13 Ways To Survive Living In Chicago

   
   In my STYA After School Program recently some of my students were putting me on to some of their favorite Rappers, most who came from Chicago. I began to recognize a pattern beyond the Drill style rap music and gritty lyrics; many of these young rappers were no longer here. Song after song my students would share with me the gruesome tale behind these young men getting murdered. Since 2014 there's been dozens of young Chicago rappers, many of them teenagers, whose blood was spilled in the streets. 

   In 2016 there were 762 murders in the city of Chicago; the total leading number of murders in the United States with the majority being black men under forty years of age. According to the number of murders reported to the FBI based upon cities with a population of 25,000 residents and above, Chicago Heights, IL was ranked #30 on the list of murder capitals of the world in 2016. Places like Birmingham Alabama, Myrtle Beach South Carolina, Riviera Beach Florida and twenty-five other cities outranked Chicago Heights as murder capitals. For the second year in a row East St. Louis was ranked #1 with a crime index of 3%, meaning it's only safer than 3% of the cities in the United States. Chicago Heights was safer than 15% of the cities in the United States. 

   Whenever we're looking at statistics like this, coupled with sensationalized news stories, some of us could easily get the impression that Chicago is 1980's Beirut or the present day West Bank. While there is definitely a disproportionate amount of violence going on in some Chicago communities in comparison to other communities that are the same size, it's also important to keep in mind that a white person is about six times more likely to be killed by another white person than somebody black. The media's lack of coverage on this white on white violence is virtually nonexistent in comparison to its obsessive compulsion of black on black violence. Considering that propaganda we still cannot dismiss the narrative of those who live and have grown up in Chicago who see this carnage. I've lived there myself for a few months on the South Side, South Lowe to be exact, back in the early 2000's. Since that time, and with it's growing poverty and community deterioration, it's gotten much worst. Depending upon Politicians to fix it is equivalent to expecting Physicians to help regulate Big Pharma. There's no silver bullet and it requires a concerted effort of grassroots initiatives of dedicated community members to change the culture of violence in Chicago and transform its socioeconomic landscape. In the meantime, these Changemakers must survive in order to have an opportunity to strive. Here is something one of my sister's named Tanya shared that highlights some basic rules for how to survive in Chicago. Tanya is a professional hairstylist that was born, raised and currently resides in Chicago:

1. Don't sit in cars kicking it.
2. Get EVERYTHING you need and get to your destination.
3. Keep your eyes and ears open! Watch your surrounding instead of running your mouth.
4. Know who you're hanging with and what they're up to.
5. Google numbers, order your food ahead of time don't sit in local spots.
6. Track the bus if you have to ride it. That bus stop stuff is dead. Also if it does not look safe always walk a block up.
7. Don't be listening to your headphones, you gotta hear stuff.
8. Don't sit and watch when people getting rowdy KEEP IT MOVING!!
9. If you get into a confrontation assess your situation first before you snap. You never know what a person got on them. Forget being tough. Make it back home.
10. If something don't look right trust your instinct. If you hear gun shots get down quickly until it stops.
11. Don't loiter in front of the house like an easy target!! Don't run unless someone is shooting at you.
12. When in public, keep your face out of your phone, and your phone out of your face. Keep that $500 object hidden. Period.
13. Don't mix BEING CAUTIOUS with BEING SCARY. Forget what somebody thinks, make it back home to your FAMILY!!!!

   Although these survival tips relate to communities in Chicago, they are also applicable to other communities around the country and internationally. I've been to hoods in Canada these tips apply to as well. It's also worth mentioning that from 1980 to 2008, 53.3% of gang-homicides were committed by white offenders and 56.3% of gang-homicide victims were white according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. This means that there are communities that are predominately white and poor where these survival tips also apply. In fact, black people, especially males, need to follow these survival tips in any predominately white communities that are poor and especially when they're affluent. Historically there's been countless examples of blacks being racially profiled, harassed, criminalized, incarcerated, assaulted and murdered simply because they were in a white person's neighborhood. 

