NY State of Mind

You may believe it or not, but this society has been constructed in a certain way. The powers that be have definitely made it so that certain people are forced to live certain ways. This runs true throughout our entire invisible cast system. The rich can only get richer and the poor can only get poorer, or stay poor for that matter.

For the majority of my life, I lived in an urban neighborhood. Gangs, violence, drugs and teen pregnancy runs rampant where I’m from. Now in my old hood, the majority of the population were of course, Blacks and Hispanics, as it is in most hoods across the nation. Why is that these certain minorities never seem to rise above?

Sure… My President is Black, but not much has changed throughout the years when it comes to racism and the powers that be trying to keep minorities in their place. The kicker though, is that no other minority is targeted and generally FUCKED WITH, except Blacks and Hispanics. Do you see Asians, or Indians pulled over like crazy? Checked for drugs? Ridiculed and searched? NO. And REAL TALK… some of them use as many drugs. I know more than a dozen Indian and Asian IT techs who swear by weed. Yet, they are never searched or pulled over… Guess they don’t “Fit the Description”.

We live in a world, where yes… If you are Black or Hispanic… You ARE targeted. You ARE seen as a threat to society and they ARE trying to take us out. Now, what people in the hood do though, is contrary to what they NEED to do. I’d like to first of all…. Blame it on the PARENTS!

It’s crazy because I work with kids and REAL TALK… No one likes to be told they aren’t raising their children correctly. No one likes it when you try to suggest something different or if you’re opposed to their child rearing skills. If you say something… all hell breaks loose. Yet, honestly, MOST people in the hood, DON’T know how to properly raise their children. They aren’t educated enough to know how children really work emotionally and psychologically AND most of them DID NOT have a good role model for parenting… as most sample their own parents.

This goes back to what I wrote about teen pregnancy. Most people in the hood, aren’t concerned with the future… they have no 5 year plan. They also seem to have lost all type of hope and faith in themselves and their communities… which is the sad part. What people need to realize is this- Just because you LIVE in the hood, doesn’t mean that you HAVE to have a HOOD MENTALITY. This one goes out ESPECIALLY to the young MEN in the hood.

It is a conspiracy to get everyone in the hood to stay in their place… and by feeding into it, we all help contribute to our own demise. They want us to act a fool, to run the streets, to get caught and most importantly- to KILL each other, that way they won’t have to. The powers that be makes sure the drugs are brought into this country and make sure they are put in the right hands. They set us up for failure, and what do we do?? We fall for that shit!

The government works in funny ways and it’s all a set up to make us fail. They give us assistance and welfare so that we can live. Yet they make it so comfortable, that people live on welfare forever. Moms encourage their daughters to have more children, cuz the more kids you have- the more money you get. What does this do?? Create more problems than you can actually imagine.




The children of these women, often get improper care, and it’s not just because they have 5 other siblings. They often live in crowded, dirty, and dangerous environments and see this from the time they are born.( Here’s a fun fact: psychologically, people who live in crowded environments- tend to be more VIOLENT! )What is worse, is that these mothers DO NOT expect much from their children. And most of them will be lost to the streets, most won’t make it to see their 21st birthday, most will be a product of their environment and help the cycle continue.

These children know nothing more than their environment, which is why I blame it on the parents. Just because you LIVE IN the hood, doesn’t mean that you have to LIVE the hood. If these children had parents who SUPPORTED them and gave them a good FOUNDATION, then our youth would NOT be lost to the streets- not in such large numbers.

On to other matters, the young men in the hood sadden me just as much as the young women. Many of them sell drugs, join gangs, rob and kill people… it’s the stereotype, I know… But, you must realize that you LIVE the stereotype. You do everything they say you do, some of you do it proudly. Know that this is just a way of keeping us in our place.

The government makes it so that they take care of us in the ghetto. They make sure we live comfortable enough, that MOST of you… don’t want better, and even worse, you can’t SEE yourself doing better. They put drugs out in the street and see what happens to us. Power and money are evil things. They drive us to do harm to ourselves and harm to others. That what it’s ALL about in the hood. Power, territory and money… but REAL TALK- it’s ALL bullshit! The power you think you possess ain’t shit in the REAL WORLD, and neither is the money!

