Pull your pants up, I can't hear you!

Click Here to hear Fake Rapper

“Pull your pants up! I can’t hear you!”

(Not a Stitch of Talent, and Auto-Tuned Up)

By Glenn Peppers                               12-22-2015

Before you read this article, I invite you to click on the picture above with the Fake Rapper! Although its humorous, within its silliness come a reality!... 

Not that you've seen the video, I'd like to say, fresh out of the starting gate! I’m going to be forthright and honest! Personally, I feel that this is one of the main reasons why our black youth today are drastically becoming lost and hopelessly ignorant! In view of these and many other real-life examples of children following stupidity. Don’t ask why our kids have an interest in guns and drugs and sex, so feverishly! I think the reasons are clear!

A Child with fake gun can be mistaken by the police for a real gun

Although this video clip is a pun, or a joke, I feel it reveals in a spirit of fun some of these idiotic rap video senerio’s that I've seen on most video channels late night, on cable these past few years. This is pretty much what and how people with No Real Talent whatsoever sound like, yet get over and are pushed into the public eye as stars, and are someone for our children to admire and look up to! This clip, although satire, is a reflection of pretty much what has happened to black music, and black culture, as far as our youth is concerned! 

The record industry has strategically and intentionally sabotaged R&B music with this rot, hitting the urban airwaves, and they have taken the rich soul cream off the top of urban soul! Stealing the butter off the R&B buttered popcorn, and draining funk-fueled classic soul music, right outta of black culture! They’re doing this by denying creative black recording artist like, Tyrese and many, many others, fair radio, and media exposure! 

They’re doing this by refusing to promote music of substance, and true expression from most anyone in the black community! Speaking from the peanut gallery section of critical music listeners, and musicians, and singers. To all these record companies who push negative rap and hip hop music on our children. I say hands off! “All black people are not poverty stricken thugs, dope dealers, and Hip Hop infused booty chasers!” 

Hijacked R&B

From the look and sound of things, the record industry has pretty much hijacked Soul and R&B music for young white artist, like Robin Thick, who has basically built his career ripping off Prince's falsetto, and other black artist vocal stylings, such as D’Angelo (whose real name is, Michael Eugene Archer). Robin Thick as most recently been sued in court for ripping off Marvin Gaye's iconic Motown original material, with the help of Hip Hop producer and recording artist, Pharrell). Then there are the Mehgan Trainor’s Hip Hop “All about that Bass” miami heavy bass rip offs. And of course, the ever copying, Justin Timberlake. Who basically in a nutshell has ripped off Michael Jackson as best he can, without growing a Jeri Curl! 

Then there's the Iggy Azalea Hip Hop types. The Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Rap guys! And the actually, very talented, singing sensation, Tori Kelly! Whose kinda like a bubbly white, pop/country version of Beyonce with a guitar! Great Pepsi commercial though! I like!

Tori Kelly

Beyonce

The record industry now days apparently goes out and intentionally finds substandard black recording acts and features them, in all their gangster glory. And to be honest about it. Most of them now days sound awful! With or without Auto-Tune! 

The record companies will spend millions promoting these lame artist, who as a result, spew pure shit for sound out into the world!  And like the dutiful consumers that they are, our kids eat it up like fruit loops on a chicken wing! 

I've seen some pretty awful, under-produced gangster style videos of black male artist on some of these video channels who can barely carry a tune in a bucket, when they sing. While others couldn't rap if you let them Lip-sync! 

They lay down these elementary, and imperfect tracks, loaded with tons of special vocal effects, in order to hide the fact that they really, cannot sing a lick! The vocal tracks will have Auto-Tune so thick that they sound like Cylon Robots in a Battle Star Galactica TV movie reunion! 

Big label record companies are taking they're brightest and best white artist and promoting them to the public, while taking black rap, hip hop and R&B wannabe stars with no real talent from the streets in our communities, and catapulting them into the limelight. 

