A Message To My Brothers That Are Free and On Lock Down in Jail/Prison

Last weekend I visited my nephew in a Federal Prison Camp. I was a first-time visitor to a prison site, although I worked in law enforcement as a 911 Dispatch Supervisor for thirty years. While I admit I was astounded at seeing the comforts and freedoms afforded those sentenced to this camp, in the back of my mind a little voice kept reminding me it was still a prison, albeit a minimum security prison.

There were many other young men, in addition to many males who fell in the category of senior citizen, like my twenty-something year old nephew. The prison was a three-hour drive for me so my sister, my brother-in-law and my grand-nephew spent several hours visiting, chatting and playing cards with my nephew.

My nephew graciously introduced us to some of his 'new' friends there. After each left our table, my nephew said, "That's a good guy." It seems that there were many 'good guys' in there, and in many ways many probable are 'good guys', but that doesn't take away from the fact that all of these 'good guys' are doing time in federal prison for various reasons.

We weren't the only visitors at the camp that day. There were many wives/girlfriends, children/grandchildren visiting also. My newphew has three young children of his own ranging in ages from 9 months - 7 years old, although none of them accompanied us on this visit. Looking around at all of the young children that were visiting their love ones doing time, I thought about my nephew's young children, and all the other young children that these men have fathered and left behind while they are doing time for crimes they've committed, and the ones that proclaim they're doing time but they're innocent.

These young children are fatherless for whatever time these young men are on lock down. I wonder who's going to step in and fulfill these father's shoes during their absence? Although I know my nephew's children have their grandfathers and uncles that will fill in for my nephew, I wonder about the children who don't have anyone to step in for the absent fathers. What will happen to them? Who will be their role model? The Streets? The fast dollar? The corner nickel and dime drug dealer?

To the absent fathers, I ask, "Have you thought about the consequences of your actions? For those that were fortunate enough to be sentenced to this camp with all of its luxuries I wonder, "Is the sentence harsh enough that you wouldn't want to return to such a place?"

As I listened to my nephew describe all the freedoms they have at this prison camp, the little voice kept echoing, it's still prison and the one freedom that's most important in all of this was missing from his description, and that is, he is a prisoner for the next several years and he does not have the freedom to leave, to return to his family and be the father that his young children need. And to me, that was the saddest part of this entire visit. These children are the innocent ones in all of this. They've surely been sentenced to doing time for crimes they didn't commit.

Another Star Athlete Bites The Dust

On every news station today, the opening story was, Marion Jones Admits To Using Steroids. This comes on the heels of the Michael Vick case, whereas Vick eventually pleaded guilty of financing a dog-fighting ring. I say eventually, because like Jones, Vick too vehemently denied the allegations via a press conference with the world as his audience, as did Jones back in 2004. We can't forget the continual accusations against home-run king, Barry Bonds either.

I suppose one might be asking, what's my point? Well I'll tell you. My point is I am so sick and tired of African American athletes making a fool of themselves, while squandering the opportunities of a lifetime, in Vick's case, quarterback in the NFL, and Jones' case, gold medalists. Why is this bugging me? It's bugging the hell out of me because I know of so many young people who would practically give their right arm to have the opportunities these individuals have had.

I'd bet some money and say that neither Vick nor Jones needed these enhancements, as they had God-given talent. So, why would they risk everything they worked for, dreamed of, by using these enhancements in the first place as in Jones and Bond's case, or participate in illegal activities in Vick's case? Didn't they realize, or didn't anyone tell them that they would be under the world's bigger microscope just because of the color of their skin? Didn't anyone ever tell them that they had to be twice as good as the next athlete? I'd venture to say someone did, but that didn't mean using enhancements in their bodies to make them better. That just meant that they had to work harder to get to and remain at the top of their games.

Steroid use had been the topic of many conversations on the sports channels lately, particularly when it became evident that Bonds was set to break Babe Ruth's record, and lo and behold when he did break it he just had to have had help in doing so. But according to many sports analysts, steroid use is very prevalent in sports, yet I don't see them hounding the white athletes (anyone remember the Farve prescription drug abuse case?) as ferocious as they're pursuing Bonds, and obviously Jones too because of her confession.

Now, like Vick, Jones is facing the possibility of spending some time in jail because of her participation in, and then lying about the illegal activity. Jones will be stripped of her gold and bronze medals won in the Olympics, while the Atlanta Falcons organization is demanding over twenty million dollars Vick received from them. And you can bet, they're lying in wait for Bonds to admit he used steroids also so they can strip him of his home-run title.

It's often said that everything happens for a reason. Maybe one of the reasons behind these public embarrassments will be that it will remind future athletes that they will be scrutinized under the world's microscope and that they'd better rely on their God-given talent to fulfill their dreams, and not steroid enhancements, or participate in other illegal activities that will take them down faster than they can say their names because sadly, they will be surely judged more harshly. (Can somebody say THE JENA SIX!) So yes, in 2007, we (African Americans) have to be twice as good, twice as smart as our white counterparts because the world is staring at us through their microscopic sunglasses daring us to rely on just our God-given talents.

Love & Peace,
VeeJay