“For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward for the memory of them is forgotten.” Eccl. 8: 4-5.

I feel your pain.

I understand your anger.

I identify with your frustration.

It seems that whenever there is an unfortunate incident, it is always a young black male on the wrong end of the equation. But while you are seething with rage and sensing there is nothing left in your cup of tolerance, I invite you to ponder a few things before exploding and making a bad situation worse.

We are at a disadvantage when we interact with the justice system. Just consider the percentage of black inmates in the prison population and the lengthy sentences for crimes which could be handled under probationary rules. Therefore, one should avoid confrontation, whenever humanly possible, with the law. Black men, stay away from situations that put you at risk or in jeopardy.

There is a historical perception, rightly or not, influenced by a pervasive media that young black males are inherently dangerous. People like Kyle Williams, recently convicted of murdering  Lakeland, Fl. police officer Arnulfo Crispin, and 24-year-old  Brandon Matthews on the run from Polk County, Fl deputies for attempted murder and armed robbery do nothing to negate that idea but only reinforce that notion and mindset.

So when a white policeman, a fallible human being,  accosts a black youth, he – sad as it is –is contemplating, “I am facing a hazardous situation.” Any sudden unexpected movement on the part of the latter can result in a disaster.

It may not be fair but life is unfair and wise, successful people deal with life as it is, not how we think it should be.

Race riots are counterproductive and weaken your already distressed and depressed neighborhoods. Moreover, you discourage the few hardy merchants who dare to do business in your part of town. They flee away 

leaving your barrios and hoods to become barren economic deserts euphemistically called “Empowerment Zones” where the government attempts to seduce greedy entrepreneurs to invest in and revitalize by dangling tax breaks in front of them.

 You place an additional burden on your elderly mother, grandmother and aunt, causing them to trudge to faraway stores for those few 

staples, further depleting their meager disposable income.

Instead of hooking up with the Crips, Bloods and Gangster Disciples striving for the title of OG learning how to handle a “drive by,” join a church youth group or school clubs to expand your mind and outlook to positively impact your future, your destiny and uplift your community.

You are dying too soon and dead men cannot help anybody.

Who will father the child of the young girl down the block whom you just impregnated? To affect any kind of change you must be around. Your son or daughter will not do any better if you are not here to shepherd them along the way and teach them how to avoid the pitfalls of life and navigate the minefields of the world. We’ve had more than our share of dying and leaving the stage too early. We should be done with that. We need to live and remain in play to propel the next generation nearer to that promised land of prosperity and opportunity.

It has been more than fifty years since I heard the 4 very simple instructions, but they are sage and timely words which are still relevant today:

1. Pay attention. As you crisscross the highways and byways of life, look both ways because something may be looming down on you seeking to knock you out of the game.

2. Stay in school, religious or secular. All education is not only the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think. That was Albert Einstein.

3. Obey those in authority over you.  An orderly society can only function properly if everyone follows correct instructions. Think about it for a moment. All tragedies occurred because someone decided to disobey the rules of the road of life.

3. Stay away from bad company. Bad company corrupts good morals. It is always easier to pull someone down than lift someone up.

“Dyin’ aint much of a livin’ boy.” (Clint Eastwood, Outlaw Josey Wales) “It’s a hell of a thing killin’ a  man, you take away all he’s got and all he’s ever gonna have.”(Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven)

I implore you to renew your mind and change your life for indeed they are terrible things to waste.

There are those in every quarter who believe that and act like you are a mistake, a waste of time, that you should be cut from the team of life as you will never amount to anything.

Prove them wrong! Refuse to live and die the way they dictate. From this day onwards, resolve in your heart and convince yourself that you will survive and become all that God created you to be.

Personal achievement and individual success are the sweetest forms of revenge.

Finally, and this may be the most difficult thing of all, there may be a thousand good reasons why you should not do it. This matter of turning the other cheek is almost impossible for a real man. It is and always will be a most difficult and bitter pill to swallow. You must deny yourself and all the conditions around you.

YOU MUST FORGIVE THE PAST TO SAVE THE FUTURE. If you don’t, you will never again realize how to grasp hold of a brighter tomorrow.