This is done mainly to capitalize, and at the same time, belittle and make fools of our culture, and our music, featuring people who poorly represent us as a whole, and make a mockery of our strong musical heritage, and soulful creative skills. 

These are the ones who are most times (yet not all the time), who are sagging, or wearing their pants down around their butts. Cussing on live TV, and drinking and smoking weed at award shows. You name it! 

And then in the same voice, will call you a sellout if you don't support the BS that they offer, or stick up for the rude way that they act in public, or among themselves. All a great many fake out rappers are doing is masquerading as iconic R&B stars! Most are One Hit Wonders, and gone within a year or two! 

Some of them left broke, bankrupt, and owing money to the record company, as they've spent all of their contract signing bonus money on junk. Money largely spent on the typical Hip Hop crowning achievement and glory. A bling'ed out Bentley. Along with one of those cheap, prefabricated mansions (right out of MTV's Cribs) in Atlanta. Don't forget the string of bling-bling jewelry, and the 500 dollar bottles of champagne, spent on the homies, and all those sexy video vixens!

So yes, when I saw this clip. At first I thought it was funny. Then all at once, it made me sad, because as a man who basically knows his way around a recording studio, and plays more than 5 instruments, and can sing pretty well. I know the difference! And so do millions of other people! 

This mess that they are releasing out into the black community is not representational of true R&B or Soul Music... At all! When you can really sing, and the radio stations won't play your music, that's called control! Anybody who knows music knows that, Jill Scott is Music! Tyrese is music! Esperanza Spalding is pure jazz; but I've yet to hear her music played, even periodically on local jazz radio. Barely on satellite, digital or analog! The likes of a powerful soul singer like Miss Leela James goes largely ignored by the industry! Why is this?... You tell me! 

Even the television singing contest shows like Idol, and The Voice always seem to find a way to eventually eliminate most all of the african american singers off it’s shows here of late. 

The caliber of african american singers they pick from some urban areas (not so much find, but pick) are good, but believe me, I hear singers just as good, and even better most nights at any local club, and even some diehard karaoke spots here in Detroit!

Detroit is the hub! It is Motown! The children and grandchildren of Motown (in spirit) are here! And a good many of us (as the slang goes) can SANG!!!! And many of them can even Rap, for real! Poetically and enthusiastically! 

I'm talking people who are so good, they should be making records and performing on stage, but are denied access to national record deals, because of age, work inconveniences or family responsibilities. Or maybe it is because some of us just do not fit the bill as far as the music industry's 22 year old age limit/Perfect size 2, Sexy body requirements. 

Video Vixens

Most real women out here are not, Lip Botox candidates, and do not have butt implant-injections like Video Vixen Queens! Or if you’re a guy, you may not have that pant-sagging, gangster look the industry continues to push on our young black boys, for whatever reason! 

Either way, in the end, its all about airplay! Be it audio or video! Whomsoever controls the airwaves, and television coverage, controls what people will see, hear and eventually listen to! In other words, True, heart and soul R&B music coming out of the black community is being purposely phased out in america! 

So much so that the industry is even willing to place no-talented, common criminals up close and in our children's psyche and ears; pumping profane lyrics over the airwaves, and cable outlets that’s telling our children that it is cool to do things that are illegal, and immoral! 

Some of these individuals that you see, hear and read about, are the same ones who refer to black women as Bitches and Hoes. These are your children’s heroes and mentors! The rap artist who preach gun toting, drug dealing, as well as drug use; and chugging alcohol are now your children’s heroes!

So don’t ever wonder why your young boys want to get their hands on a gun! Or why they play with toy guns, and then on a fluke, get gunned down by rogue police officers, just waiting for a reason to blow you or your children away! 

Do not wonder why young black children will go rummaging through your closets, to find your gun somewhere in the house, and play with it. Then mistakenly kill him or herself while lost in fascination over this death instrument he’d heard told of in a rap record!

A gun without a gun lock on it is like metal to a magnet, for a child! Try listening to what they are listening to. When you do, you will know in part why they want an AK-47! Children (just like we did) will always emulate what they see, hear, and admire!

