Nothing soft about that

I often spend the precious pages of cyberville talking and pointing fingers at my folk and myself. It even pains me to do such. But this weekend in Atlanta, from Thursday until Saturday, I have been paid by stupidity once again. Not just because I hate how some folks promote nonsense, but also because the reality is that these folks are still my brothers and sisters.

This past weekend in Atlanta, BET hosted their annual hip-hop awards show. It wasn’t a troubled weekend with al the folks in tow but there were two events that caught m attention and the attention of the community as a whole. On Thursday night, it was alleged that J. T. Money (originally of the Poison Klan) was wanted for his possible role in a shooting at a Club in midtown called Opera. This event resulted in the death of a young man. I still can’t figure why a person who is going to a club, would take a gat. I mean it is not like one is expecting an old fashion meet me at sun down shot out.

The second occurred Saturday evening before he awards show. Atlanta’s own Clifford T.I. (T.I.P) Harris was arrested at a Walgreen’s parking lot at the corner of North and Piedmont Avenue. Not just a simple arrest but one involving two felonies including the possession of three unregistered machine guns and 2 silencers and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Now what gives here? According to eyewitnesses, the ATF and local police swarmed the parking lot, forced TIP and his folks to the ground and did their due. I am just troubled because back in the day, a brother would never purchase a silencer. Instead we used potatoes.

Now I love my guns too, and may or ma not have some of the weapons that he was charged with having – but I ain't no convicted felon. Is it the fame, or is it down right stupidity that brings the even to the fore? I cannot figure it out. With all that loot, you think that people could move beyond that type of dumb shit. Isn’t one machine gun enough? I guess now, like cars and watches, greed and big headedness makes folks, at least some figure they have to stunt and show out and front like they are what the are not. And say stupid, because according to reports, he bought the weapons from his body guard of seven months, who was a cooperating witness in an ATF who had been caught trying to purchase guns from a under cover federal agent a few days before.

If anything can come out of this it is a message documenting the importance of education. Young boys, education is the key, Books is the key, they allow you to see the world and learn about others as well as one’s own self. Ain’t nothing weak or soft about education, books and learning. We need to get of that dumb shit and value what is really our divine right – being free, sovereign and thinking beings, or else we will never learn and will only increase the populations of prisons. So pick up a book and take your education seriously, because that’s what’s really real, and ain’t nothing soft about that. Cause now Mr. Harris faces the serious possibility of serving Federal time and may have wasted an extremely prosperous career.