UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS!

Several weeks ago, I received an email for an upcoming job fair and didn't know what to think nor did I know why they chose my email address to relay the information. I've been to several job fairs in the past and the results were always disheartening for me. Millions of people have been laid off or fired from their jobs in the past year or so. I thought for a second that the city was finally providing an opportunity to its citizens to get back on the work force during the plight of our economic crisis. I was somewhat elated, but I didn't know what to expect. I decided to give it a shot. What else did I have to lose? When I arrived, I was shocked at what I witnessed. I reached there about 1pm so I was at a clear disadvantage compared to all the people who stood online for countless hours waiting their fate. I've seen lines for these events before, but not of this magnitude. You would've thought they were out there waiting for a Jay Z concert as the line that started on 7th Avenue wrapped around 31st Street down to 30th Street. I had a dilemna on my hands as I plotted on how to get in. Once I figured that out, I was in the building and I apologize to everyone for jumping ahead but nice guys finish last. After a brief confrontation with the security guard, I spoke to him pleasantly and we reconciled our differences. In an article by Patrick McGeehan, he clearly states the unemployment rate in NY city exceeds 10%. This number has been steadily increasing over the past several months and will continue to climb unless the city does something to curb this crisis. The number of people unemployed statewide is at a staggering 874,300 as of this month. So close to a million people are Suspended In Time caught in the matrix chasing their tails around trying to figure out how they're going to pay their mortgage, car notes, child's education, daycare expenses, health care, and some people struggle to put food on their table every night. The basic necessities needed in life in order to survive are almost non-existent in most cases. Of course, you wouldn't think there was a problem when you attend parties and see the amount of people that loyally come out in droves to escape reality of what's transpiring in their real lives. People cope differently, some of us worship and put our faith in the Lord during trying times and others indulge in night life activities. In the morning when they sober up, the same problems exist. Other Western civilizations like France take care of its citizens. The organizers of these Job Fairs are clever, because they receive millions of dollars to coordinate a fair. They don't have your best interest at heart, because if they did the results would show. The unemployment rate would drop below the national average. There is no quantum measure of statistics indicating those fairs work and there needs to be a system implemented to monitor the rate of success of these fairs. If not, they need to be dismantled completely. You wait on line for countless hours and when you're finally afforded an opportunity to meet with employers, its empty. You get to the booths and passed another piece of paper informing you where you can go register online. For that, they could've passed one out to everyone that was diligently waiting outside. What's the purpose of having people wait to not give them an opportunity to interview? Millions of dollars of tax payers money support these programs, but what does the tax payer get when they're truly in need? I wonder how long will America continue to allow its people to suffer in silence. How long are we going to sit back and allow these injustices to directly affect us and our families?

