We have gathered here as one to pursue a cause that is greater than self and that cause to build young leaders who are filled with hopes and dreams that don’t die but live for as long as they live. We have fought for the dreams and hopes of so many young people who for years have given up hope because they didn’t see their dreams going anywhere, they didn’t see living conditions improving and for the most part, they didn’t see anyone who truly cared for them.
Still despite all of the, now the movement to win this war on youth begins with us winning the battles of education, parental responsibility, violence and a host of other issues that plague our youth. No longer will we accept the status quo as we tackle the nagging issues that continue to grow and feaster as thousands of millions of youth get lost in the traps of a system that continues to fail them at alarming rates. No longer will we accept the notion that the generations before us have our best interests at heart when they are still operating off of the same tired old playbook that has yielded little no results in improving the conditions that create the hopeless attitudes of thousands of millions of youth.
Today is a new and that is why we no longer can deal with those who don’t desire to teach our youth as well as learn from our youth in the process. No longer can we deal with those who claim to have a wealth of experience but aren’t willing to learn from our youth as well as encourage our youth. Today is the dawning of a new day for our youth movement and that is why we will not continue to allow people to use excuses such as we don’t desire to be informed, educated or enlightened when the reality is that those people have no intentions of teaching us anything and they have no intentions of trying to learn something from us as youth. The learning process is a two way street and for people to sit up here and act like we as youth don’t want to do better or we can’t do better is simply not the truth.
We can no longer allow others to feel sorry for us just because we don’t think like them and we don’t believe as they believe. We can no longer allow others to spew negativity toward us such as they see no hope for us while in the same breath wishing us in the best in their endeavors. This is not what our movement is about. Our movement is about encouraging youth to believe in themselves, believe in each other and to have each other’s back no matter what. While some youth may stumble ever now and then we can’t give up on them, we can’t allow them to stay down forever and we can’t continue to allow others to tear their hopes, their dreams and their goals down because they don’t act, think and believe like that.
What is so unique and great about this youth movement to save our youth is that we respect and understand our differences but we don’t allow our differences to stand in the way of us saving youth. In fact we look toward our similarities more so than our differences because we understand that bickering and fighting won’t save youth from these senseless attacks on their minds, their bodies and their souls. We understand that youth don’t need any more preaching and teaching but they need people who care to listen to them, who want to understand them and are willing to work with them not against them. We understand that youth want to learn and they want to teach others what they know so we encourage youth, we uplift youth and we inspire youth to pursue their dreams.
The war on our youth is not a black issue, brown issue or white issue but it is an American issue. Those of us involved in the movement to save our youth know that this isn’t about the struggles of black people, of brown people, of woman, or of poor people but it is about the struggles of our youth who all must have the same opportunities and resources to achieve successfully in school and out in order to have a chance at a better future for all. We know that if we are to save our youth, we must not only vote in elections to put politicians who have an interest in putting programs and resources in place that will help our youth but we also need to be involved in the lives of our youth as much as we can.
Those of us involved in the movement to save our youth, we know more than others that we can’t downgrade or disrespect our youth if we expect them to respect us as well as want more out of life. We know that our youth are thinking people and while they probably don’t think like we want them to think or they don’t act the way we want them to act, we can’t lose hope on them. Our youth must be independent thinkers and we must build independent minds if they are to achieve a better future not just for themselves but for those around them as well.
This is what our movement is about and this is why saving our youth from this war on their minds is important to us. An independence of their minds from the mainstream zombie thinking that pits races against races, cultures against cultures and classes against classes is what we are trying to create. This is about building independent thinkers because oftentimes, we cannot think for ourselves so how can we expect for our youth to think for themselves if we are not thinking for ourselves. One of the major factors of poverty is ignorance. To many, the word ignorant is an insult. What we mean is simply that some people do not know some things; there is no shame in that.
Still this is not just about black people but this about all people. A conservative friend of mine, Akindele Akinyemi once said that, “In urban communities all across America we have not reached independence. We are still trapped and enslaved in our own minds and hearts. Single families are on the rise and our churches are in decline. There is a liquor store on every corner next to the church. Blacks generate over $910 billion as consumers yet we are not producers. We drop seeds in one woman and move on to the next woman. We still think social power is the key to our problems. Nothing can be further from the truth.”
He is right because there are people who would want us to continue to think to fight for civil rights and to fight racism when there are other –isms that plague our society and other issues that are not about race that plague our nation. This is why if we are to save our youth than we must show them that while racism may rear its ugly head, don’t allow it to succumb you and don’t allow others hatred, negativity or poisonous bigotry venom to prevent you from being all you can be and achieving all you can achieve while uplifting, encouraging and giving to other people on your way to the top.