So as a result. Gone, are the sweet songs that cherishes the love of a woman. Gone are the creative instrumentalist in soul and progressive R&B Jazz! Gone are the future Peabo Bryson's, and gone are the Luther's, and Penergrasses’ and Gerald La-vert’s! 100 years down the road, will Motown eventually be remembered as a company that a white auto worker started, with the help of a black man named, Berry Gordy? Will the Hijack ever get that deep? 

150 years from now, When the promo pictures and the videos of classic black recording artist start to disappear, and the images are stolen away, or become cloudy and fade from age and time! Will people in the future ever get a chance to know who laid the foundations to soul and R&B music for the world to see and hear? 

Will this be the future of R&B music?

Or will soul and R&B in its truest form, simply just die off! Existing only in some ancient sampling program within a broken down computer workstation keyboard, in some inner city digital recording studio. Being performed by Pat Boone type white artist, claiming the original rights to music and songs not earned. Minus the soul and depth, and impact that dynamic soul and R&B had in its creative heyday!

Broken down piano keyboard and computer workstation containing soul archive musical history 

Decades of music, and soul, and creativity, condensed down to being sampled and pirated by fake rappers and singers, and first year, Specs Howard broadcasting school graduates, playing recording engineer; tinkering on his Teac digital recording gear? Just like the hidden and destroyed histories of Egypt, and northern Africa. Will the soul of true R&B music one day fade into oblivion or obscurity?

How long will decent young recording engineers waste their time recording the likes of someone like the guy seen in the video clip? Someone who clearly has no real talent to offer the world, yet a national recording company will actually sign and back someone like him, just to make a mockery of R&B music, as represented by individuals in a modern, gentrified world. A world where all that we as a people have is being stolen and claimed as belonging to anyone but us! 

R&B is dying in the arms of our young, who could care less about musical integrity in sound! The art of true R&B music has been benched and replaced by people who know absolutely nothing about Soul. Our music is being reproduced, repackaged, and portrayed and promoted by those who have no clue what its like to sing a song with soul! They’ll never know what it is truly like to play a musical instrument with skill, and emotion, from the heart, unto soul! 

All most young people want today is to be... famous! And they don’t care what it takes to be famous! They see the videos, and see the various Hip Hop stars sporting bling; and because of what they see and hear, they think that they can be rappers too, no matter how awful they sound. 

Good or bad! They just wanna be famous!... They just want to be, Rappers! And you know. That’s fine!... I say, sure!... Go ahead! Be a rapper! But why not be a Good Rapper! 

Glenn Peppers   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8r9mOxqOhU

“A Wintery Christmas in New York, during the 1940's and 50's”

“A Wintery Christmas in New York, during the 1940's and 50's”

(But what the hey! Where’s all the People of Color?)

By Glenn Peppers                             12-21-2015

When I first saw this painting that a Facebook friend of mine posted on her page, as with many surreal paintings like them over a lifetime. The first thing that popped into my head was “Why aren’t there any black folks, or anyone of color in that painting?” The second thing that popped into my head seemed a little harsh and over the top. My mind told me that “It is all because of Hate and Intolerance!” Hmmm! “How so, you ask?” Well, sort of like today when people feel as if they are being treated unfairly, they rebel. Or there is an uprising!  In other words, a rebellion. 

To come straight out with it. I feel that black people (or any people of color) were not included on that painting depicted in a comfortable everyday white existence in america because it has become, racially-agreeable! It is racist to me because it shows that no one outside of being white has this kind of life! It shows that racism is so much apart of the fabric of america that this kind of painting was and is somewhat of a norm in america, at what looked like the late 1940’s early 1950’s!  

This painting shows that often times that Hate can one day breed an eventual change in a country when things don't always work out peacefully and fair from the start. A change from when only one sector of society is happy all the time, and is actually living this real live Norman Rockwell lifestyle, while the other half of america is being treated awfully, suffering abuse and being discriminated against. Well, its a fact that for those being denied, kept back and oppressed, eventually, one day the powder keg swells, and and then burst! 