Peace,
Saladin

Trumpla: Political Reality TV

Trumpla: Political Reality TV

While out in DC recently I had the pleasure of running into White House Commentator/Georgetown Adjunct Professor Jon-Christopher Bua. JC covers international politics and writes for a few publications including the UK Huffington Post. We had an excellent discussion on foreign political processes, the 2016 Presidential Election, some of his work media training campaign spokespeople and his course at Georgetown 'Politics and The Media: an American-European Perspective'. One of his latest pieces you should check out is called Donald Trump vs Everyone: Do TV Debates Really Matter and to stay in tune you can follow him on twitter: @JCBua

Morton Downey Jr. Show 

In a reality tv society where the best press is bad press, all of this 'Trumpla' and his stagecraft antics have forged him into a one man Morton Downey Jr. show; a true pioneer of political trash tv. Like him or not, the guy is entertaining and represents the voice of millions of Americans who think and feel the exact same way. 

Like the 1980's era that catapulted Morton Downey Jr. into a pop culture celebrity, the same trend is happening with Donald Trump. To give you a sense of his popular culture impact consider the fact that his name has been dropped in rap lyrics at least 67 times by popular artists over the last 25 years. In terms of popularity, Trump is almost peerless in comparison to other presidential candidates except for Deez Nuts -no pun intended. Unlike Canada or other places where citizens vote for political parties represented by candidates, American citizens vote for the popular guy, not political platforms. Couple that kind of political process with an uneducated apathetic electorate and what we see is exactly what we get.

Know Nothing Party political rhetoric  

Two things I wanted to point out about Donald Trump is his 'whig' and no nothing political platform. When I say whig I am not talking about the spider monkey hairpiece on his head. I'm talking about his Whig Party perspectives. In the mid 1800s, the Whig Party was known as American Patriots, anti-Democratic and took many conservative stances that would be considered 'far right' today such as occupational prestige and upper class opportunism. Eventually succeeded by the Republican Party, Whigs were also said to be many things to many people, willing to abandon core convictions for the purpose of gaining political clout. Ironically the word whig is derived from the Scottish word 'whiggamore' and Donald Trump shares Scottish ancestry; his mother Mary Anne MacLeod was from the island of Lewis on the west coast of Scotland. In the mid 1900's the Anti-Masonic Party, the third major party in the United States, merged with Whig Party, and was considered the first right-wing reactionary movement in American politics at that time. In regards to Trump's no nothing political platform, his views are reflective of The Know Nothing Party’s xenophobic (fear or dislike of foreigners/outsiders), anti-immigration/naturalization sentiments. Also active in the mid 1800s, The Know Nothing's were a party who viewed themselves as the true Native Americans and only accepted membership of Protestant males born of British ancestry. They were also considered semi-secret because its members were instructed to reply, “I know nothing” if asked about the Party’s activities. Unlike today, xenophobic, anti-immigration/naturalization and anchor baby sentiments are not a secret; every time Trump opens up his mouth it is clear that he 'know's nothing' about addressing certain national and foreign policies. 

In the final analysis I think it's important that we understand that things happen in cycles, including political philosophies. Technology wise, we just have easier access to some of the same ideologies that built or destroyed this country in the past. In order to be an educated electorate we must be aware of this. I don't have a prediction on the outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election because it's still too early to tell who corporate America will choose to represent their interests. What I will say is that we cannot underestimate the power of popularity vs political platforms. A little over a decade ago the Morton Downey Jr. Show set a rachet television precedence and helped pave the way for reality television. Today we have a new kid on the block leading the same flock and it is going to be hard to trump that.

Peace,

Saladin

The Panic In Needle Park

Sciences of Life

Peace Ya’ll! For those of ya'll that never did the knowledge on The Panic in Needle Park, check it out! The Movie is about Drugs (AKA: Destroy Rules) and Addiction; any Addiction for that matter -including 'so-called' building with people-, and people being "easily led..." (14/1-40). Personally, I cee Pachino's role as 'Bobby' as one of his greatest!! Anyway, today I wanted to share with you my thoughts on a few subjects that have been on my Mind lately.

