Dangerfields Musings

Friday, June 09, 2006

SMOKING WEED IN FRONT OF KIDS MUST BE ALRIGHT WITH BLACK (SOME FOLK)

I have a question. I live in N.E Washington DC. Over the last 4 years I have been noticing that people mainly youth are smoking weed right in public. Now I don’t want to argue over the morality of smoking weed right now, however it is illegal and young black people are breaking that law every single day. In Washington DC this is something that I see just about everyday. Every single day hundreds (if not thousands) of black kids are breaking the law. Everyone in the black community knows that this shit is going on. In fact I think it would be impossible for black people to know that black teens are smoking weed in front of kids.

Let me tell you about my typical day. On my way home (I bike), I easily pass several black teens and adults smoking weed right in plain view of kids playing. In a typical day I must see at least 50 kids all of this smoking weed. All of these in my 1 hour ride home. The last time I checked smoking weed was against the law ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC. Now if I see fifty kids on my way home from work how many kids do all other black dc residents see smoking weed. I would think thousands.

So why do we allow these kids to smoke weed in front of the entire community. Why do we allow these kids to smoke weed instead of looking for jobs, reading and writing. Or learning how to create their own business.

Does anyone really believe that we can compete with the rest of the world under such circumstances. This is the bottom line I am not a nosy person, I mind my business, I really do not know what’s going on in everyday community life. So, If I am noticing these kids smoking weed in front of everyone. Then our entire community most being noticing it as well.
If we notice it but don’t stop it. Aren’t we giving it sanction, aren’t we saying by default this is something we will allow to happen in our communities.

Under those circumstance why don’t we just create a manifesto that says it is ok for , anyone to smoke weed in our communities and neighborhoods, in front of toddlers and great grandmothers. It should also say, Hey World Us black people think that it is alright to smoke weed in front of kids. Hey World Us Black people don’t mind if thousands of black kids break the law every single day all of this happens in front of thousands adults. . But hell we cant do that, that would be to much truth for most of us I think.

If we are going to allow this to happen in front of kids why should anyone on the planet respect us. After all it says to me that we have very little respect for ourselves. Why shouldn’t the rest of the world follow the same status quo that black folk are setting.? Mark Bey

9 comments:

field negro said...: Good post Mark. I like how you bring your life experiences to your blog. We need more story tellers who aren't afraid to tell us the truth. (Even if it hurts)

Weed smoking in the privacy of your own home; hey, if that's your thing, smoke on. Around our kids in public spaces? Just should not be happening.

FN; 6/09/2006 8:19 AM
Anonymous said...: Mark, EXCELLENT POST! You have captured the essence of what I was alluding to in my post on Ricky Williams. I believe that those kids who smoke weed out in the open and the members of the community who condone it (by their silence), feel subconsciously that it's okay to do so because of the actions of celebs like Ricky Williams AND by those who support and reward his "bad" behaviour. It also interests me that these kids have no fear of being seen by the police breaking the law. I guess society at large has given up on these kids. At the very least, it seems that the adults in the Black community have given up on them, therefore I am assuming that the attitude of the police when they see these kids smoking weed is "FIDO" = "Fuck It and Drive On"! There is a theory in law enforcement called "The Broken Window Theory". Simply it says when minor offences are condoned by the larger community, then more serious offences will follow. It pains me to think what crimes the community will turn a "blind eye" to in the future.; 6/09/2006 11:44 AM
Dangerfield said...: Here is what I am saying, that I think is hypocrital Ricki Williams did not smoke his weed in public. I make a big distinction between weed and other illegal drugs. I honestly see weed a no worse than liquour. Having said that, it is illegal and people teens and young adults should not be smoking it around kids. Please dont forget I hold the church (black church) tenfold more responsible than the rest of us. Because they know as well as the rest of us what
s going on. Hell, we have over ten churches within a 5 minute walking distance of my front door. Thier is know way they can not smell the kids smoking weed when thier walking into the church. Id bet thier kids smell the weed too.The preachers and other church officials know everthing I have mentioned better than you or me. Since they do some rehab and rehabilitaition work they know all about this shit. One would think they would use thier moral authority to call for a referendum on things such as teens and young adults smoking weed right in front of kids. They could go around the hoods pass out flyers and force the community to decide whether or not to public indorse said behavior. But they wont do that because they are backwards and full of it. What you blame Ricky Williams for , is something that the general public does or has done to the tune of 30%. Ricky Williams is a Non essential in terms of public interest. If you tested all of the population of america for drugs. Id bet that 25 to 35% of the american population has done drugs. If your not going to test everybody in whole country then you shouldnt test athletes unless they drive or break the law while intoxicated. Although I will fully admit the guy is stupid because hes costing his self millions. But back to the matter at hand, either black people should publicly state that it is fine to smoke weed in front of the entire community. In front of kids, in broad day light or we need to do something to stop it. But I am getting to write a scathing post on the black church. I wonder if chritians and all other religions will be able to handle it. Mark; 6/09/2006 4:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Mark, it is ALWAYS easier to blame others for our problems and not take individual responsibility ourselves. You state that you "hold the church (black church) tenfold more responsible than the rest of us." Let's ALWAYS look for someone else to blame and/or take on a victim's mentality! However, I blame the parents first and foremost and the kids who are engaging in the illegal behaviour next. They may feel that it's okay to smoke weed, whether out in the open or not, but they know it's illegal and still CHOOSE to engage in that behaviour. They justify their illegal behaviour by having the attitude that others do it. As my Mom (and yours too I am sure at one point) would ask when I was a youth: "if everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do so too!?" Yes community leaders including the church, other adults and celebs like Ricky Williams also share some, and I repeat for emphasis, SOME of the blame... The truth is that the behaviour of Ricky Williams is a just a symptom of a much larger problem: "US!" I wonder if you, I and others in the Black community "will be able to handle it!?"; 6/10/2006 12:21 PM
Dangerfield said...: Yo Asa one thing you can count on with me is this, I will not give black people an inch when it comes to personal responsibility. I will not give an inch when it comes to hypocrisy. I do hold us responsible Im not trying to get out that. I dont know how the church is where you are, maybe thier are more christlike. Or maybe they reflect the true view of christianity in a more honest way. But in american black people are suffering. The church is supposed to get practical results of the population shes serves. Faith without works means nothing except the church is making people feel good. But not producing enough people who