But lets go back to the Good old days again! Yes, I remember some of what was thought of as the good old days. My remembrance of such a time and place happened in the early to middle 1960‘s in Detroit, Michigan. As a mostly protected child. I didn't really understand what the deal was concerning those certain places my older sister either didn't go to, or maybe just wasn’t supposed to go to. 

As a child, I didn't really know the difference between inclusion and exclusion! I was one of those post war, Kool Aid kids with a Mattel toy gun in one hand, and a box of Post Super Sugar Crisp in the other! In the commercials on TV, all the kids were like that. Well the white kids were anyway! Unless there was the proverbial token black kid. Always set in the middle somewhere in the ad! Still, despite that subtle racism (of which I was oblivious to as a child) those were good and quiet days. Days of June bugs and Fire Flies and JL. Hudson's dept. store parades in wintertime, and Sanders Bakery and Woolworth's and Kresge! Ah, those truly were the days! But they weren't that way for a lot of people of color! I guess it depended upon where you lived! 

But largely, because certain peoples were not always included in what is thought of as the all around activities of Americana (here in Detroit, and elsewhere, or like in the south for instance). Things became uneasy! No one likes to be talked down to, or treated as if they are less than! No one does!

Luckily, my parents and especially my grandparents shielded and protected me from the reality of what was called lunch counter racism. Something I never experienced in Detroit as a child! The “you can't go here, and you can't go there” thing as a child could have been real for me, had I lived in Nashville! Yet I never really knew that experience, except for the first of two incidences that I remember one cold night in 1964. 

The south had just began to shed some of its primitive Jim Crow ways! I remember getting off the Greyhound bus with my father in Nashville, just after Kennedy was killed, and jumping into my waiting grandfather's arms who came to pick us up in his nice big Pontiac. The one with the orange glowing lady hood ornament on his car! 

After arriving, I wanted a drink of water, and I remember while he was holding me up in his arms, my grandfather telling me not to drink out of this one particular water faucet! It was clean and looked like the ones we had up here in Detroit. almost like the ones in school. There was another faucet on the other side of the one I wanted to drink from. It was dirty and looked as if someone had maybe even pee'ed in it! 

Granddaddy said to me about the clean white basin fountain, "Son, you don't wanna drink from either one of those old water fountains. They got germs all over’em! We've got some good ole' cold coke cola at home." He distracted me. Played and laughed with me, and as we went along, throughout the bus station, evil eyes looked upon us as we walked to the car! I wondered for years why those people looked so mad! Well, years later, I knew!... I knew! I’d had my first off hand experience with hate and intolerance at 7 years old, and didn’t even know it. Thanks to my grandfathers class and candor!

I think that hollywood, and pop culture, and images like those seen in the painting above made it seem as if life in america was one great big “Singin' in the Rain Caucasian Carnival,” devoid of people of color (except of course if there were working, or dancing a jig, while smiling and grinning)! Mammies and Sambo’s included!

The images formed at america's golden age of movies and cinema, and in pop art, during our country’s early entertainment periods sealed the door as far as showing whose who, as far as in-crowd inclusion to america’s privileged! Much like the painting. White Yellow cab riding New Yorkers, strolling in wintery snow covered street scenes, while ice skaters sipped on hot cider, and held hands as Santa Clause granted wishes to children who sat on Santa’s bended knee. All while brief case toting business people sprint through Central Park, over to 5th avenue! 

The problem is not the images in the painting so much. They're beautiful images! Its the fact that America continues to hold on to its flip-side other images of hate and prejudice, onto the brutal control of another entire race of human beings. Continuing to call it good and proper! It is this refusal to let go of those old oppressive ideals and standards that in the long run is destroying america, and is clearly from the start what made things the way that they are to this day! 

