heat a little more. The Man of Color who can conduct himself on any field of endeavor will likely find himself the target of snipers, slander, gossip and accusation at each level. If you are opinionated, certain folk are waiting for you to ‘go off’. If you don’t use ‘slang’, you are branded a ‘nerd’; if you do use it, you are tagged as being ‘rough and thuggish’. If you work hard and get ahead, you ‘made it’ due to someone’s ‘gift’ to you. If you work hard and are overlooked for promotion or advancement, you don’t ‘understand’ how the game is played. 

        Ah, but we DO understand how it is played. Unfortunately, too many of our young brothers are content to chew on their piece of basketball, Hip Hop, and Hollywood ‘glory’, yet if they had to go out and work a regular job like the rest of the brotherhood, many of them would wind up behind bars, in a psych ward…or both.

“The Game” will always be right in your face, my brother. Daring you; dogging you, and chiding you into doing something drastic, dangerous, and dumb. “The Game” is even played in the Church house, and in the Christian community. If you ‘confront’ some of the so-called ‘light brothers’ in Christ, you are either ignored, made fun of, or accused of being one of ‘those’ types. This is especially comical as the biblical account has unshakeable evidence that the Hebrews, from Moses to Jesus to Paul, had more ‘soul’ to their color than folk want to admit. 

         I think I just lost some conservative and liberal Christian ministries, Amen? 

         Typical. 

         How can one win, let alone compete, in this type of daily, hostile environment?  

         Simple. Realize that “The Game” is, what it is…a means of testing your mental metal. Train yourself to not just win, but to THRIVE! Take a tip from the late Earl Woods. Discipline yourself AND get back to training your children as to how to mentally stand against any attack; act instead of react. Realize that EACH day you head into the workforce IS a day of preparation and a day of battle.  

         Take your ‘ten’ at work, but let your natural down in your OWN home. 

         Sun Tzu has NOTHING on a determined Black man. 

         What “White Guilt?” It’s just a part of “The Game.” 

         What is “The Game”? Those who are in the thick of daily competition getting US to focus on what the right hand is doing, while the left hand has all of the secrets. In short, by design it has us wasting energy, time and resources being reactive, when we should be proactive. When Christ walked the earth, there was a very interesting business venture in the funeral industry called the ‘paid mourner’. These people were slipped a few coins and could cry on cue for the ‘dearly departed’. Mention racism to some Black folk, and you get the same reaction. It is high time we stop ‘crying’ about what is being done ‘to’ us, and take the battle to the next level. 

         And…do it with a smile!

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THE INMATES, THE ASYLUM & THE GREEN

In case you haven’t heard about this one: Hampton University drew major attention to a change in its dress code for undergraduate and graduate MBA students. In a nutshell, it has banned the ‘casual’ look when it comes to hairstyles and clothing, and instituted a ‘dress code,’ demanding students to look professional and business-like when they come to class. Of course, the purveyors of the ‘gangsta casual’ style (long dreds, unchecked cornrows, tattoos, gold teeth, etc.) are crying ‘FOUL.’ “After all,” the critics rant, rave, and rationalize, “Hampton is a BLACK institution; why can’t I dress any way I want?” 

It’s about the GREEN, Baby! 

Recently, the agency that happens to employ yours truly revised its dress code. It did away with ‘casual Fridays’ (something many corporations have been doing quietly since 2000). In short, the rule change intoned: “If you can’t hack it, get your jacket!” In a tight economy, one learns what is important for economic survival.  

If it means shucking the jeans and wearing ‘business lean’, then SO BE IT! 

It’s all about the GREEN, Baby!

THE ‘ACTING WHITE’ MYTH: 

I’m not advocating money worship, but merely exercising common sense. You have a choice, brothers; be proud and unemployed, or working and contributing. It’s your call with the ball. 

Let me be among the first to applaud the Hampton efforts in attempting to teach something which other MBA candidates at other institutions are instinctively aware: “If one wants to be RECRUITED, one had better be PROPERLY SUITED!” 

Let me add another statement to the fire as spoken by Tony Brown: “The ONLY color of freedom is GREEN!” Again, I am not ‘advocating’ the worship of money. I am on the record for the following: IF one is going to make their mark in the business world, they need to learn the rules.  

One of them is proper dress. 

Now, I’ve met my share of young people who ‘claim’ that they want to open their own business ‘someday.’ T-O-D-A-Y is the day for preparation. One may ‘hope’ to open their own company in the future, but they won’t reach that dream when they DO NOT know when to sag, and when not to…Amen? 

Pin down one of our loudmouthed youth of today, pry his iPOD from his hands and ears, and ask him to produce a report card. After the fussing, cussing, and fuming (by them), take a GOOD look at his grades. Next, get past the excuses and ask them what they want to do with their lives. 

The conversation will be one way from that point on--as many of our young have not been asked that question by teachers, professors...or even their own parents! 

The youth of today STILL need for the card-carrying members of the 'old' school to tell them where they are doing right, and when they are going wrong. It is the responsibility of those of us who are older to rise to that challenge and pass on our wisdom both inside, and outside of our households. 

Sometimes, the need may arise in the unlikeliest of places.  

The ‘critics’ (many of whom are under-40 by the way) of the Hampton policy revision seem to be more concerned about the ‘acting white’ myth, rather than economic reality. The one thing I have learned from living is the following about the ‘acting white accusers’: 

1. What was the last grade THEY completed in school? 

2. Are they paying their OWN bills, or are they relying on someone else’s generosity (like government aid, their parents, or their ‘roommate’)?

3. Are they actively working on being successful, or do they like being a statistic? 

You will lose many of those who dare to challenge you after the first question. 

Brothers, let’s be for real. If the difference between you getting a job and keeping a job rests with what you wear to the office, look AROUND at what everyone else is wearing, and dress ACCORDINGLY. You can shout, whine, spit and rap to me all day long about how ‘unfair’ it is for an employer to ‘demand’ that potential and present employees dress for success. However, remember that old school piece of wisdom:  

“He (or she) who has the gold makes the rules!"

THE HURT OF PROUD HARDHEADS: 

Brothers, dress for success during working hours, and you will be a Black Man Working. Dress less than your best, and you will be young, gifted, Black…and BROKE! 

*A man cannot provide a family IF he is broke. 

*A man cannot help his community IF he is broke. 

*A man cannot build a successful legacy IF he is broke. 

I continue to run into young brothers displaying their ‘prideful hardheadedness’; dressing anyway they want, failing to prepare themselves to launch a successful job/career hunt, and getting ‘mad’ when other young brothers who are doing it the RIGHT way are passing them in the breakdown lane like sports cars during rush hour.  

Nevertheless, this is exactly what happens when the inmates attempt to seize control of the jail--and dictate their own terms of prison reform.  Volume does not equal success; it just means that the excuses for one's shortcomings can be masked with higher decibels. 