Gangs… while I can see why some people just want to belong to some type of family. This is rooted in with families in the hood, who don’t take care of their children. Who don’t make their children grounded individuals, with a strong foundation. These children in search of something greater, a sense of belonging- join gangs. And what do most of these gangs do? KILL EACH OTHER! While our numbers as a minority dwindle, the powers that be- ARE LAUGHING AT YOU! Wanna kill someone? Kill Whitey… He’s the one for all your problems, not your fellow brother.

But no, you feed into the bullshit and you shoot, rob, sell and end up where? JAIL! This is another method of keeping us down. Once you have a record, there isn’t much you can do as a citizen. You can’t vote, which takes away your voice as a citizen. You can’t join the military (which most of ya’ll SHOULD do since you like killing so much). You can’t get a JOB. That last one is the most important because it is the MAIN reason that this vicious cycle exist.

Most men in the hood start early and have a record early on in life, and continue into their old age. Without families to SUPPORT them, they rarely graduate high school and college is a foreign word. This helps contribute because they stay in this cycle of incarceration. They have little to no real education, and have little qualifications for jobs. Since they can’t get a regular job, what do they do? Rob and sell drugs. Get caught, serve time and do it all over again.

The government makes it so that you can’t get out of that, once you’ve gotten there. They WANT you to sell drugs, rob people, and get CAUGHT! You need to realize that MONEY is the root to all evil. They know that when money is non-existent to people, people get desperate. As a result, that desperation turns into stupidity. And most people who sell and rob, have families to care for. It all goes hand in hand.

What saddens me the most though, is talking to people in the hood and analyzing their points of views. What I have discovered is that morale and HOPE is gone from most. Most feel that they will never be much and most don’t see themselves as much. Yet, they NEED to realize this- WE CAN ALL RISE ABOVE!

Just because you come from the hood, doesn’t mean that you should die in the hood. We should want more from ourselves and even more for our children. I honestly FEEL for this next generation coming up. Most of these children are being raised by people who don’t know what the fuck their doing. Most of them are damaging their children psychologically, and the worst part? OUR CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE! And we won’t have much of a future, being that there are a million kids having kids… who don’t know SHIT about kids.

Just because you come from the hood, doesn’t mean you can’t get an education, and go to college. GUESS WHAT! Here’s something they DON’T want you to know. YOU go to college for FREE! If you’re in the hood then there is a VERY good chance that you will get FULL financial aid. This means, your tuition and books are paid for… and you thought you needed that football scholarship! You see, there is so much you don’t know, and so much aid out there. YOU ARE NOT A HOPELESS CASE! Educate yourself and LEARN about your possibilities and opportunities.

Just because you come from the hood, doesn’t mean that you have to LIVE the stereotype. Sure, it’s dangerous in the hood. The guns, the drugs, the violence, but seriously if families cared more for their children… there wouldn’t be gangs to begin with. If parents were on top of their kids, knew where they were, knew what they were doing… there wouldn’t be as many kids who WANT TO join gangs. It’s ok not to be a gangbanger… it doesn’t make you a PUSSY, it makes you SMART. And just think of it like this, when you grow up and have a career, those same gangbangers will be on those same corners.

Lastly, it seems that the powers that be, have made many of you hopeless. Many of you complain that the “White Man” is bringing you down. Well guess what? THEY ARE! And now, your spirits are broken and self confidence doesn’t exist. Real talk, the BEST way to RISE ABOVE is to EDUCATE yourself. You need to KNOW that just because you live in the hood, doesn’t mean that constitutes who YOU ARE and you don’t need that type of mentality! We all need to help one another get to where we as a people should be. It all starts with the kids, so love your kids, and support them. YOU are their HERO! ACT LIKE IT!

(Side Note: The shit I hate the MOST… are mothers who talk about shit they shouldn’t in front of their kids and the ones who curse at their kids. First, know that although children cannot fully understand what goes on, they DO understand in their own sense. Certain things should NOT be said in front of children- STOP making them grow up faster than they have to. And second, cursing and putting down your children is not only fuckin disgusting… it damages them emotionally and psychologically… According to DYFS… it is also considered ABUSE…. Verbally… learn how to talk to your kids you worthless, selfish bitches.)