I believe that a lot of what Duncan says is a very smart and intellectual argument and for some it may defiantly work towards something good. But I feel that in a way its justifying kids behaviors towards violence and failure. I believe if you want change you and only you could help your self. I talk from experience because I my self lived in Oakland, born and raised. I lived in the "Murder Dubs" until I was 12 and moved to san Lorenzo and then moved back to "the deep" Bancroft and 93rd, when I was 18. I lived there alone with my fiancé and new born baby. The reason we moved there was because it was cheap. I honestly regret moving back and having to work multiple jobs and try to go to school and be a teen mom. It got very stressful and dangerous and I ended up dropping out of Chabot my first semester. I didn't have anytime for my daughter and barely got to see my fiancé because of our busy schedules. Living there was horrible... our apartment got shot at and out two cars got shot too. My car had two flat tires and shattered windows and my fiancés car got bullet holes in the back of the car. My apartment had cockroaches and it was small and ugly. Sometimes me and my fiancé didn't have any food because we would spend it on bills, food for the baby.. and one of my jobs I received tips so I had to work extra hard to get tips to bring some food home before my fiancé left to work., and sometimes I only had enough to buy one sandwich and we would split that in half and that would be our only meal for the day and sometimes for 2 days. I was weighing 115 pounds and was below my weight for my height and was really depressed but I feel that it was a wake up call for me. I know how it is to live in poverty to be around people who are no good but I didn't want that to be my daughters future. I did what ever it took to move to San Leandro and have a better environment for me and my family.
I think if you want change you can defiantly have it. There is no excuses , its a matter if you want to change. I changed and realized it was not a place to raise a family , and you don't need to have a baby to realize that Oakland is no good. A big majority of people do have kids there and don't think about their future. Some people cry to much and try justify that they are black, Mexican and don't have privileges that whites do.... but we all once migrated here and got wealthier by not sitting back and complaining about what we don't have but about what we want to have. You need to set your mind in that will do power because no one else will do it for you. I think some kids don't have that support of mentality but it should be the reason as to why you want to motivated to go out and do the impossible. I did it and so can anyone else. I now can say I have better days and thank god for my fiancé for being there for me. I have been blessed enough to go back to school full time and not work but remember it wasn't always like that............
1. How can we prove to kids and teens that there is a light at the end of the tunnel?
2. How can we show others our story for motivation?
3. Do kids/teens really want to change?
4. Am I the only one who feels this way?
5. Did you ever go through hard times? let me know.
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