A few months back I was enraged after coming across an article in a well known blog that stated“Soda Is the Chicago of Beverages, It’s killing everybody!

This article started my mind to racing, and my fingers to typing causing me to leave a response :

“In The Chi Magazine.. A magazine about Chicago, For Chicago and its surrounding areas was saddened to hear you use the crime of Chicago as a metaphor for soda. The damaged youth and misguided adults from all over who appears to have too much time on their hands when it comes to crime and negativity is the substance that’s killing people’s dreams and spirits everywhere not just in Chicago. Bill Cosby said it best: Hurt people hurt people. Publisher of In The Chi Magazine.

The author of the article offered no response or  apology for his message written making light about the senseless killings in Chicago streets.

Today, I can sadly state that I stand corrected and have a better understanding for the  metaphor. No one is exempt from the killings in the street of Chicago. There was a time in our lives where children, elderly, and the handicapped were in a protected class.  Children were allowed to go outside and play. The elderly could walk to the bank without getting assaulted and mugged. The handicapped did not have to worry about the theft of their motorized wheelchairs or vans.

Those days are no more as  the desensitized state of today’s youth has caused the devalue of life and respect for human dignity in our society.

Living “In The Chi” I also have an understanding of what the upcoming week will hold for the families and children living in the Englewood community and other communities that  surround this beef. This beef will spread to the lost of innocent lives whom will be  caught in the crossfire of another  non-shooting, non-thinking, misguided, loss soul.

These souls will be  searching for  ways to relieve the pain of dealing with the loss  of a love one, while facing for the reality that the person born to his mom as Joseph Coleman, and known to his friends and family members as  ”Jojo”no longer exist here on earth.

Jojo was gunned Tuesday while riding his bike in his Englewood community. He took one shot in the leg and the other in his  torso. which traveled to his heart and killed him.

Chicago native Chief Keef  responded in a negative manner to the death of Jojo, and  continued his rants on twitter but this time  and focusing his remarks toward  conscious rapper Lupe Fiasco. Fiasco set the tone and offered Chief Keef peace and love. These rants caused many in the entertainment industry like 50 cents to  request a personal meeting with the young rapper, perhaps to instruct him on how to properly deal with conflict and prevent an all out war in the street of Chicago. Chief Keef answered with allegations that his twitter account was hacked. Great solution given the circumstances…………

Today, no one is exempt in the streets of Chicago and other violent cities. A change has got to come!!!!!Thanks, Lupe for showing a perfect example of ways to bring about this change. Reaction to one’s threats of violence should come in re-direction instead of retaliation!!!

Many people  say the black youth  are out of touch with reality… I say they are  out of FOCUS,…Stay focused like Lupe and don’t allow others to steer you off course.