Hollywood, as well as many famous pop artist, and other cultural guru's pushed the issue and ideals of exclusion for people of color, and forged the negative images and stereotypes that we see in the media even unto this day. Half-hearted good images and those truly negative bad images! Shameful Jim Crow images and ideals for black folks, and mostly almost always glamourous and beautiful images for the European! 

And all that was and is included in the creative lighting, film screening, and film processing built to highlight, and accentuate white skin! You don’t believe me? Then do the research! Its a Kodak film processing technique! 

So, instead of including everyone in this massive widespread media-mind-screw of infusing images, ideals and stereotypes, and sealing in the hearts and minds of people carefully crafted subliminal typecast’ed characters. The television and film industry was and is designed to depict that Whites will Always Win! They’ll always play the hero, the lover, the intellectual, they’ll always play the dictator, the king (even if that king was an african)! The white man has it rigged where only “he” will ride off into the sunset, and be the guy who get’s the girl at the end of the film!... “Every time!”

All the while minusing out blacks (especially black males) in any kind of a hero and especially sexual senerio! There was an intentional quelling of black women with any kind of sex appeal (i,e Dorothy Dandridge, and Hazel Scott, etc), using only over weight, darker skinned, shabbily and bulky dressed (on screen) black women as A-Sexual black female characters and images. 

Black actors were always the token blacks. The comedy relief! The lazy Step-in-Fetch-it’s, or the Rochester house boy types! No American born black male would play an uncompromising leading role in films as a real hero type until Richard Rountree played Shaft in 1971! “What about Sidney Poitier?” You say! Mr. Poitier has kind of a duel citizenship as far as birth is concerned! He is Bahamian, and Floridian! Yet not an african american as if he were born here and solely raised here in america from descendent slaves! 

Much like Harry Belafonte. A man born of Caribbean immigrants! No american black males were ever allowed to act or star in productions except for the truly exceptional! People who just could not be denied. Guys like Sammy Davis Jr. for instance. And even his talent, and activities were limited to what Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack would let him do! Ask Kim Novak about “that!"

Hollywood made it where they controlled how america thought, and how the world would view and perceive black people, forever on! Taking things a step further to seal those images, Europeans went on to play fake out american indians, mexicans and types like Mickey Rooney playing an truly racist and stereotypical Chop Socky/bucktoothed Chinamen in "Breakfast at Tiffany's!" 

White men even played imaginary african heroes such as, "Tarzan, King of the Jungle." The only blacks in a Tarzan film production were usually, a large cast of black folks dressed as what they made them up to be as grass skirted natives! Natives who were always depicted as unintelligible savages and cannibals! 

And then there was"The Phantom." Another king of the Jungle type comic book and comic strip hero!

As far as art and african americans during the 1900’s. The only thing that came out of the art world as showing what black people meant to white america during Jim Crow were awful de-sexualized images of black women and men in degrading caricature form. Showing black people in completely unrealistic ways! Blacks negative images were paraded on the cover of food products like Cream of Wheat and Uncle Ben’s Rice! Framing blacks as loyal, mainly ugly, safe characters to have within their midst as subservients! This is mainly the art work that lived out of Jim Crow. 

Had it not been for great african american artist and early film makers like, Oscar Devereaux Micheaux. There wouldn't be very many positive images of blacks, anywhere from that early era in the multi media realm!

I feel that if blacks and native americans, and mexicans were allowed to be apart of the forging of the image building process in early american media. America’s views about people of color would be quite different indeed today! Race baiting films like, D.W. Griffin’s “Birth of a Nation” might not have been made. And hollywood would probably have taken a different route with its audiences! 

Had inclusion been apart of the plan in building a strong america, this would have been a much richer nation at heart! Had there been inclusion in the building of america, instead of forced work, and slave labor, america would have seen growth like never imagined; and probably not have seen or experienced any such terrible uprisings, nor any reason to protest about any kind of racial intolerance. 

There’d probably not be much singling out or profiling of folks. And maybe not many marches and such because of discrimination onto protest! 

