LETTER TO GENERATION X

People often wonder why the younger generation have no loyalty and dont respect their elders. The only thing I can come up with is the fact that those before them didnt do a great job at instilling those values in them. It takes a village to raise the young, but in this day and age elders have given up on the young because they feel they're Suspended in Time. The blind is leading the blind, especially when the older cats throwing up gang signs to those younger than them. Instead they should be showing them how detrimental that path can be. Most of these kids are misguided and are looking for something to follow. I just wanted to let all the eighties babies know I apologize for not being there for ya'll. In the eighties, I was out there running wild in the streets so I neglected my duty to you as a man. It's me you looked up to and aspired to be but at that time, I was not in the right frame of mind to do what I was put on this earth to do. It is the elders that are supposed to teach those under them but we were also neglected from our elders. So the vicious cycle of hate ensued, therefore creating what we now call generationX. I paid those debts in confinement and I'm here to tell you that I will never stray away from the young again. This is a new day and era so if your not about empowering your own people, then your part of the problem! I dont associate the crab in the bucket mentality. That same mentality has held our people back for a long time. If we can come together to nominate our first black president, then we can accomplish anything. Back to the youth, I got love for you but in order to know your future-you must know your past... Straight!!

ATHLETES CATCHING A BAD RAP

I KNOW I'M A LITTLE LATE ON THIS ONE BUT I HAD TO COMMENT ON IT SINCE IT IS RELEVANT TO THE SITE. LAST WEEK, ONE OF MY FAVORITE NFL PLAYERS PLAXICO BURRESS (I'M A DIE HARD GIANTS FAN), ACCEPTED A TWO YEAR PLEA DEAL FOR AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR. THAT ISNT MUCH OF A PLEA BARGAIN IF YOU ASK ME. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN PPL RECEIVED PROBATION FOR THAT OFFENSE, ESPECIALLY WITH NO PRIOR CONVICTIONS. THE SENTENCING TO ME SEEMS A BIT HARSH AND EXCESSIVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS ISNT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO POSES ANY THREAT TO ANYONE. IF ANYTHING, HE POSES A THREAT TO HIS SELF SINCE HE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE TROUBLED. I DONT KNOW WHAT HE'S BEEN THROUGH SO I'M NOT GOING TO SPECULATE OR DRAW CONCLUSIONS. AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, PLAXICO BURRESS WAS GOING THROUGH SOMETHING ON AND OFF THE COURT BUT IT NEVER TOOK AWAY FROM HIS PLAYING ABILITY. HE IS THE PERSON WHO CAUGHT THE WINNING TOUCHDOWN TO BEAT NEW ENGLAND DISMANTLING THEIR NEAR PERFECT SEASON. I'M NOT SAYING HE WAS RIGHT FOR BRINGING AN UNREGISTERED WEAPON INTO A NIGHT CLUB. THAT WASNT THE BEST THING FOR HIM TO DO. AND ON TOP OF THAT, HE ENDS UP INJURING HIS SELF. THAT IN ITSELF PROVES TO YOU THAT HE ISNT A GUN TOTING THUG. THE MESSAGE HERE IS NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE. WHETHER IT BE AN ATHLETE, RAPPER, OR CONGRESSMAN THESE ARE REGULAR PEOPLE WHO ARENT EXEMPT FROM THE LAW. ITS BEEN PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN. THIS TIME ITS WITH A STAR PLAYER WHO WAS HAVING A BRILLIANT CAREER. FOR NOT MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION, HE HAS TO PAY SEVERE CONSEQUENCES AND SUSPENDED IN TIME FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS IN A STATE PRISON. ITS A SAD SITUATION BUT HOPEFULLY HE'LL MAKE THE BEST OUT OF IT AND LEARN FROM HIS MISTAKES AS MICHAEL VICK DID. HOLD YOUR HEAD PLAXICO!

YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS ONE!