Barack Hussein Obama; CEO of The U.S.A.
For those of you who did the knowledge to Obama’s Inauguration, there was some Peace symbolism in the fact that his Queen -Michelle- carried the Bible he took his Oath on and the etymological science/historical practice behind the word ‘Testify’. Now, when it comes to the Psychological Stock Market, the stock of the Black Man -in general- will appreciate exponentially!! You’ll even start to cee the stock of 85 Niggas -who ain’t doing shit- go up alittle because of the small potential for growth. The stock of Gods will go through the roof, and those Women who’ve invested in a God prior to the Election of Barack Obama will be well off; if of course they “keep” (14/1-14) their stock. LOL! For those Women who’ve been bullshittin, there’s still time to invest in shares of this God Stock b.u.t. since you waited so long you’re gonna have to pay -and compete with other Women who’re now vying for this stock who can and are willing to invest! Although you’ll cee a lot of Dummy Companies spring up and Confidence Men trying to sell false stocks in the Black Man -and Gods- , Obama’s appointment serves as an Elliot Ness-like war against these Sleeper Cell Domestic Terrorists. On another note, for many who take this symbolic imagery of the First Family “on face value” (9/1-40), you’ll cee a redefinition of the words “Marriage” & “Family” and some Black People will develop a new found faith & commitment to these Core Values -which is a very positive thing! For many others, this changing of the guard will mean nothing.

TNT: The Naked Truth
On the Right Sidebar of my page do you cee the image of the Ole’ Brotha on the cover of the Book entitled ‘The Naked Truth’? Well that’s Abu Shahid; damn near 80 years old, legally blind and Self Proclaimed “Elder of The NGE”. I mention him because there’s been a lot of controversy going on in regards to the release of that Book. Even where he rests at in Power Born (Pittsburgh) it’s been said that his Book has been publicly denounced -not sure by who actually- at their Local Parliament. I built with Abu last week and ordered the book so once I do the knowledge on it I’ll let ya’ll know what I think. One thing I will say about the God is that Abu Shahid is a cantankerous-ass Old Man with a lot of Knowledge and some slick-ass Street Wisdom so if you plan on building with him HE WILL -not might- say some shit that can/will piss you off! LOL! When I humbly asked Abu about Uhuru he said, “Fuck talkin bout da past! Da past is like yo ass; behind you and full a shit!” When I tried to clarify myself by saying I wanted to know about the kind of personality Uhuru had Abu sarcastically said, “He, was, a, nice, guy.” After a few seconds he then added, “What the fuck you want me to say?! He, was, a, nice, guy. You want me to recite my Book or something?!” I remember at a Regional Conference Abu was building about muthafuckas illegally crossing American boarders and taking jobs from Niggas and some Gods got mad offended; drawing his comments up like Abu “wants us to think that we are all different” (7/1-14)! They had the right to cee it that way. I on the other hand recognized what he was saying about the Economy and our people having too much pride to perform menial labor. So ultimately, dealin with Abu is not a walk in park b.u.t. it doesn’t discount the fact that walking is therapeutic -for some of us at least. LOL! When it comes to the controversy surrounding ‘The Naked Truth’, here’s what I suggest to ya’ll who don’t agree with what Abu is saying in his Book; Publish your own Book that corrects him. -shrugs- As a matter of fact, if ya’ll got an issue with EMBLEM’S, Allah Jihad’s, Supreme’s, Wakeel’s, my Books, etc.., then paaleeeeeeease publish a Book to correct all of us! That’s how it should be ‘actually’ done. As a matter of fact, I got a few Titles ya’ll can use in you’re really serious about “going through with this labor” (9/1-14) of publishing your own Book(s): ‘Shittin on Shahid; English C Lesson Number 2’, ‘EMBLEM; The Thread History of an NGE Dissenter’, ‘Dairy of a Madman: The EXPLICIT Story behind Allah Jihad’ , ‘How to Hustle and Win; The Original NGE Parliament 9 Region Certified Show and Prove Black & Gold Hard Copy Limited Edition’ , ‘In the Name of Whykilll X. Allah; The Godslim’ and my personal favorite, ‘The Crucifixion of a God-Centered Cynic’! LOL! Anyway, I personally enjoy building with Abu and I’m looking forward to doing the knowledge to his Critically Acclaimed Book! -smile- Once I do the knowledge I will share my thoughts with you!