1) Respect education
2) Compete economically
3) Take care of thier health
4) Can compete intellectuallity with everyone else on the planet.

At this point and time we cant compete with everyone elese in the country in those and other areas. When I say the church has failed us, Im not obsolving any black person of any responsiblity. But the church is suppose to feature the best of the community, including intellectually, finacially, ect. If something is wrong in the community, such as our sexual behaviors were, but the church is pretending that shit aint happening thats a crime. They should have have been preaching about condom use 10 years ago. They should be preaching education from start to finish of every sermon. Are the preachers in our church as educated or well read as everyother church. Do they really preach on building business, educating ourselves, and working on problems such as color complex that and our general low self estem. No because in my oppinion to many of these guy have been called but not but in the practical, educational, or intellectual work required to really reflect a wholeistic vision of spirituality. Anway like I said before, they dont test doctors, lawyers those proffesions are a lot more important to society than football. If you dont test those guys then they have no right to test professional athletes period.
So one more time Im am not absolving black folk of any personal responsibility. But in my oppinion our church should be at the forefront finacially, spiritually, ect. We are all responsible for the mess we are in. It will take a group solution,. Mark; 6/10/2006 3:46 PM
Kip said...: To Mark

Here in L.A. there are many young teenagers smoking weed in public in the various hoods. It is like an initiation here that in order to be kool you must smoke weed, chase the opposite sex, gang bang, etc we have high teenage pregnacy rate out here too. Many parents lived this type of life-style themselves and just pass it on to their kids we have a high drop out rate among high-schoolers too. It is a sad situation here Mark good post.

BY CHANCE; 6/11/2006 5:49 AM
Darbs said...: First of all...thanks for stopping by my spot the other day...much love for that!

I hear what you are saying and understand your concern. it is a very sad state of affairs.

Thank you for bringing to light a subject on which many of us are too apathetic or afraid to comment.

How quickly change would come if we had more individuals like you in the world.; 6/20/2006 10:05 PM
Bullfrog said...: When I was young and dumb and stupid my friends and I would smoke weed in public, mostly at the beach, or at local public parks. I think we liked that we were taking a risk of being caught. We used to ride around in my friends car like 8 deep in a Honda Accord (they weren't designed to hold that many obviously) none of us older than 17, and there was always illegal drugs (crank, weed, mushrooms, acid, cocaine, you name it) as well as beer that we bribed some homeless person to buy for us. Add to that a few cans of spray paint that we would use to hit up the neighborhood.

We were a "rolling bust" just ripe for any police officer to pick. That was the whole point, to be brazen and in your face with how "bad" we were, almost daring someone to intercede. Basically, we were beyond foolish, and fortunately for me, I never spent 1 day in juvenile hall, or had even 1 encounter with the police. My friends weren't quite as lucky.

The only reason someone would take their illegal drug habit to the public would be for the same reason, unless they are such a "hype" they have to satisfy their craving for dope and are willing to take the risk.

As for those who condone private drug use, but frown on public use due to the possibility of negatively influencing the neighborhood youth: If it would be bad for our youth to catch on to these habits and possibly indulge, why is it deemed acceptable for ANYONE to do it, whether they are private about it or not?; 7/05/2006 11:43 AM
Anonymous said...: I smoke weed everywhere!; 11/17/2007 4:02 PM