There is a slow and unfortunately steady move in the world today. While many of us are trying to save our mortgage, find a job and fight other spiritual battles, the enemy is focusing on our children. The devil is trying to steal potential. As a teacher, I often have a bird’s eye view of what goes on in some other households because children often talk. Unfortunately, I see what happens in the media to our children, be it gang related, accident related or family induced. While we are working two or three jobs and leaving the latch key kids at home, the enemy is working against our youth.
I often say that we owe our children more than a place to sleep, food to eat and clothes to wear. We owe them ministry. Ministry and a good prayer life are the main things that will help keep our children on this earth in order to fill out their God given potential. Lots of time I get information that is not even asked for and children will let you know that they don’t go to church. They will let you know when they get baptized and they will let you know if they just watch the TV preachers. You will hear about the issues at home and if they are visiting their Mama or Daddy this weekend.
As a former news reporter, I still find it hard not to watch about two to three newscasts a day and also see what the cable news networks have to say about current issues. I also see daily what goes on in Memphis, Tennessee in the judicial systems. Unfortunately, I have seen what has happened to some of my own relatives. A cousin of mine recently got out of prison after spending the majority of his adult life there. I know that he has been in and out of prison for the last 15 to 20 years. This time he reported to me that “I’m gone lay down.” When I asked what he meant. He clarified that he wouldn’t be getting into any more trouble.
I was very troubled about a year and half ago when one of my nephews was with the wrong person at the wrong time. He was with someone who allegedly took five dollars from someone. I have a problem even with the police department going to his school and picking him up over something like that that reportedly happened months before he was picked up. Something is wrong in America. I tell my students often that the police department will play with you and take you to juvenile court and try and scare you straight but when you turn 18 know that it’s on. They are then trying to lock you up and throw away the key.
My nephew who is not a bad child and this was his first brush with the law was in jail for about 3 weeks on a $75,000 bond because someone else’s child tried to take $5 from somebody on the sidewalk and then after this child goes home and talks with his parents they allegedly convince him to press charges. If that had been me, I would have probably given my child ten dollars and told him to avoid those kinds of people. So, after the bond is finally dropped my nephew has to go through what seems like more than a year for a diversion program. I am going to tell you right now. We need some help down here in Memphis, Tennessee with the judicial system and if anyone has any extra time on their hands you might want to come see about us and our kids.
I kept asking my nephew why are you in jail on a $75,000 bond over $5? I finally found out that the young man said that he thought that they had a gun because the other young man had his hand in his pocket and they both had on black hoodies. My nephew doesn’t own a gun and spends most of his time playing video games. He is not in a gang. Then, I go down to the court and see the young man who is accusing my nephew and see the parents one of whom I use to work with and all he could do was barely speak. I am so sick of my people selling us out to a system that constantly wants to rob America of it’s best and brightest. My nephew has a future.
I’m up there at the CJC looking at other folks children who have carjacked and some of them are on their second offense. Many are on attempted murder charges and assault and they got the nerve to give some of them a bond lower than $10,000. We all know that you have to pay the bondsmen 10 percent of what the full bond price is. Something is wrong with America and somebody needs to do something. These people are letting the so called “thugs” back on the street but your child or my nephew who has some quickly realized potential and some sense, they want to lock them up.
I’m living in a city that would rather jail African-American children then put them in an after-school program. I know from whence I speak having worked with an after-school program and gone around to the folks with the money to fund the vision. Then, they give you every excuse as to why they don’t have the money. I don’t care how many 990s you got on file with the IRS or how intact your paperwork is. If it’s a project that is actually going to move kids forward and give them a skill where they can make some money and come out of poverty and brings some others with them, you’re going to meet some resistance.
Then, you got folks who want to fight leaders that are trying to do stuff like they are demon possessed or something because they don’t want progress. They don’t want your child to be educated so they try everything that they can to discourage people.
It’s time to tell the enemy, this far and no farther; this far and no farther in our neighborhoods; this far and no farther in our schools; this far and no farther with the crime rate; this far and no farther with ignorance; Tell the enemy, this far and no farther.