Believe me, that beautiful wintery painting scene sitting up above this article would have been just as beautiful if everyone, who is apart of this great country had been allowed to be apart of it!     

Glenn Peppers

“So why is Christmas Time Charlie Brown considered Evil?”

http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/a-charlie-brown-christmas-airs-with-trigger-warnings-t17277.html

“So why is Christmas Time Charlie Brown considered Evil?”

(Parents hide your children from the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown)

By Glenn Peppers 

Strangely enough, this is truly (in its own odd little way) a sign of the times ya'll! If you've read the article above. Like me, you were probably shocked! 

I indeed was shocked until I remembered that these things were prophesied to happen in these days and times just before great tribulation occurs!

http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/a-charlie-brown-christmas-airs-with-trigger-warnings-t17277.html

That time to come, that is now here when good is now considered bad, and evil is thought of as good! The people who posted this disclaimer are of the same ilk who wanted to set up and worship a statue of the enemy of God, the Lord of Host himself, and of all humankind at Burt's Place (a beloved BBQ restaurant and longtime entertainment spot) in downtown Detroit, Michigan's, Eastern Market area.

So this is how the world is turning, and turning fast at that! The signs are here! In the sky, in the water, The extreme violence everywhere. The urgency to eradicate anything of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit! 

The rampant rudeness in soceity. Not to mention the immense cruelty and lack of respect for human life, and all of earth's inhabitants that we are in charge of. Be they animal, sea life, or birds of the air.

There is this wild animalistic distain for anyone who appears to be under God's protection and favor for believing in the Word, and the promise of life eternal by the shed blood of Jesus. The Son of the Creator of all that exist, in and beyond the known and unknown universe!

Amazing that It takes a common cartoon that has been a simple reflection of peace on earth in a season of giving for more than 50 years to rile the bowels of hatred in people who if they could, would destroy God's message of hope for everyone! If you don't believe in God. Why should you even care?

So in analysis; senseless murders doesn't rile people anymore! Yet the thought of a living God somehow does! Children dying in the streets doesn't anger anyone anymore! Just the story of Jesus in Bethlehem as told by a children's cartoon drives people who hate God insane! Why do these simple things seem to inflame the world more than the serious wretched issues that are actually plaquing the world? 

It has apparently been bothering them in all actuality, more than what the world has on its platter right now! The channeling of negative energy into making a children's cartoon out to be something nefariously evil, or threatening is disappointing to say the least! 

And what about "You're a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!" So ghost and goblin's and other creepy things that represent Halloween aren't considered frightening or negatively evil threatening influence on children? Just the sights, sounds and images of Christmas?

I find it outlandish that a sincere message of peace, hope and salvation is now considered a fanatical rant in America, and not cartoons as seen on Cartoon Network (and may other children's networks) that use mild cuss words. Or show cartoons that display repulsive images and toilet humor; or cartoons with children vomiting, and passing gas, etc. 

Even exposing them to hellish characters, and symbols and images, and doing a host of other vile things. And all in cartoon form!

So the antics of Cartoon Network is the kind of thing that is presentable to your children? No wonder kids these days are running amuck, fighting like pit bulls, and twerking like pole dancers. All sexually charged and rebellious in the schools, and at home and on the street!

So now we've come to that place in America where "Peace on Earth, and Goodwill towards Mankind" is a now considered a message of hate, and is somehow threatening and in need of a disclaimer? This truly is a sad day in America!

God bless us, one and all!

Glenn Peppers

"And I ask you Motor City. Have we Gone too Far?"

Public Execution on Detroit's East side of 20 year old male and 13 year old teenage girl

"And I ask you Motor City. Have we Gone too Far?"

By Glenn Peppers

(My Big Beautiful yet Dangerous Rebuilt City) 12-3-2015

http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/55075092-story

http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/55129553-story

Yesterday in Detroit. 

"Two people, a male and female, were killed inside the car by two suspects who came up and opened fire, according to Police Chief James Craig.

