Kids These Days 72

I saw this video the other day and immediately wanted to see this guy get arrested. Didn't care about race, age, location, previous life experiences. Nothing. Just arrest him. This 16 year old kid named Leon Balfour was at a pool party when this 68 (some places say 69) year old lady named Nancy James in North Lauderdale, Florida asked them to turn down the music at a pool party. There is video of all of this so you can see how many people, about 200 of them, are there just making a shit ton of noise. This isn't at a park or club. Its an apartment complex. So while she is there with her two dogs this kid comes up behind her and lifts her off the ground. They fall and she lands on her shoulder. No one steps in to help or stop this. Way more important to film and post it online. Leon then picks up the old lady and throws her into the pool with himself while everyone cheers.

You can say he slipped and dropped her. An accident because he went down as well. But, and this is the important part, he shouldn't have even touched her. This kid had absolutely no business touching this lady let alone lifting her off the ground for any reason. And the fact that he didn't stop at dropping her and then tossing her into a swimming pool makes it that much worse. Nancy suffered bruises on her shoulder and thigh and has been released from the hospital. In an interview she said “No one should ever, ever, ever, ever, have to go through that, you know? It just shouldn't happen. The kid has not evolved yet into what you're supposed to be as a human being.”

She was asking them to turn down the music after complaints from other neighbors. She didn't call the cops and start what could have been something you'd be thinking of marching about and hash-tagging next week. Cops show up to a pool party with almost 200 Black folks that shit will not end well. She went out, treating them like human beings, and this is what she got for it. “Kids are kids, no matter what. They're going to have parties, just lower the music” she added. And what she said about him not evolving yet into what he is supposed to be as a human being is true. To a certain extent. I know that someone around that age, or hell, even in their 20's, will think they know everything and no matter what someone older than you says you will still think you know more and better.

You don't.

I am close to 40 and almost everything I thought from 35 and below was wrong, stupid, or half true. You should be constantly learning and finding out that you are wrong. If you walk around thinking you are always right chances are you aren't or you're around people not close enough or smart enough to tell you that you're wrong. Leon turned himself in after people online identified him by his shirt. He finally turned himself in saying “I messed up and I have to own up to it.” You didn't “mess up.” You fucked up. I wont even say imagine if that was your grandmother, mother, sister, aunt, or girlfriend. If you did that to one of my plants you'd catch a LAPD style beating. His mother, Shekita Johnson, provided the shirt that he wore during the attack. A judge placed him on home detention but he is allowed to go to school, church, and basketball practice. Oh, the poor baby!

I think a lot of the issues regarding the way not only kids are acting these days but adults as well is the fact that human life has close to no value anymore or is viewed as such. It would never cross my mind to pick up and old lady and do anything to her because she was asking me to turn down some music. She didn't say leave, stop, or I'm calling the cops. Just turn down the music. And his response was assault. Whether or not he meant it to turn out that way the instant you lay hands on another human being it is assault. Fuck this kid. This isn't a kids will be kids issue. This is a where the fuck are your parents issue (turns out his father is in jail for murder). This is a how were you raised issue.

I understand that as a Black dude that I have to behave a certain way when I am in public. I think every Black dude feels this way and if you doubt it ask one that you know. There is a certain amount of anger you can't visibly show for fear of being arrested and/or beaten and/or killed. So when I see young Black dudes behaving this way I don't think “Oh, man, you are setting us back!” because we were never forward. And we sure as fuck wont be if this is how the future is acting. You know what's fucked up though? I just remembered that post I did about that kid Jordan Edwards that left a party with his brothers because it was getting out of hand and he ended up shot in the head by police. You know what? Just stay home. Its not safe to go to parties anymore.

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