Brothers, let me give you a tip…you are not a ‘sell out’ if you shuck the ‘BrokeBlack’ mindset, put on some decent clothes, and undertake a marketing campaign in order to find a job--or a BETTER job. There is NO JOY in being DELIBERATELY unemployed and/or having your WOMAN ‘take care of you’ while you ‘excel’ at video games, hip hop poetry, and your CD/MP3 collection.  

There IS a work for a young brother who won’t work: It is spelled P-U-N-K! 

In fact, let me fill you in on a positive trait of the brotherhood--and employers. They ‘both’ like to help those who have the courage to ask, seek AND follow through! 

True story. An older brother on my job is a sharp dresser. I asked him for some tips on how I could ‘spice up’ my functional wardrobe. The older brother told me where he did some of his clothes shopping. Needless to say, I was blessed at what they had in my price and size range. It also made a difference when I ‘borrowed’ his look and reaped some compliments from my coworkers and superiors. Of course, I thanked my ‘style mentor’ appropriately. 

AN OBSERVATION--AND A CHALLENGE: 

If you read the Bible, you have heard about the ‘church dress code’. Folk wore their best to physically represent their love of Christ, and their dedication to each other in the local congregation. Time was--before the infestation of the Rap and Hip Hop genres in some of our churches, our people were proud to wear their ‘Sunday Best’. And, for those who like to get ‘cute’ about Jesus, just remember that he was a ‘clean brother’ when He was teaching in the Temple, and a ‘functional brother’ when he was on the job in the carpenter’s shop. 

My two cents: Hampton University’s faculty and leadership have broken the back of the rebellion. At last word, students were getting with the program. However, here is my challenge for some of the more ‘entrepreneurial’ brothers in the MBA program. Open a business where your classmates can ‘get’ those conservative clothing items at discount prices…or even for FREE. Sounds crazy, right? Well, in some U. S. cities, there are ‘second hand’ clothing stores where women who are going for ‘professional’ jobs are provided with business suits, dresses, and accessories for free, or reduced cost. The primary thrust of the stores, if one wants to carry themselves as a professional, one CAN get help in building a better wardrobe. It would be nice to see that same philosophy extended to the college campus. Remember, it was the campus that spawned Fed Ex…and the creator of that company got a ‘C’ on his paper when he presented the business model--in an MBA program.

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EARL WOODS:  BROTHER ABOVE THE FOLD 

In the newspaper game, when a story is ‘above the fold’ it means that the editors believe it is information worthy of your attention. Thus, when you first glance at the front page of your daily delivery, the hot stories covered by your favorite reporter are the ones that their editorial board deemed ‘important’ for the public to see on Page One. 

This month’s column centers upon an individual who is also ‘above the fold’. This Father’s Day, I wanted to pay tribute to a man who not only understood the ‘hows’ in training a champion; but a brother who rose up after several major failures in his own life to carry on with determination and dignity. THE MANHOOD LINE “Father of the Year” is none other than the late Earl Woods. 

I’ve been scanning the web offerings on Mr. Woods. You can generally tell who ‘liked’ him, based upon whether or not his son, Tiger, had--or has-- ‘trounced’ a favored member of the Golfing establishment. Now, I might not be the quickest brother on the uptake about some things. After all, it took me a little while to figure out why sportswriters were pounding on Barry Bonds--until I realized that he was only a few swings away from placing Babe Ruth’s Home Run record into a third place ranking. 

As I write this, Bonds is only one swing away. GO BARRY! 

But, I digress. 

Some of the articles and web offerings I have read about Mr. Woods have left me cold…except for the interview that Rush Limbaugh did with him in his monthly magazine a few years ago, which ‘El Rushbo’ provided an extravaganza of information on this legendary father. The best news--Tiger is just ‘hitting his stride’. The great news--Mr. Woods modeled sacrifice, love, and manhood in bringing Tiger to where he is now. 

LEARNING THE LESSONS:

Earl Woods, based upon what I have been reading and observing over time, had to deal with some past trials, tribulations and failings. First, he had to handle his own shortcomings from a previous marriage. Second, he had to overcome the horrors of war and racism. Third, when he KNEW that Tiger was a ‘gifted’ child, he had to map out a careful training program, pass on the realities and sting of racism for people of color in the USA and sacrifice what was a lucrative career of his own. Last, he still had to instill in his children, as well as Tiger, the importance of being an upright adult against the backdrop of a society, which seemed to endlessly point at the ‘easier and less moral’ direction. 

Yes, Mr. Woods could have ‘folded’ or taken the okey-doke at any time. Unlike many in our ‘soft boiled’ age of today, he took the hard lessons of life and used them to propel himself forward. In doing so, by making himself ready, WHEN Tiger came along, it was easier to be humbled, and begin the process of training his son for GREATNESS. 

Brothers, are YOU ready to sacrifice, be upright, and discipline yourself? IF you are, when that opportunity--be a great job, a great wife, or a great idea--comes along, you will be humble enough to recognize the greatness in it, and move with it to the next level. 

Too many brothers TALK a good game, but are NOT willing to TRAIN! The modern young man of today may ‘flow’ seventy-five words a minute, but won’t ‘go’ properly dressed to a job interview! 

Can I get an AMEN from the ranks of the unemployed? 

Now, I’ve seen the headlines, and read the columns and commentaries. Allegedly, to hear some of the ‘media hardheads’ talk, we--as men--don’t have much to celebrate, and whatever we DO celebrate, isn’t a real victory.  

To that I say BALDERDASH!  

If you are doing the BEST that you can in taking care of yours, have learned from your mistakes, and have decided to ‘wake up’ instead of ‘sleeping and slipping along’ like some of your friends, you are on the path to TRUE manhood…as well as being a father worthy of honor.  

Want to be an upright man? It’s simple…stop believing the lies, and start living the truth.  

In our modern age, more seems to be made of the man or woman who has a ream of accomplishments to ‘brag’ about. Why brag if you know that you are successful? One of my favorite sayings comes into play here: “A Black Man doesn’t NEED a Press Conference to prove that he is successful!” 

DEVELOP AND LIVE THE RIGHT STANDARD:

What made Mr. Woods effective at training Tiger to be the champion he is today rests in the fact that he prayed, trusted his own instincts, and did not focus his attention on the negatives. Yes, there were struggles and sacrifices. No, his wife and especially young Tiger did not agree with his training regimen. However, as the days ticked by and a grown Tiger put on that first Master’s Green Jacket, it seemed that it paid off in a big league way.  

That was ONLY the beginning of the adventure. 

