Spinster observed,
"Rhetoric, plain and simple. Complete and utter crap. How one is or isn't raised, from my experience, does not determine how a kid will turn out."
Hi, Spin.
I'm in the mood to bloviate.
Apparently your "experience" differs from my nearly twelve years of near-daily "experiences" interacting with victims of child abuse and the caretakers who abuse them.
If you don't mind I'd like to share my experiences beginning with just a few cases of heart breaking child abuse and neglect I investigated, as well as witnessing the family and friends of a newborn boy foreseeing his future just moments after he took his first breaths of air.
Brooklyn, NY Newborn Raised To Be A "Baddd Boy"
Brooklyn's Boom-Box Mom; Sad Case of Child Abuse & Maltreatment
Witnessing A Severely Depressed Teen, Reveal He Is A Victim of Child Abuse/Neglect
Spin, many of these children were abused and/or neglected during a critical period of their emotional development, maturing into adolescent teens pretty much living in a constant state of depression. Residing and going to school in often scary, dangerous neighborhoods, surrounded by other abused kids living in a near-constant state of depression.
Spin, early in my police career when I was assigned to the Brooklyn, NY community *Shawn 'Jay Z' Carter* raps about attempting destroy by indiscriminately selling 'people and community' harming addictive drugs to depressed people who often emotionally and/or physically victimized their peaceful neighbors to acquire funds needed to purchase the drugs Shawn offered to anyone regardless of their age, emotional or physical condition...and rapping about using his semi-automatic "Mack Milli" to protect his drug operation from rival gangs in adjoining neighborhoods, as well as to maintain dominance over and instill fear in the peaceful people living in the Marcy Houses and surrounding neighborhoods....a few of my training officers advised me to be prepared to experience "culture shock."
When I asked what is meant by "culture shock," I was told, "You'll find out."
I did find out what "culture shock" is, though it was not a culture of violence and harmful anti-social activities many were insinuating I would be shocked by.
The aspect of this Brooklyn, NY community that shocked me to the core was witnessing children being emotionally scarred by an *American Sub-Culture of Child Abuse/Neglect*," aka *Poverty* that Kendrick Lamar raps and speaks about some twenty-five years after I first witnessed the *"American Sub-Culture of Child Abuse/Neglect"* that today CONTINUES emotionally damaging many developing children and their communities.
I personally witnessed the emotional trauma and physical pain a young, neglected, unsupervised, *Shawn 'Jay Z' Carter* is responsible for causing, and its aftermath, leaving a community populated by mostly peaceful people fearing for their safety on a 24/7 basis, which are the hours Shawn's crew/gang were selling community harming substances.
For twelve years on a near daily basis I witnessed the emotional and physical harm or grave physical injuries depressed, substance abusing people cause to their peaceful neighbors when acquiring funds to purchase the community and people harming addictive drugs Shawn Carter joyously raps about selling to his depressed struggling neighbors.
During the twelve years I served this community I met hundreds of peaceful people who were just as shaken, upset and deeply disturbed as I was by the daily displays of violence and other anti-social activities mostly caused by depressed, angry, frustrated, unpredictable, sometimes suicidal teens and adults *(NY Times May 18, 2015 - Rise in Suicide by Black Children Surprises Researchers)* who were victims of Early Childhood Abuse and Neglect.
I was lucky, at the end of my workday I could leave the community, returning to a more peaceful residential community where concerns for me and my family's safety were significantly lower.
However, virtually all of my civilian co-workers, mostly loving, competent moms living in this community were not as fortunate. They were burdened with stresses and challenges my parents did not face to any significant degree.
The added stresses and challenges my peaceful co-workers faced was preventing their children from being negatively influenced by abused, neglected, unsupervised children being raised and nurtured by immature, "living wild" teen moms and young women who irresponsibly begin building families before they acquired the skills, maturity, *PATIENCE* and means to independently provide for their family of developing children.
In his 2015 Grammy award winning Rap Performance titled "I", Kendrick Lamar writes, *"I've been dealing with depression ever since an adolescent."*
During a January 20, 2011 LAWeekly interview (Google search) Kendrick, born in 1987, the same year songwriter Suzanne Vega wrote a song about child abuse and *VICTIM DENIAL* that was nominated for a Grammy award, told the interviewer:
*"Lamar's parents moved from Chicago to Compton in 1984 with all of $500 in their pockets. "My mom's one of 13 [THIRTEEN] siblings, and they all got SIX kids, and till I was 13 everybody was in Compton," he says."*
*"I'm 6 years old, seein' my uncles playing with shotguns, sellin' dope in front of the apartment."*
*"My moms and pops never said nothing, 'cause they were young and living wild, too. I got about 15 stories like 'Average Joe.'"*
It seems evident to me Kendrick identified the source of his depression, the roots of poverty, the child abuse/maltreatment that prevented him, his brothers, sisters, cousins, neighborhood friends, elementary and JHS classmates from enjoying a fairly happy safe childhood.