The victims were seated inside the car when they were shot multiple times. The driver took off at a high rate of speed and the two sitting on the car fell off and were injured.

"Multiple shots were fired, probably 14 to 15 shots," Craig said, calling the shooting tragic and adding that he did not know of a motive yet. 

In the incident happened at about 4 p.m. in the area of Hayes near Seymour, according to police.

The two people sitting on the hood of the car were injured when the car took of and hit a building across the street. They were not hit by gunfire, Craig said.

The two shooters, both armed black male suspects in their early 20s are at large, Craig said."

Quoted from WJBK Fox 2 News

A 13 year old girl, and a 7 year old child sat riding on the hood of the car at the time of the shooting

It's as clear as a bell! That shooting was a hit! Two shooters in hoodies, firing from two different angles at the car, killing the driver, a 20 year old male, and his 13 year old passenger, a young girl! What this young girl was doing in the passenger seat of this man's car could quite possibly reveal a lot about this case! But don't take my word on that! 

People want change in most urban cities across america, and especially here in Detroit! Well all I’ve got to say is, “Its Too Late People!” 

That too is just my personal opinion! When I say that things just may have gone too far for that. It is something I really feel! 

Detroit's decades old message and act of consuming illicit drugs. The fact of an openly dumbed down educational system ruining young minds, and discouraging good teachers; and children or young adults, willfully committing acts of open murder and mayhem in the streets has already become sort of a creepy norm in Detroit! 

Murder and shameless thuggery is thoroughly infused in the minds of our youth in Detroit! They live it, breathe it, listen to it in their music. See it in music videos and in their movies! This Nomadic sensibility is HERE to Stay! Like a kookaburra in your nice knitted sweater. It ain’t goin’ nowhere! So how’d we get to this place and state of mind in Detroit? 

Well, its a long story, but in short. Detroit started to fall off the edge of the earth back in 1943 with its first all out race riot! Ah, didn’t know about that one, huh? And then there was of course the riot most of you reading this probably do remember, or at least heard about in 1967. 

Not long before the 1967 riot, many of the auto plants in southeastern Michigan maintained this slew of quite regular, racially selective layoffs, and generational unemployment problems. My dad was one of its victims! Chrysler kept my dad laid off for many a year when I was a kid in the 1960's.  

Thus for many blacks in Detroit, poverty, denial, and unemployment brought much mental anguish to many people in Detroit, black or white! 

In growing up in Detroit, and working briefly in the auto industry myself as a younger man. Mainly, what I’ve seen is poverty and financial ruin becoming the downfall of many people here in southeastern Michigan. And that goes for people from all walks of life here! 

Unemployment has for many a year has been the main source of destruction as many of the working poor's being able to carve out a means to live, and maintain one's self esteem! 

I’ve noticed that since around 1981-82, despair and defeat had begun to make its mark on those who fought the good fight of "Work hard to Make a Living", but now days after all those years of doing so, can no longer try to keep afloat anymore. 

For some, this despair began to trickling down to our kids! Suffering from want and being without. Some young boys sold drugs back in 1981-82. The new drug on the scene was Rock Cocaine. Coke that is cooked and converted into Crack!  

Grown men were being sent up the river for selling, so the bright idea to get kids to sell it became popular, since they wouldn't get the jail time that the adult would if they got caught! So the advent of Young Boys Inc. came about! Young teenage black males selling Crack Cocaine) in order to gain something out of life. 

Of course, along with break out debut of CRACK in 1981, and taking away thousands of poor folks' only means of living (ADC, Welfare, Food Stamps, etc), from some folks, who in some cases never really had much from the start, really had it bad! 

The people who were really bilking the system were left on welfare rolls, but the ones who really needed it were yanked off it, and made to fend the best way they could. So after Detroit's up's and down's and bailing out of the auto industry, poor folks were left out of the mix. Pretty much like now. After 30 years, the wear and tare is starting to really beginning to take its toll! Its really really showing! On the city, and on the people!