Brothers, life is a gamble. It is FAR too easy to do wrong. Not only is it easy to DO wrong, but also it is far too easy to live wrong just to ‘appease’ the crowd. Achievers are frowned upon and ‘dogged out’ in this era of ‘no risk living’. Getting married, THEN having children makes no sense to those who are focused upon physical pleasure rather than long-term commitment--but it makes perfect sense to a brother who is determined to live his life above the fold. The upright brother KNOWS that this is the right thing to do.  

We EACH have an internal standard of right and wrong, which God, in his infinite wisdom, has inserted into us. We just have to tune into his frequency through the Bible, set the dial on Jesus Christ and listen to the wisdom being taught. You can’t tune into the right show using the wrong antenna, amen? 

Goodbye Mr. Woods. Your legacy lives on because YOU took the time to prepare. Here’s a farewell poem to remind us for the need of upright men, and even more upright fathers. This is called “The Ships That Won’t Go Down” by Henry Lawson: 

We hear a great commotion

‘Bout the ship that comes to grief,

That founders in mid-ocean,

Or is driven on a reef;

Because it’s cheap and brittle

A score of sinners drown.

But we hear but mighty little

Of the ships…that won’t go down.

 

Here’s honour to the builders--

The builders of the past;

Here’s honour to the builders

That builded ships to last;

Here’s honour to the captain,

And honour to the crew;

Here’s double-column headlines

To the ships that battle through.

 

They make a great sensation

About famous men that fail,

That sink a world of chances

In the city morgue or gale,

Who drink, or blow their brains out,

Because of ‘Fortune’s Frown’,

But we hear far too little

Of the men who won’t go down.

 

The world is full of trouble,

And the world is full of wrong,

But the heart of man is noble,

And the heart of man is strong!

They say the sea sings dirges,

But I would say to you

That the wild wave’s song’s a paean

For the men that battle through!

 

Happy Father’s Day to the brotherhood in 2006. 

MIKE RAMEY is the author of THE MANHOOD LINE. A syndicated column written monthly for men from a biblical, business, and common sense perspective. This column appears around the world in many find on line and off line publications. To correspond, drop an E-mail to manhoodline@yahoo.com. ©2006 Mike Ramey/Barnstorm Communications International. Ten years of ‘making it look easy’ in print!

 

RISE OF THE VOLUNTEER ALIENS

WKRP In Cincinnati, in my humble opinion, had to be one of the all-time best sitcoms that ever hit the airwaves. One of the last episodes of the first incarnation of the series involved Mama Carlson (Carol Bruce) making the decision to switch the format of WKRP in order for the station to continue to serve to lose money, a perfect tax write-off for her successful companies. Of course, Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) catches on to Mama’s intent, and utters the immortal quip: “This is so twisted, even I get it!” 

Unless you have been hiding out in a foreign land, you’ve no doubt heard or saw those ‘miraculous’ marches involving Illegal Aliens wanting to be rewarded with citizenship for sneaking across the Mexico/U.S. border and displaying a great work ethic away from their homeland.  

(Of course, when Jamaicans, Africans, and other people of color have sailed to our shores in leaky boats, they get caught by the U. S. Coast Guard and turned or shipped back by INS--now called ICE--but that’s another story for another column.)

The purpose of this month’s column is not talk about the Illegal Aliens, but a NEW subgroup, which I have dubbed the ‘Volunteer Aliens’. Some of them live in our homes. Some of them ‘attempt’ to ‘breeze by’ their respective schools. Some of them you see walking the streets of our cities. Some of them fill our headlines, jails--and morgues.

It may shock many of us to know that every time a teen drops out of school another Volunteer Alien is born with their final destination being a land below the poverty line.

PUTTING YOU IN THE DRIVER‘S SEAT: 

I purposely capitalized the terms ‘Illegal Aliens’ and ‘Volunteer Aliens.’ 

Now, let’s probe our collective memories.

Remember about a decade ago that many U. S. companies made a conga line south across the border with the ‘illusion’ of making such moves because of ‘cheaper labor costs’? That was code for ‘searching for slave labor’…but I digress. Here’s another memory tester: When did we start to see an explosion of folks crossing the border? Right! Just as soon as U. S. companies began moving south!  

To yours truly, the entire Illegal Alien issue in this new century is just as easy to understand as slavery was in the past few centuries.  

It’s all about the money, baby. 

Doubt me? Let’s do some quick business math and put you in the corporate boardroom as the owner of a small company. What is the number one cost that will either make or break a small business? That’s right--a company’s labor cost! If you, as a business owner, can find a worker who is willing to work for LESS than the minimum wage, would you hire that person? Even IF that person were a recent ‘under the cover of darkness’ arrival to these shores? While many of us may say NO, remember, you are the owner of a small business, which means that you may be more than happy to say YES, just to keep your doors open.

ENTER ‘TIME MAGAZINE’ AND A GRIM COVER STORY: 

The April 2006, Time Magazine had a great cover story on the rising dropout rate in America. Entitled: “Dropout Nation”, it featured teens in--and out--of school in Shelbyville, Indiana which is not too far away from the home city of yours truly. It was hard not to miss that magazine, with the defiant face of a young white girl on the cover. 

She is the Poster Child of the Volunteer Aliens. 

I’m not going into all of the statistics, teen angst, surveys or parents wringing their hands over how many teens--white and black--are bypassing the school house door for the ‘quick buck’ at a fast food joint or some other enterprise, only to find out that they have to have work permits, pay taxes, and engage in surviving from paycheck to paycheck. The high school dropout--just like the dropout in the magazine cover story--quickly learns that without an education, their earning power quickly shrinks, and their upward mobility in an open society is quickly halted. No one ‘forced’ them to drop out. They ‘volunteered’ for the thankless trip out of the schoolhouse door. Instead of hearing the strains of music and the sounds of applause, these ‘new aliens’ only hear the sound of the door hitting them in the butt as they head down the stairs and out into real life…uneducated and unprepared.

PLIGHT OF ILLEGAL AND VOLUNTEER ALIENS THE SAME: 

The Illegal Alien takes whatever job they can find, and that job is usually under the minimum wage. This is the similar mindset of the Volunteer Alien. The Illegal Alien, for all practical purposes, is at the mercy of the employer. So is the Volunteer Alien. The Illegal Alien will have a ‘crash pad’ rental property involving several of their friends where they can pool their resources. The Volunteer Alien has the same agenda. The Illegal Alien pays for everything in cash, worships the dollar bill, and is constantly on the lookout for those ‘free’ items that allow them to continue to exist for just another day. So does the Volunteer Alien. Lastly, the Illegal Alien, for whatever reason, is just too hardheaded to go through the legitimate citizenship process just like others who have come to the shores of this land. The Volunteer Alien is too hardheaded to admit that their parents, teachers, and friends were right…life was a lot better in school.

It is easy to see why fewer and fewer people are feeling sorry for either group. 