SEX WITH A MINOR IS RAPE

In my last blog I talked about the case of the Hofstra students who were cleared of fabricated rape charges. Today I want to talk about Director Roman Polanski who has been a fugitive for the past three decades. His ordeal dates back to 1978 when he was convicted in California for the raping of a 13 year old girl he had lured into the Hollywood Hills home of Jack Nicholson. This poor girl was under the impression she was going for a photo shoot and unfortunately for her turned out to be a victim of rape. Polanski has been living in Europe for the past three decades and is regarded as one of the most famed directors. His short fame came to a cease when California authorities learned of his whereabouts. Known for directing movies, "Chinatown", "The Pianist", and "Rosemary's Baby", Polanski was scheduled to receive a lifetime achievement award in Switzerland. Upon landing in Zurich airport, he was arrested and led away without provocation. How ironic is that? You go from fugitive in the United States to iconic figure in Europe. I don't know about you, but I believe in karma. In 1969, his pregnant wife Sharon Tate was killed in their home by Charles Manson's cult believers. God has a plan for everyone in this world whether you believe it or not. There are no cutting corners in life! The woman he raped, Samantha Geimer has testified in court he gave her quaaludes as well as champagne to intoxicate her and do as he pleased. He was 44 at the time of said incident and forced his self on her and later sodomized her. She even went public by suggesting prosecutors to drop the charges and feels his 30 years in exile suffice for the crime he committed. There is a ten year statue of limitations on rape, but it was Suspended the minute he fled to Europe. The maximum amount of time one can receive in California on charges of rape is eight years. Knowing this, he fled to France who prides itself on protecting its citizens from extradiction. In 2003, he was nominated for best director winning an Oscar for "The Pianist". The ceremony was held in California so he did not show for fear of arrest. How clever? This is clearly a man who is conscious about the decisions he make. By alluding the hands of the law for the past thirty years, it is clearly evident he acknowledges guilt but doesn't want to be Suspended In Time for his actions. He was riding a wave that finally brought him back to shore and now has to face a moral dilemna. You never know what skeletons one may or may not have in their closet. This man is a poor excuse of a human being so whatever happens to him will rest on the jury's decision when he goes to trial. That is if he ever goes to trial! He may never spend a day in prison for his transgressions since he's such an iconic figure in Europe. Polanski has a propensity for sleeping with women who are minors, his reputation caught up with him again when he slept with another young actress by the name of Nastassja Kinski. She was 15 when he casted her for a role in "Tess". Is this the action of a man who is remorseful? I don't think so! As he awaits his fate, he is currently fighting extradition which could drag the process of him being extradited into U.S. territory where he is to be arraigned. He could be Suspended In Time for the next eight years for something he could've owned up to many years ago. The Zurich Film Festival indefinitely postponed the presentation of Polanski's lifetime achievement award, but planned to go ahead with a retrospective of the director's work. I wonder did they include the fact that he's a pedophile in their program. Good luck with that! You do crime, you pay for the time. No one should be exempt from the judicial system, it doesn't matter how famous you are!

HOFSTRA STUDENTS CLEARED ON RAPE CHARGES

Several weeks ago, we all were informed by the media about an incident that occurred in Hofstra University. It was the subject of all media outlets from the newspapers to the internet. Four college students were allegedly accused of raping a fellow student at a college party. This young woman adamantly told the police she was raped which subsequently got four boys arrested. Raping a woman is regarded as the most degradable form of offense a person can be associated with. In prison, when your a person whose arrested for something of that magnitude-you're considered a germ. No one wants to be around you and there are times when you will be attacked once the opportunity presents itself. Prisoners make clear examples of rapist, they are not welcomed with open arms. This reminds me of the Central Park Rapist many years ago. I was an adolescent during those times and I remember clearly how he was directly the constant victim of ongoing threats and reprisals. One day the C.O.'s tried to put him in the same cell as us, but everyone voiced their concerns. They took turns spitting on him before he got a chance to come in. Realizing he was unwelcomed, officers put him in a cell by his self to prevent the possibility of attack from unruly prisoners. Now in the case of these four Hofstra students, they were about to be Suspended In Time had it not been for the leakage of phone records and video. Each one of them could've spent an easy four years plus behind that offense. Their entire families would have been impacted and directly affected unjustly. This is a clear example of how easy it is for you to get caught up if you don't choose better friends and make better career decisions. Luckily for them, the truth was revealed after the accuser recanted her story to authorities. Besides, the footage that was unfolded clearly depicted her as enjoying the events that transpired between her and the men in the bathroom stall. She was never a victim in this case, but four men were wrongfully accused. As we all stood in our homes shaking our heads in disbelief, only they knew the truth of their case. There's an old saying that goes: "Never believe half of what you hear or anything you see for that matter. We're presumed innocent until proven guilty, but society has it the other way around.

