Puttin my Money Where My Mouth Is

My black folk in the country.............I just don't know what to say. This week, financial assistance was to be given to twenty-five people whose utilities had been cut off. So a thousand folk showed up for these twenty five slots. You know anytime you get over ten negroes together for a giveaway there will be some attitude, lack of organization and just a whole lot of mess. Folk showed up early to get in line, and then people started making their own lines. Anyway, I was too through when the local news interviewed a middle aged lady asking why she was there. This woman said, (with attitude) "my utilities got cut off, and SOMEBODY needs to pay for it.........."

I have been harping lately over the fact that young black should be encouraged to bypass enlisting into the military at this time because of the likelihood that they would be quickly shipped off to Iraq. In fact, while watching a program on C-SPAN, a military analyst indicated that a new recruit could have boots on the ground in Iraq four months after enlisting. Four months!

I had the opportunity to practice what I preach while at the airport over the weekend. At that time there were, five black males, one black female, one hispanic female and one white male, each with their Army of One t-shirt, saying goodbye to their loved ones preparing to leave for bootcamp. My read of them all, looking at the parents, even the white kid, were that they came from fairly low income households. Taking the totality of the situation into account, I found myself wanting to chat with them, just to see where their heads were at, but I could not find it in me to disturb the tearful moments between the families. What would I ask? Yo, why you joining, don't you know there is a endless war going on, are you crazy? So while deliberating, I decided to go get a smoothie. While in line, the mother of one of the kids gets in line behind me, wit two other small kids. So I pondered for a moment, marinated on what flavor smoothie I wanted, took a deep breathe, and then turned to the mother.

Me: Hi, how you doin? Mother: Hi, I'm ok. Me: I see your son is leaving, is it for bootcamp? Mother: Yeah, he is going to the Army. Me: Wow, ok............ (long pause) marinating on smoothie Me: Is he excited about it. Mother: A little bit, he wants to be a mechanic. Me: How you feeling about it? Mother: I don't know, sad that he is leaving. Me: I imagine you are. Did he consider anything else before deciding to join? Mother: No, not really, he did not have good grades.........and he did not really find a job that was paying anything, so he decided to go on and go. Me: I understand.........well I hope things for him work out for the best. God Bless you ma'am.

It took a whole lot in me not to go there. Hell it was too late, aint like I could grab the kids and take them with me. It seems like the main reason young folk are enlisting right now is the lack of opportunity, job training, financial resources. It's mainly a financial decision. The money the Army is throwing at these kids, is probably more money than their own parents have made in a year or two. What are they to do?