Brothers, this is a twisted portrait of life in the USA. While we have to look to national and state leaders to formulate, adopt, and have the courage to enforce a decent immigration policy, we have to re-learn to the mantra of: ‘Get your education, kid’ in many of our communities. It is more than an economic issue: it is a family preservation issue. 

While some of the best and brightest young men (and young women) among us have bought into the ‘beautiful lie’ that being a Volunteer Alien at 15, 16, and 17 will miraculously spell ‘economic success’ at 21, 25, and 30, they seem to forget that marriages, families, and households are closely tied to the earning potential of the man of the house. Like it or not brothers, marriage is still biblical and socially acceptable in our ‘fast’ society. Also, it is UP to the MAN to provide for his household. Get a young Black man to give away his education is the prevention of another intact Black family getting off the ground, AND it will cause the next generation of children born to that brother (usually outside of marriage) to hate spending time in school--just like their father! 

Don’t shout me down when the truth is flowing. 

Of course, there is more. I don’t know if you have noticed, but there is a big sneeze forming in the ranks of the majority culture to ‘blow many a mind,’ thanks to that TIME cover story I mentioned earlier. Like it or not, brothers, we ALL know who will get pneumonia when that sneeze eventually comes forth in all its fury…and it will not be those of the majority culture. 

Sadly, if one has chosen to become a Volunteer Alien, they may become frozen in their decision when that sneeze does materialize. The thawing period for one who is AWOL from the classroom is no joke. Just ask many of those who ‘dropped out’ of school, and ‘dropped into’ crime. Their new classrooms have bars…and guards…along with teachers.

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THE GIRLS HAVE GONE…STUPID!

Earlier this spring, two articles out of the eastern portion of the United States kept me laughing heartily. One was from one major newspaper of record out of Washington D.C., and the second was from the OTHER major newspaper of record from the same city. The first article dealt with ‘why’ older Black women (32 and up) are ‘suddenly’ turning their noses up at the prospect of marriage. The second article dealt with the increase in the number of all-female gangs in the nation’s capital, many of them run by younger Black women (16 to 21)--some of them who are ALSO out-of-wedlock mothers. 

What had me laughing at these two stories (which came out the same week, by the way) was my unintended reading between the lines: “Brothers, if you do decide to marry, pick a sister between 22 to 31 years old, as there is a better chance that you will avoid some of these sisters who have gone…stupid!”

THE BWS HAS BEEN ACTIVATED: 

On that note, I have turned the key and activated the BWS--The Brotherhood Warning Service, as I firmly believe that more of us will be ‘asked’ about our reaction to these two throwaway pieces of modern journalism. 

Here is my ‘short’ inventory that I would hope every man would remember. 

Men, it was NOT that long ago that we were told ‘the lie’ of ‘more Black men are in prison than in college’. Next, we were ‘informed’ that more and more Black men were on the ‘DL’. Next, we were ‘bombed’ with the fact that Black men would not get married and LOVED the thug life. Recently, it was stated in the MSM that regardless of how much progress we have made, Black men still ‘ain’t making it’ and are falling further and further behind. If I left out any lies besides these aforementioned flights of fantasy, please email me, Amen? 

Now the slipper is on the other foot, and the lipstick and earrings have come off of some female writers. Desperate (themselves) to ‘find’ a husband (instead of waiting for God to send them one), some sisters have taken it upon themselves to police the men that they casually know and ‘declare’ that Black women are just NOT interested in getting married anymore! Let me state, for the record that I have tried to contact some of these bitter sisters. I keep telling some of these writers that alcohol, drugs, anger, depression, and keyboarding don’t mix; but no one wants to hear the truth…especially when they fail to respond to my inquiries. 

‘Reverse psychology’ is not the best way to start--or maintain--a relationship. 

‘Challenging’ a brothers’ manhood is not going to get you flowers or a date. 

These tactics--and more--just prove, sister, that you have GONE STUPID!

WHERE IS THE CHURCH? 

It is no great secret that many Black churches have been AWOL in reaching out to Black men with the gospel and the Bible on a regular, consistent basis. Many, many men have stopped going to church because the man behind many a pulpit is not really interested in the brotherhood--but in keeping the numbers up and women in the congregation attending and contributing. 

We have been told that many Black churches are ‘run’ by women. Sadly, it appears, that they are not learning any ‘biblical truths’ in these estrogen-charged environments. Portions of the Bible have been erased, expunged and nullified--especially the sections where the older women are supposed to teach the younger women about serving the Lord, submitting and listening to their OWN husbands, and loving their OWN children--even IF the sister has a job and/or career outside of the home. Of course, a woman who is a wife and mother--in my view--already has a job and/or career INSIDE of the home, but this is another column for another day. Suffice it to say, brothers, that the AAW (Anxious, Angry Woman) is making a conscious effort to rise from the grave and infect male/female relationships with her misplaced venom. If more and more preachers would preach from the Bible what the responsibilities of a REAL woman are, perhaps the FAKES would scurry back underground in shame and humiliation. If the ‘holy’ sisters IN church each and every Sunday would ‘wakes up’ to their responsibilities Monday through Saturday in this matter and stop the lies about Black men published by the AAW crew from sea to shining sea, there would be no need for the brotherhood to get involved.

WOMAN--POLICE YOUR OWN RANKS! 

I’ll take this a bit father: IF the so-called ‘righteous’ women in our communities would open their mouths IN support of Black men and accentuate the positives that we do, and have done, a lot of the lies would not gain traction in the MSM. You all know who these bitter sisters/sistahs are, where they live, and where they shop. If I may be so bold, I have developed a new slogan for sisters/sistahs in the year ahead--“Woman: Police Your Own Ranks!” The Bible is very clear about whom we should keep company with, and whom we should stay away from and shun. Liars, gossipers and those who sow discord among the brethren (and sisters too) should be kept away from to the point that one cannot even sit down and eat a meal with them, let along go shopping with them. 

I’ll make it plain at this point; if a woman knowingly keeps company with another woman who feels its her ‘duty’ to tear down every man she meets, who feels she just has to ‘complain’ about the dates that she has been upon via the newspaper or Internet, or feels that she must ‘whine’ about the lack of ‘real men’ (translation--men who will bow to her every whim and scheme) in society--and does NOT call her on it, she is giving consent to THAT woman to openly destroy her father, sons, brothers, uncles and other males in her family line, and other male authority figures throughout society. 

Can I get an AMEN from the brotherhood? 

The BWS has now ended, and the alarm key has been pocketed by yours truly for another day. However, I have one last thing on this month’s column: “Sisters, when will you step up, and force the stupid women among you to shut up?” 

The men in your life are awaiting your answer…and your action. 

We are not perfect sisters, but no one is lying on YOU…on a daily basis!

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NOT THE ‘WHERE’--BUT THE ‘WHY’!