Earths
What can I say… Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of discouragement, disappointment, etc.. from Earths about the way Gods have been dealing with them. The shit is so bad that many of these Earths have decided to make an about face and go seek the comforting Companionship of strait up 85’s! -shakes head- Can I blame em?! Not really. Is it the best option?! “I beg your pardon but I have never heard of one.” (16/1-36). What I do know is this, “That band aide won’t really do shit for a bullet wound.” What this does go to show is that Earths are not ceeing a functional difference between a Man who calls himself an Asiatic Black Man and a Man who calls himself a Black Man. Well for whatever reasons, these Women have begun to look towards 85ers and/or band together in feminist seasoned Earth Ciphers, as Gods we gotta straiten this shit out; starting & ending with ourselves! When we “give all we have and all within our power” (40/1-40) through striving for Perfection, we can never be held accountable or blamed when a female decides to go get what she ‘may have’ secretly desired from day one; a Bi-Cultural relationship. It may hurt b.u.t. realizing that she was never your Queen to begin with when she’s made or makes a choice like that helps you UNDERSTAND a very valuable Lesson about the phrase, “…owner of the Earth…” (3/1-14) in regards to possession -especially when it comes to “OUR” Woman. LOL! To own also means ‘to belong to’ or ‘to be a part of’ and the only relationship worth having with a Woman is a relationship that both of you choose ‘to be a part of’ or ‘belong to’. Anytime you loose sight of valuing/respecting the fact that you both have Freely chosen to be together, the Law of Justice is consciously/unconsciously set into motion to bring about -often painfully- Equality. My advice to Gods is to simply be God to the best of your ability through striving for perfection in all areas of your people activities -whether you’re cutting the lawn, changing a diaper, at work or making love, etc… Within striving for perfection always respect a Woman’s freedom to accept or reject it! By respecting a Woman’s freedom to accept or reject it, you’ll be able to clearly cee what you should rightfully accept or reject in her because she’s being herself. When you have an attitude like ‘you own’ a Woman or possess her, you “build a prison house” (29/1-40) around a Woman; thus immobilizing her freedom to express herself and limiting your ability to clearly cee the type of Woman you’re dealing with. Ultimately, you end up being very unsuccessful in this relationship because she’ll interpret your actions as “an undertaking” (29/1-40) and you’ll start looking more and more like an undertaker! LOL! Also ladies, KEEP IN MIND that Men look at you the exact same way when you pull the same possessiveness bullshit by not respecting our Freedom -no matter how fly you are, how good the Four Course Vegan Meal is, how good your savior equality unknown always is and how precise you recite ya lil' Lessons! Take note. -grin-

Abstract Art
On every occasion that I’ve heard the phrase, “I don’t live out Lessons, I live out -Supreme- Mathematics!” it made me wonder… First of all, where do people think the concept of Supreme Mathematics comes from?! All of our Supreme Mathematics can be literally, definitively and conceptually found within 120, ALL OF THEM! -shakes head- When it comes to this Culture, the Lessons are nothing more than ‘Word Problems’ expressing how Applied -Living- Mathematics has/can function. These Learning Tools (Lessons) identify Procedures in the form of Words, Statements, Questions and Answers that adhere to or undermine certain Principles that ultimately shapes/orders our -Core-Values and sets our Priorities. For example, for me to say on one hand that I live out the Supreme Mathematical phrase “My Culture (4) is I-God” yet I don’t live out the Mathematically Cultural (4) Lesson in the 1-14 that clearly shows the classical/contemporary psycho-socioeconomic relationship that God’s adversary (Devil) ‘can’ have towards Righteous People then I’m overlooking a veeeeeeery valuable Lesson! -shakes head- I mention ‘can’ have because there are many other Lessons that describe a different relationship the Devil has with Righteous People. Keep in Mind that Numbers are nothing more than intangible abstract concepts without Applications. It’s similar to having Letters without the ability to create words, construct sentences, communicate a language, etc… Because many Gods/Earths have the mindset that “I don’t live out Lessons, I live out -Supreme- Mathematics” it’s easy to cee why there’s a huge variance between the intangible abstract concepts they talk about and how they’re actually being applied in their lives! This is the reason why an Earth can literally come in the Name of ‘Equality’ and tell you in the most eloquent words the science about her Attribute yet fail to identify in her subtle words and actions how she systematically objectifies Men (“…use him for a tool…” 6/1-14). This is also the reason why us Gods can come in the name of ‘Allah’ yet do shit so foul that it’ll out stage a Devil!