SUBWAY MASSACRE IN MEXICO

I was surfing the web as I usually do when trying to find articles of relevance pertaining to this site when I came across something that truly disturbed me. On September 19, 2009 a mexican man opened fire on a commuter train in Mexico after he was confronted for doing graffiti in the subway. The man was identified as Luis Felipe Hernandez Castillo, 38, and was arrested carrying a .38-caliber revolver. Instead of a minor infraction, he could be facing the remainder of his life Suspended In Time. An officer was killed during the dispute as well as another man who tried to intervene. Five others were also wounded in the attack. This reminds me of a situation that occurred in 1993 with a man by the name of Colin Ferguson. Both of these incidents transpired in a subway station and involved the use of guns causing bodily injury. In the Ferguson case, this man walked down the aisles of a Long Island Railroad train leaving from Penn Station heading into Hicksville, New York and randomly opened fire on passengers. Six people died, while 19 others were wounded before he was subdued by others. Ferguson was delusional claiming someone else was responsible and was deemed mentally competent to stand for trial. He fired his lawyers opting to represent his self in his own defense. For his blunder, he received 6 consecutive 25-years-to-life terms for the murder conviction; 19 additional 25-year sentences for each count of attempted murder. Carolyn McCarthy, who represents the U.S. House of Representatives 4th District was directly affected by this incident. Her husband was one of the victims who lost his life during Ferguson's rampage. This prompted her to campaign for gun control asking law makers for stiffer penalties for people caught with guns. After years of campaigning, her message was finally heard in Congress. Recently, she was met with fierce opposition from the White House as plans to allow commuters to carry guns on Long Island Railroad trains are set to be repealed. With the state of our country, its sad to see that law makers are only concerned about pleasing lobbyist as opposed to doing whats in the best interest of the people as a whole. God bless this country!

ATHLETES GONE WILD!

If you thought Michael Vick, Popeye Jones, and Plaxico Burress are the only professional athletes who had encounters with the law, think again. The Associated Press reported on September 17, 2009 another prominent sports figure was in trouble with the law. This time its Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West, who was pulled over and arrested after cutting off a police cruiser while riding his motorcycle. The incident occurred in Upper Marlboro, Maryland at approximately 10pm. When he was searched, officers found three guns on his person. One in his pocket, one in his pants leg, and a shotgun in a guitar case which was strapped around his back. West was charged with speeding and weapons possession and later released on his own recognizance. This particular incident reminds me of famed rapper T.I. who was recently sent to federal prison for a year on weapons possession. You would think inspite of all the news surrounding T.I.'s case, people would be more responsible by not following down that same path. But every now and then, you get someone who thinks they're above the law and perceive themselves as untouchable. I don't know if it's carelessness or just plain stupidity. To get to the NBA is probably the hardest thing to accomplish. There are countless kids in the inner cities honing their skills to be the next big ticket so for a person to actually be in this position and not care baffles me. I'm not here to judge West, but I have to ask myself when do you take responsibility for your own actions. As a player, there are strict codes set in stone for all to abide by. No one is exempt from these rules, but people are human and do make mistakes. I should know. I blame the NBA to an extent for the simple fact that if they know West suffers from depression, they should know that in the off season he is vulnerable. This is a man whose a time bomb waiting to explode. I dont think the NBA does enough to ensure the well being of its players. They give them these lucrative contracts and sign on bonuses but they fail to get this man into a mental health program. Which is something West needs. Its obvious he needs attention and this is his way of getting it. I remember doing the same senseless things as a kid because noone wanted to pay attention to me. I indulged in criminal activity which eventually Suspended me in Time for many years. I truly hope West can overcome whatever it is he's battling, because he has a promising career ahead of him. For him to throw that all away and be Suspended in Time would truly be a waste of talent. Shout out to Kwan for putting me up on the news!

