Headline: Mobile police: Murder warrant signed for man accused in shooting
Updated Headline: Mobile homicide suspect apprehended in Chicago
Outcome: TBD
Note: The first headline is an allege suspect and hasn’t been found guilty of any charge.
Headline: Police arrest 2 more in death of USA student, bringing total charged to 3
Updated Headline: Two men plead guilty to killing USA student during burglary, face life sentences
Outcome: 20 years prison
…No different than any other paper across the country right?
My Initial thoughts to hearing about allege suspect: What in the hell is Twin doing (Allege suspect has an identical twin brother so both are known as Twin) doing? Why would Twin be associated with a killing?
My Initial thoughts to hearing about Suspect #2: (Similar to reaction #1) What the hell is Tevin doing?
You see, physically, I’ve been removed from Mobile (Alabama) since 1999, emotionally; I’ve never left – always keeping up with the latest high school football stories (i.e. Auburn recruits), political chaos (i.e. Judge Thomas being accused of sexually abusing young men) and headline news stories – like the ones mentioned above….Mobile is Home (Shout out to 163 D.I.P)… and the life lessons I’ve learned while living in Mobile laid the foundation for the skills I’ve developed. These same skills have equipped and armed me with enough mojo to ignite the fire for answering life’s big questions – What’s my calling and How do I go about fulfilling that calling?
In the past, stories like the one above would create an initial reaction, but very few additional reactions. Numbness and acceptance of this way of life as the new norm justified the reaction – a simple Shaking My Head (SMH) was enough of a reaction. Self-awareness has altered my perspective on this matter and forced additional thoughts and reactions. Here were a few of those additional thoughts….
Additional Thoughts: Why would Twin/Tevin do something like this? There had to be a reason, this just doesn’t seem right….Could I have been a mentor…Could I have inspired either Twin or Tevin…
You see, Allege Suspect and I were high school football teammates for 3 years… Suspect 2 (who is 13 years younger than me) lived right next door to my family. Both individuals are GOOD people and stories like these make me ponder what’s really going on…
You see the new norm across the country in Urban Communities is reflecting that of the Wild Wild West – a period of frequent violence. The stories like the ones mentioned above are becoming the status quo. Don’t believe me. Just watch documentaries such as The West – Southwest Houston which provide a firsthand look into a community of guns, gang violence and corruption. If that isn’t enough, how can we forget the record number of homicides coming from Chicago’s Southside - over 150+.
Need more convincing that our society has become numb and accepted the gun and gang violence as a way of life in our community… Check out the conversation I had with one person who questioned my connection or in this case lack thereof with our community. The conversation with a female friend from Houston about The West – Southwest Houston documentary mentioned above ended with her justifying the behavior in the video as a way of life. On the contrary, her hypothesis for me was that my corporate lifestyle had disconnected me from the people – her thoughts (shrugging my shoulders and SMH). She just doesn’t get it. Thoughts like this convinced me that we have new street generals and their names are in the likes of Chief Keef.
As I continue on my journey for consciousness, often times I have moments of clarity and understanding.
Self-Awareness Thoughts: If you knew better, you would do better.
Self-Awareness Hypothesis: The Urban community is adopting a prison culture.
I live by the quote “You are only as limited as the land you see.” I experienced this first hand in 1997, having the privilege to travel overseas as a People to People Student Ambassador. During that trip, the quote became a revelation - the trip a Kairos moment. That trip unchained a limited mindset - my thoughts became limitless and the city limits of my world would extend far beyond the southeast region of the United States. This is important because throughout my journey, I’ve learnt that at the core of all of us, we are loving and caring souls/beings – not murders, robbers or any of the other ers opposite of love and care. Souls lacking self-awareness, self-worth, knowledge and exposure tend to respond opposite of their purpose. Humans create the environments and communities we dwell - Environments supersede DNA (see Free Lunch Blog Post entitled: You are What You Are?). When you lack self-awareness, self-worth, knowledge and exposure a culture is formed that mimics lack of understanding. For example, the stats in Mobile support those of a Prison culture. When you murder and kill another human being, those acts are barbaric and animal like; the total opposite of who we are that the core. In a recent interview, Lil Boosie summarized prison as not being cool, not for human beings. He stated that Prison were for animals and turn you into animals. The increased violence across the country suggest human beings are turning into animals. Communities are for Human Beings, Prisons are for animals.
Conclusion:
Urban neighborhoods like Southwest Houston, Southside of Chicago and my hometown of Mobile, Alabama are morphing into prison cultures and prison mindsets. And for various reasons, communities are becoming numb to the violence and accepting this prison mentality as a way of life – lowering the bar and expectations. The truth is, in 2001 (in Mobile, Alabama) I had a gun pulled on me. Luckily, for all parties nothing became of the situation. However, on that very night I could have easily been a victim or suspect mentioned in the headlines. The stats suggest I should be statics - I’m no different than Twin or Tevin, we are all from the same place/the same hood. The one difference is that self-awareness, self-worth, exposure and knowledge allow me to continue to break the mental chains communities and societies define as status quo....Back to the basics, back to fundamentals in our communities and teaching self-worth, knowledge and getting our kids exposed to life outside the trap. TIGHT TIGHT
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