When Numbers exist as nothing more than intangible abstract concepts, what we deem Mathematics is nothing more than Abstract Art. And when it comes to Abstract Art, a cross shaped cherry poptart sittin in a Tiffany Wine Glass of Peruvian cow piss or a frozen shit-creme sandwich on a small licorice scented conveyer belt ran by a button pushin cabbage patch doll is considered Art; ‘Abstract’ Art that’ll have a room fulla muthafuckas buyin that bullshit! Now not all Gods/Earths are this abstract with the way they express Math, b.u.t. many definitely are! The value/purpose of having Lessons in the first place is to help us grow and develop through comprehending the Principle(s) behind Procedures like: why we do trading amongst those who’re ‘devoted’ and ‘try to do’ (9/1-14), why we took everything BUT their language when dealing with certain trouble makers, what it means that a person is savage when they lost the knowledge of themselves AND is living a beast life, etc.. . Shiiiiiiit, I can tell you some Math I live out from Lessons I learned in The Dark Knight! LOL! Some Gods/Earths even go as far as to justify why they live out Supreme Mathematics and not Lessons by stating that ‘120 is Muslim Lessons!’; all while living as a tax-paying Citizen in a Christian Country, speaking the English language, eating Middle Eastern Cuisine, and using body/healthcare supplies from European Companies. I’m sorry ya’ll b.u.t. the statement, “I live out Supreme Mathematics and not the Lessons because they’re Muslim Lessons” is some of the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard; as if using the Procedures and adhering to Universal Principles in 120 ‘only’ pertains to a Muslim! -shakes head- NOW, there are ‘some’ Procedures within 120 that do only pertain to the Religious Practice and Ideology of being a Muslim, just like there are ‘some’ Procedures within 120 that only pertain to being the Uncivilized, the Devil, an Angel Baby, Musa, Jebus, being Weak, a Trader’s interpretation, hearing thunder above ya head, raising ya children, being a Lieutenant, etc… Ultimately, those Procedures -and many, many others- function as Psychodramatic Symbolic Imagery for us to learn Lessons about life! Many Gods/Earths don’t get that deep and claim that, “We break it down for the children to understand.” Well the truth is, many Gods/Earths aren’t making it simple because they explain Math in purely abstract terms and it’s not explained coherently enough for the children to understand. When asked about Knowledge they simply say “Knowledge is the foundation. Knowledge is to know the ledge”; you can hear it on Original Thought Podcasts damn near every day. There is nothing wrong with that; it’s just alittle too abstract for many people to understand. When, “Knowledge is the foundation. Knowledge is to know the ledge” is said, nothing was explained about what knowledge is, what a foundation is, how knowledge is synonymous with being a foundation, what it means to know, what’s a ledge, what it means to know the ledge and ultimately when, where, why, and how ‘Knowledge is the foundation. Knowledge is to know the ledge’. If Knowledge is never broken down in Principle -through highlighting living Procedures (Applications) a person can identify with- then Knowledge will remain nothing more than an intangible abstract concept; a big ass Numeral ‘1’ sitting on a big black chalkboard in somebody’s head! This is sadly the case with many Gods/Earths. Unfortunately, when God/Earth Abstract Artists ‘try to’ (9/1-14) convey the Science of Supreme Mathematics -and Supreme Alphabet- to people -especially without the use of the Procedures/Principles of living out the Lessons- it turns into nothing b.u.t. a long ass frustrating game of Sticky Pad Pictionary. LOL!

PEACE!