In this battered economy, people just flat out don't have anything left inside! There are so many people living on the bare essentials of life, if they can even afford that! 

A great lot of Detroiters are poor, hungry, desperate and deprived! But pride won't let someone who's worked hard all their lives beg or ask for food! For to do (in their mind) means they are asking for a handout! And a proud once UAW member would rather starve! 

When I drive through some parts of Detroit, it is more than evident that “This is not my grandfather's Detroit anymore!” Hell, its not the Detroit that I remember either coming along, and growing up in! 

Outside of its obvious protected areas in Mid-Town and Downtown, and the New Center areas, a good portion of Detroit’s poorer areas have largely become nomad territories or vacant lots, filled with burned out houses that no one in office (be it here in the city or in Lansing) really seems to care about anymore. 

So in the meantime, "They" wait for those of us who live in those troubled areas to move, suffer through it, or die off, or kill ourselves off through murderous hits like this. 

All the while this new Robo Cop style, New Detroit in waiting will continue to rebuild, expand and grow! The gentrificationing of Detroit will unceasingly press on. With or without us! Slowly, quietly and most certainly without anyone who isn’t on the same page as the slew of rich developers revamping and raising Detroit out of its almost 50 year Riot Scarred Ashes! 

The developing of Mid-town along with the anticipation of city dwellers living within the outlying areas of Detroit, or living (or remaining) in the city are waiting patiently. 

They are waiting for our interpersonal slaughter among black folk to finally take its toll. They're waiting for us to dwindle and fade away! This is more than clear! 

Murderous acts like the one posted just shows where this city and its predatorily youth, and volatile adults is headed. Down the gentrification back room toilet!

And killings like these will go on, but only for a bit longer. That is until those who preyed on the innocent in Detroit have themselves begun to fade away, either byway of the mighty pen from a fast talking, bean counting unconcerned Governor, cutting even deeper into everybody's pockets. 

Cuts so severe they'll leaving the poor and people of color out of the New Detroit Equation all together. But more diabolical than that. New Detroit's butterfly blossoming unto Yuppy Town will come about due in part by a slow painstaking demise done indirectly by our own blood soaked -- cracked out little hand! 

Little by little, Detroit will crumble at the edges, all the way past 8 Mile Road, and before it all falls apart, the land and building developers will mend its edges, and build another parking structure. Fund another on point police department and Fire and rescue department. They'll build more Condos, and maybe even another Arena somewhere, just for the heck of it! 

Right now, Detroit will continue to suffer from her deep seeded rot of the soul by way of age, time, decay and generational moral depravity! Regardless of who ends up running or actually governing Detroit in years to come. In the long run, only those who mean Detroit well will prosper and grow here! 

The haunts from Detroit's past and from those who've passed on while trying to believe in Detroit will demand it! Those who intentionally killed Detroit will have to make peace with it, or it will never truly flourish -- in the long run! 

Prettying up Detroit’s well to do areas is like painting over a big dirty grease spot on the kitchen wall. six coats of paint, and one day somewhere down the line, that grease stain is going to seep through all that lovely pastel paint o the wall and the Ugly will return once again! 

But for now, all those wild and out of control children of poverty and blight and denial, who in their young short years learned to heartlessly murder humans as if playing a video game. You will one day soon eventually fall victim to your own wrongdoing. 

So until we all begin to learn to purge ourselves from the evil that has come upon us, these senseless crimes and moral acts of homicide conducted by children and young adults will continue! 

They are the product of generations of drug culture. Promiscuity, depravity and intemperance onto wanton sin, making them victims of total omission! 

Until there is a change or a fading away of children and adults who murder senselessly! Those in control will go on and letting Detroit fall into ruin, and allow it to intentionally run amuck, but in doing so, only to rebuild it as it dies in the process, street by street; person to person. One to one! And all for the sake of progress!... Sigh!

By Glenn Peppers           12-3-2015