LEGISLATORS CASH COW

Prison is big business, the reason I say this for the simple fact it costs $40,000 to house an inmate according to a Census Report of 2000. This number has skyrocketed since then I'm sure. Instead of resources going to housing and education, they typically go towards housing inmates. The stimulation of the economy comes from services rendered from housing prisoners. I remember being 19 yrs old being shipped off upstate to serve the remainder of my time. I didn't understand the dynamics nor the politics that I was clearly a pawn of. I was part of an experiment and a lucrative business idea as prisoners were shipped off like cattle to upstate prisons. The population would suffer had it not been for us occupying the space there. The benefits of having prisoners upstate is the fact that they're counted in the census as residents, but yet we don't have rights to vote. The census reported in 2000, 108,000 prisoners were Suspended In Time. Multiply that number by $40,000-you get $4,320,000,000 dollars of revenue from the government.
An article entitled "Imprisoned In New York", by Andrew Beveridge in February 2004 states: Criminals are among New York City’s most popular exports. According to a recent study, about 44,000 state prisoners, or two-thirds of the entire state prison population are from New York City. Yet only 3,000 of these inmates are in state-run jails that are actually located in New York City. The rest are trucked up to state-run prisons upstate. While inconvenient to their relatives, their relocation is a huge benefit, both economically and politically, to rural counties upstate – at the expense of New York City.
They reap the benefits while we're Suspended In Time! While the local population looks forward to people doing crime in the inner city to boost up their economy, there's also a grave consequence that arises. Overpopulation of prisons have also blossomed over the years compelling some wardens to double-bunk prisoners. Fortunately for me, I never experienced that but I remember when double-bunking was being implemented upstate. I witnessed it for seven years. Friends told me of the horrific conditions which they faced and subject to on a daily basis. Bad enough your in a 8 by 6 cell, now you have to share that with another individual. God forbid this person has poor hygiene. The people who come up with these ideas clearly have no compassion for prisoners because they're not the ones who have to smell the stench of a bunkie using the toilet. Legislators are driven by monetary gain. The more people they can clump into a cell, the more money they can bargain for from the government. The resources that are awarded to them are supposed to go towards mental health, medication, food, clothing, and whatever other neccessities a prisoner may need during his stay. Honestly speaking, do you really think those resources are being allocated to the right places? When some of the inmates needs are met, the surplus goes in greedy legislators pockets. Even the person in charge of regulating funds has his hands in the pie for his cut of the proceeds. A recent survey by the Vera Institute of Justice discovered 26 states slashed its funding for corrections this year. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington have all cut back. Of course this does not come with strong opposition from prison unions. In Tennessee, plans of reducing the amount of resources spent on inmates include offering them less milk and meat in their daily meals. Kansas has proposed to rehabilate and is opposed to the idea of locking people up to earn a dollar. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) is also committed to a $1 billion dollar cost cutting plan which was announced a month ago. Governor Paterson has also been criticized for closing ten prisons and adding to the overpopulation in prison. Correctional officers have to deal with twice as many inmates, which exposes them to more danger and the possibility of riots erupting due to a lack of officers. This dilemna has prompted some states to cut prison funding by 10-22 percent from their previous budgets. In Oregon, a voter-approved plan to hand longer prison sentences to those who commit property crimes was delayed by state lawmakers who said they could not pay for it. Prison population has ballooned to 2.3 million people. One out of every 100 adults will be Suspended in Time! This harsh reality is forcing state lawmakers’ hand to cut programs. Greedy prison unions and legislators will have to find theirselves a new pie to eat from since their current opulent lifestyles have been altered. They are now literally Suspended In Time. Karma!

DOUBLE BLINDED LINEUPS

How many times have you been told to come down to the station for a lineup? If you have yet to experience this consider yourself fortunate. From experience, I've been in that situation before and I know I was not the perpetuator they were looking for. The police insisted I was as result of my criminal history but that was overt bias on their part. During this time I was in college taking Sunday courses and went to work directly after. I remember that day as vivid as yesterday. The reason I wanted to expound on this topic is the fact that over 72% of prisoners have been wrongfully accused by the hands of witnesses. This is a disproportionately enormous number and you wonder why the first thing that comes out of prisoners mouths is "I didnt do it!" The process of a standard lineup is bias and rigged. Research has proven that police officers provide hints to eyewitnesses as to whom to pick out from a lineup. When pictures are shown to a witness, they often feel pressured to choose someone even if the person slightly resembles the actual perpetrator. They're reluctant to base their conclusions on their own account of who actually did them harm. Nine times out of ten, some unfortunate person will be the fall guy of police misconduct. Eyewitnesses often make false accusations and assumptions that the perpetrator is someone in the lineup. How unjust is that? We live in a society where your supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but the reality is quite the contrary. Your guilty until proven innocent as a result of incompetent officers who are not properly trained. Your best interest is not their concern as long as someone is Suspended In Time whether they actually committed the crime or not. All they care about is a collar and going home at the end of the day. So now your locked up as a result of this simple fact and until you can prove otherwise, that is where you'll remain. To further compound the situation, your then appointed a court appointed lawyer who works with the judicial system. Unless you can afford a private lawyer, your doomed. The Innoncence Project supports a series of reforms to improve the accuracy of witness identifications. These reforms have been recognized by police, prosecutorial and judicial experience, as well as national justice organizations, including the National Institute of Justice and the American Bar Association. The benefits of these reforms are corroborated by over 30 years of peer-reviewed comprehensive research. I have a good friend serving a 25 year to life sentence and has been Suspended In Time for the past 19 years as a direct result of witness intimidation. Hopefully this new reform will substancially decrease the number of wrongful convictions ensuring fair lineups in the future.