Years ago, a veteran high school teacher had an underachieving student in his class. This teacher tried every learning trick he knew to get the teen interested and excited about his own education…but nothing seemed to work.

Then came spring, and the annual school ‘Career Day‘ arrived.

Without warning, our underachieving young man seemed to be ‘on fire’ about something, and his teacher was amazed. What tripped the teen’s interest? Why was he arriving on--or even ahead--of time for his classes? Which one of the speakers got under the student’s skin to get him excited about learning? 

A State Police Officer by the name of Smith.  

Trooper Smith came to Career Day complete with uniform, badge and gun and had the teen spellbound with his presentation. “Like Trooper Smith’s presentation, Robby?”  

Asked the teacher, as the student handed in yet another extra credit assignment. 

“Sure did!” Said Robby.  

“What did you learn from him?” Inquired the teacher. 

“The State Police…won’t hire dropouts!” Stated Robby.  

Robby worked hard and brought up his grades to C’s--better in a few courses. Eventually, Robby’s hard work got him his High School diploma, and landed him a job as a State Trooper.  

The moral to the story happened a few years back.

Robby--the student who didn’t look like he was going anywhere--won the state’s highest award for bravery as a Trooper. He single handedly foiled a bank robbery and rescued the hostages kept by the gunmen.  

One of the hostages was the grand daughter of his high school teacher. 

The award was pinned on his chest by the Governor of the state.  

Robby had the chance to make a short speech. He publicly thanked Trooper Smith for helping him to turn his life around, and his high school teacher for having the patience to allow him to choose a career on his own terms.

SAY WHAT MIKE? 

Now, I admit that I added a few items to my opening illustration, but I trust that I have made my point. Brothers, soon, it will be time for the annual onslaught of articles crying, moaning, and whining about the ‘lack’ of young men on college and university campuses. When those articles surface (and some of them already have) do NOT worry about WHERE these young men are. Rather, rejoice in the fact of WHY many young men are NOT where some social planners and feminists would like them to be. 

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Real young men like being where they can get their hands honestly dirty; be it on a factory floor, behind an engine, or a ten-mile hike, or even carrying a badge and gun.

Real young men like to choose their own vocations. 

Real young men like to have the opportunity to test themselves. 

I believe we, as a society, have been so conditioned to look for the ‘where’ of an issue that we have slipped passed the ‘why’ of it. The illustration of the teacher, Robby and Trooper Smith points out that sometimes teachers have to think past lesson plans, achievement tests and study halls to let young men actually ‘rub shoulders’ with real life. 

Real life does not exist only inside of classroom walls. Eventually, students graduate and have to take on life head on. In my view, those who work with young men have forgotten one basic thrust of communication: Asking a young man what he would like to be when he grows up.

ACCEPT THE FACT THAT BOYS AND GIRLS ARE DIFFERENT: 

We have spent far too much time asking their parent, parents, grandparents, cousins, and the barber about what young men need that some of us have chickened out of talking with young men about what they want out of life--without condemning their initial career choices. Many have spent too much time trying to make young men into young women--and getting MAD when they REFUSE to wear a DRESS! 

Not every student can ‘conform’ to the ‘rules’ of a test, lesson plan, or survey. 

Not every student has a firm grasp of what it takes to ‘be’ a lawyer or NBA star. 

However, EVERY young man needs to hear something positive from those adults around him, even IF the adult just happens to be a teacher--or a State Trooper.

Let’s be for real; boys and girls are different. Girls will start planning their weddings when they are old enough to wear their mom’s high heels. Boys will think about being the star quarterback, or the brave soldier while they are playing video games or at the neighborhood playground. A young woman will have her life organized, sorted and filed from cradle to high school; a young man will not think that far ahead.

There is NOTHING wrong with this arrangement. 

One central difference between the sexes: Boys like to get dirty; girls do not!

TEEN MALES WILL ALWAYS ACHIEVE WHEN CHALLENGED: 

We have turned the words ‘challenge’ and ‘achievement’ into negatives among many of today’s young men. It is NOT solely the fault of single parent homes that we have a generation of ‘effeminate’ young men, and ‘masculine’ young women. I lay the blame at the doorsteps of the entertainment industry and the education system. 

What do we see on many of our screens--both large and small? Why, the cheater often wins, the slacker is glorified, the underachiever is never fired, and the thief and the cop often both have the same objective--and same agent. Rappers are held to high esteem, the loud mouth is put on a pedestal, and the ‘smart mouth kid’ runs his parent’s home. The advertisers, sports figures and music stars enter our homes--and schools--24/7. The education establishment has let these individuals into our classrooms via Channel One, and a host of other means. 

There has been an all out attack on men, manhood, and marriage. 

The good news is that the attack is being met with solid resistance by old and young alike. More and more of our young men are opting for careers that are going to train and discipline them for success, rather than to have a ‘job’. They learned a loooooong time ago that America’s colleges--and secondary schools in some cases--have become feminized. 

Even the ‘so called’ private or Christian schools cater more to girls than boys. 

Young men want to have the right to accept challenges and test muscle. A teenage boy must be ‘called’ or ‘attracted’ into a vocation--not thrown into it for the sake of making society--or the church--‘happy’. Simply stated; young men want to be a part of an institution that offers Honor, Duty, and Loyalty. The rugged discipline of an Obstacle Course, a ten mile hike, or time on the Parade ground, in some cases; the feel of grease under the fingernails and the strain of muscle against machinery in others.  

The last bastions of maleness are the shop (Trade School), the military, or law enforcement. Many young men I have talked with would rather delay going to college to pick up the experiences that these vocations--and others like them--offer.

Let us show some wisdom and encourage young men in their career pursuits. 

One day you may NEED a Trooper like Robby to cross your path. 

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So what do you think?  If you would like to respond to this article click here and sign our Guestbook to leave a public or private statement, comment or reaction.  Mike Ramey is the author of: "The Manhood Line".  A syndicated monthly column, written for men from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective. To correspond, e-mail to manhoodline@yahoo.com. 

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DO WE NEED TO DRED--SPECIAL ED?

I have a few simple questions for those among us who have children involved in the ranks of SE--Special Education: First, has your child had their Individual Education Program Report updated for the next school year? Next, how do you know if your child has been ACCURATELY labeled as a Special Education student? Lastly, is your child’s school trying to save SE money by short changing YOUR child’s education needs? 

Brothers, let’s talk for a little while on the issue of Special Education. No, I am not an expert…but real life has forced me to ‘study up’ on the topic. Frankly I am tired of watching parents being screwed by school systems when it comes to the progress of our children. I am also tired of seeing young Black men ‘tracked’ into SE like it is a hotel. 

To me, one of the curiosities of Special Education echoes the sentiment of the old Eagles’ song, ‘Hotel California;’ meaning a student can ‘check out’ of Special Education…but they can NEVER leave the program.

