This is a subject that seriously merits consideration and attention. As parents, uncles, brothers, sisters, aunts, cousings and grandparents, the responsibility for our children and their future is ours. It seems that somewhere in between the generations something went terribly wrong! The order and structure in the urban household diminished and we as parents as a consequence lost our control. Most of we men were either incarcerated or murdered, living “The Life”, leaving our women to fend for one, two, maybe three or many more children as well as herself. Sure we all know that for hundreds of years our women have truly been the strength of creation, raising and nurturing our nations. Some of us so-called men have even put hands on to see just how strong these precious gems were. I don’t speak as a matter of condoning this action, I’m simply stating a fact and touching upon topics that most don’t care to address. No one wants to expose their faults and weaknesses, therefore I’ve decided to break the silence once and for all.
ATTENTION PEOPLE!!! I’m speaking to all people, not just one culture. The problems and blatant disrespect we’re experiencing in our beloved communities is sickening and we have the power to change this dilemma and reclaim our just authority within our own households and beyond. Why I speak of the household so much is because as I reflect back to my childhood, I remember the first lessons in authority I witnessed were there. My mother was a no nonesense woman, my grandfather was the same as was my grandmother. What brings me to this subject now is the fact that so many, too many households are over-ruled by the children. Sure when I grew up Dad wasn’t around, but that didn’t mean a damn thing because Mom made up the difference. She took on dual roles in our household and for the most part it worked. Granted though there’s nothing like having your dad there to guide you through the tough times and to teach you the way to go. That is what brings me to this point.
To those of whom this applies, you have to stop being the thorough-ass parents, and or grandparents. There’s no time to be friends to our babies before we teach them that we’re most importantly the authority of the household; the person that is in control. They need to know that above all else. We are first and foremost the parents who love and protect them endlessly. This way they aren’t growing up believing that we’re these so-called laid back careless people. Our daughters are the most precious because it’s through them that the future will exist. Our boys are just as significantly valuable because they will have to protect our girls, and the babies that come after. You can’t continue to allow the influence of the outside to take hold of our babies people!!! Can’t you see that these law makers and court systems are desisgned to tear families apart with incarceration just the way the “Slave Masters” did our ancestors back in the days?! They would have their “Auctions” and sell our great-grandfathers off to slave owners way across the map so that they could have their way with our women. There’s an old quote that says “If you sever the head the body will fall flat.” This is the case with us people, we need to open our eyes and realize that these people are building these new prisons for the future warehousing of our babies, and their babies; especially here in Pennsylvania where there are a huge number of prisoners throughout the state.
Some of today young parents may not know the right ways to reach the babies because they’re considered too far gone. It’s not rocket science people!! These are the same precious babies that come from us. We can’t allow them too much room to do as they please because this gives them too much room to quote, unquote “Do Them”. This is a recipe for diaster, nothing more, nothing less. There’s no way our children should be afraid of expressing themselves for fear of being lashed with a belt, or cursed out as if they are grown. Our young boys should be involved in sports and recreational programs to exert most of this energy they are filled with. They shouldn’t be exposed to the vulgar language that is so commonly used in our homes. It’s sad to say but most of us take better care of the things that we acquire materialistically than we do our own precious babies. Think about it!! I’m not telling any lies. We value our shoes, clothes, jewels, cars, etc. more than the seeds that exist through our DNA! How real is that? People…if we don’t get our priorities in order then we might as well get our affairs right with the insurance company. Put some lawyer and commisary money up because the inevitable will be knocking on your door and smacking you in the face as you sleep. If you treat a twelve year old as you would a twenty year old, then you’re establishing a friendship and not a parental foundation. Please people, let’s get ourselves in order and take back our responsibility in the household so that we can keep our children safe and out of these modern day plantations. Instead let’s invest our greatest energy into our babies because they are our future. It is through them that we will live on!
A. Try talking with them and not at them.
B. You have to listem to them with your heart.
C. Don’t instill fear in them, they will hate you for it.
D. Most importantly show them that they can trust you and that you love them unconditionally.
Remember communication is essential. They’re our babies but they’ll grow up to have an opinion a lot sooner than you might think, and you have to respect that.
Come on people…let’s keep our children safe!!!
Raheem “Pete” Shackelford, father, son, brother, uncle, leader!!!
The above was written by an inmate from the Smithfield SCI, P. O. Box 999, 1120 Pike Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652. Inmate number EC-1500.