1. The “Double-blind” Procedure/ Use of a Blind Administrator: A “double-blind” lineup is one in which neither the administrator nor the eyewitness knows who the suspect is. This prevents the administrator of the lineup from providing inadvertent or intentional verbal or nonverbal cues to influence the eyewitness to pick the suspect.
Today the Innocence Project released a new report entitled Reevaluating Lineups: "Why Witnesses Make Mistakes and How to Reduce the Chance of a Misidentification". The new report discusses several attempts at reforming lineups, including:
• Double-blind presentation: photos or lineup members should be presented by an administrator who does not know who the suspect is.
• Lineup composition: “Fillers” (the non-suspects included in a lineup) should resemble the eyewitness’s description of the perpetrator and the suspect should not stand out. Also, a lineup should not contain more than one suspect.
• Witness instructions: The person viewing a lineup should be told that the perpetrator may not be in the lineup and that the investigation will continue regardless of whether an identification is made.
• Confidence statements: At the time of the identification, the eyewitness should provide a statement in her own words indicating her level of confidence in the identification.
• Recording: Identification procedures should be videotaped.
• Sequential presentation (optional): Lineup members are presented one-by-one (by a “blind” administrator) instead of side by side.

ROCKEFELLER DRUG LAWS

New York legislators were concerned about the influx of drugs and how they were tearing communities apart during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Drugs were accessible to nearly everyone on the streets and it spread like wildfire prompting legislators to react swiftly before the problem got out of control. Statistics showed that 560,000 users were on drugs nationwide. Even the police department saw a thirty one percent increase in drug related arrests during that time. Gov. Nelson Rockefeller who was a liberal Republican enacted the Narcotic Addiction and Control Commission which was geared towards aiding addicts get clean. Once the program proved to be inept, New York launched the Methadone Maintenance Program. This program failed as well because it didnt deter addicts from using. In 1973, calls for stricter penalties had grown too loud to ignore, prompting Albany to enact legislation that created mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years to life for possession of four ounces of narcotics — which is the same as a sentence for second-degree murder. The statutes became known as the Rockefeller Drug Laws — which we are all too familiar with. New York Department of Corrections had saw a swift increase of prisoners jump from 11% in 1973 to 35% in 1994. Low level drug offenders received harsh penalties as a direct result of these laws inhibiting judges to use their discretion when sentencing offenders. People with no priors received mandatory 15 years on convictions related to drugs which posed a problem as prison population doubled. I was incarcerated during these times and saw the constant influx of prisoners, especially first time non-violent offenders receive unfair sentencing. If they fit the stereotype, it didnt matter. They were going to be Suspended in Time for a very long time. Although there was an increase in drug convictions, crime was still abundant in the streets. In January, during his State of the State address, New York Gov. David Paterson said: "I can't think of a criminal justice strategy that has been more unsuccessful than the Rockefeller Drug Laws."
This law has since been rescinded and ammended by Gov. Pataki in 2004 after increasing pressure from activists. People like Russell Simmons and many others have stood up for the cause stating that there is a racial disparity with the law which targeted Blacks and Latinos. Ninety five percent of those Suspended In Time for drug related offenses were black and hispanic. While whites received a slap on the wrist for having cocaine on their person. The Rockefeller Laws is one of the biggest debacles in the history of the United States. I say that for the mere fact that it targeted those who were drug dealers trying to find means to sustain themselves. When there are no jobs and ex-offenders are discriminated against for their past they are forced into a system that has no love for them. People are going to do what they know best in order to survive. Society has forced them into a matrix and once caught they are penalized for the very same system that got them in that position to begin with. I dont think its fair and I've seen for myself first hand the damage the Rockefeller Laws has caused. Young kids were railroaded time and time again as a result of this. Although the sentencing guidelines has been reduced to 8 to 20 years under the new laws, there are alot of families suffering from the fiasco put in place over thirty years ago from the Rockefeller Drug Laws. If you want to target the Nino Browns of the world, then target them but don't take an entire village of young kids. They're better off in a treatment program as opposed to being in prison. These kids are used at the expense of kingpins since they are fascinated with material wealth. Those who were sentenced prior to the amendment are still Suspended in Time hoping on lighter sentencing from their appeals. Judges now have more discretion in sentencing by eliminating mandatory minimums for some higher-level drug offenders and making lower level offenders eligible for treatment. This is a step in a positive direction but the damage has already been done....

