On my way to my hair dresser one day I heard something tumbling above my head and a voice  told me to stand still.  Had I moved an inch more I would have been a statistic due to a senseless prank bygang members having fun on a roof , and who thought terrorizing a neighborhood by throwing bottles out the window was a recreational sport.  I could have walked away, but instead I called the gang members out while calling the police and fire department who arrived right away, wound up all 12 youth and let me pep talk them to let off steam. Had I filed a case certainly four would have been locked up with prior offenses.

No older than 12-15, these teens were kids ruled by rituals, a lack of supervision and latch key kids.  This isn’t the first time I have had confrontations with gang members and I just wondered if these kids had after school programs would they have time to create mischief on the rooftop of buildings. Upon viewing the footage of an unfortunate incident that resulted in an honor student losing his life for intervening in a fight to help another victim all could have been avoided.

 Number one, there comes a time when young men need to apologize when there is an arguement brewing or disagreement and call a truce. Pride is a dangerous thing and always results in young folks showing off.   The city will be sued because there was garbage lying around that was an easy target for use as weapons. I feel bad for the victim. The situation reminds me when a childhood friend was getting jumped by a girl gang for having real long hair and talking to someone’s guy after being warned.

They attempted to put her head under the bus and I knew I couldn’t handle these girls alone so I got 5 big men in a store to help before that bus took off in all confusion and ran over my friend’s head  and totally unaware that she was under the wheel where the gang of girls had held her down. Later on she let me know what she thought of my leaving her to get help. I guess if I would have died with her we would still be friends. The lesson learned is never intervene to fight for a friend. Run and get real help. This alerts gang members that someone is going to get help and is a witness to the arguement. Plus, two dead victims is senseless.  If a family member that is a different story. Blood is thicker than water.

The same scene plays out in one of my books, Tekila Nika: The Forbidden Bronx Video Diary Tales under my pseudonym name Babe Charisse Worthington. Sometimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time is pure fate. ALWAYS, ALWAYS think of resolving your anger and calming situations down.  SAY I’M SORRY or I’M SORRY MY BROTHER I DON’T WANT NO TROUBLE. If gangs have a initiation to fulfill RUN. Forget pride. SCREAM FIRE and FREAK OUT like a nut. Start praying  Even gang members will start cracking up  and leave you alone. In other words don’t be hard. BE A SISSY AND THAT PUNK. It will save your life. I have seen hard core gangsters submit to other gang members in this fashion and their lives were spared.

I am so angry right now because I am getting flashbacks of G who I saw beat the pulp out of someone one day after school for no reason at all. I felt every blow and just stood there and watched in shock. This is what violence does to folks. You intervene, you’re dead! Mind your business and get help if you can or find yourself in the obituary section the next day. It’s your choice.  G is dead today  and got a dose of his own senseless violence, but no one can explain what makes a person harm others.  I truly think the violence starts at home and if not, it’s learned being around violent people and situations. Add that flight or fight response and people are going to show their worse side. These are all kids involved in this incident. I wouldn’t be surprised if the one who hit the victim was just as scared of being harmed. When in war there is no trust, just survival mode.

Life isn’t fair and that’s why folks have got to work hard and get out of the hood, the place someone created to entrap cultures. No oen cares if folsk in the hood kill each other. The south side of Chi Town is really on the map. I thought Lloyd gave props to Chi town, but this is just ridiculous and the worse ever.  That’s why urban writers are here . No one can live on after witnessing crimes like this. If you don’t get it out on paper the guilt eats you up for not being able to do anything about the situation.