Note to Self: Learn the Difference Between a Child, a Young Man, and a Youth *

I was reading this short exposition on the Atlantic from Ta-Nehsi Coates, On The Age and Innocence of Trayvon Martin and the discussion of Trayvon Martin's age obviously, even after Coates's post, went on into the comments. 

The discussion at least for a moment moved from the issue people have with Trayvon Martin's age as depicted by pictures, as Coates addresses, to a questioning of the use of the word "child" to describe a 17-year-old male. The person that started the conversation in the comments argued that at sixteen Trayvon Martin would commonly be referred to as a "Young Man" instead of calling him the "child" the media and others are trying to claim him to be. (I found this and would like to expound on this some other time.)  

A couple of quick points because it's late, but I would like to explore this later:

• I, in personal experience, rarely was called a "young man" at the age of 16, or even older, unless by an older gentlemen affecting some strange species of formality or someone in a suite. 
• It was pointed out that 18 is the legal cut off age for childhood. At this age you can still be a ward of the state in America, I think, or at least some places in America. That is, if I'm not completely off with what little information I have about my country's social service's system. 
• My last point is a point that's probably being often repeated in this case and that's probably because it's important for us not to forget what's important in this situation amid the brouhaha. That is it doesn't matter what we refer to this kid as. A man shot this baby, as my mother would call him and any other child she sees as much younger than her, and he's not been arrested based on a bogus law. That isn't okay. Frankly, the whole ordeal is a whole lotta sad, mixed in a bowlful of scary. 

* I know these are more trivial matters than the true issue at hand, and I do have opinions on those issues, despite this I'm going to take the road less traveled on this one because there are more eloquent and adept people speaking on this issue. Besides, we should know better by now. This is the year 20 and 12 of our lord, why are we operating as if a half century ago isn't a world away? We're operating, in 2012, under laws that seem more of a fit for the middle ages. Nonsense. Somebody needs to do something about that find away to throw out what works without toppling civilization and keep the rest. Simple, at least when said. I love Jon Stewart's take on the "Stand your ground" law. (3:40 sec-4:00 in the long video)

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Note To Self: Listen To This Kid

Sometimes it's as simple as this HuffPost: Teen article by Lauren Tai. Worrying at a problem usually only makes the problem worse.

Note to Self: Life Really Is No Picnic

If you watched Rock Center with Brian Williams last night, you know what I'm talking about.

Crises in Sudan--There's an American guy risking his life to bring awareness to the struggle of the people of the Nuba Mountains in Sudan. He's married to a Nuba woman. The people are being subjected to ethnic cleansing, systematic rape, and just plain horrible living conditions--One older woman, during the coverage, was said to be taking care of around 12 orphans she didn't have the means to feed properly, not to mention, they're hiding in caves for safety. This is owed to border disputes waging in the country. They have no place to go because of this.

Ann Curry captured poignant photos during her assignment. They're pictures of the women and children hiding in the mountains for fear being bombarded. The men, Nuba rebels with equipment--tanks, weapons, artillery--they didn't own, but instead had to take from the government.

There's a link on the site with information about the organizations geared toward helping the Nuba people.

[I realize I didn't give you enough information on the situation, but to be honest, I'm no expert. Only found about this last night and it's been going on for years. I know, sad. But I'm young and shelter and can't be expected to know about every injustice, disaster, and problem in this world. I think that's part of the point of this post. I feel bad about not knowing, though, and not knowing what to do to stop it.... I just had a thought. I put it here.]

But...

Kid Leader--This guy is 24 and Mayor of a city. He came from fatherless, homelessness and now he's on a clear track to success with his government career. It's really amazing. And he's very humble and likable, too. What some people would call "down to earth", others might call it real. There's a part in the segment when a lady tells him that's not how a mayor should act. He says he couldn't do it without the people in his life that helped him. It's always great when people acknowledge the ones that gave them a hand up.

This was bitter sweet in a way that makes the dish taste pretty good cause it was mostly sweet since he made it out of poverty to do great things, like get accepted to, I think, Cornell University. Mostly on near perfect SAT scores...Yeah.

I hope he does have success in anything he sets his mind to do.