CANDIDATES FOR MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY

This morning I was tuned in to channel 7 watching a debate between Leslie Crocker Snyder, Cy Vance Jr, and Richard Aborn who are all running for Manhattan District Attorney. Robert Morgenthau, whose tenure is up will be replaced by one of these three candidates. I listened to them voice their issues regarding some serious issues that has plagued our communities over the years. The issues which were addressed were the Rockefeller Laws, Illegal Guns, Drug Offenses, police misconduct, racial bias in sentencing laws, prostitution, DWI, contractors, white collar crimes, anti-corruption. All three candidates had very similar responses within the debate. In some instances, they sounded like carbon copies of one another. The candidate who impressed me the most was Democratic Candidate Leslie Crocker Snyder whose twenty years of experience in the courtroom as a prosecutor has polished her for the position. She is often referred to as an aggressive prosecutor with a temperment, but in one word she describes herself as passionate. Critics often criticize her for her demeanor labeling her mean, but if she were a man she would be praised. There's a double standard when a woman is knowledgeable, strong, and effective to be held accountable for doing her job. Snyder talked about incorporating specialized units to respond to police misconduct and anti corruption offenses. She states that cases such as Bernie Madoff will be vigorously investigated. By being cooperative with Feds, white collar crimes will be prosecuted at all times. Smaller cases are also important for New Yorkers, such as credit card scams, illegal immigration, and identity theft. Synder endorses the protection of financial integreties of the markets so that these offenses are dealt with accordingly. She also touched on the fact that women have not been treated fairly in the criminal justice system in the past. I personally like this woman for the Manhattan's District Attorney office. Times have changed, many years ago it was absurd for a woman to be placed in these high ranking positions. I like the idea of giving a woman the same equal opportunity to effect change and implement new ideas which will subsequently make the world a better place by convicting those who need to be Suspended In Time and ensure less wrongful convictions. Trained in all issues related to these issues, she represents the many faces of women such as Hillary Clinton who is our Defense Secretary and Sonia Sotomayor who was recently appointed by President Barack Obama as the first Hispanic Supreme Court Judge. Men should not be solely responsible for governing this country. There needs to be balance. Women in government office equates to this world moving in a positive direction as long as her mission is to enforce the views of the people and be committed to them.