If our youth are to succeed we must deal with the crumbling infrastructures across America in many cities and towns but most of all we must deal with the lack of jobs, high crime and failing schools. We cannot celebrate any level of independence, regardless of what party affiliation we belong to or what church we belong to because if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problems that plague our youth and the communities they are from.
Independence has to begin in the mind and spirit first. In communities our independence will not just come from spiritual and mental freedom but also creating a counterculture. Our children are out of control because many parents have stopped parenting and gave up their right to be free a long time ago but that is why many of got involved in this movement to reclaim our parental, communal and independent rights. This intergenerational crisis has transpired into a culture of poverty and a culture of death. With the lack of jobs in our communities, our youth are left with hopelessness and a culture that is still living in the dark ages.
The biggest trap from our communities becoming free and independent is education. Education is a passport to freedom. However, we have liberal ideologies dominating the academic landscape and conservative ideologies not creating an academic counterculture to combat this. Education must be taught from a global perspective to begin to break down the stereotypes, fears and ignorance that will help uplift people in our communities out of both spiritual and mental poverty. Yet, no one is using education as a chief policy platform to create (1) a counterculture, (2) generate wealth and (3) compete globally. When we stop emphasizing geography in K-16 education something is wrong.
Many social conservatives preach about there is a need for Christianity in communities, yet I see a church on every corner in my community along with abandoned homes, prostitution and crime. It has gotten so bad that our own children are practicing self-destructing behavior by committing murder in the aisles of the church. These godless children, who are being raised by godless single parents, have created a new level of slave behavior that has transpired into the hip-hop culture, television and radio, and even in public where we cannot even enjoy going to the grocery store, sitting on your porch or get this, sitting in your living room watching cable without someone shooting, someone raping or someone carjacking an individual or family.
Our churches are change agents and we must hold our preachers, pastors, and bishops accountable along with our local police and non-profit entities. Accountability, integrity and trust are three factors we need to improve our communities. The biggest factor of independence will not come from a tea party, criticizing Sarah Palin for resigning as Governor of Alaska, critiquing Michael Steele's performance as RNC Chair or President Barack Obama performance as Commander-in-Chief. The biggest factor of independence will come from freeing our minds and hearts from the fear, ignorance, racism, and sexism that plagues our communities.
Many of our leaders are still caught up on civil rights and black power leadership in the black communities but that died out a long time ago. We are still playing these race games when the race that we are losing in our communities is the race to save our young men from destruction, save our young women from their dignity and saving our children from violence that they are bombarded with on television and in the streets. We never talk about that race. We only discuss the race that has something to do with the color of our skin.
We are now in a silver rights era where we are striving for global education, global dignity and respect by rebuilding our family structure to generate wealth creation that will create a legacy for our children. We have to teach the language of money and financial wealth to our children if they want to compete. If they do not have a bank account then we are creating a new generation of economic slavery.
That is why what we need to do is stop fighting among each other and come together with a common cause. If liberal thought has destroyed urban communities how long will it take for conservatives to even come into urban communities and join those who live in the community to take a stand on apathy and destruction? Traditionally, conservatives who previously lived in urban communities did not stay to live in those areas like Detroit after the 1967 riots but moved out to areas like Oakland County. First it was called white flight and now we are experiencing black flight from the inner cities (for various reasons). Now I am not saying that black folks should not live outside urban cities but at the same token, if this continues to happen than who will be left to fix the urban communities up like the rural and suburban communities are?
Independence will come from our minds when we realize that (1) no political party will come in and save us and (2) we have to save ourselves. Those of us involved in this movement understand this and this why we are working to teach our youth to be self sufficient and dependent on each other to create the 2st century communities that are needed for all Americans to succeed. What is plaguing our youth is not a Democratic or Republican issue but it is an American that has festered for far too long without enough people standing up to speak about it. No longer will our youth be waiting on handouts when they should be working for a hand up that is why our message of self-sufficiency is pivotal to saving youth lives.
If we are going to take root in our communities we must create an independent vision and take a radical different approach to solving problems in our communities. We cannot discuss social issues in our communities if our faith-based and value structure is broken. How can a minister preach against homosexuality when you are bi-sexual yourself? How can you talk about not having an abortion if you label the very same woman a welfare queen or whore? How can we discuss national defense when our cities defense is broken because of the lack of quick police response time in our communities? How can another woman criticize a woman who wears pants instead of a long skirt when both of you suffer the same things that other women are suffering from? The ego and ignorance must stop.
