Here's what they are teaching our kids in Illinois public schools (Chicago: hairstyles, tax)

[Grlzrl]

Did anyone catch Herschall Walker on Mornings with Maria this morning? I wish I could find the clip. He was awesome!

[G in MP]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

G in MP, bless you!

I am not a Black man. Can I understand the Black experience in America?

If this is at all a fair comparison, but in my field I have spoken with countless drug addicts (of all skin shades, mind you!). And I always tell them: I have never suffered from an addiction but I have eyes, ears, a mind and a heart to understand what this MUST feel like from speaking to the clients directly, as well as witnessing what is going on in ALL different communities.

CAN I, therefore, understand what it would be like, to live the Black experience? I say YES.

Regarding race/cultures, there are similar issues in the Hispanic community. IS there prejudice against Hispanic men, with "mis"conceptions that they are gang members and will attack someone based on the color of their clothes, making their communities unsafe??… MIS-conceptions? They are TRUE!!!... Now, the error is when someone attributes this attitude to ALL Hispanic males, because that is NOT the truth.

Did Master Jay do anything in his youth to combat this perception so as to prove the Majority-White society wrong?? NO, I absolutely PROVED a Majority-White societal (including prejudice against Hispanic males) perception! I ran the streets, stole car parts, vandalized, fought against other groups, etc... Therefore I did NOTHING to help my Hispanic community! And I can NOT blame 'Whitey" for it! Whitey wasn't out stealing and destroying property, I WAS!!!!

But I changed. I had the power to change. I had the power to choose what I do/not do. EVERYONE does! No one is a slave. No one is without choice.

I agree with the writers, therefore, when they say there is a culture that glorifies behaviors and negative attitudes. Sure, some artists even get paid big bucks off of it, while the majority in the culture do not. But is, Whitey wrong then???

POWER TO ALL PEOPLE. PEACE!

Right on Master Jay! Well I could tell you, my wife is puerto rican, she grew up in wicker park and humboldt park back before those areas became yuppie hipsterville. Back then it was gang-city over there...disciples, jivers, latin kings, warlords, there were a bunch of various gangs over there. My wife's family is pretty big and some of them were in some of those gangs. The chicago gangs used to wear cardigan sweaters at that time, they were very stylish actually. But the way she remembers it, even the gangs in that area were community oriented, so go figure. Now everybody's in their 50's or older, and their kids have college degrees, somebody's a CPD detective...everybody's doing pretty good.

[G in MP]

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

Sadly, it's the women and children who are being affected the most by this insanity. Can you imagine being told by an adult at the age of 5 that you can be a boy or a girl? Parents better really be on top of their game these days. And good luck to female athletes trying to compete with biological males.

That's exactly right. Somebody on here posted that she's a feminist. Well ladies, time to step up and be heard coz you've now got dudes practicing gender appropriation, and with the blessing of the present administration will now be competing with biological females for athletic scholarships. Madness.

[Master Jay]

G in MP, good morning!

I really do NOT want to sound ignorant here:

In Chicago, several groups were the bottom of the rung of society, and lived in the "ghettos" in town: The Jewish, The Italians, etc. And they were the recipients of prejudice and believed to be the lowlifes. And they formed gangs; the latter becoming the most organized gang (The Outfit) in Chicago and really lost its power and became a shell of its former self a mere 10 years ago, I'd say.

And talk about hard economic times! These groups were surviving during the Great Depression! But peoples stuck together, longed for a sense of stability, and had goals they were going to achieve.

Community programs then, and today, are out there. Schools are out there! But you have to want it, and utilize it.

OR, choose a different path of life, based on what you perceive to be good or "cool".

For every choice there is a consequence. I, as a Latino male, do NOT blame the White society for why I was arrested at 16 or was almost killed in a gang fight at 19. Those were all results of MY choices.

Likewise, turning to martial arts, and college, was MY choice. As a result, I no longer had to fear jail or death.

Am I a "sell out" to the Latino community?? Are you kidding, my professional life is devoted to HELPING the Latino community.

Am I out of line, ignorant, or unempathetic to other groups in this country, because of my beliefs???

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

Can you imagine being told by an adult at the age of 5 that you can be a boy or a girl?

Lovely, by 2030 everyone will be needing a therapist.

[Master Jay]

I NEED everyone to know that my eldest is a transgender (born female, and trans-gendered to male a few years ago, and is now 16).

This forum has some brilliant contributors! And I have always felt respected by contributors, and have tried to be respectful to all of you!

That said, I do not want anyone, following this information I have shared, to hold back from your sharing.

If you have comments, say them. If you have questions, ask them.

We are here to grow and learn from one another.

PEACE!

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by G in MP

Master Jay, yours is a good philosophy. Per your posts, you come off very amicable and level-headed. And I'm sure whatever place in mind Nana is coming from, she means well and all that. But, when it comes to racism accusations, her viewpoint I actually deem quite racist. Essentially, blacks are not responsible or accountable like the rest of society is. Somehow, they're so damaged by their past, and so vulnerable to prejudice, that they're eternally condemned to ride the short bus unless every grievance is addressed, and every condition is brought to optimal level. This viewpoint holds that for whatever reason, black americans just don't have it in them to make it in the US like all other ethnic groups have. And middle and upper class black americans tend to parrot this same narrative, even though they themselves somehow miraculously overcame all these obstacles.

This is the worst kind of racism, the racism of low expectations. This literally stunting the upward mobility of poor black communities. So messed up!

Most black people want to better themselves just like everybody else. That's why they're leaving Chicago en masse.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

I NEED everyone to know that my eldest is a transgender (born female, and trans-gendered to male a few years ago, and is now 16).

This forum has some brilliant contributors! And I have always felt respected by contributors, and have tried to be respectful to all of you!

That said, I do not want anyone, following this information I have shared, to hold back from your sharing.

If you have comments, say them. If you have questions, ask them.

We are here to grow and learn from one another.

PEACE!

You asked, soooo...she was too young to be making this type of decision.
Would you approve of 13 year olds voting?

[Master Jay]

Sunbiz1, good afternoon and thank you for reaching out.

Please allow me to start that saying that now that my child is choosing to live as a male, we use the male-assigned terminology.

So I may say "he" or a neutral term such as "my child", when referencing my eldest.

I would not approve a 13-year-old for voting. Currently in our country one must be 18-years-or older (and a non felon) in order to vote.

Regarding gender identity, it is a choice as a result of an internal self-view/feeling/connection.

I acknowledge that this is my OWN opinion. I do not expect everyone to feel the same. and I am always okay and able ot accept others, based on differences.

If I didn't, I would risk being a hypocrite.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

Sunbiz1, good afternoon and thank you for reaching out.

Please allow me to start that saying that now that my child is choosing to live as a male, we use the male-assigned terminology.

So I may say "he" or a neutral term such as "my child", when referencing my eldest.

I would not approve a 13-year-old for voting. Currently in our country one must be 18-years-or older (and a non felon) in order to vote.

Regarding gender identity, it is a choice as a result of an internal self-view/feeling/connection.

I acknowledge that this is my OWN opinion. I do not expect everyone to feel the same. and I am always okay and able ot accept others, based on differences.

If I didn't, I would risk being a hypocrite.

Hello Jay,
If we as a society prohibit minors in engaging in activities their underdeveloped brains are not yet equipped for, then how is it we can allow the same underdeveloped brain to determine an issue such as gender reassignment?. These children haven't even had enough life experience to make this choice, let alone have formed realistic "self-view/feeling/connection". Those things change as you age.