I’ve mentioned before that I have been amazed that it PAYS for a young Black man to become helpless these days. Parents get fat checks from the federal government and some state governments for each child that has a documented learning disability. School districts get fat checks from the same governments for the number of ‘helpless’ students (learning disabled or special education students) they have on their rolls. 

Community organizations get fat checks to hire social workers and counselors to ‘reach’ these students with education and socialization programs--some of them offering more services than you can imagine. Even the juvenile justice system has a host of programs tailor made for ‘the helpless’ young criminal--with local social service agencies providing the services.  

Then, there is the lack of a stigma seemingly attached to the SE student. Once again, many of our young Black men live with a host of letters after their names in tribute to their affliction (MMH, LD, ED, etc.). They may not be able to spell the name of the capital of their state, but by golly they can tell you (quite fluidly in some cases) when they first got their ‘affliction’, what medication is needed to ‘treat it’, and the name, time, and location of their last ‘therapy’ session. 

One veteran educator in my area nailed the controversy on the head, by stating that it seemed funny that some of our young men were ‘Special Ed’ students only Monday through Friday, 7am to 3pm, but could go home and play video games, go to parties or to work, or watch Rap/Hip-Hop videos--and understand them--on nights and weekends.

THE UNINFORMED--GET HURT! 

In the words of Aretha Franklin: “Who’s Zooming Who?” 

In my humble opinion, Black parents and their children are the ones getting zoomed by the Special Education establishment. These officials, teachers and administrators know the law and the numbers; they control the designation; and they determine ‘how long’ someone is qualified to be ‘in’ special education, and ‘when’ they are qualified to leave. 

Let me toss a few dollars at you. In some school districts, the AVERAGE Special Ed student is worth some $5,000 to $8,000 per year in federal funding. Thus, the more students in this designation, the more money the school system can receive in funding from Uncle Sam. Never mind the fact that taxpayer pockets are being picked.

I know that there are students who DO have genuine learning problems and special education needs. However, it appears to me that the parent of a special education student has a host of rights and privileges, but never seems to be advised by the school or the special education department what these rights actually are--but they are supposed to ‘trust’ these ‘professionals’ with the mental welfare of OUR children.

Brothers, it is high time for us to tackle this matter head on. 

Can I get an AMEN from the cheap seats? 

As a parent, if someone wanted to put my child into something that was good ‘for’ their intellectual growth, but would not tell me about my rights and how I could go about ‘checking up’ on the rules of this ‘wonderful’ learning system, I would be very curious at the least. Problem is, many parents in general--and Black parents in particular--assume that the ‘system’ always knows best. 

Balderdash.

GREAT ARTICLES AND PAPERS ON LINE: 

If you think that I am sinking too much time into the Special Education issue, let me ask you to do your own research on line. Choose your search engine and type in the words: ‘Blacks and Special Education’. You will be amazed at the information that comes to the top. In 2005 for instance, the Washington Post did an excellent job examining the subject as some 18-school systems in the state of Maryland were having problems. Seems that there were far too many Black students being shipped off to Special Ed classes without much in the way of rationale. The article also cited at least 30 school districts in the state of Virginia with similar problems in having too many Black students going into Special Ed classes in comparison to the total numbers of Black students in each of these Virginia school districts. Further, the abuses of putting Black children into such programs goes back to the ‘Individuals With Disabilities Education Act’--which was passed in 1997 (so ‘No Child Left Behind’ did not start this fire). There are also articles on line from California, Indiana, Ohio, and a host of other states. 

There are also excellent resources--written in plain English--to inform parents of their rights and HOW to fight to make sure their child gets the best in education resources out of their local school system IF their child is in Special Education classes.

THREE PIECES OF CRUCIAL INFORMATION: 

Brothers, here are three bottom-line rights that a parent of a special education child has, regardless of the child’s designation:

*ONCE per year, the child and the parent MUST sit down with the SE teacher, their department head, and the school counselor to see what progress is being made in terms of the school providing the resources to educate the SE child. Now, the school may choose to do this by phone, or by mail, or just between the parent and the SE teacher. Make sure that ALL the players AND you and your child are in attendance to get this review accomplished, for this will determine where your child will spend their next year.

*BEWARE of being pressured, pushed, or made to feel inferior about demanding that your child’s school spend money on your child’s program. IF your child is judged NOT to be able to accomplish their studies at school, BY LAW your school MUST pay for either home bound education (having an SE teacher come to your home to teach your child), OR, pay for an SE education for your child at a nearby school corporation that may have better education opportunities--including transportation costs for your child.

*DOCUMENT how your child is doing in their school’s SE program. TAKE GOOD NOTES. Sometimes, SE teachers WILL socially promote children ‘just so they won’t have to deal with them’. Sometimes, SE teachers are poorly trained and are just ‘looking to get paid’. KEEP your documents; write down your concerns, and share them at the annual get together (preferably during the current school year) to make sure that your child’s school is doing their job in providing SE resources for their education. 

When parents start getting ‘hip’ and learn their rights, Special Ed will stop being know as ‘Special Dred.’ Of course, this means that more than a few parents will have to do something they haven’t done in many a day--start valuing an education ahead of those nice checks the government sends when you keep a kid dumb; and a school district without accountability.

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BROTHERS--IT IS GETTING BETTER!

As I began to ponder this month’s column, I had to start off with words of gratitude, praise and thanks to the great editors, publishers, and readers of THE MANHOOD LINE. It’s been ten years since the first column showed up in THE INDIANA HERALD, spurred on by Dr. Mary Tandy--owner and publisher of the Black owned paper. Her late husband, Opal, started the paper in a quest to bring another great Black newspaper into the world. She continues his work, and so does the rest of the family. Dr. Tandy’s best quote on the subject of male/female relations is the following: “When a woman talks bad about a man, she is also insulting another woman--HIS MOTHER!”  

Never have truer words been spoken. 

I also wanted to let the brotherhood know one firm fact: It IS getting better and better to be a man--especially a Black man--in the United States of America. Men and women are finally starting to wake up to the fact that putting dresses on men and keeping them as ‘househusbands’, and shuttling women off to work in power suits with briefcases is simply NOT working. 

How can I tell? 

First, let’s reflect upon my candidate for “Man Of The Year” 2005, Mr. Randal Pinkett--the first BLACK male to snag the prestigious label as Donald Trump’s “Apprentice.” Not “The Apprenti”. Not the” “PC Hour.” Mr. Pinkett WON the game by playing by “the Donald’s” rules AND doing it with S-T-Y-L-E! Best of all, when the HEAT was on, Mr. Pinkett did NOT fold! 

If that WAS NOT a clear, definitive dose of MANHOOD, I’ve been away from the front lines TOO long! 