I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I HAD THIS POSTED ALREADY. BUT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOMETHING I'M JUST FINDING OUT. THE TRUTH ALWAYS COMES OUT. ON MY SECOND PAROLE BOARD APPEARANCE, I HAD 5 YRS IN AT THE TIME AND THEY CONTACTED MY HOME TO INFORM THEM OF THEIR INTENTIONS OF RELEASING ME IN 1994 AND THIS IS WHAT THE DEVIL DID. I WAS ON MY WAY OUT THE DOOR PPL!! WHEN I SPEAK OF THE DEVIL, I'M SPEAKING ON MY MOTHERS HUSBAND. HE ADAMANTLY TOLD THEM HE DIDNT WANT ME IN HIS HOUSE, THEREFORE THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HIT ME WITH ANOTHER 16 MONTHS. OF COURSE MOMMA LOVE WASNT THERE TO INTERCEPT THE CALL. THIS IS HOW SPITEFUL AND VINDICTIVE THIS COWARD OF A MAN IS. HE HATED ME FROM THE DAY I WAS CONCEIVED SO EVERYTHING HE DID TO ME WAS TO SPITE MY MOTHER. I DIDNT UNDERSTAND WHY THE BOARD WAS BRINGING UP FAMILY ISSUES WHEN IT DIDNT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY CASE OR HOW I WAS CONDUCTING MYSELF IN PRISON. I WAS STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE AND ENROLLED IN COLLEGE. IT DIDNT MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME. AS LONG AS IT ISNT HIM IN JAIL WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE? WHAT IF I HAD GOT KILLED DURING THOSE EXTRA 16 MONTHS HE COSTED ME? HE WOULD'VE BEEN SATISFIED! I KNOW UR SHAKING UR HEADS BUT THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH. I HAVE NO REASON TO CONCOCT A STORY. THIS MAN HAD ME SUSPENDED IN TIME FOR EXTRA YEARS WHEN I WAS OUT THE DOOR. HOW CAN A PERSON BE SO CRUEL AND EVIL? I DONT HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT, ALL I KNOW IS GOD IS WORKING ON THAT PERSON. IF IT WASNT FOR MY STRONG WILL AND GOD PRESERVING ME, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY MY MOTHER NEVER REVEALED THIS INFORMATION TO ME UNTIL NOW. BACK THEN, I WOULD'VE PROBABLY BEEN SUSPENDED IN TIME JUST FOR REVENGE. I WAS RELEASED IN 1997, THREE YEARS LATER. THE LESSON HERE IS NEVER ALLOW SOMEONE TO BRING YOU OUT OF CHARACTER NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE.

PASSING A TEN YEAR BACKGROUND CHECK

HOW DOES A PERSON PASS A 10 YR BACKGROUND CHECK AFTER SERVING THE PAST 15 YEARS IN PRISON? THIS IS A PROBLEM AFFECTING MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES ONCE THEY'RE RELEASED AFTER SERVING AN INSURMOUNTABLE AMOUNT OF TIME BEHIND BARS. PRE-RELEASE DON'T TELL THEM THE REAL CHALLENGES THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FACE ONCE BACK IN THE REAL WORLD. THEY DONT PREPARE THEM FOR THAT! I REMEMBER I LOST MY HOSPITAL JOB AT DOWNSTATE FOR LYING ON THE APPLICATION OR SHOULD I SAY I MISREPRESENTED THE TRUTH! I WAS FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION AND THE PART THAT SAYS: "HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME? IF SO, THIS DOES NOT BAR YOU FROM EMPLOYMENT". YEAH RIGHT! AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME I WAS NOT GOING TO VOLUNTEER INFORMATION. I ERRED IN DOING SO, BUT ATLEAST I GOT THE JOB. MANY ARE FACED WITH THE SAME SITUATIONS AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO TELL THE TRUTH. THERE'S NO SHORTCUTS IN LIFE AND EVENTUALLY IT WILL COME OUT. IT'S BEST FOR YOU TO COME CORRECT AS OPPOSED TO YOUR EMPLOYER FINDING OUT YOU LIED ON YOUR APPLICATION. NOW THEY CAN'T TRUST YOU AND THAT GIVES THEM AMMUNITION TO FIRE YOU REGARDLESS OF HOW GREAT OF A WORKER YOU ARE. I WORK EXTREMELY HARD SO I WAS SHOCKED WHEN THEY CALLED ME IN THE OFFICE EXPLAINING TO ME WHY THEY WERE LETTING ME GO. I TRIED FOR THE AIRPORT BUT I WAS LIMITED TO CERTAIN JOBS AS A RESULT OF MY PAST. ONCE YOU HAVE A FELONY, SOME OF THE DOORS WHICH WERE OPEN TO YOU PRIOR TO YOUR INCARCERATION ARE PERMANENTLY CLOSED SHUT. EMPLOYERS DONT WANT TO CHANCE HIRING AN EX-FELON. AFTER YOU'VE PAID YOUR DUES TO SOCIETY, YOUR STILL BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR PAST SO WHERE'S THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY? THIS IS WHY ITS SO IMPERATIVE FOR YOU TO STAY OUT OF PRISON BECAUSE THE CHALLENGES YOU'LL BE FACED WITH UPON YOUR RELEASE CAN SUSPEND YOUR MIND IN TIME MAKING YOU WANT TO GIVE UP. SO THINK BEFORE YOU REACT BECAUSE YOU DONT WANT TO BE IN THAT SITUATION. THE CHOICES YOU MAKE TODAY IMPACT YOUR FUTURE.

RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT

WHY ARE SO MANY ADOLESCENTS FACED WITH SERIOUS JAIL TIME? AN ASTOUNDING 93% OF THE YOUTH ARE CHARGED WITH FELONIES ACCORDING TO A SPEECH GIVEN BY THE COMMISSIONER OF DEPARTMENT CORRECTIONS, MARTIN HORN WHO SPOKE IN CITY HALL IN 2008.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD OF A PERSON BEING VIOLATED OF THEIR RIGHTS? WE HEAR THESE STORIES ALL THE TIME ABOUT AN ADOLESCENT WHOSE BEEN IMPRISONED ONLY TO TELL ON THEMSELVES. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY NOTHING, BUT TOO OFTEN THESE KIDS ARE PRESSURED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF LACK OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE SYSTEM AND POLICE TACTICS. I KNOW YOU WATCH 48 HOURS. 95% OF THOSE CASES ARE SOLVED BECAUSE THE PERSON DON'T KNOW THEIR RIGHTS AND FLAP THEIR GUMS. AS A CITIZEN, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO THE FIFTH AMENDMENT. YOU DONT HAVE TO SAY A WORD TO THE POLICE WHEN THEY DETAIN YOU. LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS! THEY TELL YOU IN ADVANCE: "YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT, ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU IN THE COURT OF LAW". HOW CAN YOU MISS THE FIRST FEW WORDS? THEY KNOW YOU HAVE THAT RIGHT, BUT AS AUTHORITY FIGURES THEY TEND TO BEND THE LAW TO SUIT THEIR NEEDS. HENCE, THE GOOD COP BAD COP ROLE. THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUESTION YOU WHEN YOU PLEAD THE FIFTH. IF THEY'RE STILL INTERROGATING YOU, THAT SHOULD SIGNAL TO YOU THEY HAVE NO CASE. 95% OF THE TIME, THEY DON'T! THEY'RE WAITING ON YOU TO VOLUNTARILY OPEN YOUR MOUTH SO THEY CAN USE YOUR WORDS AGAINST YOU. THE POLICE ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS, REMEMBER THAT! I DONT CARE HOW MANY SLICES OF PIZZA YOU ATE IN THE PRECINCT. THESE ARE TACTICS TO MAKE ANY JUVENILE WARM UP SINCE THEY DON'T REALIZE ITS ALL PART OF THEIR TACTICS. SAY NOTHING I SAY! IF YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH, YOUR ONLY INCRIMINATING YOURSELF. THEN YOU'LL BE SUSPENDED IN TIME FOR WHATEVER THEY SAID YOU DID WHETHER YOUR GUILTY OR NOT. I KNOW FRIENDS RIGHT NOW SERVING 25 YEARS TO LIFE FOR A CRIME THEY DIDNT COMMIT. YOU ASK WHY? BECAUSE THEY DIDNT EXCERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT. ITS THAT SIMPLE! ONCE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH, YOU LOSE THAT RIGHT AND IT BECOMES A CONFESSION. SO THE NEXT TIME YOUR KIDS OR MAYBE YOU GET IN A SITUATION, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR. BE QUIET, ASK FOR A LAWYER, AND BE PATIENT. TRUST ME, I KNOW!