How can conservatives and liberals mock urban agriculture projects in the inner cities when people of color suffer the highest rate of health problems ranging from diabetes, heart disease and AIDS? There is a fast food restaurant on every corner in urban communities. We have to eat better and exercise. We do not need to hear President Obama's plan on health. Close your legs or wear a condom and get tested for STDs is a start. I do not want to hear about abstinence education because how many young people you know are virgins before they get married? Very few so we need to EMPHASIZE in our homes the need to wait as well as practice healthy relationships around our children. Notice I said the homes FIRST. The church will reinforce this through youth ministries and actual biblical teaching. A counterculture through media and culture arts will be the third factor in creating a culture of respect and love.
We need more than protests and rallies to improve the issues plaguing our youth because they do not equate to improving education and bringing in new industries into our communities. These are practical things that only we are capable of doing. While we should hold government accountable for their actions let's hold each other accountable for our actions as well. We cannot protest the government about raising taxes if we are not protesting the fact about looking out for our fellow men and women.
If our youth are to be independent thinkers than in this silver rights age we must strive to be free from political and religious dogma, racist actions, anarchy and failure. We must work together for the sake of our children and future. We must teach our youth to read and to love reading because that is the gateway to learning and that is the passport to rebutting many of the stereotypes associated with racists, classes and yes even our youth.
The days of attacking those we disagree with and uplifting those we agree with are over. No longer can we sit up here and stand on soap boxes and attack people who we disagree because what will that solve. What will attacking our youth for not thinking like us solve? No longer can we think that attacking others for their beliefs will solve anything. In fact the youth movement today is about making sure all the constitutional rights granted to Americans are upheld for all Americans especially free speech. However we in today’s youth movement believe that there is a fine line between free speech and hate speech so we don’t condone speech that entices or advocates for death and violence of anyone or any group of people.
This is not the Civil Rights movement or slavery days although some of us on both the extreme right and left would love for it to be. However those days are over and that is why today we must not continue to speak about racism as if it is just whites hating or disliking blacks when many blacks hate or dislike whites. In fact our youth today will not succeed unless we improve the communities they live in and show them how they can play an important role part in doing that.
Aaron Tang, an education advocated, said “There is no such thing as an American public education. If a child goes to a public elementary or secondary school somewhere in America, everything that influences his or her likelihood of success—from the quality of the classroom teachers to the rigor of the standards he or she and the school are expected to reach—everything hinges on the happenstance and geography of his or her birth.”
Mr. Tang is right when he says that and that is why we must continue to fight for an equality and affordable public education system in America for all Americans. If a child is born to a well-to-do family in an affluent New England town, the public schools there will reflect that child’s fortune; if a child is born into the poverty of the Deep South, their chances of going to college plummet dramatically. The reality is that there are different opportunities, different supports, different worlds for different kids here in America, even in a day and age where America’s children face more in common—international competition in high tech job markets, increasing demands on civic and social participation—than ever before. Yet our schools in America continue to train Californians to compete with Virginians and Georgians to compete with New Yorkers. So much, then, for the “American” dream.
This is what our movement is about and we aim to address the issue of education and help our youth reclaim the American dream through education. While at the same we want to address the community issues that deter many from wanting to obtain a high quality. We are a part of this movement to save our youth because we want our youth to do better than what we did and we want our you to be independent thinkers who see what’s wrong with the world and don’t just talk about what they will do to change it but will do it.
If we are to save our youth, we must engage them, we must encourage them and we must experience what they are going through in order to understand why they act the way they act and why they have become hopeless. This is how we are going to save our youth. We are going to be involved in their educational lives as well as their personal lives to show them that there is more to life than the communities they stay in. Still we are going to improve their communities with them by helping them to understand what the problems are and helping them to figure out how they can improve the conditions of their community.
It takes a village to raise a child and our communities have to step up to save our youth. If the future for our youth is to be better than what they have now than we have to play an active role in our youth lives right here, right now. We have to uplift them, motivate them and encourage them to pursue their dreams rather than demonize, downgrade them or feel sorry for them. Feeling sorry for our youth won’t help them but what will help them is us as a community being actively engaged in what our youth do and how they do it.
This what we are about and why are working all across America to accomplish. This movement has never been about us but it has and will always be about saving our youth. We will win this war. We will win the battles that will ultimately lead to us winning the war and saving our youth lives.
I can feel it!
I know it!
I believe it!
So it shall be done! Keep on working, keeping on believing, keep on hoping and most of all keep on working to improve the lives of thousands of millions of youth all across America. This war is ours to win and lose and if you are like me than we won’t lose because we hate losing. We will win and we will see a better and greater future for our youth because they want it and we will help them.
Thank you all for your support!
SAVE OUR YOUTH!
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