There’s more to encourage us in the year ahead. Check the commercials, churches, and movie offerings. Read the newspapers, magazines and websites. Cruise the mall and watch the couples arm in arm. Listen and watch the politicians sweat over taxes, marriage, and employment. Buzz your e-mail and see how many positive and uplifting items are arriving from friends and loved ones. 

Especially copies of my column in many cases. 

I received the following e-mail of praise from a sister who read one of my columns on men and marriage. One of the basic points of the column: NO WAY can a woman NAG a man to the altar, as a REAL man will propose when he is ready to do so. Sister, if you can’t wait, then you’d better find another date because it is up to the man to determine whether or not you will be his MATE. 

You tell me if my reader ‘got it’ by the following sent to me from Florida: 

"Thank you, Thank you & Thank you! I’m a 29 year old divorced sistah and I thank you for saving my a**!!! That article was very much so needed! I'm now dating a sweet brother that I would never exchange him for anyone else in the world, but you just saved me from loosing him, I saw myself in #4 the nagging "sistah" I've been nagging him into marrying me and what you stated was oh so correct that "He will marry me in and on his own time"! And all I have to say is thank you for saving my some what nagging behind-- Signed, West Palm Beach, Florida"

WHY I WRITE FOR MEN: 

I’ve been on quite a few talk shows, have had conversations with various people around the world, and have been applauded by men and women from just about every continent on earth. The question frequently comes up: “Why write ONLY for men?”

I write for men simply because I have had solid, upright men school (or mentor me) throughout my life, including--first and foremost--my late father. Some of these other brothers were and are Christian men. Others of the brotherhood have a reverence for God, and a depth of wisdom that had to come from a deep understanding of people and how they function. 

My writings are jointly forged by success and failure. You see, I ran for public office more than ten years ago, and lost. However, my campaign sent some REAL brothers my way who got me to look beyond my loss, shake my gold pan and deal with the nuggets that I found in the mud. Ten years later, I’m still shaking that pan. There is still much truth to mine and share as we continue on life’s road growing as men. 

I also write for men because too many in the MSM seem to overlook the obvious.

They, like I, had a father. I would not dishonor his memory, or his wisdom.

Some sisters (and some weak brothers) forget that they had a Dad. If the eighties are being remembered as the ‘Greed’ decade, and the nineties the ‘Me’ decade, the first decade of the new millennium has got to be the ‘She’ decade (a.k.a The Decade of the Shrew). I have never seen commercials, heard songs, nor read papers and articles dedicated to women being negative towards men; or, I should say, featuring women doing their best to try to ‘intimidate’ the men in their lives. Women poking, prodding, or hitting men to make a point, or attempt to exert their ‘will’ by calling the man in their lives a laundry list of items, ending with: “Well, you AIN’T a man!” Then, when he knocks her out, cusses her out, or throws her out--she is amazingly quiet about how much manhood her ‘so called man’ had. Seems he had JUST enough to fire her and find a BETTER woman with whom he could share his life.

HUMOR INSTEAD OF HYPERTENSION--MEN HAVING THE LAST LAUGH: 

I’ve noticed something about this Decade of the Shrew. Men are meeting the insults, anger, and demands of the female sex--with determination and laughter. Randal Pinkett is but one example. Toby Keith and his song ‘Big Blue Note’ features a man who’s wife left him, cleaned out the house and bank accounts while he was at work. To add insult to injury, she leaves him a piece of her mind on a sheet of blue paper. Sure, the brother ‘falls a part’ for a little while, but eventually gets a grip on himself, tosses the note off a cliff and gets back to living again. “She’s gone,” Keith dots the drama towards the end of the song. Yes, it is a Country and Western standard, but a good point, is a good point. 

Brothers, let’s be for real. There is no need for bitterness if she decides to ‘walk’ on you. There IS another opportunity coming down another street, and in a lot of cases the next opportunity is a LOT better quality of woman. 

You see brothers, there are some YOUNGER sisters who have decided NOT to take a swig from the ‘feminist cauldron’. They LIKE men; and their like their man to be a MAN, not one of those ‘metrosexuals’ who are into silk, psychology, and sexy nails on themselves. These ‘retro’ sisters like to be pampered, adored, and spoiled. They ‘may’ work a job, and ‘may’ even make more than their husband; but they are LOYAL to him and their children. These sisters, like my wife says, worked on their MRS. Degrees before they started working on their B.A, M.A., or PhDs.  

In short, they LIKE the rice, the ring, and the preacher along with the ‘I Do’ of marriage.  

THESE sisters are waiting for you by the dozens! Just let the Bible, the Lord, and your upright character lead you to them. Quit taking your cues from M-T-V or B-E-T and stick with G-O-D.

Brothers, it IS getting better out there. 

So, regardless of when you read this column, rest assured of one thing: THE MANHOOD LINE has passed its ten-year milestone and the hits are just gonna KEEP on coming! Thanks for your support brothers, and let us SAIL ON! 

Full speed ahead…for Manhood!

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Warning: The Following Column May Contain Language Unsuitable For Some Readers of “The Manhood Line”

WHAT THEN--DO WE SAY? PART TWO

Time was, a boy who was fatherless due to the premature death of his dad was taken under the wing of a variety of upstanding men and built into a strong, confident and godly man. Those members of the brotherhood deserve our appreciation.

Fast forward a few decades. A boy now has additional reasons for being fatherless. He may be the result of a weekend fling, a deliberate act of pregnancy, or a few clicks on the Internet to have a child without the ring, rice, and preacher. Oh yes, don’t expect the single mother to be all that anxious to turn him over to the REAL men of the community for training.

Don’t shout me down when I’m on a roll.

As current society is rooted in sexual fantasy rather than marital reality, we now have a cottage industry dedicated to the fatherless; a host of grants and social programs designed to replace the need for the Bible, marriage, the church, and upright men. Schoolhouses have become one-stop shopping centers. Forget the 3 R’s; now we have health care, welfare, and legal aid in the schoolhouse. Also, community centers and churches have after hours programs to replace family mealtime. Social workers replace family discussions. Jail, Juvie (juvenile) and waiver hearings replace parental discipline. 

What of the single mother? Well, she can continue to ‘get her itch scratched’ by whatever male who might be breathing (age is optional). She does not worry about the need for marriage. Neither does she have to ‘go public’ with her OOW (Out Of Wedlock) bundle of joy for manhood training of any type. Various family members, social commentators, and church members have allowed her a ‘pass’ to have full rights as a member of the community. 

I’ll never forget the conversation I had with a woman who had two kids out of wedlock--a boy and a girl--both of them in their later teens. The mother seemed unrepentant while we talked. Her girl was about to have her own OOW child--making her a grandmother and her son was out running the streets. “I can’t find a ‘good’ man,” the woman said in the familiar, condescending tone meant to ‘tar and feather’ all Black men for her situation. I suppose, in the back of her mind that she hoped that I would feel sorry for her and let her sin off the hook--like so many other folk had over the years. “Sister,” I noted, “seems to me you found a ‘good’ man TWICE to come up with those two kids of yours.”  