THE PRICE OF LOYALTY

What does the price of loyalty mean to you? For me, loyalty is priceless! This trait must be embedded in you from birth. As a kid growing up, I understood this principle to the fullest extent. Back in the eighties, this is something that we prided ourselves in. In 89, my loyalty was tested. Instead of taking the sucker way out, I stood tall and bit my tongue for friends. This decision resulted in me being Suspended In Time for many years. Many people I came across during my incarceration did the same which solidified our bond as years progressed. One of the many people I met during my imprisonment was Maino. We all know what the harsh reality of what that life may bring. It's years of heartache, pain, abandonment, helplessness, and bitter anger. Being locked away from your family and loved ones can cause an average person to snap. Although we been there, we have utilized our experiences and turned it to a positive. Loyalty means everything to me still til this day, but those I was loyal to didn't have the same level of committment as I had. These same individuals are no longer a part of my life but there's no love lost. As you grow older, you wisen up. I no longer want to perpetuate the gangster image. I'm not here to glorify prison because those were the most miserable days of my life. All seven years of it. I'm thankful to God to have made it out in one piece, because if it wasn't for Him I would not be here today. The choices you make in life determines your future so with that being said, I urge you kids out there to be loyal to yourselves in essence. No one cares about you when your Suspended In Time. Don't allow people to misguide you as I once did, because it's you that have to bear the burden when its all said and done. I tell you this cause I was once in your shoes. I had to go through this experience in order to have a relevant voice on the subject. Shout out to my homie Bobby Johnson, he put me up on game everyday!

What Do These People Have in Common?

What do Nelson Mandela, T.I., Shyne, Lil Kim, Bernie Madoff, Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress and countless others have in common? If you haven't figured it out, its the fact that every single one of them have experienced and are currently experiencing a life behind bars. In other words, Suspended In Time. Prison doesn't discriminate no matter what the case. Whether your taking a stand for something you believe in or you got caught red handed, prison is a multi-million dollar business. Many people don't understand the dynamics of this concept, but its reality. Without having prisoners to occupy their prisons, there would be no jobs for the warden, Correctional Officers, and the countless number of people which help run a facility. There is no special treatment when it comes to you violating the law which has been set out for you to abide by. It took Nelson Mandela twenty seven years for his liberation against speaking up against Apartheid. T.I. has to spend a year and a day just like Lil Kim in a Federal State Prison for charges brought against him. Shyne just spent the past eight years in prison and will soon be released this year. All these people have been Suspended In Time at some point in their lives. Prison doesn't discriminate! Some people think they're above the law until it finally catches up with them and they realize their fame or social status will not prevent them from being Suspended In Time. The bottom line here is no matter who you are, there is always room for you if you don't abide by the laws which govern our society. It's business, never personal!

SUSPENDED IN TIME

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A SERIOUS ISSUE TODAY AND THAT TOPIC IS BEING SUSPENDED IN TIME. ALOT OF YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN BUT I'M HERE TO SHED LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE AFFECTING MOST OF US. WHETHER YOUR LIVING IN WISCONSIN, TO ALABAMA, GEORGIA, OR AS FAR AS JAPAN, PPL ARE INCARCERATED EVERYDAY AS A RESULT OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT OR THE FRIENDS THEY KEEP. REGARDLESS OF THE UNDERLYING DYNAMICS THAT PLAYED AN INTEGRAL PART OF THEIR UNFORTUNATE SITUATION, PRISON IS BIG BUSINESS! BEING SUSPENDED IN TIME HAPPENS TO SOMEONE EVERY TEN SECONDS AND THE ONES LEFT BEHIND ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO BEAR THE BURDEN OF HAVING THEIR LOVED ONES TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM. SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, I PERSONALLY KNOW WHAT THAT LIFE IS ABOUT AFTER SERVING SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON. THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT PRISONERS DONT HAVE VOICES ABOUT THE MISTREATMENT AND ABUSE THEY SUFFER FROM THE HANDS OF THE SYSTEM. A SYSTEM THAT CLAIMS TO REHABILITATE, BUT MORE OBSESSED WITH MONETARY GAIN BY HOLDING AN INDIVIDUAL HOSTAGE WHEN THERES NO NEED FOR IT. THIS IS A MACRO PROBLEM WHICH I WILL BE ADDRESSING ON THIS SITE. TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR UPDATES, THIS IS THOMAS ALLEN SIGNING OUT...