THE PRICE OF LOYALTY

MOST PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE TRUE MEANING BEHIND THIS SEVEN LETTER WORD. FOR OTHERS, THE PRICE OF LOYALTY IS PRICELESS. LOYALTY IS WHEN YOU KNOW YOU CAN COUNT ON A PERSON AND NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM THROWING THINGS BACK IN YOUR FACE. LOYALTY IS BEING ABLE TO SLEEP COMFORTABLY IN YOUR TOUR BUS. LOYALTY HAS COSTED MANY PEOPLE THEIR FREEDOM, INCLUDING ME. PRODIGY OF MOBB DEEP HAS TO SPEND THREE AND A HALF YEARS IN PRISON BECAUSE HE'S LOYAL. AUTHORITIES WANTED HIM TO SET 50 CENT UP AND SUSPEND HIM IN TIME BUT HE OBLIGED THEIR OFFER. LOYALTY IS NOT ABOUT WHO BUSTS THEIR GUNS THE MOST. THAT'S WHAT COSTED SHYNE EIGHT YEARS OF HIS LIFE BEHIND BARS. NOR IS IT ABOUT HOW MUCH FIGHTS YOU WON. PEOPLE OFTEN MISCONTRUE THIS CONCEPT WHICH IS WHY THE WORLD IS IN SUCH DISARRAY NOW. LOYALTY IS TREATING OTHERS THE SAME WAY YOU'D WANT TO BE TREATED. LOYALTY IS BEING THERE FOR A FRIEND IN THEIR TIME OF NEED. LOYALTY IS ABOUT PULLING THE YOUNG UP AND TEACHING THEM RIGHT FROM WRONG SO THEY WON'T MAKE THE VERY SAME MISTAKES WE MADE GROWING UP. LOYALTY IS YOUR FAITH IN GOD. PEOPLE GO TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY BECAUSE OF THEIR LOYALTY TO THEIR RELIGION OR THEIR PASTOR. LOYALTY IS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY. THERE WAS A TIME IN MY LIFE WHERE I THOUGHT I HAD LOYAL FRIENDS. I THOUGHT THESE DUDES WOULD BE WITH ME TIL THE END OF TIME BUT THAT FANTASY IS SHORT LIVED. EVERYONE ISNT CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH AND YOU CAN'T MAKE PEOPLE BE LOYAL. ITS AN INNATE CHARACTERISTIC THEY MUST HAVE THEMSELVES. I LEARNED THAT LESSON MANY YEARS AGO. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE PRICE OF LOYALTY IS PRICELESS.

REMEMBERING 9/11

Today marks the eigth anniversary of the victims and the heroes of that horrific day many years ago. As we mourn the legacy of those who were affected by this incident, take the time to reflect back on your life and be thankful. I know we're not exactly living in the best of times as a result of this economy being in a recession. Just know that as long as your alive with a roof over your heads and the basic necessities needed in order to sustain, your blessed. I remember that day as vivid as yesterday. I was on my way to school when my brother called me in his room to show me what was transpiring in our own back yard. I recall being briefly suspended in time for the moment. I immediately made a stern decision not to go to school that night. Alot of people are still mentally and emotionally affected by this tragic incident so my heart goes out to them as well as the many firefighters and volunteers who gave up their lives with their heroics. Some are still affected by the fumes they consumed during cleanup. It just goes to show that although New Yorkers may be aggressive at times, when it comes to coming together for a cause people band together in order to make things happen. The same way I'm out here fighting and inspiring the youth is the same kind of passion those fire fighters had during times of utter distress and total chaos. Lets celebrate the lives of the lost as opposed to mourning them on this day. Be thankful for your life...

GANGBANGING 101

The gang situation in New York city has blossomed over the past two decades and its only getting worse. Growing up as a kid in the eighties, there were no gangs. It was more so groups of guys who grew up on the same block or went to the same schools. If anything, they were more like cliques but they werent gangs. There wasn't any initiation process to be a part of a clique. The cliques I remember from back then growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn were M.O.B., Troopers, Gremlins, V.I.P, and S.T.P who were from my block. Our thing was to protect our block. The purpose of bringing this up is the fact that I witnessed something the other day that truly disturbed me. I was at the Labor Day parade and one particular gang ran into someone who was obviously their rival. This poor kid received a severe beating by the hands of this gang. He was by his self and probably didn't realize he was in enemy territory. They kicked him, punched him in his face and when he did get up he received more sucker punches from others who were lurking for him. To me its pretty childish if you ask me. The fact that you decide to choose a ninety nine cent rag over your own life puzzles me. As a New Yorker, gang banging was never our thing. I am often apalled by these kids attitudes these days because they have no idea what they're getting into. The point of getting in a gang these days is not to protect a block from unruly kids. Its all about catching wreck on a weaker opponent. What's the point? I strongly urge you to drop your flags because those same friends your repping for will not be there for you when you're Suspended In Time...

