Paris is Burning!!!!

Hello, folks what's the news? Well the news is that Paris is burning, or at least the media will have you believe that. It's amazing how the with the right images you can really make things look really bad. My friends and family have been calling me and asking me if I am alright and if I am safe. Well I'll tell you although it is true that there are cars, buses, houses, and streets burning, I haven't been directly affected. It seems to be the age old story, new government politicians decide to make a mark and show their power. So to begin they start to clean up the "bad" neiborhoods, putting more cops on the street in the "ghettos". Which of course makes it hard for any drug dealer to make his dough. Of course, they get real angry about it , but they continue to work. But, as the weeks pass more and more cops are stopping people in the metro searching bags, and checking identification and stuff.... Then one day two teens (running from the police, so they thought) jump a fence, which has a huge sign on it that says Electricity Danger, and die of electrocution. So, the people say,"Enough is Enough". Now I am no expert and I can only give my interpretation of what's happening. I think that there are too many problems here. People are trying to survive, but at the sametime they make life hard for others. Here, in France the government takes care of a lot of people with monthly checks and so forth. Even those who come from other countries. But the problem is some of them take that money and buy dope, cut it, and then sell it. All the while creating the Ghetto that they have come to hate so much. It's like any large American city. People are afraid to walk after dark. Here I am being thrilled with the idea of walking to the store at night without worrying about any major altercations, and some young punks go and spoil it. Well, I guess I was seeing the signs. You know gangster rap is huge here just like in the U.S. Although this is NOT the cause, it's a sign that I noticed. The kids look and dress like the kids from my old neiborhoods. Not only that they want to really "live" the image of drug dealing, badass. On top of that they are truly suffering from racism and can't get jobs easily, so why not sell drugs.... Well the problem is that there are some real criminals and then those who just don't see another way. Whose got the answers? I am just wondering. I come from the ghettos of Detroit. I lived in a nice little house with my sisters and brother. And I did join a gang for all of 3 days. And even with all that I didn't become so angry that I hated the Man. I never felt like I couldn't get out. I was always interested in what was happening somewhere else. I guess that's why I wanted to travel. I kept thinking it's better some where else. But it's funny "the world is a ghetto", really everywhere. We all suffer. We all got issues. We all have seen teenage pregnancy, drug dealing, Breaking and entering, etc happen in our cities. Well, maybe not all of us, but a lot of us.

So, now the hoodlums have decided to wage war against the police. Keeping them busy by burning everything in sight. I personally think that that is a dumb thing to do. I mean you might be burning your homeboy's grandmother's car that she needs to get her meds. Or burning down the gym where kids in the hood play basketball. Where they gonna go now? I mean why burn the place where you live? Where is the pride? Now these fires have spread as far north as Germany, and even in the south of France. Now the city of Paris is under the watchful eyes of about 1,00 more police. All with big guns and black military looking busses and the likes. I hope things will calm down. It is very French to revolt, I mean this is the lad of revolution. So this spirit is in the people. If they don't like something they fight!!!!! I am sad to hear though that a few people, who have nothing to do with this have died. I mean a man walking down the street, minding his own business was attacked and beat to death. He was 60 and not a cop and just walking. Okay now that I have ranted on, I feel a little better. Things will get back to normal, so I hope. In the meantime, it's a heyday for poets and slammers and songwriters......Maybe in about two months the artists will all have their opinions documented for the history of Paris....or at least for the people of Paris.... Talk to you soon. When I can think straight....LOL