Note to Self: This Cannot Be Real

Theses people exist part 3 via theChive.com
http://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/a-these-people-exist-part3-8.jpg

And it is too cool if it's real. Freaky, but extremely cool...

Note to Self: Leave Chris Brown Alone

Cause, you know, people in glass houses and all.

More importantly leave the Grammy Awards alone.

Chris Brown is convicted of assault for beating a woman...Bad. Actually deplorable might be a stronger, more befitting word. Whatever the case, he made a big nasty lowlife boo-boo putting his hand on a his girlfriend three years ago, no matter what happened between them.

He made himself a bad guy. To many of the public, now all he'll ever be is a recovering bad guy.

Obviously, not enough people to slow him down. If he does something like this again he will truly be blacklisted, but I hope he doesn't. People are waiting for it, but they shouldn't be because that's as horrendous as beating a woman. To wish for him to fail as bad as he did before is to wish for another woman to be beat again. Of course that's not criminal, but it's disgusting though.

Leave him alone, like that one guy said of Brittany Spears. Stop waiting in the wings for someone to fail cause they're suppose to be the bad guy. Bad guys are going to be bad guys until they die and for all we know they continue the same over into the afterlife. Our waiting isn't going to stop them and I think we know that. Most people are only looking for their "I told you so". I hope they don't get it with Chris Brown. They're are people right now we could care more about. People that are being beat by their boyfriends, husbands, children, parents, and persecuting Chris Brown is only time wasted on a somewhat resolved, if not closed case.

Now if I'm defending the guy with woman flesh stuck to his knuckles, I don't have a problem with the Grammy's acceptance of said felon. We should stop trying to make high profile people/institutions the police of our society. Especially since they have a proven track record of being some of the most depraved, if only because of the higher standards we set for them, as if they are gods rather than men and women. It's understandable. The downtrodden rich and powerful  have far greater assets to execute their depravity than the poor and voiceless downtrodden.

Anyway, leave the Grammy people alone too. They are only booking the talent, which slug-her or not, Chris Brown has. They are only giving awards for.. I'm not sure the criteria for doling out the awards. I hate awards period. They're pointless when it comes to dividing talent from talent, which all they'd be doing at a certain point. I mean I understand they giving the winners and nominees a certain about a clout i.e. buy Oscar nominated... or buy the Grammy winning... but as far as telling whose better at certain instances the waters are quite muddy.

Wow. I got off track.

My point was the Grammy Awards are sending out one message and that is keep music is important(and I guess the sponsored messages). If anyone or anyone's kid is getting any other message, like domestic violence is okay, they should be talked to, thoroughly, and not with your fist, use your words. We need to do better at educating the children (and people in general) ourselves, rather than control what kind of message the music business is sending to our children about domestic violence.

An MTV article on Chris Brown's reaction to the "vitriol"/doubt. "Chris Brown Blasts Grammy Appearance Critics 'Hate all you want becuz I got a Grammy,' Brown tweeted." Gil Kaufman.

Also, I wish he wasn't so, retaliatory and aggressive about the situation. I understand that he's human and bound to get frustrated because there's really nothing he could do to make the "haters" look at him any different, but it's kind of scary. Makes him seem still really young, and still really hotheaded. Antagonized somewhat, but a bit hotheaded nonetheless. You beat a woman dude, let the people be pissed and ignore them. If you've changed or are trying to change don't just say, really don't let the hate get to you. Societally, the public kinda has a right to be angry cause we're worried about the nature and morals of our community. You should just let 'em be angry and thank your fans cause without them you wouldn't've had a chance.

[Edit/add: I linked to the the Atlantic article (below) on Google plus. Basically, I'm sharing here because of what I wrote above the link. Overall [sic] on my quote. (That is, if you can do that to your own words). And it proves why the the Atlantic article was far more articulate. Anyway...]

"An Atlantic article, from Ta-Nehisi Coates, on the "Ri-Ri"/"Breezy"...fiasco? (I tried to a bit of discourse, before the collabo, on the Grammy/"Breezy" situation. It felt a bit soapy. This is far more articulate.)"

Thoughts on the Rihanna-Chris Brown Collaboration

Empowerment isn't always accompanied by wisdom