RANDOM

This is a little random, but I do feel the need to speak on it. This site is called realbktalk so its only fitting to speak on what's real. A few years ago, I was downtown Bklyn talking to a few vendors regarding business. I got a few good responses but my thing is why are our people walking around this earth in a complete stupor? I don't understand why so many of us don't like to help out our own kind. This is a serious problem within our communities and the only explanation I can give for that mentality is that most of us are Suspended in Time mentally. Its not about black or white either. I call it the crab in the bucket mentality. I've supported all artists over the years (no bootleg). Everyone is preoccupied with Jay Z, Beyonce, and Weezy F. Baby but the truth of the matter is life is bigger than that. They place these people above God. I'm not chasing the fame, my mission is to help save the youth by giving them an alternative. If your not doing something from the heart, then what's the point? I understand the concept of doing for self because I didn't get this far by a handout. Everything I got, I earned! Some people don't want others to get ahead but that's the same cycle of ignorance that's been passed on to them. They don't know any better. I learned one thing from the entertainment industry. When your on top, people praise you but when you slip up like Chris Brown did, they slander your image and everything you stand for. They forget the fact that people are human and are not perfect which is why Tupac motto was "Only God Can Judge Me". Dont throw stones when your house is made of glass...

CASE DISMISSED!

From the title of this blog, I bet your probably thinking to yourself what case right? To make a long story short, I was in family court this morning as a result of a particular individual who wanted an order of protection from me. This individual just so happens to be my stepdad and that title alone isnt befitting of him. He doesnt fit the description, never did and never will. I guess he wanted me to be Suspended In Time over something minute, but the truth of the matter is he spites me to get back at my mother. I even had to cut my vacation short just for this sole purpose. Everything felt so surreal as I spent the entire day awaiting my fait in court. The same system I fought so hard many years ago to get out of. Here I was again as a grown man going through the same riga moro. I don't like my name being dragged into the court system, especially when I haven't done anything wrong. Apparently this man will do any and everything to make me miserable. That's how it's been from the day I knew he was psychotic by trying to throw me out the window as a kid. I saw all kinds of juvenile kids in there whose temperment was too much for their parents to handle so they seeked help from the courts. My heart ached for those kids as I envisioned myself being in their shoes for that split moment. I saw fear and contempt in their eyes as they faced stiff punishments from the judge. These kids were no more than sixteen years old and most looked like they were thirteen and fourteen.
I reminisced about my own childhood and saw the same vicious cycle of hate in their eyes. They longed for adoration and affection. Their deviant behaviors are a cry for help but most parents don't understand this concept. As a child, you want your parents to protect you and give you unconditional love no matter what the situtation is. Not to send you off to the justice system because it only gets worse from that point on. Once that loyalty bond is broken, there is no reconciliation. Although my case was thrown out without prejudice for him not showing up, there is no guarantee that this same degenerate bastard won't try to do something again. I dont think he'll ever be satisfied unless he can Suspend me in Time, which is highly unlikely...

BEING THANKFUL

I must apologize for not being on here in quite some time, but I've been away. As my 37th Birthday is steadily approaching in two days, I thought it would be a great time to let you know how grateful I am for being able to see this far in life. I am truly blessed and if it wasnt for the grace of God, I would not be here today. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young and this is the message I convey in my writing. I have friends I know who are no longer here as a result of choosing the streets over their own life. I also have good friends who are spending the rest of their lives behind bars. I could've ended up the same way but God had a better plan. I am a living testimony that you can make a mistake and take total control of your life and change it for the better. I don't believe in crying over spilled milk so I channelled my energy by turning a negative into a positive. My goal is to inspire those facing similar circumstances and making them understand that life is not to be taken for granted. People ask me all the time what does loyalty mean to me and I say to them its the single most important factor when establishing lifelong relations. People are still confused as to this concept but an old man told me a long time ago: "You can bring a horse to the river but you can't make him drink from it". There are three kinds of people in this world. Those that don't know what happened, those who wonder what happened and people like us who makes things happen! Shout out to Bushwick Bill...