Gunnshy357's blog: "GunnShots ! Straight From The Hip !!"

In a news conference held earlier this morning with the families of Ceasar Ivan Aguilar Cano, the 4 year old who was murdered back in July of this year, and Erica Hughes, the little girl was shot multiple times and left for dead by the animal that murdered her mother, Christopher 2X, and several detectives from the Louisville Metro Police Department, it was announced that 100 billboards and busboards will be erected beginning next week in order to bring the issue of child safety to the forefront. A little over a week ago, I was asked by 2X to represent B-96.5 as a spokesman for the campaign. In doing so, I'll be developing a series of Public Service Announcements designed to give you information on services and organizations that can help parents and their kids. My other goal is to get Kentuckianans to lean on their elected officials in order to push for stronger penalties, including mandatory death sentences for those that commit these heinous crimes. As some of you may know, my involvement actually started in October of 2002, when Landers Boyd and a Middle Easteren store owner were killed at a corner market on Orsnby. There was a 10 year old little girl who was shot multiple times in that crime. Her only saving grace was that she actually played dead in order to get the killer to stop shooting. That case has never been solved and it sticks with me to this day. Since then, other little kids have been shot. Little Isaiah Gregory was hit by a stray bullet in the hip while standing on his own porch and Stacia Young was hit while playing outside. I'm involved in this campaign because we need to adopt an Absolute Zero Tolerance when it comes to a child being victimized like this. I strongly urge you to check our website (www.b96jams.com) beginning next week for more information and to get on the phone, internet, fax, whatever form of communication you choose, and contact your representatives in Frankfort and in Washington. Find out what it would take to get stronger penalties on the books. As far as I'm concerned, when you commit a crime against a child, you forfiet any and all rights you think you may have had and you should be subject to whatever jailhouse justice you get. Even hardened inmates have a very nasty way of dealing with cowards that prey on kids. This will be something you'll hear us talk about over the next year or so. If you're a parent, take stock in what you're teaching your children about being safe and make lawmakers accountable for getting the animals off our streets for good.

A few weeks ago during a routine annual check up I had some blood work done to check on my testosterone hormone levels. They can significantly drop after a man reaches his 40s. In the course of having my blood work done, my doctor noticed that my prostate "PSA" (google it for an exact definition) levels were unusally high. I'm writing about this to stress the importance for men, Black men especially, to get their prostate checked annually especially since we get cancer at much higher rates than our White counterparts. In 14 months time, my PSA levels jumped 3 times the normal range. I was assured that while I'm not facing cancer at this point, that much of an increase is of great concern. So today I went to a Urologist and discussed my doctor's findings. As a result, I am now scheduled to have a biopsy done next month in order to find out what exactly is going on. I'm really not looking forward to this because of the amount of discomfort that will be involved but I damn sure want to know what I'm dealing with. I feel confident that it'l be nothing serious and I'll get treatmenrt. That'll be that. That being the case, I'l be one of the lucky ones who took the time to get screened as I've done every year since turning 39. I urge my brothers (men, especially Black men) to make screenings a part of your regular check up routine. I further urge you to begin the process NOW even if you're only in your 20's. Once again, Black men are affected in greater numbers than out White counterparts so I do this with the utmost in sincerity. Ladies, if you're reading this, talk to the men in your life and strongly encourage them to get examined. I'll keep you posted on the results of the biopsy once I have it. Blessed Be.

Years ago as a boy, I remember hearing about the "Black/White Doll Test" in which African - American little girls were asked to choose either a Black doll or a White one based on certain questions. The results were very disturbing and confirmed what those of us already knew. There was a HUGE problem with Black self - image and self - esteem brought on =by the subtleties of institutional racism and other factors. The test was originally conducted some 50 years ago. Has anything changed ? Take a look and you be the judge. Comments are STRONGLY encouraged. Click HERE For The Test. The culprits for these kids having this mindset after 50 years are the brainwashing done by White society and it's corporate structure. It's the miseducation of the Black child. It's the lack of positive Black images alongside their White counterparts and it's the failure of Black parents by in large, to teach our kids OUR history instead of the lies perpetuated by the American public school system. The other problem Black kids face os OTHER BLACK KIDS !! Those low expectation having sons of bitches who want to redicule other kids who ARE trying to make something of themselves. These kids get teased and called names like "Uncle Tom", "Sellout" or are accused of "trying to be White". This does more harm than anything that White Corporate America can do. Black America has got to finally get serious about the way our kids are coming up. We must use our income and our voting power to insure that an accurate and thorough accounting of our history is taught rather than the bullshit they skim through during Black History Month. If the schools won't do it, don't support the schools. Do it yourself. Black America can no longer be afraid of getting rid of the weakest links in our society. Those that insist on buying into being "dumbed down" and doing harm to those of us that are trying to make something of ourselves. These folks can either be helped to get on the same page or they can be ostracized. Finally, Black America must quit buying into the bullshit that White America sells us about ourselves. They don't know so why do we continue to listen ? This is how all of our problems started in the first place. If White America doesn't know, White America should shut the fuck up and LEARN !! My son will NEVER fall into this Black/White Doll trap because his mother and I make sure he has a strong sense of who he is.