The sister got real quiet after that rebuke. 

STRAIGHT UP BIBLE--BASTARDS DO EXIST: 

Let’s be for real; bastards DO exist in our various villages. No matter what some preacher might preach, or what some ‘loose headed’ church member or deacon might say. No matter what some other columnists may write. Bastard IS the correct term for OOW children. No matter how defiant single mothers want to be, from a biblical perspective, God does NOT appreciate children born outside of the bonds of marriage.  

An illegitimate child carries a TEN-generation biblical curse on their heads--one of the strongest and longest curses found in the whole of scripture. Until the child sets things right with God, he/she will be trapped in a vicious circle of defeat and destruction--including the duplication of the SAME sin that brought the child into the present world in the first place. 

Seems to be pretty plain language to me, Amen? 

But there is still good news! In the Book of Judges, God did use a man by the name of Jephthah to destroy the enemies of ancient Israel AFTER his hometown kicked him out. You see, Jephthah was a bastard. When he was young, his countrymen kicked him out of town because of his OOW origin.

Years later, these same men had to go beg this brother to come back to rescue them from certain destruction. Of course, Jephthah had to get right with God in order to be used to help his people. Nevertheless, he was made a Judge in Israel after he and his crew destroyed the enemy God’s way. 

CONTINUING DOWN THE LIST:  

I must make it plain at this point. The brotherhood CAN NOT take the law into their own hands regarding the treatment of OOW kids. In short, we are not allowed to disrespect them or their parent. We are to help them onto the right road of maturity. Let me continue, as some of you defiant sisters and weak brothers need to read on. At the same time, we of the brotherhood are NOT to candy coat or ‘PC’ the family situation, just to make the mother and/or child ‘feel good about themselves’. 

How are we truly supposed to act towards those young men in our communities who are the result of illegitimate origin? The natural follow up to that question: How then do men make a positive impact on such boys? Another thorny issue is how to address the brother who has grown up in a toxic environment where his single mother has ‘come out’ or ‘has been on the down low’ (a la Sheryl Swoopes) or worse? 

Simple. These young men MUST be BUILT into upright men.  

As I mentioned in my last column, there are four principles that are recommended in the building process. FIRST, the mother MUST be honest enough to have told their child how they got to where they are. IF the mother does not want to be honest with her own child about her life, leave her and her family alone--as you are heading into a no-win situation. SECOND, mother and child must be ushered back to the Bible, the church, and Jesus Christ--as He alone is the one who can break all of the curses associated with illegitimate children. Again, if mother nixes this, move on to a family who will accept your help on these terms--not on the terms of the present world system. 

These first two points are non-negotiable! 

Here are the other two principles: THIRD, WE need to BUILD the young men up in the skills of manhood, work, and becoming providers. Not through marches and rallies, but day-to-day contact.  

Brother, YOU must be AVAILABLE. A few young men around you will be making their way to your office, your beat, or your home to talk with you. They know who you are; you don’t need an award for doing something God has created you to do--being an encourager!

Don’t push them away! 

YOU have the power to do more to encourage these young men to stay drug free, crime free, and IN school. The common, upright, Christian man is the most effective tool in this fight, provided he come out of the tool box and hit’s the road of life running. 

LASTLY: WE need to BUILD young men in terms of modeling UPRIGHT behavior. WE need to put away the tobacco, profanity, drugs, liquor, and back door relationships. WE need to grow up, straighten up, and operate on the up-and-up in all of our dealings. If our OWN house is not in order, we are in the wrong. WE cannot teach what we are not willing to do in disciplining ourselves.

As I bring this commentary to a close, let me address the brothers who were OOWs, and are now men in many of our communities. Brothers, YOU need to deal with some hurts that were done to you in the past, as you are hurting others in the present. Otherwise, you will continue to be uncomfortable around the genuine, upright men in your community. Upright men who have been trying work with you…but have been pushed away, year after year. My advice for you is simple as well: Stop counting yourself as a ‘single mother’s child’. Get the woman out of you and recognize yourself as a M-A-N. It will make a big difference in dealing with the rest of the brotherhood and other young men who may be in your current shoes.

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Warning:  The Following Column May Contain Language Unsuitable For Some Readers of “The Manhood Line”

WHAT THEN--DO WE SAY? - PART ONE

As this column closes in on its ten-year anniversary mark, there is still much ground to cover, and issues to be brought before the brotherhood. You see, no matter how saved, sanctified, and full of the Holy Ghost one may profess being; no matter how many ‘Million’ marches one has attended; no matter how many protests one has initiated; no matter where one stands on the abortion issue, one does not have to go too far down the street to ‘bump’ into a child born outside of wedlock.

The biblical term for such a child is ‘bastard’--but I digress.

According to a report issued by the National Center for Health Statistics in October 2005, a record number out-of-wedlock births--nearly 1.5 million--were born to unmarried women in the United States in 2004. Once more, those births make up more than 35 percent of ALL domestic births. The increases in these births--according to published reports--are taking place among women in their 20s, the age range in which fertility in women is at its highest. Teen mothers made up slightly less than 25 percent of those births, meaning that the births--for the most part--happened to WOMEN who KNEW what they were DOING and did not want to marry.

Now, let us be clear here. ANY child BORN OUTSIDE of the bonds of marriage--no matter the technology used or the rationalization put forth--is still an out of wedlock child. Such children used to be tagged as ‘illegitimate’. However, because more and more women of money and influence have been birthing them, they have lost that social stigma by being ‘renamed’.

THE RENAME GAME:

Years ago, there was a song that made a huge impact on the R & B charts called: “The Name Game”. These days, we are surrounded by people, pressure groups, and a gullible mainstream press anxiously specializing in the ‘Rename Game’; whereby words that have a certain truth attached to them, like ‘Adultery’, are repackaged and renamed in order to remove some of their sting, like the ‘Affair’ instead of the ‘Adulterous Relationship’.

Of course, you may change the word, but you can’t hide the guilt, nor the final result of the sin. In terms of an illegitimate child, the child may be ‘called’ an out-of-wedlock child, but it will still be regarded as a ‘bastard’ by society.

Even if that child is carrying the mother’s name.

Another victim of the ‘rename’ game has been the truth. There have been MANY instances where a man has learned that he is the father of a child--and wants to MARRY the mother. Unfortunately, she would rather have her ‘independence’ (and a healthy dose of child support) to ‘battle on’ in a cruel world, rather than give in to tradition and take the man’s name--ring and all--and give her child what he/she truly needs.

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