Thursday, May 12, 2005

Time for a recall

There are people that are involved destructive behaviors against themselves as well as others. This of course is a very discouraging thing to see or experience. If a particular hazard is noticed in certain vehicles, after a period of time we would get a notice in the mail usually for a recall. Due to the threat of harm to self and others. The vehicle would be sent back to the factory and they would in turn check the SYSTEM used to produce this dangerous pattern. Once that pattern has been identified. They don't just look at the vehicle alone...I think you know where I'm going with this.

Above and Beyond is calling attention to the SYSTEMS that are producing the increase of violence among our youth, Black on Black crimes, more so called educators with degrees and less teachers with basic people skills. Let's look beyond the perpetrators of these crimes and look at the systems that produce them. The government, the colleges the schools the families, the media. It's time for a recall. Let's look at who stands to profit from the increase in violence. Who profits when drugs infiltrate a community. Who benefits when blacks fight against each other and are unable to trust well enough to build businesses together. Who benefits when 7 out of 10 kids who go to high school don't graduate. Who benefits when on one side of town kids are allowed to build their future dreams around playing basketball, baseball ,football and rapping and on the other side of town kids are being taught to establish and run their own businesses and OWN sports teams. Who benefited when the leaders of great movements were assassinated. Who benefited when....Well, I think you get the point. It's time for a recall.

We have got to look at the SYSTEMS that previously and still produces self-refueling weapons of destruction, and CONFRONT them. Which means we have got to lock and load. We can't go after a bear with a switch.

Respect

2 Comments:

Blogger Anthony said...

Dearest Dr. Respect, Marcus, Fellow Warrior, and Son of ONENESS…

How ARE you? Looks like you are talking to yourself here, but behold, I am here! Haha…and my guess is there are others reading and too shy to reply. I urge all readers to speak up…and help develop a community of voices here…

From voices will come action…organized, heartfelt, intelligent, powerful action: The MANIFESTATION of what we envision!

And the man said, "God, help me win the lottery!"
And the man did not win.
The second night he prayed, "God, if you are really there, let me win the lottery."
And the man did not win.
The third night the man prayed again, "God…I don't think you exist. I have asked you twice and am asking you again to let me win the lottery. I promise I will do good things with the money."
And the man did not win.
On the fourth night the man yelled at the heavens, "I KNEW you didn't exist! If you did you would have let me win the damn lottery!"
And a thunderous voice rained down upon the man knocking him over backwards, "You know it would help if you would buy a damn ticket!"

It is not enough for us to wish. Or demand. Or tell our stories with sobs. We must roll up our sleeves, stand shoulder to shoulder, and DO OUR PART!

Where do we start? I hear that question a lot. My answer? I look around a bit, then down, and say, "Right here!"

My Warrior Brother Marcus and I are dedicated to saving our country's youth one at a time. We start right here.

You will be hearing later about the Third Chance Foundation. Why THIRD Chance?

1st chance that failed: The family. What family? Today's families are a sorry sight:
1) Addicted "parents" – hooked on crack, cigarettes, booze, television, pot, sex, everything but hooked on their kids
2) Child beating "parents" – The "rod" in the biblical phrase, "Spare the rod and spoil child" was symbolic. The "rod" was the shepherd's crook representing love and protection. If you do not love and protect your children they will rot away in front of your eyes. Stop hitting those kids and kiss 'em. Look them in the eye and tell them, "I love you." They will come around!
3) Runaway "parents" – Little kid parents…can't handle the pressure…sorry excuses for men and women who have the genitals to bring children into the world but do not have the balls to raise them
4) Dumb "parents" – I feel for these people…had sorry parents themselves, now they themselves do not know how to teach their children how to healthfully solve problems, how to productively get their needs met, how to make good decisions, how to communicate and relate, how to be good community members, how to prioritize. These are lifeskills kids need to learn. Guess some parents have to learn it first!

These are many of the so-called "parents" our youth today are supposed to look up to. I say it is too bad. It is a sorry state of affairs. I say we cry in our milk for 3 more minutes. THEN we DO something! When blame is the name of the game no one is a winner.

The 2nd Chance was the school. The school is supposed to educate all children. ALL. No kid asked to be placed at-risk. Schools blame the kids for being at-risk. What kind of sick game is this? It is like calling a rape victim a sinner.

I have no doubt teachers work hard. They mostly want to work hard with mainstream kids who are going to college anyway. My hero teacher? The teacher I would take a bullet for? The one who goes into a pile of at-risk kids and says, "Roll up them damn sleeves kids because you DON'T want them to catch on fire! Miss Emma is steppin' out today, and you and she are going to dance the fiery fandango dance of love of learning today! This is an accelerated class, and I expect you ALL to pass, and I am the right ol' gal to get you there. Let's GOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Whoosh!

That's my hero. She will hug your hurt away and straighten your ass out if you deserve it, because she CARES!!!!! Cares enough to go on the line for the discouraged ones, the downtrodden ones, the depressed ones. The ones two steps away from a casket or a cell.
She is going grab your collar and pull you back from the brink of extinction or die trying.

That's my idea of an educator. That is Marcus's and my Sister Warrior. And not enough of us are thanking these real educators. I say bake them a blasted pie once in a while and take it over to her house!

The Third Chance Foundation will be placing a showcase school in each state: A Third Chance Academy. We are going to swoop in and save a bunch of kids with a school based on best practices and heart as big as the moon. And a huge dollop of courage, too.
You will be hearing about it. When you do, I ask you to ACT to help out.

Together we will get there…one kid at a time if necessary.

Blessings to all, and especially to you, my dear friend, Marcus: Good Night and Sleep Peacefully.


Anthony Dallmann-Jones, Director
NATIONAL AT-RISK EDUCATION NETWORK
www.AtRiskEducation.Net
Director@naren.info

10:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anthony, are you aware of the Quality School program based on the work of Dr. William Glasser. It is an excellent program that ensures all kids learn because the learning is made useful and the teacher works at establishing relationships with all her students. She makes connections with each one because she truly cares about their well-being. Students are empowered because someone believes in them and the learning is made fun. Miraculously, all discipline problems disappear! I get so excited by any effort to reach the "throw away" children. Many have more intelligence than most, just a lack of a belief in their own worth and possibility for achievement.

I applaud the work you and Marcus are doing and if there is any way I can assist in your cause, please call on me. I have worked with at risk kids for almost 20 years in a counseling capacity within the foster care system and am very aware of the potential.

And I don't buy in the mental illness stigma that is placed on so many just because they come from poor neighborhoods and inadequate families. What person wouldn't have some behavioral issues with the issues these children must manage on a daily basis. Their resilience is remarkable.

Let me know if I can be of assistance.

Kim Olver, MS
www.coachingforexcellence.biz

11:54 PM  

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