Seems the adults responsible for raising the children in Kendrick's immediate and extended family placed obstacles in their children's way, causing their kids to deal with challenges and stresses young minds are not prepared to deal with...*nor should they or any other children be exposed to and have to deal with.*
It seems evident to me these *PARENTAL INTRODUCED* obstacles and challenges cause some developing children's minds to become tormented and go haywire, not knowing *OR NOT CARING ABOUT* right from wrong...because as they mature, young victims of child abuse realize their parents introduced them to a life of pain and struggle, totally unlike the mostly safe, happy life the media showed them many American kids were enjoying. *RESENTMENT*
I wonder how little Kendrick and his classmates reacted when their elementary school teacher introduced the DARE presenter and they learned about the real dangers of drugs and how they harm people, including their parents? *Cognitive Dissonance*
Kendrick Lamar Talks About ‘u,’ His Depression & Suicidal Thoughts (Pt. 2) | MTV News April 2015
I cannot speak for anyone else, but if I was raised in Kendrick's family I would most likely be silently peeved at my parents. particularly my mom who had the final say on whether or not I was born, for being immature, irresponsible "living wild" adults who deprived me, my sisters and brothers of experiencing a safe, fairly happy Average Joe or Josie American childhood.
I have a feeling most Americans would have been just as shaken and disturbed as I was when witnessing on a daily basis children and teens being abused, neglected and unsupervised, which often resulted with them venting their anger and frustrations on their peaceful neighbors.
This video depicts horrific examples of men who were victims of childhood abuse and neglect, conditioning a young teen to embrace 'The Street' culture Baltimore Mom of The Year failed to protect her teen son from...not to mention representing the fear peaceful people living and WORKING in the community experience knowing depressed, angry, unpredictable teens and young adults need to vent their angers and frustrations for being introduced to a life of pain and struggle by irresponsible, "living wild" single moms and/or dads.
This video depicts acts of criminal child abuse, maltreatment and violence against..."A little girl, catching a cool breeze from an air conditioning unit in the yard, was blindsided by another child about her same age, who had evidently had some practice with fighting fierce. The small victim wasn't alone, as there were plenty of nearby witnesses, who could have protected her but didn't because they were too busy recording the brutal beat down and encouraging it." | Written By Amanda Shea
Mediatakeout | Facebook
NY Times May 18, 2015 - *Rise in Suicide by Black Children Surprises Researchers*
Quoting the NYT article, *"The suicide rate among black children has nearly doubled since the early 1990s, surpassing the rate for white children, a new study has found."*
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/h...-children-surged-in-2-decades-study-says.html
Who is responsible for traumatizing, abusing, neglecting, maltreating children to the point where depressed young kids, we're talking elementary school age children, believe their lives are not worth living?
With all due respect to my American neighbors of African descent, the oppression of humans that led to racism and slavery has *largely* been replaced with a new form of human oppression that impedes and deprives many American children from experiencing a safe, fairly happy American kid childhood.
The question all concerned, compassionate Americans should seriously be asking ourselves, our elected, civil, social, community and religious leaders is, "What real, substantial changes in our society's attitude and laws need to occur to prevent abuse that often causes young kids to mature into depressed, frustrated, angry teens and adults as a result of experiencing the *emotional and/or physical trauma of an abusive childhood?*
Spin, After reading the tone of your reply I do not expect to alter your belief that adult victims of early childhood abuse and neglect should be able to "pull up their boot straps" and get on with life sporting a happy face.
Though maybe another who reads my long winded, grammatically challenged ramblings will start a conversation about finding ways to prevent children from maturing into depressed adults often emotionally scarred for life by their early childhood caretakers.
Spin, perhaps the conversation will expand concerned, caring citizens demanding we re-examine and update our child protection laws, much like supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement are demanding our CJS laws be updated to protect all citizen's right to fair treatment?
Peace.
Black *(Children's)* Lives Matter; Take Pride In Parenting; *End Our National Epidemic of Child Abuse and Neglect*; End Community Violence, Police Fear & Educator's Frustrations
